My Dear Child

Book Review
Urquhart, Colin. “My Dear Child..” Listening to God’s heart. Hodder and Stoughton. 1990
C.H.- pastor at Kingdom Faith Church in Horsham, West Sussex. A Christian, evangelical, apostolic and neo-charismatic leader in the U.K.
Comment. Henry
The author declares, “The Lord asked me to write this book.” Based on scripture and experience the focus of the book is an expression of God’s relationship with his child (children). It is intended to encourage, empower and inspire. The book is written in the format of short devotional considerations of how God views his child. This book would be effective as a devotional booklet read individually or used as a resource for a group activity.
The author benefited personally from writing this book. He explains, “I now have a greater understanding of who God is and of the nature of his love for each of his children”. God reveals himself as a loving heavenly father reaching out to his child (children), assuring that child of all those things that such a loving, all-powerful, compassionate father does.
The Father has provided salvation. He is love. That love is unconditional. It does not engender fear. It is kind, forgiving, patient, etc. Everything that comes from the Father is motivated by love. He is with us in all experiences (good and bad) of life.
Remain in the light, avoid darkness. God dispels darkness. Jesus is the light of the world and we are his ambassadors (little lights).
God’s truth never changes and we must accept that truth. We set our limitations by our requests from God. Understanding the Lord’s authority and how it functions in our lives and through our lives brings us peace and purpose.
When we understand God’s holiness it will bring joy not fear (of judgment). God’s glory is revealed in his child (children).
“That same Spirit, who lives in you, will lead you victoriously through all the experiences of your life, through all opposition, rejection and pain. My Spirit will take you through death itself into the glory of resurrection. You shall have a new risen body in which to reveal my glory for all eternity.” (276)

The Inner Voice Of Love

Book Review.
Nouwen, Henri J.M. The Inner Voice Of Love. A journey through anguish to freedom. Doubleday. 1996.
Comment. Henry.
This book is a collection of “spiritual imperatives” that journal the most difficult period of Henri’s life. He identifies over sixty topics and addresses each one briefly. The book was not published until eight years after he had gone through this time of ‘exile’. This book would have a special appeal to those who have gone though the experience of broken relationships and the loss of loved ones.
There are times when we all experience “a deep hole, like an abyss” (3) in our being. It is then that we must cling to the promises of God. Avoid being people pleasers. Conversion and a new life happen when we listen to our “inner voice” (6) that informs us about God. We must continually return to the ‘anchor of God’s love’ and set boundaries for our love, accepting the limitations of others.
There is great potential for peace and healing in solitude. Knowing and responding to God’s love renews our physical body. Doing what glorifies God gives us peace and rest. Doing what meets your felt needs brings frustration. We need spiritual guides. Pain from our past must be treated like death; mourn it and move on. Loneliness “opens for you the way to an even deeper knowledge of God’s love”. (37) Emotions are not to be feared but are to be befriended.
Trusting God’s gifts as revealed in our own heart is a source of stability. There is safety and security in community. As we move “toward full incarnation” (52) we need to remember where we have come from (progression) and keep pressing on. Take the risk of loving deeply. When giving and receiving are need driven they can become violent.
The knowledge of being a child of God and deeply loved by God provides protection for our innocence. Having a true friend and being a true friend requires some delicate balancing. “It is important for you to be in charge of your own drawbridge.” (84) Don’t reject yourself. Bear your own pain. Learn to distinguish real pain from false pain. Our wounds need to be dealt with deep within our hearts. Discovering the treasure of God is not the same as owning that treasure. “You always have the choice to think, speak, and act in the name of God and so move toward the Light, and the Truth, and the Life.” (114)
This book was written eight years after Henri went through a self-imposed exile during which he dealt with many spiritual issues. He died in the same year that the book was published (1996). His stated strong desire was to experience that place of relationship “where God is all in all.” (118)

William Wilberforce, Greatest Works.

