Nancy's Suggestions for Organizing your Book Read

Our "parish read" this fall, Radical Hospitality, offers a delightful, and somewhat probing discussion of all the ways we can be welcoming to the stranger. We're planning almost seven weeks to read this 270-page book (counting the intro), and I would recommend that you consider organizing your reading as follows:

WEEK 1 -- Introduction and Chapter 1: Right out of the box, Fr. Daniel explains that "a rule is nothing more than a set of ideas to help [each of us] determine the kind of person [we] want to be." Wow! I'll never get exasperated with rules again! He uses poignant stories and anecdotes to bring you into his Benedictine space and make it yours as well. Read the Introduction to the book; then refer to the Companion Guide and reflect on the questions. A journal is provided for your notes. Then read Chapter 1 and follow suite.

WEEK 2 -- Chapter 2: "Hospitality Begins Inside" gets right to the point of who we think we are to those around us -- a "spiritual practice" is not quite what I considered. Take your time in reading this chapter, and thoughtfully reflecting on the questions in the Companion Guide.

WEEK 3 -- Chapters 3 & 4: The authors bridge the aspects of privacy and community and demonstrate how they work together. How can we open ourselves beyond the "predictable life"? The questions in the Companion Guide force you to face your own prejudgments.

WEEK 4 -- Chapter 5: My personal favorite, because as church, we center many of our events around serving food and sitting at table! It is in the tiniest details of that food service that we welcome others, and open ourselves "to the mess of things." I do like order!!

WEEK 5 -- Chapters 6 & 7: How do we show our love for others by the way we offer hospitality to them? There are many layers to how we serve others. When you reach the deepest level of love, you have reached the heart of hospitality.

WEEK 6 -- Chapter 8: It becomes a balancing act to save room for yourself in the midst of being hospitable. As a person who has a hard time holding boundaries, it is important to remember that if we hold a line for ourselves, it will help us to be even more forthcoming in greeting the stranger.

WEEK 7 -- Chapter 9 & 10: At the most difficult level of hospitality, we turn the direction completely over to the stranger. We have to absorb the saddest, most uncomfortable aspects of welcoming. As I have worked on my "listening" skills, the better I get at it, I realize that amidst the anguish, you'll also hear the joy.

NOVEMBER 19, 7:00pm -- see you at the Potluck Discussion/Dinner !

Don't forget, you can order your materials online. And, don't miss the kick-off talk this Sunday, October 3, with Fr. Paul Kasun, OSB, at Between the Masses at 10:15am in the St. Timothy Rm.

God bless you,

Nancy Biehler

Fall Book Study kicks-off on Sunday, October 3rd with Fr. Paul Kasun, OSB

St. John Neumann's Parish-Wide Reading Program announces our 2010-2011 fall parish book: Radical Hospitality: Benedict's Way Of Love by Daniel Homan, OSB and Lonni Collins Pratt. Order your materials online or in the parish office for our very popular parish community-wide book read: One-Book-One-Parish. Program kicks-off on October 3rd and materials will be at the Between the Masses talk waiting for those who have pre-ordered. Cost of materials: $25.

Sunday, October 3, 2010, 10:15-11:15am, St. Timothy Rm
One-Book-One-Parish fall book kick-off with Fr. Paul Kasun, OSB, at Between the Masses on Benedictine Hospitality

Friday, November 19, 2010, 6:30-9:00pm, St. Timothy Rm
One-Book-One-Parish book discussion and potluck dinner

Participate in the book study by subscribing to this blog, hosted by Nancy Biehler, Director of Adult Faith Formation at St. John Neumann Catholic Church.

A complilation of other books we have studied as part of the program.