So Beautiful

Book Review.
Sweet, Leonard. So Beautiful. Divine design for life and the church. David C Cook Pub. 2009
Comment. Henry.
It has been some ten years since I have read several books by Leonard Sweet. What is different about this book is his constant ‘theologizing’ in his presentation. The concepts he is dealing with are basic enough but he does so in with an overwhelming number of illustrations and explanations. This may be an ‘occupational’ (seminarian) hazard. No doubt his work has many appreciative readers who identify with the language and focus of his presentation(s). Note: My review will be grossly oversimplified and will probably not give justice to the ‘stature’ of this resource.
In a 52 page introduction Sweet explains what he is going to be presenting in this resource. He develops what he calls an MRI (19) of the church. This acronym stands for M-Missionaries, R-Disciples, and I-World Changers. He goes to present and explain a multitude of meaning specific terms that relate to MRI. This will set the stage for a highly academic treatise. It is presented in three parts: The missional life: God’s “Go”, The relational life: God’s “Yes”, and The incarnational life: God’s “No”.
As God is continually on the move, e.g. creation, we must accept the reality that we are sent ones, those who continually go. Jesus is our example. Our (great) commission is to GO. We are pilgrims not settlers. Sweet talks about “a theology of journey” (89)
“Life is a bit of time and a lot of relationship”. God in- The Shack. It is relationships that set Christianity apart from other religions. The scriptures describe God as a God of relationships, e.g. the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Relationships are messy and difficult. To attempt bring order into them, by rules, is to destroy them.
An “incarnational life” (150) is a walk where the walk of life has actually come to an end. Context is the key to incarnational ministry. “Incarnation celebrates the diverse ways of being church and doing church.” (207)
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