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We have a rich and diverse collection of books and other resource materials in
the Fairlawn Avenue United Church Library. Please come and browse.
Our collection is small but great. The areas of focus for this library are:
- Faith and Spirituality
- The Bible
- Prayers
- Death and Dying
- The Environment / The Green Resource Corner
- Social Justice
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Location
The Library is located inside the main west
entranceway – up the three steps to the left of the elevator, first door on the
right.
Borrowing
It is simple to borrow materials.
Just sign your name and phone number on the clipboard on the Library Desk. When
you return library items, DO NOT reshelve them yourself. Please return
items to the Book Return bin, and stroke out your name on the clipboard.
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New
in the library |
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Here are just some
of the new resources in the library.
Note:
Some of these books may be on the book cart at
the back of the sanctuary: |
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Everyday Grace ~ by
Marianne Williamson
In these pages, author and lecturer Marianne Williamson acts as a guide
back to the spiritual source, exploring the ways to nurture a thriving
soul in a harsh world. The large and small difficulties of our days
challenge us to open our hearts and minds. With an attitude of hope, a
call to forgive, and a celebration of miracles, Williamson helps readers
to find sacred footing on ordinary ground. For no matter what, there is
always an opportunity to be happy. Everyone is entitled to the pleasures
of everyday grace. |
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With or Without God ~
by Gretta Vosper
Envisioning a
future in which the Christian church plays a viable and transformative
role in shaping society, Gretta Vosper argues that if the church is to
survive at all, the heart of faith must undergo a radical change.
Vosper, founder of the Canadian Centre for Progressive Christianity and
a minister in Toronto, believes that what will save the church is an
emphasis on just and compassionate living-a new and wholly humanistic
approach to religion. Without this reform, the church as we know it
faces extinction.Vosper
addresses the issues of spiritual fulfillment, comfort and connection in
the modern world through a thoughtful and passionate discourse. She
urges a renewal of old doctrines but does so with dignity and respect.
Offering difficult but penetrating insights into a new generation of
spiritually aware -- and spiritually open -- people, With or Without God
offers a startling model for a renewed church as a leader in ethics,
fostering relationships, meaning and values that are solidly rooted in
our own selves.
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Have a Little
Faith: A True Story
~ by Mitch Albom
Albom's first nonfiction book since
Tuesdays with Morrie, Have a Little Faith begins with an unusual
request: an eighty-two-year-old rabbi from Albom's old hometown asks him
to deliver his eulogy. Feeling unworthy, Albom insists on understanding
the man better, which throws him back into a world of faith he'd left
years ago. Meanwhile, closer to his current home, Albom becomes involved
with a Detroit pastor-a reformed drug dealer and convict-who preaches to
the poor and homeless in a decaying church with a hole in its roof.
Moving between their worlds, Christian and Jewish, African-American and
white, impoverished and well-to-do, Albom observes how these very
different men employ faith similarly in fighting for survival: the
older, suburban rabbi embracing it as death approaches; the younger,
inner-city pastor relying on it to keep himself and his church afloat.
Have a Little Faith is a book about a life's purpose; about losing
belief and finding it again; about the divine spark inside us all. It is
one man's journey, but it is everyone's story. |
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Made for Goodness: and why this makes all the difference
~ by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu
We recognize Archbishop Tutu
from the headlines as an inspirational figure who has witnessed some of
the world's most sinister moments and chosen to be an ambassador of
reconciliation amid political, diplomatic, and natural disasters. Now,
we get a glimpse into his personal spirituality—and a better
understanding of the man behind a lifetime of good works. In this
intimate and personal sharing of his heart, written with his daughter,
Episcopal priest Mpho Tutu, Tutu engages his reader with touching
stories from his own life, as well as grisly memories from his work in
the darkest corners of the world. There, amid the darkness, he calls us
to hope, to joy, and to claim the goodness that we were made for. Tutu
invites us to take on the disciplines of goodness, the practices that
are key to finding fulfillment, meaning, and happiness for our lives.