Book Review.
Wilberforce, William. William Wilberforce, Greatest Works. Includes excerpts from A Practical View Of Christianity. Bridge-Logos. 2007.
Comment. Henry.
William Wilberforce holds a special place in British history as a crusader against slavery and as a Christian reformer. His ‘platform’ was the British parliament and the middle and upper class of British society. This resource is primarily excerpts from his influential work, “A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians in the Higher and Middle Classes of This Country Contrasted With Real Christianity”. The book comes with an audio excerpts CD.
William Wilberforce was a man of amazing stature, “a statesman, philanthropist, author and leader of England in the abolition of the slave trade”. (From introduction)
William’s passion to end the slave trade was fuelled by his strong belief that every man and woman is made in the image of God. He had many physical limitations but they were more than compensated by “a strong and great spirit”. (3) At 21 he became the youngest Member of Parliament and served as an MP for the next 45 years. He was a contemporary of William Pitt. Isaac Milner and John Newton were influential in William’s conversion and his discovery of a life mission. In this work he was also encouraged by his good friend John Wesley.
The passing of the act of parliament that abolished slavery was the result of a twenty year campaign. He laboured for another twenty-five years to bring about the emancipation of slavery. As a citizen and parliamentarian he also addressed “the reformation of the nation’s morals”. (24)
There was an influential group of citizens that lived in the village of Clapham that supported William in his campaign. They became known as the “Clapham Sect”. (33) Although a group of just a dozen individuals, “the Claphamites demonstrated the difference that a handful of Christian people can make”. (39)
The excerpts from Wilberforce’s work are presented under four headings: 1.Inadequate Conceptions of the Importance of Christianity.
2. Corruption of Human Nature.
3. Chief Defects of the Religious System/ the Use of Passions in Religion.
4. On the Excellence of Christianity.
The observations made under these headings are relevant to our culture and Christianity. They are as it were the continuation of God’s divine purpose for Wilberforce.
A number of ‘tributes’ to Wilberforce make up the third part of the resource. They include a poem by Anna Barbauld, several newspaper accounts of his funeral. Two poems by William Cowper, The Negro’s Complaint and Pity for Poor Africans, are included as tributes. There is a contemporary evaluation of Wilberforce by an unknown author. Rev. William Jay of the American Tract Society offers his tribute.
Wilberforce requested that his funeral be private and that he be buried in Newington church yard. So great was his stature in the hearts of people of all levels of society that he was given a burial worthy of royalty. His funeral and burial were in Westminster Abbey where a plaque displays his accomplishments. “He was borne to his last resting place by the Peers and Commoners of England with the Lord Chancellor at their head.”(176)
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Always Looking Up

Fox Michael J. Always Looking Up. The adventures of an incurable optimist. Hyperion. 2009.
This biography focuses on Mike’s Parkinson (PD) experience since he retired from Spin City. It is an amazing story of courage and obvious optimism that Mike demonstrates under very difficult circumstances. He focuses on four areas of his life, his work, his politics, his faith, and his family. What he is experiencing in his life puts him into a significant category of difference makers.
When Mike retired from Spin City he had no plan concerning what he would do Book Review.
with the rest of his life. His retirement came nine years after his diagnosis with PD. He describes himself as a ‘political junkie’ and this explains in part what he ended up doing and what he calls his life work. Lance Armstrong and his foundation had an influence on Mike’s decision to establish his foundation. The primary goal of the foundation was to find a cure for Parkinson so it was expected that those involved would ‘work themselves out of a job’. A special friendship developed between Mike and Mohammed Ali, the most famous person with PD.
Mike’s work would become not only leading a foundation committed to finding a cure for PD but “mixing politics with Parkinson’s”. (74) Human embryonic stem cell research became a major political issue and since the MJF foundation saw this research as a major potential for discovering cures for PD, juvenile diabetes, spinal cord injuries, etc. Mike became very involved in supporting politicians who were for stem cell research.
When Mike was visited by a couple who were presenting their Jehovah Witness beliefs, he suggests “that my willingness to hear them out was an expression of my faith”. (160) Faith is equated with tolerance. He describes himself as a spiritual person who believes in a higher power. If fear is the opposite of faith Mike could be viewed as a man of faith. In his youth he was exposed to a form of evangelicalism which he rejected. Mike identifies with Bishop Carlton D. Pearson and his position on biblical interpretation. Because of his wife’s Jewish background Mike has been “thoroughly immersed in Jewish culture and tradition”. (198)
Mike and Tracy have had a long marriage, twenty years, and they have a great family, Sam, a college student, Aquinnah and Schuyler, teenage twins, and Esme’, born six years after the twins. When asked what the ‘secret’ is for his happy marriage his simple answer is “Keep the fights clean and the sex dirty”. Regarding raising kids he has this very ‘doable’ advice, “Love ‘em, feed ‘em, and keep them out of traffic”. I must say, I found this section on the family the most interesting and the most endearing part of the book.
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Partly Right

Book Review.
Campolo, Anthony. Partly Right. We have met the enemy, and they are (Partly Right). Word Publishing. 1985.
Comment. Henry.
This is Tony’s ‘exercise in apologetics’ written twenty five years ago. He has a concern that we don’t miss what can be learned from the critics of what he defines as ‘bourgeois Christianity’. In fact he goes so far as to say that more can be learned from critics than from friends. The changes that have taken place in the last twenty five years makes some of what is presented irrelevant. The historical content is interesting and relevant.
The “religion of main street” (13) (evangelical Christianity) has had a major influence on American society and its global status.
Salvation, which for many years was the domain of the church and its leadership, has become a very individualistic issue that is reflected in Western religion.
“Middle class religion” (32) has been impacted by influential Europeans. Hegel and his philosophy impacted not only Germany but the rest of the western world. Its evidence in America is called “Jingoism”. (59)
Nietzche’s heroism was an attack on Christianity because it focused on the glory of man rather than the glory of God. Kierkegaard, whose writings didn’t become famous until the middle of the twentieth century, mocked Hegel. Knowledge and faith were not enough for man’s salvation. “Only a personal encounter in the depths of one’s being; only an intimate relationship with God in the uttermost subjectivity of the self; only the voice from within can utter saving grace.” (99)
Freud and his followers have rightly challenged the hypocrisy of those who would talk about righteous living while being in a state of denial regarding basic sexual drives and inhibitions. The Neo-Freudian positions on Christianity are presented.
Much ink is given to Karl Marx and his “attack upon cultural middle-class religion”. (145) He rejected Hegel’s philosophy and developed his “doctrine of alienation”. (177) A Christian response to this doctrine is presented. Dostoyevsky, who predates Marx, refuted Marx’s philosophy and produced a “most brilliant exposition of Christian philosophy”. (194)
By way of conclusion, Campolo is encouraged by the activities of the Moral Majority and its leader Jerry Falwell. He talks about an “evangelical left” (215) movement that is (was?) making a significant impact on American society. Campolo declares, “I believe that middle-class Christianity is on the verge of its greatest days and is capable of making a historical contribution to Christianity”. (222)

