One of the advantages of being a member of St. Stephen’s is the wealth of activities that are open for participation. In October of 2015, Life-Long Learners was launched with this mandate:  To provide a welcoming environment to discuss the challenges of living in the post-60s phase of our lives, helping us to clarify our path, draw some conclusions, be affirmed and supported in our decisions, and give us new insights and perspectives.  Since then a stalwart group of mostly women have met monthly to discuss books that will hopefully stir discussion and send us into our spiritual community and the greater community with a renewed conviction of what it means to be a Christian at this stage of our lives.

The selections range from novels (A Man Called Ove; The Light Between Oceans; The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old) to memoirs (The Year of Magical Thinking; The End of Your Life Book Club) to historical fiction (The Women in the Castle) to children’s literature (A Wrinkle in Time) to drama (Southern Exposure) to graphic novels (Can’t We Talk about something more Pleasant?).  We also read books related to spirituality (The Liturgical Year; Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life) and a lot about aging since this is a defining issue as one reaches the 60s and 70s and beyond (The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully; Aging with Wisdom: Reflections, Stories & Teachings). Some books deal with the challenges of aging especially death and dying (Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End; In the Slender Margin: The Intimate Strangeness of Death & Dying) and some push us to think about the challenges of this phase of life (The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter; Find the Good: Unexpected Life Lessons from a Small-Town Obituary Writer). What makes a book “perfect” is when these themes overlap in one book, which fortunately has happened many times.

Two books have come to us from the diocese: The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World and our February book, Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist. This book has led some in the parish to explore racial divisiveness. When any book causes us to change our thinking it has made an impact.

Our March book is a book of essays by the renowned and recently deceased Ursula K. Le Guin: No Time to Spare: Thinking about What Matters. Her essays explore the world of literature, politics, grandparenthood, and ownership of a unique cat. In April we will meet Doris, a female Ove or Hendrik Groen, in a book rich with memory, history, and heart.

Various members have stepped up to lead the monthly discussion, and we are eager to continue to explore the many literary offerings that will continue to improve our lives and create a caring community.  

by Linda Hughs

*Belonging with Purpose is a weekly news update of how our purpose is being reflected through the collective and individual lives of St. Stephen’s.  If you have a story or experience that you believe illustrates our Vision and Mission, please send it to Ginny Fitzpatrick, gfitzpatrick@ststephens-ridgefield.org  The staff works together to create a schedule for highlighting our ministry as St. Stephen’s Church.

Visit us at: www.ststephensridgefield.org              

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