God's Diner is open; please come one and all.
All creatures are welcome, the great and the small.
Rebecca
is a resident of Waynesville, NC. She was ordained as a diaconal minister in The United Methodist Church where she is a life-long member who witnessed her father serve as a pastor. I
was interested in her creative process and the logistics of getting a book published
when not a professional writer. She said it took about 2 years, 1 full year for the illustrator’s images to be completed. Rebecca was able to make
some suggestions and requests, but mostly, Patrick Brooks
worked independently from her.
Before
writing, Rebecca was told editors would prefer prose, but that didn’t seem to
work for this story, instead her writing came in verse:
No longer is color or status or size
a way to divide us when seen through God's eyes.
What a welcome and welcoming message! Besides
the theme of inclusion, another
important theme for Rebecca is creation care. She has several books floating around in her head & journals, but God's Diner is the
book she most wanted to write.
When
I asked Rebecca about her purposes for writing this book, she explained that
she wanted to leave a legacy to her 2 sons, the church, and our world. This book
will make the church (and therefore the world) better!
Transforming
our faith communities 1 person at a time, is what Rebecca has in mind in God’s
Diner. Many people come into churches, questioning whether they will be
truly welcome, perhaps even questioning if they truly deserve to be there. She
hopes church people (all ages!) see themselves in both the hosts' & seekers' roles. Discovering
compassion for self & others and how these roles are integrated will bring
transformation to the church. I asked Rebecca...
What are a few of your favorite picture books? (2 embedded links for PBT books already here)
The hardest question for book
lovers! I'll list just a
very few:
The Quiltmaker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau
The prequel to this great book is also at PBT, posted the previous day!
The Empty Pot by Demi
A fabulous book about honesty & giftedness!
Purple, Green and Yellow by Robert Munsch
Cherries and Cherry Pits by Vera B Williams
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
Mr. Putter and Tabby Pick the Pears
by Rylant & Howard
How have you used picture books in ministry?
I use children's books in ministry
in both children & adult education (in Sunday School, children's
sermons, preschool storytime, summer camps/community centers, & retirement homes). I simply read the book and create questions & activities
to complement.
For example, if I'm looking at our call to be
good stewards of Mother Earth, I might use The Little Hummingbird by Yahgulanaas. I'll create
questions around what each one of us might do to be a part of the solution.
What various ways do you envision God’s Diner being used in
ministry?
I would absolutely love to see God's
Diner in the hands of every one of God's children, because I truly believe no
child should ever have to wonder if God loves them. But since that may be a bit
of a stretch, I would love to see it read in every church/faith community to
both children and adults alike. I believe that the message of God's Diner is
one of hope and kindness, compassion and inclusion and is at the very heart of
what it means to live out of our faith.
I've read it in churches on World Communion
Day which is a wonderful use of the book as well.
What is feeding your soul these days?
Being
around other women who are also always learning and coming to the table to
enjoy rich conversation and connection
Creation Care is a passion for Rebecca so she hopes to write a book about that, but her next book may be a sequel to God's Diner. Perhaps its setting will be a food truck!
Keep up with Rebecca's work here: https://rebeccalile.com/books/