The Gathered AND Scattered Church

Book Review,
Halter, Hugh. Smay, Matt. The Gathered AND the Scattered Church. Zondervan, 2010.
Comment. Henry.
This book is a sequel to “The Tangible Kingdom”. This resource is an honest, commendable attempt to ‘move beyond the attractional-missional divide’. It is not a matter of either/or but both AND (scattered and gathered). It describes a balanced biblical church. Church leaders should find this read encouraging and informative.
Right off the authors are declaring that any valid expression of a (living) church, micro or macro or anything in between, is legitimate. “The power of the AND is seen in churches of all sizes” (26) where good things are happening.
The story of the church, the bride of Christ, begins with the chosen people of Abraham’s race and then continues with the chosen One who came as the Bridegroom, in the flesh. We are part of that chosen one, “the sent church”. (43)
“Any church of any size can be both missional and nonmissional at the same time. The difference is the lifestyle of the believers.” (52) In church planting a missional community needs to be developed whether you are starting from scratch or from structure.
Some helpful advice is shared regarding the challenge of consumerism in the church. A ‘consumer less’ church is a possibility.
Spiritual formation in missional churches is presented as a result of “observance, preparation, participation, and partnership”. (102) these concepts were introduced in “The Tangible Kingdom”.
To help us with the AND concept regarding gathered AND scattered, we revisit the concepts of “sodalic” and “modalic”. (127-128) It is time to recognize these two ‘thrusts’ as two arms of the same body. “The greater the collaboration, the greater the potential. The more aggressive the partnership, the more expansive the movement becomes.” (136) Herein lies the power of the AND. The “sodalic/modalic balance” (150) in each church will be unique depending on things like gifting, calling, capacity and variables.
Church gatherings are a popular target of church critics. “If we want people to find meaning in our church gatherings, we must help them gather for purposes and people outside the gatherings.” (176) Such a focus would certainly be a shock for the consumers in our congregations. Missional communities would be a natural outcome of such gatherings.
To help bring a perspective to this ‘gathered AND scattered’ thesis it is suggested that we seriously consider the legacy that we are leaving and how we plan to ‘finish well’.
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The Search for God and Guinness.

Book Review.
Mansfield, Stephen. The Search for God and Guinness. A biography of the beer that changed the world. Thomas Nelson. 2009.
Comment. Henry.
This is indeed an unusual title for a biography. As the story develops it becomes quite apparent that the mixture of ‘beer and God’ is really what this story is all about. Wealth can be used to do much good. That is certainly a scriptural concept and the Guinness story illustrates this well. It hasn’t happened yet but I will probably have to follow my reading of this book with a sampling of Guinness for myself. This is a fascinating read.
When the author heard a Presbyterian minister give a brief account of Arthur Guinness’s call from God to make a drink that would be good for the men of Ireland, he was immediately motivated to make the Guinness story the topic of this biography.
The history of beer goes back as far as the civilization of man. Throughout that history beer has been a part of religious communities. Because of the water pollution in many countries beer became the drink of choice.
Much of the research for this book took place in Dublin, Ireland. The legacy of Guinness the brewer to the city of Dublin is compared to the legacy of Christopher Wren the architect to the city of London. Arthur Guinness “understood his success as forming a kind of mandate, a kind of calling to a purpose of God beyond just himself and his family to the broader good he could do in the world”. (59) He established his brewery on a four acre site at St. James’s Gate, Dublin. The yeast he used was reusable and is still used today. It was given the nickname “God-is-good”. (73) Only two second generation family members, Arthur Guinness II and Benjamin Lee Guinness (who was knighted), carried on the business in good and bad times. It was Benjamin that was responsible for the restoration of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The restoration was completed in 1865. From 1837 to 1887 the Guinness sales increased thirty-fold. When Edward Guinness was at the helm of the organization he made Guinness a public trading company and this resulted in rapid expansion and prosperity.
A thrilling part of the Guinness story is how much good was done with its wealth. “Guinness the beer is magnificent, yes, but it is the Guinness culture that for nearly two centuries changed the lives of Guinness workers, transformed poverty in Dublin, and inspired other companies to understand that care for their employees was their most important work. It was the Guinness culture of faith and kindness and generosity that moved men to seek out ways to serve their fellow men, to mend what the harshness of life had torn.” (122) John Lumsden, a young doctor hired by Guinness became the driving force behind the social reforms supported by Guinness funds. He was knighted by King George V.
There were three groups represented in the Guinness family. First there were the brewers, then the bankers, and then there were the “Guinnesses for God” (156) (missionaries and ministers). All three groups however were very much “connected with God”. (159)
Henry Grattan Guinness the grandson of Arthur became a famous preacher. He was compared with D. L. Moody and George Whitefield. He was a mentor to the likes of Thomas Barnado and J. Hudson Taylor. He established Harley House and College which trained missionaries for China. He became a speaker and author of international fame. Some historians consider the missionaries and ministers of the Guinness family more influential than the brewers and bankers.
By the beginning of the twentieth century, Guinness had become the largest, most productive, most prosperous beer producer in history. Set-backs happened because of WW1 and the Irish struggle for independence. Prohibition in the U.S. was another serious blow to the business. When Guinness leadership decided to go into an advertizing market (it had up to this point counted on the product to sell itself) great growth happened. John Gilroy developed the advertizing, e.g. “the Guinness Book of Records”. (241)
Edward Cecil expressed the Guinness legacy and wisdom as follows: “we must invest in those who serve us if we expect them to serve us well”. (260)
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Transformational Architecture.

