the love of books

I was talking to my parents about my one day in Toronto this summer, and the conversation motivated me to start a library wish-list. The idea of walking into our mammoth Central library in Richmond Hill is overwhelming. All those books, in English, for free! Too much. So, I'm going to put together a reading list. I'd greatly appreciate any suggestions. I'm leaning towards some lighter reading, fiction or non, but with some redeeming value, nothing too mindless. Leave a comment if you have an idea.

I went to Amazon.com to check out what new books were out. Lo and behold, I clicked on books, and on the main page was a link to the "Emergent Faith Store." I had to take a second look, I was so surprised. I thought Emergent was still a rather small movement and more counter-culture than consumerist. Sadly, no. I looked at the Emergent Faith Page, and it was full of all sorts of "christian books" about the same stuff, with a new trendier name. It makes me sad. I don't know, I haven't really over-anayzed it, but everything I was attrached to in the post-modern/emergent movement is contradicted by a featured page on the top american bookseller website.

The introduction to the page went like this:

Contemporary music, a shirt-sleeved pastor, and a cup of coffee, often set the stage for a new approach to religious services. Without sacrificing core values, the goal of the emerging church movement is to help churches reach their full potential and reach a wider audience--meeting that audience on its own territory, in real life, real community contexts.

Yup, that's it for me, short sleeves. (Note: deep sarcasm laced with disappointment). Lets all reach our full-potential, with 'contemporary' music.

Hmm. I'm not throwing the baby out with the water here, I still think the true post-modern approach to church is something entirely different than short-sleeves and potential. I just think it's sad that it's going to be confused with the brand marketed on Amazon.

Oh, and it doesn't really affect me now, anyway, because I have been unable to find any sort of emergent / postmodern church in either Taipei or Halifax. But I am excited about visiting one church in Halifax, a community called the Agora, which is associated with the Mennonite Brethern. They meet on Sunday nights and have coffee and muffins. That's all I ask. I guess Amazon had one part right, coffee is an integral element in any church trying to be accessible!