Reading: Forward by Ron Hansen, Acknowledgements, and Outside Back Cover
July 5th Update… The post for July 6th to July 12th: Prologue and Introduction is now available. The comments section for this post is now closed. Please go to the post for the week of July 6th and submit any new comments there. Ray Glennon
A heartfelt welcome as we gather together for our summer book discussion of Can You Drink the Cup?, one of Henri Nouwen’s most popular books. I’m glad that you will be joining us on this journey as we follow Henri’s lead and seek to find our own answer to this (not so) simple and lifelong question that Jesus poses to his friends. The complete Summer 2014 Reading Schedule is available by following the link in the image above.
Welcome back to those who have participated in previous discussions. You already know how rich and rewarding the exchange of ideas within our online community can be. For those joining for the first time, rest assured your appreciation of this book will be deepened by the comments and insights shared among this special group. And we will all be blessed by gathering together for this journey.
Here is how our discussion will proceed. Each Sunday a new “post” will be added to the blog’s homepage that will include a title shown in bold, a reminder of the reading being discussed that week, and several questions that may help to get our discussion started. You can then add your comments to the post for the current week and reply to the comments posted by others. You may choose to respond to one or more of the questions, to share your reflections on the reading, or to comment more broadly from your life’s experience. Please note that when comments are submitted they are held for moderation so it may be a few hours before you see your comment posted. If you have any questions about how to use the blog, please feel free to contact me at ray.glennon@1972.usna.com or Maureen at admin@henrinouwen.org.
This week we will gather and begin to form our community. You are invited to introduce yourself and to look ahead by considering the preliminary readings.
In your introduction you may choose to share:
a) Your general geographic location
b) To whom or what you dedicate your days and energy, and why
c) How you learned about this book discussion (e.g., noticed in the Daily Meditation email, Henri Nouwen Society website, email from Nouwen Society, social media, referral from a friend)
d) How the work and legacy of Henri Nouwen has influenced your life; you might include the name of your favorite book by Henri and briefly explain why it is meaningful to you
e) Whether or not you’ve participated in previous book discussions, or if you are joining us for the first time
Please feel free to include your thoughts and reflections on this weeks’ reading as well.
I look forward to hearing from each of you as we share this wonderful book together.
Ray