Book Review.
Martoia Ron. Transformation Architecture. Reshaping our lives as narrative. Zondervan. 2008.
R.M.- a transformational architect. His passion is helping people and the organisms they serve to design, build, and experience revolutionary change.
Comment. Henry
It has been said about the church’s mandate to the world that ‘the methods must change but the message never changes’. Ron comes very close to suggesting that even the message may have to go through some form of change. “Our understandings surely do” (217) change. His goal in this book is to help us do a better job of connecting with people about spiritual things. He focuses on God’s story, beginning with Genesis one not Genesis three (the fall). This is God’s narrative which needs to impact man’s (our) narrative. Ron uses the architecture metaphor to help us understand how we are designed and how we can more effectively connect with how others (our pre-Christian friends) by understanding how they are designed.
Our spiritual conversations and our spiritual lives are the result of interplay of “context, biblical text, and human text”. (19) The context of our present culture is one of quantum change that requires a relevant response from Christians (Christianity). Values surrounding relational, reality, action and shalom have changed in a world that is no longer a Newtonian world but a quantum world. Information that does not result in change is of little value. Churches are not exempt from this challenge. “We are living in the beginnings of a second axial age.” (47) The first one took place around 800 to 200 B.C.
Evangelicals have followed the game rules of the modern world and “reduced the Bible to a set of propositional principles”. (61) The result is fundamentalism. This destroys the valid narrative of God’s story. “The essence of the Christian story is that of selfless service, love, compassion, and care. Coercion, control, and power are not part of this equation.” (70)
The ‘human text’ is best represented by what is commonly described as “the American dream world”. (74) The author calls it “the Gerbil Wheel Tale”. (79)
To effectively enter into God’s story (narrative) will require a transformation (Transformational Architecture).
We begin with Genesis one through “story teller’s eyes and with story listener’s ears”, (93) not with a scientific approach. The impact and importance of our being made in the image of God, “image dei” (108), cannot be over emphasized. This needs to be the starting point of our spiritual conversations not the fall, judgment, etc. of Genesis three. Our uniqueness in creation was motivated by God’s love and it is still part of each human.
God can be viewed in three ways, (“1P, 2P, 3P”- (115) the God within- first person which is man in God’s image-image dei, the God without- transcendent and “other” (109), and the God of creation. It is important to maintain a balance of these three views.
Sharing the gospel (good news) should be more about conversation than conquest, more about relationship than a rational debate (making a sale). “We choose the stories that define ourselves.” (157) God’s story has the capacity to reshape the brokenness and distortion of our lives. “Being made ‘image dei’ is God’s architectural design that drives our desire for the very things God provided in the Garden of Eden.” (177) The America dream is an example of how we try to accomplish that on our own. We want life to have purpose, meaning, and hope. This should be the starting point of our spiritual conversations with a commitment to demonstrate unconditional love. We can progress with that conversation on the assumption that there is a yearning to “believe, belong, and become” (198).
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Jesus, The Last Days.

Book Review.
Evans Craig A. Wright N.T. Jesus, The Final Days. What really happened. Westminster, John Knox Press. 2994.
C.E.- director of graduate program at Acadia Divinity College in Canada.
N.T.W.- Bishop of Durham in the Church of England.
Comment. Henry.
The contents of this book were first given as lectures in the ‘Symposium for Church and Academy’ at Crichton College. Critics of Christianity often focus on and seek to discredit, three crucial events of the Christian faith; the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. The three essays that make up this book are an apologetic of these events.
The reality of Jesus’ death is a matter of obvious historical evidence. Four reasons are presented for Jesus’ death. Jesus anticipated his own death. There were Jewish and Roman implications of Jesus’ death. Mockery had a legitimate place in the process. Jesus’ final shout was a shout of death not the shout of a victorious Messiah. This created theological problems for Jews who were looking for a reigning Messiah and for Jesus’ followers.
Jews followed Scriptural commands when it came to proper burial procedures. Doubts concerning Jesus’ burial are addressed in terms of how these procedures were followed.
Some of the controversies surrounding Jesus’ resurrection arise out of the stories of eye witnesses in the gospels. Other doubts come as a result of the language that is used in the ancient world regarding resurrection. There were “early Christian distinctives on resurrection”. (81) Wright identifies “seven mutations/alterations” (84) of the Christian view of the Jewish understanding of resurrection. There is ample historical argument for the burial and resurrection of Jesus.
Those who would discredit the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus do so for personal reasons. The acceptance of these ‘facts’ comes with a need to make personal choices of acceptance or rejection. Rejection of the facts happened immediately after Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection and they have continued in various forms to this day. What really happened does matter.