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God’s Dream
~ by Desmomd Tutu amd Douglas
Carleton Abrams
Archbishop Desmond Tutu has a
vision of God's dream. It involves people who hold one another's hands,
but sometimes get angry and hurt one another - then say they're sorry
and forgive. It's a wish that everyone will see that they are brothers
and sisters, no matter their way of speaking to God, no matter the size
of their nose or the sha de of their skin. Aided by vibrant artwork,
Tutu conveys the essence of his
ubuntu
philosophy, a wisdom so clear and crystalline that even the smallest
child can understand. |
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The Purpose Driven Life: What on earth am I here for?
~ by Rick Warren
Rick Warren will guide you
through a personal 40-day spiritual journey that will transform your
answer to life's most important question: What on earth am I here for?
Knowing God's purpose for creating you will reduce your stress, focus
your energy, simplify your decisions, give meaning to your life, and,
most importantly, prepare you for eternity. This book offers a blueprint
for Christian living in the 21st century-a lifestyle based on God's
eternal purposes, not cultural values. Using over 1,200 scriptural
quotes and references, it challenges the conventional definitions of
worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. In the
tradition of Oswald Chambers, Rick Warren offers distilled wisdom on the
essence of what life is all about. Full of hope and challenge, The
Purpose-Driven Life will be a classic treasured by generations to come. |
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Words to Live By
~ by C.S. Lewis
This book showcases the amazing
lucidity and precision of Lewis''s thought. Orgazined from A-Z, it
includes entries on such important subjects as: prayer, love, faith,
virtue, greed, lust, church, the Trinity, creeds, doctrine, hell,
heaven, miracles, suffering, grief, story, and joy. Drawn from many
works, it is both a wonderful introduction to Lewis''s thought and an
insightful and wise book filled with words to live by. |
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Sea Sick: The Global Ocean in Crisis
~ by
Alanna Mitchell Sea Sick
explains how the global ocean — 99 per cent of the planet's living space
— is undergoing vast chemical changes at the hand of humans and why that
matters.
In a nutshell, some of the carbon dioxide we are putting into the air
by burning fossil fuels is being absorbed by the ocean. That reverts it
to a state it has not been in for millions of years: more acid, warmer,
and more prone to vast oxygen-deprived dead zones. At risk is the very
structure of life in the ocean and therefore, on the planet as a whole.
Alanna was our guest speaker at the Earth
Day Service
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Darwin, Divinity, And the Dance Of The Cosmos
~ by Rev Bruce Sanguin
A book on Ecological Christianity |
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Parenting
through Crisis: Helping Kids in Times of Loss, Grief, and Change
~ by Barbara Coloroso
Parenting educator Barbara
Coloroso shows how parents can help children find a way through grief
and sorrow during the difficult times of death, illness, divorce, and
other upheavals. |
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Redeeming
Love ~ by
Francine Rivers
Can God’s Love Save Anyone?
Best-selling author Francine Rivers skillfully retells the biblical love
story of Gomer and Hosea in a tale set against the exciting backdrop of
the California Gold Rush. |
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Greeniology
~ by Tanya Ha
A book for the urban
environmentalist that delivers good news: saving the planet is easier
than you think. |
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Do You
Believe? Conversations on God and Religion
~ by Antonio Monda
18 interviews with renowned
writers, thinkers, artists and film directors in this brief collection
about God and faith. |
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Organic God
~ by Margaret Feinberg
Set forth on an “organic” spiritual
journey to discover God again for the first time, and free yourself of
pollutants, additives, and other distractions that can cloud this
ultimate relationship. |
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Worldchanging
~ by Alex Steffen Worldchanging is packed with
information, resources, reviews and ideas that give readers access to
the tools they need to build a better future. |
Religion in the news
A list of
interesting readings about religion is often (but
not always) found at the bottom of Rev. David's
congregational email letter "Greetings from Fairlawn" ~ readings are from recent newspaper and magazine
articles, books and on the internet.
See also
The United Church
Observer - the online version of the magazine
Fairlawn in the news
Articles about Fairlawn
are referenced here.
| Fairlawn Green Resource
Corner Visit the Fairlawn Avenue United Church Library to see the Green Resource Corner
collection.
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Children's books
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