Bishop John S. Thornton is a thoughtful writer and preacher, a man of faith who can both raise attendance at any Episcopal Sunday worship service and flood the church office phones with demand for copies of his rousing sermons.
After publishing two collections of sermons-The Backside of God (2013) and Consider the Lilies (2014)-and selling hundreds of autographed copies by hand to his local followers, Bishop Thornton chose to publish this third collection, Good Seed and Zizania, using a different platform and, thereby, extending its reach to include readers on Amazon.
The content of this book is rich in both sermons and other writings. Such writings include the homilies preached for the blessing of couples who were entering into life-long covenants, one for a man and a woman, one for two men; the eulogy preached at the memorial service for Erik Erikson, the well-known psychoanalyst and author (Childhood and Society, Young Man Luther, Gandhi's Truth, etc.); a passionate and sassy poem that was published in Episcopal Life, the National Church's monthly publication, years ago; and, finally, a journal that Bishop Thornton kept when he went to see a dying friend in England, an historian and theologian named Donald Nicholl.
All in all, this is a must-have and must-read book by a priest and bishop beloved by many in the Episcopal Church. Order a copy for yourself and a friend. You will be touched and blessed.
Editor's note: This is a newer cover than the one used for the launch of Good Seed and Zizania on July 27, 2016.
About the Author:
John Stuart Thornton was first ordained in the Congregational Church (now the United Church of Christ) and served in Pinedale, Wyoming and Salt Lake City, Utah. He completed his theological training at the San Francisco Theological Seminary (Presbyterian) in San Anselmo, California and was confirmed in the Episcopal Church in 1960.
Ordained deacon and priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming in 1962, he served as Curate of St. Peter's Church in Sheridan. In 1964, he was called to be Rector of Christ Church in Sausalito, California and, in 1969, was called to be Rector of St. Stephen's Church in Belvedere-Tiburon, California. In 1982, he and his wife, Jan, moved to a small farm near Scio, Oregon, from which he served as Vicar of Christ the King on the Santiam in Stanton.
In 1990, he was elected Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Idaho and retired in 1998. While serving as bishop, he founded St. Francis of the Tetons in the Teton Valley of Idaho and Wyoming. In 1997, he and Jan founded the Lillian Vallely School, a day school for children who live on the Fort Hall Reservation in eastern Idaho.
In his retirement, Bishop Thornton has served churches in Arizona, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon, and Washington.
