Chasing Francis

Book Review.
Cron, Ian Morgan. Chasing Francis. A pilgrim tale. NavPress 2006.
I.C.- senior pastor of Trinity Church in Greenwich, Connecticut. An ordained Anglican priest.
Comment. Henry
This book is a fictional narrative that addresses an all too common scenario that is being played out in the lives of contemporary Christians (even pastors). As a life-long evangelical I found the focus on Francis and Franciscanism and its application to our postmodern church environment very enlightening. A number of ‘Catholic resources’ have been part of my reading of late and I have found them interesting. A pastor friend of mine, who provides me with books, asked whether I was becoming a Catholic, (not likely). I am not quite sure what I am becoming but I take courage in the prospect that I `am becoming`.
A comparison is made between the spiritual (church) environment of Francis`s world and our world. There are similarities, i.e. there was a transition from the Medieval to the Enlightenment: we are transitioning from modernity to postmodernity. How can we learn from Francis the architect of change? The author calls this learning process a ``Chasing Francis`.
Chase Falson (not his real name) is a pastor of a mega church which he founded and has led for fourteen years. He experiences a spiritual crisis that came to climax when he publicly, during a morning service, confessed to his congregation that in essence he had `lost his faith`. The response was predictable. There was a major crisis over his status as pastor. The church leadership gave him a temporary suspension from leadership with a recommendation to deal with his personal crisis. He went on a `pilgrimage `that took him to visit an uncle in Italy who had become a Franciscan friar and was studying at the Gregorian University in Rome.
It was here that for about two months Chase became immersed in the teachings and practices of St. Francis. He experienced a spiritual reformation of sorts. His understanding of his personal spiritual identity and the place and purpose of the church went through a paradigm change. He returned to his church a changed man with a totally new understanding of church and a new plan for his church. When he was given an opportunity to share all this with his congregation his vision was rejected and he found himself without a job. Out of this crisis came the opportunity to start over and Chase began a new church founded on Franciscan teachings, (not a Catholic church). Only in the U.S.A.!
Here is a story that is strongly endorsed by some leading postmodernists.
henrydirksen.blogspot.com