Living Gently In A Violent World

Book Review.
Hauerwas, Stanley. Vanier Jean. Living Gently In A Violent World. The prophetic witness of weakness. IVP Books. 2008
S.H.- professor of theological ethics at Duke Divinity School, Duke University.
J.V.- founder of L’Arche, an international network of communities where people with or without intellectual disabilities experience life together as fellow human beings who share a mutuality of care and need.
Comment. Henry
It was through the writings of Henri Nouwen that I first heard about L’Arche. These communities demonstrate a level of care for needy people that is truly amazing. I think it takes special gifts to provide that care. Having said that, a read of a book like this is good for anyone who is serious about responding to the exhortation from scripture to be Christ-like, i.e. caring for the needy. To live gently in a violent world is a challenge for all of us.
Jean has lived with people with disabilities for over forty years. He began L’Arche and has seen it spread to communities in many countries. This organization began as a Roman Catholic community but is now very ecumenical. “In L’Arche we have always had to work at interreligious cooperation, and today we are confronted with many new realities.” (27)
“L’Arche embodies the patience that is absolutely crucial if we (the church) are to learn to be faithful people in our world.” (45) We live in a world that believes that safety can be achieved by violence. “Speed and placelessness” (51) are part of that violence. In total contrast to such a mindset we have the communities of L’Arche.
There is too much focus on global and not enough focus on catholic in our world. “Non-violence is a sign of hope that there is an alternative to war.” (55) L’Arche is an example of such non-violence. Referring to the mining practice of using canaries to warn miners of poisonous gases, “L’Arche may be the church’s canary”. (56) However L’Arche also needs the church.
Fear and weakness are walls that effectively divide humanity. People with disabilities have a greater need to be accepted than to be changed. Change is actually brought about through acceptance. Accepting weakness is part of understanding reality. “The politics of gentleness” (77) must be part of any attempt at administrating justice. It is the practice of gentleness that qualifies L’Arche as a dispenser of justice.
The fear that turns us in on ourselves will always result in a natural response of violence. Such violence happens when we refuse to acknowledge our woundedness and loneliness. Love overcomes fear. We must become people of peace. Jesus is our model and he also provides the resources to live a life of peace. “In Jesus, time has been redeemed for the practises of peace.” (105)

The Year Of Living Like Jesus.

Book Review.

Dobson, Ed. The Year Of Living Like Jesus. My journey of discovering what Jesus would really do. Zondervan. 2009
E.D.-pastor emeritus of Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Comment. Henry.
Ed Dobson shares his experience of trying to live like Jesus for a year. To him this meant to eat like Jesus, pray like Jesus, observe the Sabbath like Jesus, and attend the Jewish festivals like Jesus did. Having to deal with a terminal disease (ALS) during this ‘project’ added a huge challenge for Ed. The example of A.J.Jacobs (The Year of Living Biblically) was a motivator for Ed to undertake this project.
A major ‘rabbit trail’ for Ed was his involvement in Catholic and Orthodox liturgies, praying the rosary and the prayer rope, etc. He was being accepting of others as he felt Jesus would have been if he had lived in Ed’s culture.
Another departure from Ed’s evangelical (fundamentalist) life-style was his decision to spend time with ‘sinners’ as Jesus had done and this took him into bars where he joined in with drinking alcoholic beverages and interacting with ‘those in need of a physician’.
Part of his adherence to a Jewish life style was growing a full beard and eating kosher food. Keeping company with followers of the Jewish faith meant attendance at synagogues and important Jewish religious events.
This year long project totally changed Ed’s life-style. He does not say too much about the negative impact he suffered, i.e. loss of friends, how his wife was probably impacted, etc. The limitations that his illness brought to the project were a daily part of life.
Of the many things he learned during this special year he explains that he has grown in his appreciation for past experiences of life. He is thankful for his fundamentalist training at Bob Jones University. He describes Jerry Falwell, with whom he worked at Liberty University, as a mentor and ‘the kindest, most generous person I’ve ever met’. He has grown in his appreciation of the Roman Catholic faith and the Orthodox Church.
In this book Ed has simply shared his experience and he feels no need to be defensive about that experience even though critics have had been harsh. He has certainly demonstrated an unusual attitude of tolerance for others an attitude that is required to be part of our postmodern culture.
Ed’s experience is a striking example of one person’s attempt to live incarnationally (missionally).

