Julie Davis's Blog, page 3

Jonah: Mad as Hell and Running From God

Thus Sayeth the Lord: A Fresh Take on the Prophets

From my new book, Thus Sayeth the Lord — I'll share a sample chapter a piece at a time. Let's start with someone we might all be able to relate to — a less enthusiastic prophet we'll never see.

JONAH
Mad as Hell and Running from God
But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. — Jonah 1:3

What to Read
All four short, exciting chapters.

I’ve got to hand it to Jonah; he doesn’t mess around. God gives him a prophecy to deliver, and in the second sentence, Jonah’s on the run, “fleeing.” Look at how the next verse almost trips over itself to get all the information out. No question about it. Jonah’s getting away from God as far and fast as he can.

The Book of Jonah is not only short, it is a story. That’s a huge win when it comes to the prophets, who usually just give us their long, long speeches. Jonah is suspenseful, exciting, and funny. It also invites us to examine our own response to God when we’re asked to do something we don’t like. That’s a lot for four short chapters, but Jonah delivers.

You might think you know the story. Who doesn’t hear “Jonah” and think “swallowed by a whale?”

But Jonah’s packed with details I never noticed until I sat down and read it with full attention. Every one of them matters. The last time I read it I fell in love with the sailors, because they try rowing to shore instead of automatically tossing Jonah overboard, even when they know he’s the reason for the storm. I never even noticed those sailors before. It’s always worth reading Scripture more than once, because you don’t know what you’ll find that makes the story come alive.

Tomorrow in part 2 we'll get a quick overview of the whole story.

Thus Sayeth the Lord comes out on March 31. Preorder your copy now!

My New Book — Thus Sayeth the Lord: A Fresh Take on the Prophets

Thus Sayeth the Lord: A Fresh Take on the Prophets

This fresh take on the prophets will introduce you to our biblical role models in a way you might find startling, challenging, and probably not to your grandmother's liking. In this book, you will meet:

- Moses - eighty-year-old freedom fighter

- Elijah - nuking the pagans

- Deborah - kicking ass and taking names

- Hosea - not family friendly

- Samuel - the only hope in a desperate hour

- Amos - sticking it to the man

- Anna and Simeon - God's tag team

- Jonah - mad as hell and running from God

We’ve lost touch with what it meant to encounter a prophet, or to be one. Let’s take a fresh look at the familiar prophets in our Bible. Every single one has a message for us in our lives today, because that’s how God rolls. He’s a multi-tasker, and the Bible is one of his main tools in speaking to us.

Those very same prophets aren’t just for everyone who came before. They’re for us, too. These ancient, Hebrew prophets can help bring us closer to God’s love and his purpose in our lives — right here, right now.

I'm really excited about this book. I can't tell you how I've come to love the prophets while I was writing about them. It turns out they're not just a bunch of grumpy-pants who want to yell at us. Eighteen good prophets. One bad one. And every single one can help you today in very concrete ways.

It comes out March 31, though, of course, you can order it now.

I'm going to help whet your whistle by sharing a couple of chapters over the next couple of weeks. Just the way to begin Lent, right — alongside the prophets.

And I'll have a giveaway so stay tuned for that!

In the meantime, here are a few people who've had an advance look and liked it enough to say so.

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Here is Julie Davis at her best: reading stories and telling stories. She knows that narrative is the lifeblood of a family. She shows us where we fit in God’s grand scheme. The words of the prophets were music and poetry when they were first delivered. They hit the heart with a wallop — in this retelling they still do. Highly recommended. – Mike Aquilina, executive vice-president, St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology

Julie Davis is inviting us to take a walk on the wild side of the life of faith by investigating the prophets — those major and minor “Mouths of God” — who populate scripture. Davis’ wit and the casual accessibility of her language make this a galloping read that is both fun and intelligent. Spending time with the prophets was never so painless. – Elizabeth Scalia, Editor-at-Large, Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, Author of Little Sins Mean a Lot

Julie Davis offers an innovative perspective on a time-honored but often misunderstood tradition in our Church. Accessibly executed with terrific storytelling and useable takeaways, this book helps us learn ever-current lessons from ancient prophets, while keeping our hearts open to new encounters with modern prophetic opportunities. – Lisa M. Hendey, Author of I Am God's Storyteller

