Presbyterian Writers Guild Luncheon
July 9, 2010

Eugene Peterson receives Distinguished Writer Award

by Emily Enders Odom

MINNEAPOLIS, July 8 - Presbyterian writers - both aspiring and published - were served up a veritable feast at the 219th General Assembly (2010) by the author who memorably encouraged Christian readers to add to their repertoire the essential command to "eat this book."

Eugene Peterson

The Rev. Eugene H. Peterson - who was honored today at the Presbyterian Writers Guild (PWG) Luncheon with its David Steele Distinguished Writer Award - gave his audience words, wisdom and wit to savor and digest.

"It was while teaching the Book of Revelation and doing pastoral work in the congregation that I became pregnant," Peterson began, employing that metaphor to narrate his formation as a pastor and writer during his early years in New York as an assistant professor while "making ends meet" as an assistant pastor. "It took three years, 1959 to 1961, to come to term. And then there it was, a pastor-writer vocation."

"I never intended to be a pastor," he said. "I was doing it for the money."

A few weeks into teaching the course, Peterson said that he came to identify himself with John of Patmos, whom he described as "the patron saint of pastors."During that same time, he also "became aware of the contrast between being a professor in a classroom and a pastor in a congregation."

"As I spent these weeks in the company of John of Patmos, with alternate days in the congregation, I was beginning to feel that the classroom was too easy," Peterson said. "The room was too small to do justice to the largeness of the subject matter - the extravagance of the beauty, the exuberance of the language…The classroom was too tidy."

In his journey toward becoming a pastor, Peterson said he became a writer as well, just as writer and pastor were "a single identity" for John.

"I found a way of writing that I knew poets and novelists practiced but had never really pursued myself, heuristic writing," Peterson said. "Writing to explore and discover what I didn't know. Writing as a way of entering into language and letting language enter me…Writing as a way of paying attention. Writing as an act of prayer."

In closing, Peterson acknowledged the role that artists played in his formation. "I embraced artists as allies," he said. "They took their place alongside the theologians and biblical scholars in my formation…My artistic medium was words, written and prayed and preached."

Peterson, who has written more than 30 books, is probably best known for The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (NavPress Publishing Group, 2002). The biennial David Steele Distinguished Writer Award - named after the late poet, essayist and humorist - is given to recognize the cumulative work and influence of a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) writer.

In other highlights, the PWG presented its 2010 Angell Award for the best first book by a Presbyterian author to Rebecca Barnes-Davies, a student at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and consultant for environmental and social justice ministries for the PC(USA), for her book 50 Ways to Help Save the Earth: How You and Your Church Can Help Make a Difference (Westminster John Knox Press).

Barnes-Davies' award was accepted on her behalf by Jenny Holmes, moderator of Presbyterians for Earth Care, who said that the eco-justice network was elated at the book's publication. "We especially appreciate the way it integrates the practical with the biblical and the spiritual," Holmes said.

PWG board member the Rev. J. Barrie Shepherd both presented and received the Lifetime Achievement Award to the "Presbyterian poet laureate" Ann Weems, whose recent illness and ongoing recovery prevented her from attending this year's Assembly. In a humorous presentation - in which he literally wore both the presenter's and the recipient's hats - Shepherd gave a moving tribute to the celebrated author, whose most recent book is From Advent's Alleluia to Easter's Morning Light: Poetry for Worship, Study, and Devotion (Westminster John Knox Press).

Shepherd, a previous recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, was also presented belatedly with a plaque for his achievement by past PWG president and current board member Kathy Bostrom, who presided at the event.

The 31st annual event also featured the traditional singing of the Presbyterian Writers Guild Hymn, written by the late Vic Jameson, a brief business meeting conducted by the Rev. Bill Lancaster, PWG president, and an update from Vince Patton, director of church relations for the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation.

