Riverwood Presbyterian Church

Books

The Book Group

by Jimmy Hopper

Two or three posts down, I posted about an article reviewing “Christian” diet books, and I compared that concept with one in a book we had been reading and discussing in the Riverwood Book Group. This is not to re-hash that post but simply to note how the book and our book group conversation enlightened my thoughts on the subject. The connection noted in the blog post would probably not have been made without it.

I guess that’s what reading is about; to open your mind to possibilities and to the thinking of others about ideas and events. The Book Group does that in a rich, wonderful way. The group reads a book together and because, I believe, of a certain accountability inherent in the concept, gets deep into it. We then discuss it, always looking at it from each one’s own unique perspective but also from the well known “Christian world view”, since we are Christians. The books are not all “Christian” books; we’ve looked at secular fiction, social commentary, and other caterogories, but all are looked at from the perspectives described above. The results have really been great.

The Book Group was founded by Blake Johnson, who is currently doing his own “rigorous thinking” in the wilds of Kentucky, but will join us again at some point. We meet each Tuesday at 7 PM at Books A Million for fellowship, coffee (or whatever) and conversation. We have both men and women and everyone is welcome, so, if you are even the least bit intrigued, and certainly if you love books, come by and try us out. If you have friends who are non members of Riverwood but who would still be interested, bring them along. I think you will enjoy it, and I know you will be stimulated by it.