Whenever I post my Discoveries of the Year on the last day of December, I’m reminded that I’m a late bloomer. I list things that many have already heard about/read/saw/figured out long ago. With that in mind, here we go:
My Favorite Discoveries of 2021:
- Yancey Strickler and his book This Could Be Our Future: A Manifesto for a More Generous World taught me about B Companies and got my All-Church-All-The-Time brain sparking some new ministry ideas regarding money and partnerships and the future of The Church.
- Jennifer Senior wrote my favorite ever essay about grief which is also about memories and time and 9-11. She is one of the reasons why The Atlantic is the best magazine out there.
- Jason Sudeikis is a genius. Who knew this when he was Track Suit Dancing Guy on What Up With That? Seriously. Did you have any idea?
- Amanda Gorman. I have no words to describe her words.
- Michelle Zauner wrote one of the best books of 2021 especially if you are a sucker for dead mother reflections. She is also a musician.
It was also a good year to reread bell hooks and Joan Didian and Hans Kung. It was a good year to thank the people for whom Covid was not a time of cozy work-from-home scenarios with sourdough starter. It was a good year for giving money away to churches – large and small – who thrived in the midst of disruption. It was a good year if we stuck together and appreciated each other.
May 2022 be a better year.
Image of a camelia cutting in front of the last days of our 2021 Christmas tree.
A Church for Starving Artists 
Wonderful.
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