Cornerstone Summer Book Discussions
by Brian Colmery
Books are the GOAT (aka Greatest of All Time) of media. Portable, reproducible, with a sterling record of relevance and proven longevity. Books put thoughts to paper so you can enjoy them, analyze them, internalize them, and respond to them.
For centuries, books have been the focal point of conversations in classrooms, coffee shops, and living rooms. Books start conversations on important ideas, help us think through them, and move those ideas from the paper in front of us to the heart inside of us. In a way, you haven't fully read a good book until you've discussed it. It doesn’t become a part of you until you meditate on it with others.
Christians are people of the Book and people of many books. We meditate on, discuss, and internalize what God says in Scripture. The Spirit works as we look together at God through his word. And as we look at God through his word, we write words about what we see. Other books don't replace Scripture, but they hold the truths of Scripture in front of us in different ways. The best books show us the truth of God's word in ways we might not have seen, connecting them in ways we might not have grasped. Our many books are ways we get to know the Book better.
This is why Christians don't just read books but also talk about books. We read with curiosity and questions, with an eye to see more of God and his world. And we let the ideas inside good books lead us to new ideas, fresh connections, and answers to questions we didn't know we had.
You might not consider yourself a "reader," but we all care about God, the world he's made, and how we fit into it. Reading becomes interesting once you see books as one way to think more about the things you care about. When you read that way, you’ll want to discuss what you read more than ever. That's why at Cornerstone we are holding two book discussion groups this summer. You can pick one, come to both, or even read the books on your own and have impromptu discussions with others in the church:
July 24th at 1:00 PM
What God Has To Say About Our Bodies by Sam Allberry
Sam looks closely at how Scripture talks about our bodies, covering identity, gender, sexuality, aging, illness, and resurrection. In a short amount of space, he hits on topics we see all around us, at church and in broader culture.
For centuries, books have been the focal point of conversations in classrooms, coffee shops, and living rooms. Books start conversations on important ideas, help us think through them, and move those ideas from the paper in front of us to the heart inside of us. In a way, you haven't fully read a good book until you've discussed it. It doesn’t become a part of you until you meditate on it with others.
Christians are people of the Book and people of many books. We meditate on, discuss, and internalize what God says in Scripture. The Spirit works as we look together at God through his word. And as we look at God through his word, we write words about what we see. Other books don't replace Scripture, but they hold the truths of Scripture in front of us in different ways. The best books show us the truth of God's word in ways we might not have seen, connecting them in ways we might not have grasped. Our many books are ways we get to know the Book better.
This is why Christians don't just read books but also talk about books. We read with curiosity and questions, with an eye to see more of God and his world. And we let the ideas inside good books lead us to new ideas, fresh connections, and answers to questions we didn't know we had.
You might not consider yourself a "reader," but we all care about God, the world he's made, and how we fit into it. Reading becomes interesting once you see books as one way to think more about the things you care about. When you read that way, you’ll want to discuss what you read more than ever. That's why at Cornerstone we are holding two book discussion groups this summer. You can pick one, come to both, or even read the books on your own and have impromptu discussions with others in the church:
July 24th at 1:00 PM
What God Has To Say About Our Bodies by Sam Allberry
Sam looks closely at how Scripture talks about our bodies, covering identity, gender, sexuality, aging, illness, and resurrection. In a short amount of space, he hits on topics we see all around us, at church and in broader culture.
August 14th at 1:00 PM
You Are Not Your Own by O. Alan Noble
Alan shows us how the fundamental assumption of modern life is that we are our own and belong to ourselves—and how that seems empowering but only leads to burnout, anxiety, and loneliness. If you've wanted to understand why life feels the way it does in the modern world, this book is a big step in that direction.
You Are Not Your Own by O. Alan Noble
Alan shows us how the fundamental assumption of modern life is that we are our own and belong to ourselves—and how that seems empowering but only leads to burnout, anxiety, and loneliness. If you've wanted to understand why life feels the way it does in the modern world, this book is a big step in that direction.
We hope you come and enjoy the blessing of books in community with us this summer!