Julie Davis’s latest book is an energetic, wise, and utterly delightful look at the Biblical prophets, a guide that explores why these holy men and women are relevant today and why they are so important in the development of our own spiritual lives. Thus Sayeth the Lord not only informs, it entertains and inspires. – Gary Jansen, author of Life Everlasting and MicroShifts: Transforming Your Life One Step at a Time

If you've run screaming from the Old Testament prophets, but you have a niggling idea that there has to be something there, this is the book for you. If you find yourself wondering why those OT guys are such a hot deal, this book is for you. If you like diving into scripture so deeply that you float inside and laugh outside, this book is for you. Julie Davis has successfully and artfully woven together what we know, put it in context, and jumped in with both laughs. Enjoy! - Sarah Reinhard, author and blogger, SnoringScholar.com

I hear all the time how the prophets of the Old Testament are a vast treasury waiting to be unlocked, but I've never been able to find the key. Thankfully, Julie Davis has come to the rescue with her book Thus Sayeth The Lord. Finally, I have a way to approach and appreciate the prophets that is clear, accessible, and captivating! – Tommy Tighe, author of The Catholic Hipster Handbook and Catholic Hipster: The Next Level

Gone for Lent

It's Mardi Gras! And tomorrow begins Lent, the great renewal found via repentance and fasting.

I am giving up most of my internet places for Lent - including Goodreads. I will, however, be updating my blog often. So drop by whenever you miss me here!
https://happycatholic.blogspot.com

2018 Challenge — Books and Movies

I have to admit it — my challenge for last year was mostly a bust. I abandoned it pretty early in the year mostly, I think, because I made the list out of a sense of duty. I'd done all those other yearly challenges, after all. Why stop now?

2017 turned instead into a year of reading and watching whatever I picked up and that morphed, surprisingly, into series. You can see some of that in My Year of "In Order."

• I read Terry Pratchett's books in order of publication, stopping only short of when his Alzheimer's began manifesting in bad books.

• We are just two movies shy of watching all the James Bond movies. It's been very interesting.

• Star Trek still has about a season and half to go before we can move on to The Next Generation. (Yes, this "in order" may take the rest of my natural life, but what a way to go!)

• We began watching The Avengers. They have proven to be just as whimsical and clever as I recalled. We're halfway through the second season and then will sample some Wild, Wild West to see if it is as spy-fy-ish / steampunk as I recall.

• I finished reading the Bible in chronological order. That began in 2016 but became a treasured habit. So much so, in fact, that I promptly began all over again. I'm using a different translation — Knox edition — as well as my study Bible which has become the place where I put all my notes from commentaries and studies.

The result is that I've got a different approach this year which is much looser.

MOVIES

Once we finish James Bond, we're going to begin watching Billy Wilder's movies in order. We will also sprinkle in a little Akiro Kurosawa (in order, natch) through the year as we go.

BOOKS

I have a couple of series I'd like to reread:

• Slough House (begins with Slow Horses)

• Night Watch (which I've reviewed quite a few of, if you check the Book Reviews page, beginning with Night Watch)

Mostly, I have a big list of books that I began but never finished. Some are really long and I just dip into them occasionally. This is especially the case with Paul Johnson, Louis L'Amour, and Sense of Wonder. Others, though, were put down when the next shiny new book came along. They're too good to abandon but I need to stop adding new books and finish them.

• A History of the American People by Paul Johnson
• Lone Star: A History Of Texas And The Texans by T.R. Fehrenbach
Heroes & Heretics of the Reformation by Phillip Campbell
• Heroism and Genius: How Catholic Priests Helped Build — and Can Help Rebuild — Western Civilization Hardcover by William J. Slattery
• The Big Book of Adventure Stories edited by Otto Penzler (rereading)
• Plain Tales from the Hills by Rudyard Kipling
• Sense of Wonder: A Century of Science Fiction by Leigh Ronald Grossman
• Acts of the Apostles (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture) by William S. Kurz SJ
• Hebrews (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture) by Mary Healy
• The Gospel of John (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture) by Francis Martin and William M. IV Wright
• God or Nothing by Cardinal Sarah
Meditations Before Mass by Romano Guardini
• Theology and Sanity by Francis Sheed
• The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton (rereading)
• Louis L'Amour's complete short stories
• Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts: Twelve Journeys into the Medieval World by Christopher de Hamel

You've got to admit, that's a pretty big stack of great books — tragically unfinished. It could take a year. Especially since I've got some other "assigned" reading as I go for various podcasts and my book club. For example, Kristin Lavransdatter (1,100 pages) is taking up most of my reading time now. But we shall see how it goes for whittling this list down!

