Books
Still Here: A Poetry Memoir of Grief & Love
When faced with unexpected loss, pain and grief set up camp in our bodies and we don’t always know how to talk about what we’re experiencing, especially in the first year of loss. Still Here is a collection of poems for those trying to make sense of the fragility and terror of losing a loved one. We name the shock, wade into the everyday nuances of grief, and eventually take tentative steps into the land of the living again, only to discover love never dies. Somehow their love is still here, dancing with our every breath. Still Here is an honest reckoning with the pain and frustration of grief while journeying toward surprising healing.
Written by a poet and pastor who unexpectedly lost her youngest brother, she captures the ache of loss and the complexity of healing as her family travels the first year together. As she braves the unbearable with curiosity and trust, we’re invited to unravel the grief that awaits each of us, in the hope that love never dies.
They’re still here.
So are we.
Deeply personal and raw. Deeply profound and relatable. Jenny Smith’s grief poetry collection “Still Here” is an incredibly beautiful and moving book of poems. Crafted with care, the author reaches into the depths of her grieving heart to share the realities of immense loss. Her words bear witness to the painful realities of death while bravely exploring the truth that love still remains and persists. This book will resonate so deeply with grieving hearts. The poems will make the reader feel validated in their emotional process and encouraged to journey through their grief gently with arms and hearts open to the light and hope that can still be found there. I cannot recommend this book enough. Well done. — Liz Newman, poet & author of “I Look to the Mourning Sky”
Each one of these poems is a little scalpel. They tenderly cut through the layers of social padding we like to keep around death and grief. Jenny's crisp, clear language brings us into direct contact with the wildness of loss. And as we follow her through her experience we get closer to—and more compassionate with—our own. — James A. Pearson, poet
How can a book on grief be described as “exquisite”? And yet this is the first word that comes to my mind to describe Jenny Smith’s poetry in Still Here. Perhaps this is because, as the title tells us, Still Here is about grief … and love.
Jenny’s real-life words of love-filled grief have a way of somehow holding us, even embracing us, wherever we are in our grief journey — whether we are reeling from the first soul-wrenching moments of shock, or experiencing revelations of a new kind of tenderness felt deep in the core of our being. Each page feels like a loving companion along the way saying, “It’s okay to feel this. You are not alone. I’m right here. I know.”
Truly a “must-read,” I will be recommending Still Here to everyone I know as a companion to walk along their journey of grief and love with them, whether they are in the throes of new grief for a loved one, or are drawn to retrace their steps in hopes of finding their way anew to Love-with-us. — Caroline Oakes, writer, spiritual director, and author of Practice the Pause: Jesus’ Contemplative Practice, New Brain Science, and What It Means To Be Fully Human
I Have Some Things To Tell You: A Pastor Says Goodbye During a Pandemic
There once was an itinerant pastor who couldn’t say goodbye to her church because of a pandemic. No hugs, no long chats over coffee, no meaningful stories shared in person. So she wrote them a book. She thought it was just for them. But it wasn’t. It was for her too.
I Have Some Things to Tell You is part memoir, part leadership guide, and part love letter to a community who allowed a pastor to be fully human. When she fell apart, they caught her. But they never knew the full story, until now. This is the story of a woman reckoning with identity, power, gender, mental health, relationships, spirituality, and what it means to lead others while she’s rumbling with a whole new life.
This book is truly outstanding and worth the time. Jenny bravely tackles issues in her life as a lead pastor of a church and is open about her struggles. She lets us know that we are all human and we are not alone in what we are going through. There is a strong message that resonates with me. God's love is for everyone. Grace and love for all. This is a place I can dive into and feel at peace and begin to work on myself. Everyone is broken in some way. And it's ok. There is a way forward! Excellent read!
Jenny Smith opens her personal journals to share what it's like to pastor a congregation while raising children, learning to lead, addressing personal health issues, and a pandemic. Her writing is beautiful with pauses for poetry, joyful with quotes from her kids, and so so vulnerable in the best ways. This is not a how-to book, it is a testimony to God's soul-tending and the power of community.
I could write a book about this book! Artfully written prose and poetry, with delightful quotes from her two children interwoven throughout. Authentic, transparent and vulnerable stories of personal struggle with anxiety and perfectionism, this memoir of personal and professional growth as a pastor and leader includes valuable lessons in leadership so needed today! I highly recommend this book! Especially those who are in leadership (and those who are in relationship with other people).
Filling the Void: Voices From the None Zone
The decline of church membership in the United States is a complex issue. While it is right and appropriate to question whether or not the ministries of the church continue to be relevant for this time and age, it is equally important to recognize the changing face of the America. The changing demographics have made the United States a much more ethnically, culturally, and religiously pluralistic society than ever before. In addition, the explosion of urban centers has made life more economically complex and challenging with a concomitant impact on religious life and involvement. In spite of these realities, while the church is on the decline, it is far from dead. The narratives of these clergy leaders in the most religiously challenging region of the United States, the Pacific Northwest, often referred to as the “None Zone,” offer testimonies and evidence of vibrant church life and ministries that speak to the changing realities of 21st century society.
Advent: A Calendar of Devotions
Providing daily devotions for Christians as they prepare to celebrate Christ's birth, this annual favorite is a wonderful resource for churches to give to each family to emphasize the importance of the Advent of our Lord. Each day’s reading, from December 1 to Christmas Day, is based on the Revised Common Lectionary and includes the Scripture, a short devotion, and a closing prayer.