GMercyU's Director of Campus Ministry Publishes Book
Gwynedd Mercy University's Director of Campus Ministry Christine Eberle has prepared her whole life for this. Starting with "The Story of Tommy Carrot," a brief tragedy about a root vegetable (written at age six), and a letter to President Nixon condemning the Vietnam War, writing has always been Christine's passion.
Now that passion has reached its pinnacle.
Finding God in Ordinary Time, Christine's first book, will be published on September 17, 2018 by Green Writers Press.
Finding God in Ordinary Time consists of four weeks of daily meditations, all based on true stories. Together they guide readers across four "terrains" where the presence of God may be hidden in plain sight. Each chapter begins with a story from real life, segues into lessons learned, and provides prompts for reflection and a scripture quote to hold onto through the day.
"People have described the writing as 'accessible' and are often surprised by how funny it is," Christine said. "That's because my goal is to offer spiritual nourishment to people skeptical or weary of religion, while still giving the faithful something to chew on."
While writing has always been a passion, this book was a long time coming. Christine began the project nearly a decade ago, after much prompting from an editor friend. But just as she began working on it, her friend left his position. Her dream of writing a book would have to wait.
It wasn't until Christine came across a Facebook sweepstakes for a Vermont writers' retreat in 2017 that her dream became a reality. Finding God in Ordinary Time was selected as a finalist in a juried writing competition, and at the end of Pitch Week, Green Writers Press offered to publish it.
Christine may have been crafting her writing skills since grade school, but it is her work in Campus Ministry that is at the heart of her book.
"Some of the stories are straight from my Gwynedd Mercy experience, especially things that happened in the course of Alternative Spring Break service, which is always such a rich source of reflection," Christine said. "But the most powerful way that GMercyU contributed to the writing process was how kind and supportive everyone has been throughout."
Finding God in Ordinary Time will be released on September 17, 2018. You can pre-order personalized signed copies at The Open Book Bookstore, or order through your local independent bookstore, Barnes & Noble, etc. Christine will do a public reading and Q&A during Mercy Week on Thursday, September 27 at 10 a.m. in Julia Ball Auditorium. You can follow Christine at christine-marie-eberle.com.