Recommended Summer Reading

I used to look forward to summer and the vacation it brought from the normal schedule of choir rehearsals and meetings. It always provided extra time for personal practice, composing and arranging, and reading. I now find that summer is my busiest time of the year, and I do most of my reading on airplanes and in hotels. But in the hope that you have time to devote to reading and might be interested in some of the latest worship, music, and more general church topic titles that I've discovered and enjoyed recently, here are fifteen:

• Abbington, James, ed. New Wine in Old Wineskins. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2007. A blending of new hymn texts by some of the best modern hymn writers with some of the best hymn tunes from many different traditions. Read and study the texts, but also sing them.
  
• Bell, John. The Singing Thing Too: Enabling Congregations to Sing. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2007. In his Book 1 of The Singing Thing, Iona Community musician John Bell explored the reasons why people sing. In this sequel he explores learning and teaching -- How do we learn new music? How do we encourage a congregation to learn new music?
  
• Burton-Edwards, Taylor, ed., et al. Living into the Mystery: A United Methodist Guide for Celebrating Holy Communion (Available as a PDF download). Nashville: Discipleship Ministries, 2007. A step-by-step guide for celebrating Holy Communion with integrity and grace in the local setting -- with contributions from United Methodist worship professors.
  
• Coyner, Michael J. and Randy Maddox, et al. A Year with John Wesley and Our Methodist Values. Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2008. This little book that was given out to all 2008 General Conference delegates explores the essence of John Wesley's life and witness and the transforming power of the early Methodist movement through great themes expressed in contemporary language and in contemporary situations.
  
• Davis, Valerie, ed. The Africana Worshipbook, Year B. Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2007. The second volume of this series of worship resources written for and by the African American church, but that is finding use in congregations of all races.
  
• Davis, Valerie and Safiyah Fosua, eds. Companion to the Africana Worship Book. Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2007. A companion volume with articles and essays.
  
• Dick, Dan. Vital Signs: A Pathway to Congregational Wholeness. Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2007. For more than six years, Dan Dick visited, studied, surveyed, consulted with, and analyzed 700+ congregations across North America to better understand effective structures, processes, leadership and systems for spiritual formation and development. Dan iwas Discipleship Ministries's Director of Research.
  
• Hawkins, Greg L and Cally Parkinson. Reveal: Where Are You? Willow Creek Church, 2007. Written by staffers at Willow Creek Church, with a foreword by Bill Hybels, the book discusses and evaluates the megachurch's successes and failings in making disciples and transforming lives.
  
• Job, Rueben P. Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living. Nashville: Abingdon, 2007. A small, inexpensive book that explains and encourages the adoption of the Wesleyan principles of do no harm, do all the good that you can, and stay in love with God. Destined to be a classic.
  
• Kantor, Dan. Graphic Design and Religion. Chicago, GIA Publications, 2007. Explores the role of graphic design within a religious context, leading to a spiritual way of seeing. Ideal for design students, teachers, photographers, illustrators, copywriters, clergy, worship and environment planners, sacred artists of all kinds.
  
• Miller, Craig Kennet. 7 Myths of the United Methodist Church. Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2008. Co-written by church growth and new church development expert Craig Miller with seven pastors of growing churches, this book explores seven myths that Miller says keep congregations from reaching people for Jesus Christ.
  
• Moleck, Fred, ed. A Primer for the Visiting Organist. Chicago: GIA, 2007. Music leaders and experts of different denominations have provided a valuable and practical volume to help visiting and substitute organists who may find themselves in an unfamiliar setting for worship.
  
• Woods, Robert and Brian Walrath, editors. The Message in the Music: Studying Contemporary Praise & Worship. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2007. An important book that proposes ways of evaluating contemporary praise and worship music for content, theology, musical style, scriptural faithfulness, and more.
  
• Roger, Brother. Choose to Love. Taizé, France: Ateliers et Presses de Taizé, 2007. This book pays tribute to Brother Roger and how he worked within the Taizé Community.
  
• Wuthnow, Robert. After the Baby Boomers: How Twenty- and Thirty-Somethings Are Shaping the Future of American Religion. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2007. Examines the spiritual interests and needs of the post-baby boomers now in their 20's and 30's, and the impact they are having and will have on the church.
  
• Westermeyer, Paul. Rise, O Church: Reflections on the Church, Its Music, and Empire. St. Louis: MorningStar Music Publishers, 2008. Michael Hawn writes of this book, "[It] examines the complex ways that the church and its music interact with broader culture framed in the context of the influences of empire that are opposed to the mission of the church."

Order from Cokesbury, 1-800-672-1789, www.cokesbury.com

Discipleship Resources titles are available from the Upper Room online store, 1-800-972-0433; www.upperroom.org/bookstore