Best this month
By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Star Trek Into Darkness
Two dynamos drive this engaging sci-fi thriller: memo- rable action sequences and discussions of ethical conun- drums. Director J.J. Abrams has adapted a style that would please Gene Roddenberry, whose Star Trek TV series has given birth to 12 feature films. At the heart of the drama is a gifted and heroic young man burdened by the hard choices he must make as leader of the large
The Chickens Build a Wall
A hedgehog with sharp quills shows up in the barnyard one day and nobody knows how he got there. The chickens, ducks and geese are suspicious of this
stranger. Soon their fear gathers into a ball of paranoia that sweeps throughout the place. So the community decides to build a wall around the henhouse so no wild animals can get inside. After completing the task, they are in for a big surprise that shocks them into a more loving and sane answer to their fears. Jean-François Dumont has written a convincing
The Brussats pub- lish the website www. SpiritualityandPractice. com where you can find more information about the items reviewed in this column.
parable for children ages 4 to 8 about the folly and danger of allowing our paranoia to get the best of us. Instead of building more walls we should be disman- tling them. Then we could expend our energies on opening our hearts and communities to strangers. We even might find that we have more in common with them than we ever imagined (Eerd- mans Books for Young Read- ers,
www.eerdmans.com).
Enterprise crew. When his mentor is killed, Kirk (Chris Pine, right) is sent on a mission to kill the terror- ist who is causing so much chaos in Starfleet Central.
The screenplay explores the relationship between Spock (Zachary Quinto, left), the logic-driven Vulcan, and Kirk, the laid-back leader who often makes ethical deci- sions based on his gut feelings. The best in both of these characters is drawn out as they face the ravages of war (Paramount Pictures, PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence).
Crafting Calm: Projects and Practices for Creativity and Contemplation
For more than 15 years, Maggie Oman Shannon has explored cross-cultural forms of prayer and spiritual practice through her work as an interfaith minister and spiritual director. We are all creations of a Creator, she writes, and have been graced with creativity. We can use this God-given gift to con- nect with the divine. As theo- logian Mary Daly put it: “It is the creative potential itself in people that is the image of God.”
Oman Shannon has helped workshop participants make prayer beads, love boxes, pastel mandalas, tiny shrines,
blessing baskets and much more. She describes 40 projects in this practical paperback, covering calm, clarity, comfort, contemplation, creation, com- munity and connection with others . It’s a perfect resource to explore during the summer when you feel inspired or are looking for inspiration (Viva Editions,
www.vivaeditions.com).
42 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
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