Glenbrook launches pop up book club

Glenbrook Uniting Church is starting a book club-with a difference.

A pop-up book club does not meet at a regular time, instead meeting as needed.

Rev. Ellie Elia is Glenbrook Uniting Church’s minister. She explained to Insights that the idea for the event came out of how busy the congregation was.

“This is the second time we have run our Pop-Up Book Group,” she said.

“Many people are time poor in our congregation, so regularly bible studies are difficult to maintain. The idea was to come together around a book that we all would read beforehand and discuss it over wine and cheese.”

“The first book was Rachel Held Evans Inspired, which received much affirmation from the whole group.”

The next book, Shameless by Nadia Bolz Weber, is a title that Rev. Elia says, “…may produce diverse responses.”

Shameless launched in 2019. The book examines the subject of sexuality and shame. Bolz-Weber argues that sexuality is a gift from God for all, that has been co-opted by commercialism and toxic religion, and made into something considered dirty and shameful. The book calls for something of a sexual reformation.

 “Christianity is not a program for avoiding mistakes,” Bolz-Weber writes. “It is a faith of the guilty.” 

Shameless: a sexual reformation is now available at Camden Theological Library.

Glenbrook Uniting Church’s pop-up book group takes place on Friday, 1 May at 7:30 pm. For more information, contact Glenbrook Uniting Church via email.