Kaitlin B. Curtice Brazos Press, 208 pages Reviewed by Susie Carter-Wiggins Writing this review through the lens of a white woman who is also a Presbyterian pastor, mother and grandmother, I found Kaitlin Curtice’s book not only revealing of her heritage, but revealing of my own as well. Curtice takes readers on a journey toward discovering a new world for our children and our children’s children by looking back at our ancestral roots, and then forward into a better world for us all, even as she navigates her own journey. With expansive reflection, she explores her deeply embedded sense of self as a Potawatomi Anglo-European Christian woman, and she invites us to join with her in a discovery of our own sense of selves asking: “Who are we?” “Who are our ancestors?” “What does it mean in our lives that they’ve gone before us?” “What are our responsibilities to carry on their traditions, songs, foods, and worship?” “What is the legacy we want to leave for those who will come after … [Read more...]

Cliff Edwards Broadleaf Books, 208 pages Vincent Van Gogh was a remarkable man who sought his entire life to combine beauty with a fierce attention to the oppressed. This book, written by a well-respected Van Gogh scholar, explores in detail Van Gogh’s artistic vision by close attention to his letters to his brother Theo. The letters are accompanied by commentary from Cliff Edwards, along with an illumination and suggestions for reflection and deeper engagement. The purpose is to deepen our perception of the world — not only world of nature, but the entire world as Van Gogh did. Many of us know and love his paintings, though few of us know his vision. Edwards wants us to see the world clearly, to sharpen our own perception of what is most needed: “Through his eyes we see corners of the world he felt needed attention, often the most ignored moments in ordinary people.” Van Gogh was rejected in his quest to be a pastor because he entered so deeply into the lives of suffering people … [Read more...]

Tom Sine and Dwight J. Friesen Fortress Press, 200 pages Jerry Seinfeld could teach the church a thing or two about innovation. When asked by the Harvard Business Review how he got the idea for “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” Seinfeld said: “It’s very important to know what you don’t like. A big part of innovation is saying, ‘You know what I’m really sick of?’ For me, that was talk shows where music plays, somebody walks out to a desk, shakes hands with the host, and sits down. … ‘What am I really sick of’ is where innovation begins.” Community organizing acolytes of Saul Alinsky agree that it’s critical to create change around that which frustrates us. But it’s Seinfeld’s understated first premise that can help us identify the wellsprings of our future path: If we’re sick of something, we turn to what we love to find the solution. Church futurists Dwight Friesen and Tom Sine have produced a guidebook for this latter kind of innovation that mixes the latest in forecasting … [Read more...]