The St. Michael Spiritual Book Club is in its infant stages, but organizer Dennis Boyd, a parish lector, hopes that it can grow to become a thriving ministry for our parish.
“I’ve been reading the work of Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, and it made such a change in my life that I want to talk about it with other people,” Dennis says. “I got this idea, so I want to see what happens.”
The new ministry was announced in the Ministry Catalog, and a number of parishioners have expressed interest as of this past December. At that time, Dennis was working to set up a meeting time and place. He is considering holding evening sessions at the Grace Parish Center, although there are suggestions to hold meetings in the afternoon.
Once the book club gets underway, Dennis would like to begin with Fr. Rohr’s Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life.
“Fr. Rohr is a Franciscan priest and I thought we’d work through this book, and take it in sections,” Dennis says. “I have ideas for each section. There is a companion guide for groups, and I thought I’d use that.
“Fr. Rohr’s theme in the book is that the first half of life is when you are getting your personal identity and determining things that matter,” he adds. “The second half is moving past that first half to something else. This resonated with me, certainly.”
Fr. Lio has given Dennis the go-ahead to use Fr. Rohr’s material, which Dennis describes as encouraging critical thinking about the Church.
“He’s written lots of books,” Dennis says of Fr. Rohr. “I’m really into his work. So, we need to start somewhere.”
If you are interested in joining the St. Michael Spiritual Book Club, or for more information, contact Dennis Boyd at 808-854-4495.
Courtesy of Catholic Stewardship Newsletter Feb/Mar 2024
