Don’t Skip Lent!

[The Easter truths] are simply too profound to take in over a mere Friday through Sunday, so we use the season of Lent to prepare.  Lent allows us to enter into the Pascha more deeply. When I first read that passage in Living the Christian Year, I thought to myself, yep, that’s exactly right.  Lent [...]

Peter’s First Easter

Peter’s First Easter Walter Wangerin, Jr. & Timothy Ladwig Zondervan, 2000 One of the reasons I’m glad that Easter is around the corner is that I finally get to tell you about Peter’s First Easter! It’s long been one of my favorites and, in fact, it was one of a handful of books that inspired [...]

Playlists for Lent and Easter

Most people have a stash of Christmas music and books that they whip out (at the very latest) right after Thanksgiving.  If you’re like me, when you think of the month of December your memories go straight to certain songs, picture books, and passages of Scripture.  I love the tradition of having a special set [...]

A Literary Meditation for Lent

First, friends, an apology. I was scheduled to review a family worship CD today, and in the motion of moving a family from Minneapolis to San Francisco (and back to Minneapolis, and then back to San Francisco…) I have managed to both misplace Haley’s kindly lent CD and forget to write the review. If this [...]

Of Reading, Writing, and Living Well.

Bad writing, which is composed in ready-made phrases rather than the exact words, has its counterpart in bad reading, which interprets by means of ready-made assumptions.” D.G. Myers, in a blog comment here, via Alan Jacobs’ tumblelog. I’ve been thinking about this comment for awhile now. Here at Aslan’s Library, we’ve been thinking and writing [...]

The Book of Jonah

The Book of Jonah Peter Spier Doubleday, 1985 I love the book of Jonah. I love how richly Christological it is. I love how funny it is. I love Jonah’s grouchy honesty; and I love God’s gracious, hard humor in dealing with him. It’s such an odd book, in so many ways – God is [...]

Walking Through Lent With Children

Today is Ash Wednesday, and here at Aslan’s Library, we’ve been stocking our bookshelves with books that will accompany our families as we walk together through the season of Lent.  During the next six weeks, we’ll be reviewing books and music that encourage worship, repentance, devotion, and meditation on God’s great work for us in [...]

The Divine Hours

The Divine Hours Compiled by Phyllis Tickle Image/Doubleday, 2000-2001 One of my favorite times of day is the close of breakfast, when I open up The Divine Hours and read the morning prayers with my nearly 2-year-old.  While she finishes up her cereal she’s happy to listen to me pray the daily readings out loud. [...]

The Winner!

Congratulations to Erin!  Her comment (#12) was the number picked by an online random number generator that I used to select the winner of our drawing.  She chose Psalms for Young Children for her prize, which is now on its way to her.  Let us know how you and your kids like it, Erin! Thanks [...]