Missional Map-Making

Book Review.
Roxburgh, Alan J. Missional Map-Making. Skills for leading in times of transition. Jossey-Bass. 2010
Comment. Henry.
Many years ago I came away from a ‘teacher’s convention’ with a very profound truth- Stop Doing Things That Don’t Work! That was a difficult thing for me to actually do. Even more difficult was to know what to do in place of what I was no longer doing. That is what this book is all about with reference to church work. When you don’t have something to replace what you are no longer doing you have created some kind of vacuum and left unfilled, vacuums can attract a whole lot of ‘crap’. I am sure there will be many more books written about “Missional”.
We see our world through the “cultural map of modernity” (6) and this map “assumes that all reality is made up of separate, distinct parts”. (10) Individualism is all over this map.
We are in an “in-between time” (28) of great uncertainty; in between modernity and whatever is next (postmodernity). This is a time when courageous decisions need to be made about ‘missional map-making’. This is a new world. Reality has changed. Effective map-making requires an understanding of modernity and Scripture, as applied to modernity.
“Common sense is no longer common.” (42) Equilibriums of all sorts are disappearing. E.g. N.C.D. evaluations don’t address the ‘in-between culture’. “Leading well in our environment of complex change depends on leading from a different place than management and control.” (53)
Sir Isaac Newton and the industrial revolution were key players in forming the map of modernity. Great value was given to control, predictability and strategic planning. “Strategic planning (where people are turned into objectives of goals and visions) cannot form mission-shaped communities”. (79)
There are eight forces of change that need to be reckoned with as new map-making is addressed. They are “globalization, pluralism, rapid technological change, postmodernism, staggering global need, the democratization of knowledge, and the return to romanticism”. (90-108) The development of the internet is an example of far reaching and unmanaged change.
Missional planning and map-making should follow these steps. “Assess how the environment has changed in your context.” (127) “Focus on redeveloping a core identity.” (134) “Create a parallel culture in our local church.” (143) “Form partnerships with the surrounding neighbourhoods and communities.” (164) Church leaders must shift their attention from “strategies and visions to becoming present with people”. (172) “Missional map-makers (must be) cultivators of environments” (182) in their neighbourhoods more than in their churches.

The Fine Line.

Book Review.
Oberbrunner, Kary. The Fine Line. Re-envisioning the gap between Christ and culture. Zondervan. 2008.
K.O.-pastor of discipleship and leadership development at Grace Church in Powell, Ohio.
Comment. Henry.
Much has been said and written of late about how Christians (the church) can be more effective in these times. Missional, incarnational, relevant, have become buzz words. Kary is addressing the same issue(s) using a somewhat different approach. His concern is a scriptural exhortation that we are to be in the world but not of the world. This means ‘walking a fine line’ that will result in being relevant in our culture. One reason for irrelevance is an imbalance on the ‘in the world’ side of that fine line. Such people Kary calls ‘Conformists’. Those who err on the ‘not in the world’ side of the line he calls ‘Separatists. Those who walk that fine line he calls ‘Transformists’. These are the relevant ones who are impacting our culture. Kary is trying to explain in practical terms what it means to be in the world but not of it.
“Relevance is something others believe about us, not what we believe about others.” (41) The language of relevance is love. It is about loving God and loving people. “Separatists” (25) demonstrate their imbalance (irrelevance) by an inward focus that makes them ineffective in their culture. In an effort to avoid this problem, “Conformists” (25) abandon Separatist organizations (churches) and seek to be more relevant with culture by becoming like those of the culture. This is another form of imbalance that results in irrelevance. “Transformists” (27) have learned to live in that line of, being in the world but not of it.
Kary shares a number of very interesting, heart-touching stories of people whom he calls Transformists. Becoming Transformists has to become a movement which will bridge the gap between Christ and Culture.

Eternal Life

Book Review.
Spong, John Shelby. Eternal Life: A New Vision. Beyond religion, beyond theism, beyond heaven and hell. Harper One. 2009.
J.S.S.- is a leading spokesperson for liberal Christianity. A prolific writer and lecturer. Retired Epsicopalian bishop.
Comment. Henry.
My attention was drawn to this book by a very special person in my life. I had to find out for myself what this book was all about.
To describe this author as a rank liberal would be probably be viewed as a fundamentalist charge. He is a self-described product of the Enlightenment, modernity, and secularism. He is merciless in his attack on what he calls the literalists of biblical interpretations. He describes his own personal journey (evolvement) from a fundamentalist evangelical to an enlightened liberal. The thesis of his book is his personal vision of eternal life that he developed. That ‘vision’ was arrived at only after he declared the ‘death’ of religion, theism, heaven and hell. He questions all the basic beliefs of Christianity. Those who are the severest critics of ideologies are those who have at some time been part of that ideology. Spong’s conclusions are based on his interpretation of scripture, especially the Gospel of John.
I would be interested in responses from those who have read Spong and/or have an interest in his writings.

