It’s been another good year for this Heartlands site. The number of views has almost doubled and we have had a number of good connections with and reviews from other sites. Below you’ll find the Top 10 posts from the year along with some other notable posts in the realms of books, interviews, and poetry. The United Methodist Church’s continuing evolution is dominant in these top posts, but you’ll also find some books and poetry here:
Before I Take the Next Breath: A Sudden Response to General Conference 2019 — Written on the night the United Methodist Church’s special conference in St. Louis ended, this essay reflects the shock of the moment and hints at what was to come.
The Origin of the Incompatibility Clause (and Whitefield’s Knuckle): An Interview with Ashley Boggan Dreff — My interview with Dreff, who wrote the single most helpful book on the current UMC impasse, garnered a lot of deserved interest in her work.
What You Need to Know to Care for Your Clergyperson (Even if That’s You) — Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell and Jason Byassee wrote a timely book on the stresses faced by clergy. I reviewed it here.
It’s Time for a Commission on a Way Sideways — By April I was ready to reflect on the future and the myth of progress so I took a sideways approach to the Commission on a Way Forward.
What if We Can’t Get Beyond Sex? A Review of Entangled — My review of Ashley Bogan Dreff’s book referenced above.
Long Arcs and Stumbling Blocks: A Breakdown (Because of) General Conference 2019 — The emotional impact of what happened at GC 2019 hit in March.
Why Mister Rogers Still Matters: Shea Tuttle on the Man and His Faith — Tuttle’s new book on the man of the moment was a breath of neighborly air in a divided nation.
Meeting Beneath the Arch With a Dream — If you want to revisit those heady, pre-GC 2019 days, check this one out.
Can We Talk Here? Recovering Conversation in the Church with C. Christopher Smith — a review of another timely book.
Aging Well with Scott Cairns — how great that review of a poetry book (Anaphora) made the Top 10. Of course, it is the amazing Cairns.
Other Top Book-related Posts:
Good God, What Happened to the Heartland: Laughing and Lamenting with Lyz Lenz – review of her book, God Land: A Story of Faith, Loss, and Renewal in Middle America.
My Restless Year with Wendell Berry
Say Goodbye to the Mind-numbing Meeting – review of Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters.
Another Southern Writer Finds Love in the Ruins: A Review of Kevin Powers’ Latest
The Red State Christians You Don’t Know: A Review of Angela Denker’s New Book
Poetry:
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