My New Book - Seeking Jesus in Everyday Life

COMING IN EARLY APRIL!

This book is for the beginner and for those beginning again — to bring us closer to Jesus, which is every Christian’s greatest desire.

Each page gently leads the reader to open up and encounter Christ in their own way — using scripture and inspirational quotes, reflection, brief commentary, and prayer.

Foster a daily habit of prayer and reflection that will continue long after you come to the end of this book.

ADVANCE PRAISE

I’m getting a copy for every member of my RCIA class. 

— William H. Duquette —

If you want to be a happy Catholic, you need to encounter Jesus. And if you want to encounter Jesus, read this book.

— Brandon Vogt —

This book is a joyful pilgrimage to the Father, made with the most amazing companions, from Ambrose of Milan to Marshall McLuhan. Highly recommended.

— Mike Aquilina —

Best Books of 2016

My top picks from the books I read last year. You may find old books here but if they're on this list, then they were new to me!

7 Men and the Secret of Their Greatness
by Eric Metaxas
Eric Metaxas wrote this book to ask two questions: (1) What is a man? (2)What makes a man great? He answers them by looking at the lives of seven men who are worthy of emulation.

This grabbed both my and Tom's attention. We still talk about the stories and people in this book. (Full review here.)

Also, don't miss his follow-up book about 7 Women. We both liked that one too. (Full review here.)

Slow Horses
by Mick Herron
A different sort of spy book. Spies who have failed at their jobs get sent to Slough House where they do paperwork.

Funny, suspenseful, intelligent — I loved this and both the sequels. (Full review here.)

We also discussed this on A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.

Reading Dante
by Giuseppe Mazzotta
2016 unintentionally became my year of Dante as I wound up reading the Divine Comedy four times. Don't ask how I unintentionally read it four times. Sometimes these things just happen.

Anyway, seeking commentary I found this book by a professor who's been teaching Dante's Comedy for decades and was selected for Open Yale Courses video. Whoever translated those videos into these chapters also deserves praise. I can feel the force of personality as well as the depth of knowledge — all communicated in a very understandable way. This was simply wonderful in deepening my appreciation of the magnificent work Dante did upon The Divine Comedy.

Church of Spies: The Pope's Secret War Against Hitler
by Mark Riebling
Another one that both Tom and I loved. I still think of it frequently.

Nonfiction, by a non-Catholic, defending Pope Pius XII against claims that he supported the Nazi regime. Reads like a spy thriller.

I bet the audiobook would be great. (Full review here.)

The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains
by Owen Wister
A Western with all the expected trappings: cow-boys, guns, horses, beautiful school mistresses, villainous scoundrels, and the hauntingly beautiful isolation of the Wyoming range.

But, more than that, it is a wonderful character study told in surprisingly contemporary writing. (Full review here.)

Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History
by Rodney Stark
A wonderful book using facts and statistics to combat lies about the Catholic faith which are still being spread by experts who should know better. In fact, those experts are why the author wrote the book.

As he says in the introduction: "Finally, I am not a Roman Catholic, and I did not write this book in defense of the Church. I wrote it in defense of history." What better reason could there be than that? Truth for truth's sake. (Full review here.)

Lydia Chin / Bill Smith
mystery series by S.J. Rozan
Lydia Chin is a young American born Chinese woman who is also a Chinatown detective. Bill Smith is older than Lydia and white. His detective work tends to take him to construction sites and security jobs. They often act as partners which works well both for mystery solving and as a story telling device.

The twist in this series is that one book will be told by Lydia and the next told by Bill. The author has a rare talent for writing in completely different voices for both Lydia and Bill.

Enjoyable all round. (Full review of the first two books here.) We discussed Concourse on A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.

Earthrise
trilogy by M.C.A. Hogarth
This is a really fun space opera series which is continually flirting with becoming romance novels. (Full review here.)

The Great Good Thing: A Secular Jew Comes to Faith in Christ
by Andrew Klavan
A great conversion story by a thriller author. Both inspirational and influential - my prayer life changed after reading it. I listened to the audiobook which was read by the author. (Full review here.)

My Lady Jane
by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and , Jodi Meadows
What if history was just a little bit different when England's King Edward died and Lady Jane Grey was caught up in a political conspiracy to ascend to the throne? What if some people were shape changers who also had an animal form?