From the Preface.
“This book on life after death drove me deeply and in a new way into the Fourth Gospel. (John) described the purpose for which Jesus lived to be that of giving us life and giving it abundantly. I hope this book is in the service of that purpose.”
“Religious concepts become fragile indeed when education renders them no longer believable.” (2) The Bible and the church become “inadequate authorities”. (3) In religion the “need to believe is greater than the ability to believe”. (3) In a time of grieving the loss of a loved one people flee from “reality into religion”. (5) Religious traditions are designed to help people with death. This book is John’s personal story about life after death and he calls it his “spiritual autobiography”. (17) He does subscribe to the concept of life after death, as he understands it.
In his search for an explanation of life John concludes that “we are accidental creatures”. (24) All life is a result of evolution with man reaching a state that places him above other life, i.e. self-consciousness.
John’s personal experience with death and the explanations that were given to him as a child did not satisfy him. “Religious thinking seemed to me to be detached from reality.” (48) (This is not an unusual experience for children.)
As a twelve year old John became “an unquenchable religious seeker”. (56) As he pursued his desire to become a priest (Episcopalian) continued to have doubts about religion.
The certainty of death is strongly resisted by all forms of life as an effort of survival. For man, that desire and its accompanying anxieties, leads him to turn to religion. Religion is a human creation to fill a human need. Its ultimate goal is security not truth. This is confirmed by the changes that have happened in religion(s) over the years. The manipulating of deities is a religious practice. “Worship is simply an act of flattery by which we hope to gain God’s attention and force the deity to meet our needs.” (102)
Heaven and hell are concepts that are unacceptable (unreasonable) products of religion. “The heart, cannot accept what the mind rejects.” ((120) (Mind over heart.) This creates the option of a religion less world in which to seek after God. It is a turning “from the deity above to the deity within”. (144)
John is now ready to move ahead with his ‘new vision’ of God as he follows his own reasoning. He finds support for his vision in the mystics. He finds further support in his interpretation of the words of Christ in the Gospel of John which were never meant to be taken literally. He comes up with the conclusion that, “Because God is, I am. Because I am, God is.” (186) John has now progressed in his spiritual development through three stages, “hiding, thinking, and being”. (187)
He now is ready to present his conclusions that he has reached from his search for eternal life. He has dismissed religion and its premises that God is supernatural and man’s alienation from him requires atonement. He has transcended his religious convictions and sees God “as part of the universal consciousness in which I shared”. (206) He sees in Jesus the human, the example of becoming “one with God, transcending all human boundaries”. (208) In all his searching and discovering John considers himself to be “a disciple of Jesus”. (121)
I want to close this review with some of my own ‘conclusions’. John is being very honest in his presentations. His are conclusions of one totally committed to modernity at its best. I am open to help as to how to respond to the likes of John without getting into mind-boggling debates and dead-end arguments.
www.henrydirksen.blogspot.com

The Divine Embrace

Book Review.
Webber, Robert E. The Divine Embrace. Recovering the passionate life. Baker Books, 2006.
Comment. Henry.
There is quite a contrast of titles from McClaren’s “Everything Must Change”, to Webber’s “The Divine Embrace”. I appreciate both but confess that I resonate more with “The Divine Embrace”. Part of that response is probably generational. All ‘post-moderns’ are not the same. Emergent (emergence) has different phases and/or levels. In this book Webber addresses something that is basic to the Christian life (experience) that is timeless. Our spiritual life is part of our identity and is dependent on our understanding and involvement in ‘God’s story’. I found this book encouraging and informative.
All “spirituality has an experiential dimension, but the experience is always in keeping with the story from which it arises”. (15) This book focuses on the Christian story which Webber calls “the divine embrace”. It is God’s story which Paul calls “the mystery of Christ”. Our involvement in the story is through “contemplation and participation”. (20)
“God’s story and spirituality” (32) of the ancient church was challenged by the Gnostics. The Apostle’s Creed raised a standard against Gnosticism and dualism. The incarnation, explained in John 1:14, was being interpreted in ways that challenged ‘God’s story’. The Chalcedon Creed of AD 451 addressed this challenge. “Ancient spirituality is a theological spirituality,” (42) manifested in a life lived according to God’s design, represented by biblical teachings.
“Evangelicals, having separated spirituality from God’s vision, practice spiritualities of legalism, intellectualism, and experientialism.” (80) In these spiritualities the focus is on self. We live in a world where secularism and New Age are strong players. To be able to respond effectively to these challenges we must rediscover God’s story, i.e. “ancient spirituality”. (120)
God’s story is expressed in three typologies, “creation/recreation, the first Adam/second Adam, the Exodus event/Christ event”. (130) ‘Our story’ has three important ‘ingredients’, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. “Baptism in the Spirit seals and reveals”. (160) Baptism gives us our spiritual identity which is sealed by the Spirit.
“Baptismal spirituality” (180) is important in our participation in God’s story and gives us understanding about our part in God’s relationship with us. The “desert fathers” have given us helpful instructions regarding matters of the heart. The “Benedictine rule” (200) brings understanding about the disciplined Christian life. Brother Lawrence is a good example. Appreciating God’s creation is demonstrated by how we care for ‘material things’.
“The church is the family of God, called to live the baptized life.” (223) It is (should be) by nature a nurturing body, nurturing disciples. Worship should be situated in the story of God not in the (contemporary) culture. “Worship as a prayer shapes who we are.” (235)
“There is no story in this world that is more profound than the story of God’s embrace.”

Everything Must Change.

