Hold up the Sky
Patricia Sprinkle came to speak at our Christian Authors Guild spring conference a few weeks ago, and I went with my husband, who is the prez this year. Hearing Patricia speak and seeing what a good storyteller and communicator she is, I knew I wanted to read one of her many books. I picked Hold up the Sky, being more in the mood for a novel than a mystery, after Patricia described the plot to me. It is about 4 women who, through circumstances beyond their control, come together on a farm during a drought and end up canning vegetables in a hot kitchen, and also sharing memories and troubles as they preserve more than just food. It was right in line with my life right now, since I'm learning in our ladies' prayer group how good and necessary it is for women to share together and help each other in our struggles.
The book has so many good insights, many of which come directly from the mouths of the women characters as they share with each other. I loved Mamie's description of the love of God, and the emphasis on the sacrament of shared memories.
One aspect of the book that made me want to share it here is the interaction between Mamie, an elderly Baptist African American, and Emerita, a Roman Catholic Mexican immigrant who comes to town with her husband in need of a place to stay. The other two women are sisters who have run into trouble in their marriages. They all end up on a drought-ridden farm for the summer, and spend time together canning vegetables, trying to save and preserve the garden food. As I said, they end up preserving more than just food in the jars. Every jar represents a shared memory of intimate friendship.
I read the book entirely while on a 4 day cruise with my husband. The story was a page-turner; the characters became like close friends. I had a hard time putting it down, and I was sad when it ended. I hope to read more about the characters in the future. I highly recommend 'Hold Up the Sky'.
NOTE: Right now the paperback is on sale for $6.00 and the book is also available for Kindle.
14 comments:
Sounds like a good read, thanks.
I wonder what you think of this post by Triablogue:
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2011/04/all-is-adjective.html
I am always glad to remember that you are not a Calvinist, right?
This is not what you posted about, so if you don't feel like commenting, no problem.
Yes, you're right I'm not a Calvinist. I don't know if I'm an Arminian; I don't think so.
I think the author makes sense when he says the 'you' is what is being referred to by 'all' in that passage. But one verse doesn't make a doctrine. I think Calvinism is too cut-and-dried. There are too many things we don't and can't understand about this subject. I do believe the Bible teaches election and predestination, but I don't think we understand what it really means. There are too many pieces missing, and either God doesn't want us to understand it yet, or our unbelief prevents it. We tend to pick and choose and believe only the parts we want to.
Wow, I am totally confused by that answer, but thanks for the response.
If you're confused because I agreed with the author of the blog post: just because that one verse seems to say that God is longsuffering toward us (or you) and is not willing that any of YOU should perish doesn't mean that God everyone else to perish. There are other passages that seem to say God doesn't want anyone to perish. Ezekiel 33:11 says: Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
And reading the whole chapter of 2 Peter 3, I's not clear that the 'you' only refers to believers, anyway. I don't know why Calvinists seem to have to stress so much that God doesn't want everyone to be saved. What's the point?
In other words, even if I concede them their point here, it doesn't mean anything, because of the magnitude of the many scriptures that stress God's longsuffering and mercy and love toward the whole world.
OK, that helps. I'm wondering then, in what way do you believe in election and predestination? Just that God is able to foresee (of course) but does not foreordain, so that we can make truly free choices?
That's a difficult question, but I'll try to answer it as soon as I can. Got to give my daughter the laptop to do school work for now, though.
By the way, Christine, I sang with our worship group for the first time this morning! I really enjoyed it. The hardest thing after all was just telling the worship leader that I wanted to sing with them. Getting up there wasn't so hard.
Way to go!
I'm working on a post about your question, Christine. I don't know how long it will take, or how much I can personally say that will be helpful, since I'm not an expert on Calvinism and predestination. My husband has written about it, so I'll include those links, which are also in the sidebar under exchangedlife.com; and I'll give some thoughts about it too.
OK - I guess my specific question is, since you are not a Calvinist, in what sense do you personally believe in election and predestination.
I don't know that I've actually been able to settle that question for sure, but I like some things my husband has said about it. One thing I wonder is if predestination is for individuals or groups. Another thing I wonder is if our salvation is predestined or if it is that our life of good works is predestined (planned by God) but that we can choose not to walk in it.
Yes, I think your last phrase makes sense. It seems to me that Calvinists believe in election such that some people are destined for heaven aside from their choices, and some are destined not to go to heaven and therefore deprived of the choice.
I've always thought it makes sense that God in his omniscience knows what we will choose, but that is not the same as God choosing for us as a puppeteer.
Yes, I agree. I don't think the puppeteer thing fits with either love or justice.
I think God in His sovereignty AND love allows us free will. Sometimes He overrides this to some extent for His purposes, like Pharoah's hardened heart. But pharaoh had already hardened his own heart. God just made him keep doing it.
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