Best this month
By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Thurgood
Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) was the first African- American to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. His life and legal career is portrayed in this astonishing
Room Enough for Daisy
Daisy is upset because her bed- room is too small for the new toys she is expecting for her birthday.
Her mother brings in a box and says, “This box will
The Brussats pub- lish the website www. SpiritualityandPractice. com where you can find more information about the items reviewed in this column.
make your room bigger.” It is filled with stuff she was supposed to give away to her synagogue’s rummage day. But as Daisy unpacks the box, her room gets even smaller. Writers Debby Waldman and Rita Feutl have adapted this morality tale from an Eastern European folktale. The message is clear: clutter is a sign of our inability to let go of possessions that we are no longer using. It’s a good deed to give things away. When we do, it’s pos- sible to change our way of thinking— just as Daisy does (Orca Books, www. orcabooks. com).
film based on the one-man 2008 Broad- way play starring Laurence Fishburne. This production was taped during a live performance at the Eisenhower Theater at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Born the great-grandson of a slave, Marshall grew up in Baltimore and tried to enter the University of Maryland’s law school. Denied entrance on the basis of race, he would later win a case against this odious practice. After graduation from law school, Marshall became chief counsel for the NAACP. In this biographi- cal play, he comes across as an entertain-
ing storyteller and commentator on politics and culture. Fishburne’s stellar performance draws out the humanity of this accomplished crusader for justice, his sense of humor, and his love of the abiding principles of the Con- stitution (HBO—not rated).
Awaken Your Senses: Exercises for Exploring the Wonder of God
In this intriguing and creative work, retreat leaders J. Brent Bill and Beth A. Booram combine their talents to explore the delight in the five senses as a way to cultivate an experiential faith that is atten- tive to God in the world all around us. They explain: “We’re going to introduce you to spiritual practices that engage your whole person.” This intention is a noble one given
the history of resistance of many Christians to connecting religion to the pleasures of the senses. First stop is taste, which enables us to sample a variety
of delectable foods. An essay on touch relates this sense to Jesus, stones, prayer and building an altar. A consideration of hearing leads to discussions of music, pain, footsteps, the Spirit and news. The authors share their ideas on smell in relationship to flowers, home, heating oil and coffee. Throughout we are reminded of God’s presence in the sights around us. By the end of this tour of the gifts of our senses, you will be more thankful to God than ever before (IVP Books,
www.ivpress.com).
42 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
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