My husband and I moved to New Haven in the fall of 1997 so that he could attend Yale Divinity School. Desperate for a job, I plagued the Academic Administrator for help finding a position; she finally took pity on me and hired me to work in her own office. One of the key benefits of this arrangement was that when I wasn't typing or filing or doing payroll I got to attend lectures and events on the campus.
Every fall, the Divinity School hosts Convocation, a week of special lectures given by internationally renown speakers brought in for the occasion. That year, the school was especially proud to have Jurgen Moltmann, perhaps the leading theologian in the world, giving a series of lectures. A lesser-known woman, Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest and a professor at a small college in the South, was to give another series of lectures during the week.
At the beginning of the week, the campus was a-buzz with anticipation of Moltmann's lectures. By the end of the week, all the talk was about Taylor. Her presence was mesmerizing, her lectures were compelling, and her passion for God was palpable. Today, I don't remember what Moltmann's lectures were about (though they were good, I'm sure), but I do remember what Taylor's were about: the silence of God.
If you've ever wondered why God doesn't speak up more, or if you've ever struggled with feeling God has left you alone, this book is for you.
Taylor's lectures have now been made into a book entitled When God is Silent, and the parish book group has selected it for our next discussion, to be held SATURDAY, OCT. 13TH AT 7:00 p.m. at the Rectory. The book is available at Written Words Bookstore at a 10% discount. I do hope you'll join us.
Blessings,
Janet+
