Dwelling Place of Wonder

Newark, New Jersey, in the mid-twentieth century, was, for a teenager growing up, a mix of wonder and fear, excitement and discovery, joy and pain. What I have written is memory--a life not necessarily as I have lived it, but as I have remembered it. I have spent my days slipping over the surface of life, seldom probing its depths. I have learned a little about everything, but never quite gaining the wisdom that comes from living out the true essence of one's being. Like an old phonograph needle that skims across a plastic landscape producing only endless sounds, we do not value the ups and downs, the peaks and valleys of life. Yet, it is on the slopes and depths that the music is heard. It takes a lifetime to play it back and hear it. This is a memoir of the spirit that reveals the meaning of one's existence. ""As I was reading The Dwelling Place of Wonder, I knew it needed to be shared with a wider audience. The themes are profoundly spiritual, illustrated by the stories of his life, but applicable to anyone on a spiritual journey. It is the kind of book one can digest in small doses to reflect on one's own life. I read it in a few sittings, but know it can also be used as daily devotional book."" --John C. Morgan, Adjunct Professor of Philosophy, Albright College; Author of A Teacher, His Students and the Great Questions of Life ""Harry Serio transports us to many places--a kitchen table in a cellar surrounded by paint cans, the drawer a toddler escapes to see a star, an old woman's doorstep with a loaf of bread, a highway diner with a French waitress in the middle of the night. But more than those, his reflection on wondrous dwellings invites each reader to remember personal holy moments, sacred streets, and occasions of spontaneous laughter."" --Maren Tirabassi, Pastor; Author of From the Psalms to the Cloud: Connecting to the Digital Age ""This collection of memories is a must-read to help see how Harry grew up in the bustling urban landscape of mid-twentieth-century Newark, and to learn about his remarkable background and his growth into the calm and curious person he is today. With his sense of wonder and the Divine hovering near all things, it is no wonder Harry is a bit of mystic. He gently ponders some of life's deepest mysteries here, but he guides us there by way of stories, nicely told, captivating and memorable."" --Byron Borger, Hearts & Minds Books, Dallastown, PA Reverend Dr. Harry L. Serio is a minister in the United Church of Christ, past president of the Academy for Spiritual and Consciousness Studies, Inc., and the author of several articles in the field, including ""The Afterlife in the Hebrew-Greek Scriptures."" (www.harryserio.com)