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Barnes-Davies wins Angell Award for best first book

Presbyterian Writers Guild prize goes to environmental stewardship tome

by Jerry L. Van Marter
Presbyterian News Service

Rebecca Barnes-Davies

LOUISVILLE — Rebecca Barnes-Davies, a student at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and consultant for environmental and social justice ministries for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), has been named winner of the Presbyterian Writers Guild (PWG) 2010 Angell Award for the best first book by a Presbyterian author.

Barnes-Davies will be honored at the PWG luncheon at the upcoming 219th General Assembly in Minneapolis for her book 50 Ways to Help Save the Earth: How You and Your Church Can Help Make a Difference (Westminster John Knox Press. Louisville, Ky).

The Angell Award, named for longtime Presbyterian writer Jim Angell, is given each Assembly year to the best first book written by a Presbyterian author. Barnes-Davies’ book was chosen from among seven entries.

Of 50 Ways, Angell Award Chair Nancy Bray of Dallas writes: “While the author acknowledges that there are many more than 50 ways to help creation, she explains that she has chosen 50 to symbolize the Scriptural idea of the fiftieth year as the jubilee year, “a time when justice and Sabbath benefit the whole community.” 

In seven chapters, Barnes-Davies leads readers through ways that individuals, churches, and communities can help save the earth through attention to energy, food and agriculture, transportation, water, people, other species, and wilderness and land. 

An eighth, or “jubilee” chapter, concludes the book. Each chapter contains a simple, two-page format of subtopic suggestions that give background for the plan, how-to’s, a scriptural basis for the idea,  and real-life examples (“Walking the Talk.”) 

“While readers will find some familiar ideas among the 50,” Bray says,  “the new ideas offered can inspire individuals, church study groups, youth groups, vacation church schools, and camps.  The book offers an ecumenical approach that will appeal to other denominations, as well.”

Information for this story furnished by Nancy Bray.

Presbyterian Writers Guild Annual Conference Photos

The Writers Guild held a wonderful Writers Conference April 28-29 at the Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville, Tenn., with about 50 in attendance. To view photos from the conference, click here.

Like Jacob's Well wins 2009 Angell Award

The winners of the 2009 Angell Award are Linda Raymond Ellison and Bill Ellison for their book, Like Jacob's Well: The Very Human History of Highland Presbyterian Church. Beechmont Press, 9951 Bunsen Way, Louisville, Kentucky 40299.

The 125-year history of Highland Presbyterian Church of Louisville, KY, as recounted in Like Jacob's Well, is more than just that church's story. It is the life of the denomination and even of the United States, from 1882-2007. Just as Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress had its Everyman, Like Jacob's Well mirrors every Presbyterian's journey. We learn much from the author' full characterization of the congregation's struggles, successes, and service through two world wars, the Great Depression, a massive local flood, and racial integration. Through all of these events, the members' faith gave them strength not just to survive but to be leaders in the community and in the denomination. This book serves as a model not only for the importance of preserving church archives but also as a source of ideas and inspiration for other churches. The authors are retired editors for The Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times.

The book may be purchased through Highland Presbyterian Church, 1011 Cherokee Road, Louisville, KY 40204-1213. Phone 502-451-2910, or from Carmichael's Bookstore, 2720 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206. Phone: (502) 896-6950. Website: http://www.carmichaelsbookstore.com.

The Angell Award is given annually by the Presbyterian Writers Guild for the best first book by a Presbyterian author published in the previous calendar year.

Angell Award Book Nomination Summaries

*Ellison, Linda Raymond and Bill Ellison. Like Jacob's Well: The Very Human History of Highland Presbyterian Church. Beechmont Press, 9951 Bunsen Way, Louisville, Kentucky 40299. *VOTED BEST BOOK OF 2008

The 125-year history of Highland Presbyterian Church of Louisville, KY, as recounted in Like Jacob's Well, is more than just that church's story. It is the life of the denomination and even of the United States, from 1882-2007. Just as Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress had its Everyman, Like Jacob's Well mirrors every Presbyterian's journey. We learn much from the authors' full characterization of the congregation's struggles, successes, and service through two world wars, the Great Depression, a massive local flood, and racial integration. Through all of these events, the members' faith gave them strength not just to survive but to be leaders in the community and in the denomination. This book serves as a model not only for the importance of preserving church archives but also as a source of ideas and inspiration for other churches. The authors are retired editors for The Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times.