Of course, that would be an alternate history, probably written for young adults. For what it was — a humorous, inventive, light, romantic, alternative history — it was practically perfect in every way. It was sometimes silly but always charming and I was glued to it in every spare moment. I listened to the audiobook which I wholeheartedly recommend. (Full review here.)

The Help
by Kathryn Stockett
After covering the movie when it was selected by a movie discussion group regular, I revisited the book to see if it was as good as I recalled. The movie was a by-the-numbers telling with broad strokes.

The book, as I rediscovered, was so much more than that. I decided to try it in audiobook form after seeing that Octavia Spencer was one of the narrators. And the audio really makes it soar. Worth reading and rereading, whether in print or audio.

GoodReads Recommendations

Because I read The Iliad ... GR recommends Run Silent Run Deep.

Because I shelved The Help ... GR recommends Run Silent Run Deep.

Because I'm reading The Moonstone ... GR recommends The Wizard of Oz.

I think their algorithm is broken.

Goodreads New Homepage Layout

So I took the survey about how I liked the new homepage ... which is now junked up so much that there is no way your eye knows where to focus.

Interestingly, there was never a place where you could give them your overall impression. It was all strictly controlled. Which often means, according to my decades of advertising experience, they don't really want to know.

Double the Number of Books You Read — Without Speed Reading

I am a book nut like so many on GoodReads.

But there are also people here whose goal is to read a book a month. And I bet they'd like to read more if there were a way to do it.

I've been blessed to be a naturally fast reader who loves books. But even I have found myself fighting in the last year to shove away distractions that cut into my reading time.

All that is to say that I was thrilled to see Brandon Vogt has developed a video course for doubling the number of books you read, without speed reading.

I know he loves reading and I trust him to teach well. Find out more at Read More Books Now, which has a nice summary of all his points. The free offer is open for a week.

Reading the Bible in Chronological Order

How sweet are your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103

I've come across several people lately who have been doing one of those "read the Bible in a year" plans. I'm intrigued by a plan to read the entire Bible, though having a time limit leaves me cold. Why rush, after all? Also, what with one thing and another, I've read practically the entire Bible in fits and starts over the years, with the notable exception of Isaiah.

However, what I did begin thinking about was the idea of reading the Bible chronologically. I'd like to read salvation history as it unrolls through time — not in the order it was written, but in the order it happened. And it would definitely be interesting to read Isaiah, Jeremiah and the other prophets within the historical timeline.

There are a variety of plans out there, but the one that fit the bill for me was from the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. You may recall I love their commentaries and when I saw how their plan interspersed parts of Isaiah throughout the historical books, I could see we were on the same page.

They have a 3-column, 365-day Bible reading plan formatted in legal and letter sized pdfs. Perfect! Here's a bit of their thinking, but they lay out all their rationale at the reading plan link.

For the most part, the Old Testament narrative and prophecy readings present the biblical books in the order of the story they tell (not the same as the order in which they were written). This chronological order is particularly helpful in understanding where the prophets and various narrative works fit in the history of Israel. A significant exception to this chronological presentation is the placement of 1-2 Chronicles (which cover the same period as the books of Samuel and Kings) near to when they were written near the end of the OT period, in order to lessen the experience of repetition.

A similar approach is taken to the third column that contains the books of the NT. These readings begin with the Gospel of Luke and Acts to provide a narrative framework for the whole. The other three Gospels are interspersed among the remaining New Testament books to allow readers to return to reflect on the life of Christ throughout the year. Then come the letters of Paul arranged in approximate chronological order, Hebrews, the epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude, concluding with the book of Revelation.

I'm going to read from beginning to end, as I said, placing the gospels in their chronological order for when they were written. (Hey it wouldn't be me if I didn't inject my own thinking, would it?)

I'm interested to read the New Testament, when I get to it, in the order that the first Christians did, as letters circulating through churches with gospels popping up later on. Anyway, I have the Church's daily Mass readings for a daily dose of gospel.

So I've begun with Genesis and the Psalms. A couple of chapters of Genesis start my day, while I'm feeding the dogs, and a psalm is the midday punctuation.

I like the idea of the wisdom books accompanying the historical books. In my particular case, Genesis is one of my all-time favorite books and I've always struggled with the Psalms, though wanting to read them has been a goal for a long time. So this is the perfect pairing to begin.