Books I've Read(or am reading)

I'm nearing my long awaited stash of books I've so pined to read.

Since returning to the Church several years ago, I have been going through what I can best describe as a hunger for all things Orthodox. I had been malnourished(starved is more accurate) all those years yet never knew it, for this most wonderful Faith.

To a varying degree, I have lived a spiritual life for as long as I can remember. Even at my worst times prayer has been a companion. Though a strained relationship existed between us, the "arrows" to God have been continuously shot, intermittently and sporadically, quite often in desperation and despair, rarely in gratitude, but nevertheless the volleys left my person.

When I returned to the Church I had been baptized into, it was with wonderment and eyes wide open. A sort of humility stole over me that was caused not of myself, but the type of humility one discovers when that which I knew I wanted no part of (the Church) suddenly shows itself something so other than what I had conceived it to be. This has caused a more sincere questioning of my ability to" really know what's going on" as I was so sure at one time that my Evangelical beliefs were the "End All, Be All" and Orthodoxy was dismissed easily and surely. Who would have known! Surely the Lord is merciful and gracious!

But to return. Before Orthodoxy, I had many books I had that had not been read. After Orthodoxy, as I visited monasteries and bookstores, I picked up many books that I put aside, to be read after the books I had collected before Orthodoxy. These were good books(most of them anyway) but they were not Orthodox books.

The book I just completed was The Collected Works of C.S. Lewis which includes The Pilgrim's Regress, Christian Reflections, and God in the Dock. A great read for me as it sharpened my reasoning ability.

Before I actually enter into the stash, I have a short little book to read, Plato's "The Trial and Death of Socrates" and then a real little article I printed online, "Constantinople-City of the World's Desire 1453-1924".

But, after my last confession(last week) , my father/confessor gave me this little book to read as he thought it would be of benefit to me and it is now this book which holds my attention.

After reading C.S. Lewis, opening the pages of this little book felt like an assault on my intellect, it is just too simple of a read. But there lies its beauty and treasure as it seems in all things necessary for salvation, simplicity is salvation's essence-"Repent."

I will post excerpts or passages from this little treasure in future posts.

On with the stash!