Waiting For Our Souls To Catch Up

by Carol M. Perry

In our frantic world, we all need time to stop and breathe. But how can we nurture our inner beings when the outer world demands so much? Waiting For Our Souls To Catch Up invites readers to begin a journey of the heart and mind in which a small effort of faith, guided by reason, can yield huge spiritual dividends. From the small rituals that enhance our daily lives to the study of the historical and scriptural legacy shared by the world’s great religions, Waiting For Our Souls To Catch Up is an intelligent reader’s guide to the wisdom of the ages.

“Bring your highlighter and your sense of wonder to a comfortable chair and marvel at what you didn’t know about Biblical history. Waiting For Our Souls To Catch Up is a must read for all those seeking a spiritual peace in a high-tech world. But most of all bring your appreciation of Sister Carol Perry’s scholarly brilliance in refining prayer, faith, and grace. I love this book. I will always have two, my annotated one and another one to give away.”
— Rolland G. Smith
Broadcast journalist, author, and poet

Sister Carol Perry is the “nun in the basement” at Marble Collegiate Church, the oldest Protestant congregation with continuous service in North America, made famous by Norman Vincent Peale (The Power of Positive Thinking). A Catholic nun, Sister Carol has been the Resident Bible Scholar at Marble for three decades. She is the co-author of Called and Sent and has been a recipient of two National Endowment for the Humanities grants. She was selected as an Educator of the Year by the Association of Teachers of New York and has lectured across the country on scripture, Christian feminism, and the role of women in the Biblical world. A Sister of St. Ursula, she is a graduate of Fordham University and earned an M.A. in Theology at St. Mary’s, Notre Dame.

“Sister Carol Perry is one of the most brilliant biblical scholars I have ever known. She truly breaks the mold: a loyal Roman Catholic who marches ahead of and challenges her denomination in much of the world’s social agenda, a respected nun who has been on the staff of America’s oldest Protestant congregation for over 30 years, and a woman of maturity who holds an undeniable appeal to the young and the hip. When you read this book, you are in for a treat. It will leave you longing for more.”
— Michael Brown
Senior Minister
Marble Collegiate Church

Genres: Religion

156 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2014

About the author

Sister Carol Perry is the “nun in the basement” at Marble Collegiate Church, one of the oldest Protestant congregations with continuous service in North America and made famous by Norman Vincent Peale, the author of The Power of Positive Thinking, who was Marble’s senior minister for more than fifty years. An Ursuline nun, Sister Carol has been the resident Bible scholar at Marble for three decades. She is the coauthor of Called and Sent and has been a recipient of two National Endowment for the Humanities grants. She was selected as an Educator of the Year by the Association of Teachers of New York and has lectured across the country on scripture, Christian feminism, and the role of women in the biblical world. Sister Carol is a graduate of Fordham University and earned an MA in theology at St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame. Her writing has appeared in Huffington Post’s On Scripture series.

Reviews

[Jeny · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some great moments in this book. She has a wonderful way of explaining faith.

[Jo Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you ever read a book you've had on your shelves for years, and wonder how it got there, who might've recommended it, etc? This book is one of them for me. I was choosing some books to take with me on a mini-retreat, and pulled this one, along with The Lord Is My Shepherd by Rabbi Kushner, from the shelves as "possibles" to take with me. Imagine my surprise when I read the same story at the beginning of both books this weekend. Sr. Carol Perry, a Catholic nun, wrote this book about living in our frantic world and needing to stop and take time to breathe and feed our souls. She relates this story, as did Harold Kushner, which I'd just read, about a group of tourists in Africa. They'd hired several native porters to carry their supplies while they trekked. After 3 days, the porter told them they'd have to stop and rest for the day. They were not really tired, they explained, but "we have walked too far, too fast, and now we must wait for our souls to catch up to us." Sr. Carol Perry's book is a challenge to slow down in our high tech, busy, worlds, and "wait for our soul to catch up." I'm thinking Someone was speaking loud and clear to me!

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little book with a bit of a different slant on thinking about the Bible. Reminds us to consider the historical setting and culture. Explains about the authors of Gospels also. Interesting and thought provoking.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quaint book that allows us to peek into what daily life was like in biblical times and teaches us to find time for God every day.

[Jerry Snider · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MUST READ FOR THOSE ON A QUEST FOR ANSWERS ABOUT GOD.