Who's that Author I Keep Quoting in My Sermons?

I've had a number of people ask me over the last few months about the author I seem to regularly be quoting in my sermons--I can't help it; she tells really good stories that make great sermon illustrations!

Her name is Anne Lamott. She's got a number of novels out there, a book or two on writing, a fabulous book about her first year as a mother that all new parents should read and three must-read collections of spiritual memoirs. It is this latter category of writing that I seem to pull from regularly when I am reaching for a story that will make my point for me and will stick with the listener much longer than if I had presented a lecture on it.

I find Lamott insightful, poignant, hilarious, revelatory and occasionally annoying in her memoirs. The annoying comes only in her reflections on her own body--if I were a middle-aged woman, I'm sure I would identify more--and in her utter hate of Republicans, especially our current president. Granted, she's working on loving Bush and all people that disagree with her politics--and her essays on her struggles in this regard are worthwhile--but I find it annoying not because of what she believes necessarily (I have plenty of my own moments that are not very pretty dealing with my feelings about people that disagree with me.), but I just get annoyed that I can't pass on her books to friends and acquaintances who happen to be on the opposite side of her politically. They'll be offended by her words, tune her out, stop reading and then miss out on all the other really great stuff she has to say about God, parenting, our own self-deceptions and pettiness, nature, children, death, conversion, forgiveness, peace. . .

what I love about Lamott, is that she really, really loves Jesus. There aren't that many recovering addicts that profess flaming liberal political beliefs and still love Jesus passionately out there. Her eclectic mix of background and ideas offer the reader surprise after surprise which helps the reader to see the world, God, themselves, etc. in a new and wonderful light.

I recommend her highly. Here are the memoirs I mentioned:

Traveling Mercies: Thoughts on Faith (It's from this one I took the story of Lamott's mother not having any band-aids.)

Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith (It's from this one I took the story of The Ham of God)

Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith

I also recommend Operating Instructions, which is her journal from her first year as a mother.

You can also read many of the essays that ended up in these memoirs on Salon.com, as well as some others that have only been published on-line.

Happy reading. You'll want to own these books, not only to read them, but so you can loan them out to friends when you finish. I'm currently missing my copy of Plan B, because I loaned it to someone in New York and never got it back--oh well, grace begets grace (eventually).

Grace and Peace,

Chase