Hops and Hope: Book and Discussion Group

Join us each month as we read a book on faith, justice and what it means to find hope in Christ amid a messy and complex world. Each month we will read a book and will gather at a local brewery to discuss and explore how the words we read impact the lives we live. All are welcome to join, whether you finish the book or not.  Below you will find our Fall dates, locations and books!

December

The Just Kitchen: Invitations to Sustainability, Cooking, Connection, and Celebration by Derrick Westen and Anna Woofenden

MONDAY, December 18, 6:00 p.m. at Immanuel!

For food and faith writers and podcasters Derrick Weston and Anna Woofenden, The Just Kitchen is about a passion for food, sharing meals, showing hospitality, and understanding cultures, faith traditions, food histories, and local foodways. Their authentic podcast conversations spill over the pages of this book and explore how the kitchen can be a place where the things we care about most in the world are reflected in the foods we prepare and the way we prepare them. In a world where disconnection from the earth, our food, our faith, and each other is becoming the norm, Weston and Woofenden bring together voices of hope who are working for a world of organic reconnections. They invite us to dig deeply into the complexity of ecology and food systems, as well as how faith communities are connected to them. This is an invitation to reprioritize the kitchen as a space for healing, community, activism, and celebration. Be inspired to see the sacred in the daily mundane, forge connection with the people and earth around you, and join the call of a just kitchen.

Check out their podcast: Food and Faith Podcast

Ordering Books

Savannah will be ordering a copy of each for the Immanuel library if you’d like to borrow it, or if you prefer to buy a copy of your own, here are a couple links that help you support local bookstores through your purchase. If you’re looking to support a Native owned bookstore, Birchbark Books in Minneapolis is a great option!

• Bookshop - online book retailer with lots of inventory, and you choose the bookstore that will be supported through your purchase  
• Book Store Link - helps you order directly from local bookstores (can either have them delivered or picked up)
• Take a look at a list of some possible books, but there are many more options out there!

Some ideas for topics include (but aren’t limited to):

• Racial Justice / Womanist or Black Theology
• Liberation Theology
• Mujerista Theology
• Native/Indigenous Theology
• Immigration and Welcoming the Stranger
• Asian Theology
• Interfaith / Global Perspectives
• Faith and Sexuality
• Environmental Theology
• Women’s Rights / Feminist Theologies
• Food or Economic Justice
• Theology and Mental Health

Questions?

Please contact Deacon Savanah Olaphson, savannah@immanuel.us