This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Best this month


By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat


Little Sparrows


Celtic Christian Spirituality: Essential Writings Mary C. Earle has offered retreats and classes on the Celtic Christian tradition for more than 20 years in seminary, con- ference and national settings. In this collection of passages from a variety of sources, she explains and notes some of the themes in the writings of these avid believers: the gift of seeing God as present in everyday activities such as tending to the fire in one’s home, tak- ing care while doing chores, and being sure to glorify God at the beginning and at the end of the day. Here is an example: “In the morning light, O God, may I glimpse again your image deep within me, the threads of eternal glory woven into the fabric of every man and woman” (from John Philip Newell, 21st-


century Celtic practitioner).


Another practice of these early Christians was to lavish attention and care on the natural world. And the third duty of a Celtic Christian was to walk the talk of love, faith and hope. There are many selections from the “Carmina Gadelica,” a six-volume collection of poems, hymns and songs com- piled by Andrew Carmichael around the end of the 19th century. Here’s to you, dear reader: “God’s blessing be yours/and well may it befall you” (SkyLight Paths, www. skylightpaths.com).


The Brussats pub- lish the website www. SpiritualityandPractice. com where you can find more information about the items reviewed in this column.


In this Australian film directed by Yu-Hsiu Camille Chen, Susan is dying of cancer. As her family gath- ers for Christmas, she realizes that each of her three adult daughters is facing a crisis: Anna, an actress, is unhappy in her marriage to a self-absorbed filmmaker; Christine is struggling to come out of the closet and declare herself a lesbian; and Nina, a single parent, yearns to break free of her co-dependency that means she is always helping others and neglecting herself. There are many films about caring individuals who help others achieve a finely finished death. But here the giving is reversed—Susan on her deathbed meets with each daughter and, in the most loving way, advises them based on her experiences as a woman, wife and mother. These scenes reveal the soul of a wise person who is able to set aside her pain and speak from the heart. Susan’s sessions with her daughters function as her ethical will in which she passes on her spiritual values (www.FilmMovement.com, not rated).


Butterfly Tree Jilly is walking on the beach when she notices a wispy orange mist in the sky. She calls her mother and they follow the cloud into the woods and come upon a tree covered with thousands of monarch butterflies. They are awed at the sight. On their way home, Jilly learns that when her mother was a child she also had an encounter with monarch butterflies, which she has never forgotten. The little girl realizes that they have just made a memory they can cherish together. Butterfly Tree by Sandra Markle is designed


for children 4 through 8 (Peachtree Publishers, peachtree-online.com).


66 The Lutheran • www.thelutheran.org


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76