The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America April-June 2015 - (Page 19)

resourCe revIews In the Land of the Willing: Litanies, Prayers, Poems & Benedictions by Kenneth L. Sehested reviewed by Katie Cook K en Sehested has had a profoundly prophetic voice ever since I have known him, which is more than 40 years. He is quick to grasp the truth of an international crisis or incident of injustice, and he pours out an eloquent response before I even figure out that something happened. In his books of liturgical writings, Ken shares these responses with the faithful of the world. His newest book, In the Land of the Willing, is a follow-up to an earlier work, In the Land of the Living: Prayers Personal and Public. As Walter Brueggeman writes in the foreword for the newer one, Ken has a knack "for finding the right text at the right time." Both of these books, designed for personal reflection as well as community wo r s h i p, i n c l u d e the riveting use of images from the Bible, imaginatively applied to a contemporary context. The writings in In the Land of the Willing are grouped in categories: "hindrance and desert," mercy, transformation, praise and thanksgiving, songs, "occasional"writings and benedictions. The occasional writings include ordination blessings, prayers for the liturgical year and interfaith litanies. The book includes a blessing for Stan Dotson and Kim Christman, just before they left for Cuba for a year of learning and ministry [see page 12]. The book derives its name from the name of the blessing. Ken writes: As Joyce Hollyday, who has served as a co-pastor with Ken and his wife, Nancy Hastings Sehested, for some 12 years, says, "Our aching world needs more of such stunning and eloquent expressions of confession, conviction and celebration." I would also encourage you to check out Ken's online journal, Prayer&politiks at www.prayerandpolitiks.org [see page 20 for a review by Dale Roberts]. In addition to serving until recently as a co-pastor for the Circle of Mercy, a house church in Asheville, NC, he was the founding director of the BPFNA. Before that, he was a founding editor of Seeds, a hunger ministry out of Oakhurst Baptist Church in Decatur, GA (a BPFNA Partner Congregation). He has been reading, praying and writing about justice issues for a really long time. You can find more information about purchasing these books at www.prayerandpolitiks.org. n This is one of those old-fashioned, free-range, leap-of-faith callings. Just when you thought our climate-controlled, pension-secured culture had squeezed all the chutzpah out of the believing community... APR-JUN 2015 Baptist Peacemaker 19 http://www.prayerandpolitiks.org http://www.prayerandpolitiks.org http://bit.ly/BPFNAlistserv http://www.bpfna.org/email-signup http://www.bpfna.org/mmsignup

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America April-June 2015

Crossing Borders in 2015
BPFNA Welcomes New Office Manager
Unsettled By Truth: A Border Awareness Experience
What Nagaland Needs: Report from a Conflict Transformation Training
Songs of Victory in Uganda: Report from a Conflict Transformation Training
It Was a Large Day: Reflections on the US-Cuba Policy Change Announcement
My Vocation as a Peacemaker
Christians & Commitment To Truth & Justice: How Churches Are Responding to the Ayotzinapa Kidnapping
Report from the SOA Watch Vigil
BPFNA World Peace Network to Fund Five African Peace Projects
In the Land of the Willing: A Review of Ken Sehested's New Book
Prayer & Politiks: A Review of Ken Sehested's Online Journal
Resources & Opportunities
2014 BPFNA Highlights
Contributors
Rags of Weariness

The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America April-June 2015