Garber, Susan Carter. For the Rough Spots in Life: Prayers and Meditations. Xulon Press. www.xulonpress.com.

Carter's book offers 40 short poems, meditations, and prayers on subjects ranging from anger, worry, and depression to courage, faith, and joy. Each topic is accompanied by Bible verses pertaining to the subject. This book would make an appropriate gift book. Carter is a retired special education teacher and curriculum writer living in Houston.

Gomez-Andersen, Cecilia V. Corridors of Pain. Eloquent Books. AEG Publishing. New York.

Part autobiography, part fiction, Corridors of Pain recounts in graphic, sometimes horrifying, detail the story of the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II. The author was then a young girl whose family survived by hiding in the swamps for four years. Gomez-Andersen, a former Fulbright scholar and retired educator, is a native of Negros Occidental in the Philippines, now living in Arkansas.

Good, Kenneth. The Answer Is Yes: Both/And Theology in an Either/Or World. Publish America. Baltimore, Maryland. www.publishamerica.com.

The author, a Presbyterian minister in New Jersey, says that God allows paradoxes to exist in the Bible because "paradox retains the mystery of faith while allowing our faith to see in new ways." Mr. Good presents 64 of these paradoxes based on scripture, such as "Is faith simple? Yes. Is faith hard? Yes" and "Is Christ a King? Yes. Is Christ a Servant? Yes." Commentary and scripture support each assertion.

Hardage, Jeanette. Mary Slessor – Everybody's Mother: The Era and Impact of a Victorian Missionary. Wipf and Stock Publishers. Eugene, Oregon 97401.

In this well researched biography, Hardage presents the story of Mary Slessor (1848- 1915), Scottish Presbyterian missionary to Nigeria. Slessor often flouted the conventions of Victorian and missionary life as she furthered the development of Christianity and even served as a British Magistrate in Nigeria. The author explains how Nigerian customs and cultural differences, along with Slessor's recurring personal illness, often made Slessor's work difficult, yet remained fulfilling for her. Hardage is a writer living in N. Charleston, SC.

Haynes, H. L. [Hortense Haynes]. Garden Number One: From the Ground Up. CLAD Publishing Co., P. O. Box 168061, Irving, Texas 75016.

This first book in a planned series for children shows how grandchildren, known as the grandbugs, grow seven amazing vegetables that become part of a special summer visit to Gram and Gramps' farm. Children will especially enjoy being able to download illustrations to be inserted into the story from a website given in the book. Haynes lives in Irving, Texas.

Nelson, Deborah. The War Behind Me: Vietnam Veterans Confront the Truth About U.S. War Crimes. Basic Books (Perseus). New York.

Nicholas Turse was researching declassified documents implicating U.S. troops' atrocities against enemy troops and civilian Vietnamese during the Vietnam War when he contacted the Los Angeles Times. He and Times journalist Deborah Nelson traveled the U.S. to interview soldiers and commanding officers and even traveled to Vietnam to interview Vietnamese people in their quest for truth. Nelson's book reveals their findings. The author makes the unnecessary atrocities of war public so that the U.S. can avoid causing such horrifying errors now and in future wars. A book appendix contains case summaries from the U.S. war crimes investigations. Deborah Nelson won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting in 1997. She is now the Carnegie Visiting Professor at the University of Maryland College of Journalism.

Purcell, Boyd C., Ph.D. Spiritual Terrorism: Spiritual Abuse from the Womb to the Tomb. AuthorHouse. Bloomington, IN 47403. www.authorhouse.com.

Boyd C. Purcell is an ordained Presbyterian minister, a licensed professional counselor, and a retired hospital chaplain living in West Virginia. His book discusses the spiritual abuse that many people have experienced in churches that instill fear of the fires of hell through a legalistic biblical interpretation. Purcell counters this fear with what he terms "Christian Universalism," which he explains as salvation for everyone. He views hell as a transitory experience to burn up sin and purify sinners. Examples from his counseling and chaplain experiences illustrate his theological stance.

