Denise Day Spencer

Since I was a child, I have loved to read the Bible. But in addition to reading the words on the page, I have also loved to speculate about the sentences that are not there. Some call that “reading between the lines.” You may call it an over-active imagination. I realize that when studying the word of God such a thing can be tricky, even dangerous.

Yet there is a definite place for it, I believe, in the arts. It’s what I’ve always done when writing Biblical skits and plays. Characters must be fleshed out. An writer must fill in the gaps that are there in every Bible story if it is to be turned into a drama or a novel. If the reader can appreciate Bible-based fiction for the sake of the story, the author’s speculation can lead the reader to wonder, to question and dig deeper, even to worship. Read the rest of this entry »

I have, in the past few months, become enamored with the idea of praying at various times during the day–not because I want to be more pious than the next person, but because I need it.

And so Michael recently presented me with a book: The Divine Hours Pocket Edition…on the condition that I would review it. Sounds like a good deal to me! I’m not the one in the family who usually does book reviews, but here goes. Read the rest of this entry »