Rollins, Eugene C. Grace Is not a Blue-Eyed Blonde. AuthorHouse. Bloomington, IN 47403. www.authorhouse.com.

Rollins has been pastor of the Liberty Hill (SC) Presbyterian Church for 25 years and is the founder and director of Midlands Area Pastoral Counseling Services, Inc. His book contains fourteen sermons on the subject of grace, which he first presented in the summer of 2001 at Liberty Hill Church's summer outreach ministry at Lakeside Worship on Wateree Lake, Kershaw County, SC. Rollins thinks of grace as God's Redemptive Acquittal Concerning Everyone. Each sermon is well organized around a central attribute of grace, with personal, inspirational, and entertaining examples. Rollins also explains his sermon preparation process.

Saunders, Albert C. The Reality and Ethics of Jesus: Issues and History. Xlibris Corp. www.xlibris.com.

Saunders attempts to answer ethical questions relevant to Christians through reexamining Christian history and its implications for today. He presents his own and various theologians' perspectives on the historical Jesus and what constitutes Christian ethics, as Christians in America today wrestle with such questions as "What constitutes an effective and driving Christian ethics for the twenty-first century?". Dr. Saunders, with degrees from Duke University and Princeton Seminary, is retired from the U.S. Army chaplaincy. He has also served as a Washington representative of the church and as senior staff in the U.S. Senate.

Sawyer, Rev. Nanette. Hospitality – The Sacred Art. SkyLight Paths Publishing. Woodstock, VT 05091. www.skylightpaths.com.

In her book, Sawyer proposes transformation through the spiritual practice of hospitality. She demonstrates how hospitality flows from the three qualities of receptivity, reverence, and generosity, beginning with hospitality to God and moving outward with hospitality to self, family members, neighbors, strangers, enemies, and creation. Throughout the book, Ms. Sawyer gives practical suggestions for developing hospitality. Ms. Sawyer is the founding pastor of Wicker Park Grace Church in the Presbytery of Chicago, a church that "holds hospitality as a core value."

Stockdale, Boyd. Conquest vs. Survival: The Quest for Racism's Cause. Cielo Press. Mercer Island, WA.

Stockdale believes that actions of European-American white culture in the United States are based on the King Arthur myth, a story with no cultural influence in other distinct racial groups. The result is cultural conflict. Examples from the myth and from church conflict, with which Stockdale has been familiar in his work with ethnic groups and congregations for the past thirty years, clarify his theory. He outlines steps that must be taken toward positive relationships of all cultures, particularly in the Presbyterian denomination. Stockdale is a retired Presbyterian minister living in Washington state.

Templeton, Beth Lindsay. Loving Our Neighbor: A Thoughtful Approach to Helping People in Poverty. iUniverse. Bloomington, IN 47403. www.iuniverse.com.

Beginning from a biblical basis for a call to help others, Templeton, an ordained Presbyterian minister, writes from her experience of twenty-five years with United Ministries, a non-profit organization in Greenville, SC. She offers many important questions and concerns to be considered in working with the poor and reassures us that "there are no right answers" but only "valuable" answers. She sees the unexpected in working with poverty as "part of the faith . . . fun . . . and frustration." How a community can allow poverty to exist is a final consideration. This book can be divided and used in several sessions, with questions, exercises, or worksheets at the end of each chapter.

Wolfe-Jenson, Kate. Dancing with Monsters: Chronic Illness as Creative Transformation. iUniverse. Bloomington, IN 47403. www.iuniverse.com.

The author was a twenty-year-old college student when diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. As she struggled for a topic for her master's thesis, she realized that the journey in response to chronic illness parallels the journey of the creative process Her book divisions (Discovering the dance, Overwhelm, Incubation, Reconciliation, Rededication) reflect these stages as she describes her experiences with both her illness and her creativity. Each book part is accompanied by helpful exercises for people of either journey. The author lives in Minnesota with her husband and daughter.