McClaren, Brian, D. Everything Must Change. Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope. Thomas Nelson. 2007.
Comment. Henry.
It has been some time since my first reading of McClaren, it was ‘A Generous Orthodoxy”. There is nothing generous about this resource. It is very much ‘in your face’ kind of stuff. This does not endear Brian with many who feel targeted. I do not find fault with his message, however I cringe at some of his attacks on interpretations of scripture that have very much been a part of my spiritual journey. I feel badly when I interact with Brian’s uncle who is a resident in our condo complex and see the hurt that he is experiencing because he feels his nephew is into heresy. My read of this resource was a learning experience. I appreciate the challenge put before me and I don’t take my personal responsibility to truth discovered lightly.
The dysfunctions of our planet stem from, “four global crises; the prosperity crisis, the equity crisis, security crisis, and the spirituality crisis.” (5) This book is Brian’s answer to two life-long questions that he has wrestled with, “What are the world’s top problems, and what do the life and message of Jesus have to say about them?” (13) Experiences in Burundi and South Africa brought some answers to these questions.
Brian presents some helpful information about the story of postmodernism. He Book Review.
explores some identified global problems. He expounds on our “societal system machine driven by prosperity, security, and equity”. (55) These interdependent systems demand huge resources from our environment. Since these resources are limited the ‘machine’ is heading for self-destruction. “Our societies are driven by a dysfunctional framing story.” (73)
At the center of an alternative framing story is Jesus. The gospel is this alternative framing story. There are two views of this story, “the conventional view and the emerging view”. (78) Unfortunately these are contrasting and even conflicting views. In the time of Jesus the framing story was about Rome and its controlling emperors. “The Bible is the story of the partnership between God and humanity to save and transform all of human society and avert global self-destruction.” (94) Jesus focussed on the issues of the day and things relevant, not just on future salvation and eventual (heavenly) bliss. His kingdom is not OF this world but it is IN this world.
The ‘discrepancies’ in the teachings of our postmodern times are the result of conflicting interpretations of scripture. Our ‘framing story’ must change. Prosperity, security, and purpose in our global community come at too great a price. We need “the sacred ecosystem of God (which is) a transforming framing story”. (134) This requires a revisiting of scripture to get a better understanding of who Jesus really was (a volatile topic).
Brian invites his readers to the imagining of rebuilding the “three primary systems of our society (security, prosperity, equity)” (151) The cost of security is too great. The agenda of violence used to attain security must be replaced with justice attained by love.
“Theocapitalism” (192) is destroying the concept of valid prosperity. Good deeds and gratitude are Jesus’ measurement of prosperity. God’s kingdom is a kingdom of justice. “Both the poor and the rich need saving- from poverty and addictive wealth- a kind of kingdom of co-liberation.” (220)
“Systemic injustice” (238) is the cause of extreme poverty and extreme riches. Inequity is rampant. Economic reform “in trade, aid, debt, wages, justice, and community,” (257) has to happen.
When it comes to meaningful change “believing an alternative and transforming story may turn out to be the most radical thing any of us can ever do”. (270) The call to action that will result in the correct kind of change must happen at different levels; personal, community, public, and global levels. Jesus said, “Nothing will be impossible for you”, (by faith).
www.henrydirksen.blogspot.com

Father & Son Finding Freedom

Book Review
Wangerin, Walter, Jr. Wangerin, Matthew. Father & Son Finding Freedom. Zondervan. 2008.
M.W.- is widely recognized as one of the most gifted writers writing today on issues of faith and spirituality. He is writer- in- residence at Valparaiso University, Indiana.
Comment. Henry.
From time to time I will pick up a few books from the ‘discount table’ at our local Christian book store. This book caught my attention because of the title. I have four sons. The author-ship, father and son, intrigued me. The flyleaf summary was a ‘seller’.
The Wangerin family is made up of six members, mom and dad, two boys and two girls. One boy and one girl are adopted. This story is about the adopted boy and his father. Since both are authors of the book the bi-generational appeal of the story is strong.
In the story, Walter communicates a wealth of sound parenting advice that is required when relationships become challenging. Not only family relationships are dealt with but a number of cultural issues come up. Racial prejudice impacts this family since both adopted children are inter-racial.
The story speaks for itself. I will not include a “review” as such. This is a touching, very readable story that has a multi-generational, multi-racial appeal.

Metavista

Book Review.
Greene, Colin. Robinson, Martin. Metavista: Bible, Church and Mission in an Age of Imagination. The church after postmodernity. Authentic Media, 2008.
C.G.- theological consultant, author, and former professor of theological and cultural studies at Mars Hill Graduate School, Seattle.
M.R.- international speaker, writer, and director of ‘Together in Mission’.
Comment. Henry.
I am ‘borrowing’ some language from the endorsers of the book when I say that this is a ‘theologically stimulating, meticulously researched text’. With reference to a changing world this resource reflects ‘skillful scholarship and rigorous cultural analysis’. My own experience in reading this book was one of being in over my head because of the level of literacy. That should not be taken as a negative comment on this book. I am sure that it has a strong appeal to those who have a capacity to appreciate the literacy of the authors.
Effective missions must consider the culture of the 21st century and focus on actual “cultural engagement” (intro) Callum Brown comments on cultural engagement in the U.K. He identifies five ‘criteria’ of cultural engagement. The post-Christian status of the U.K. is quite different from the post-Christian status of the U.S. Cultural engagement is assessed based on “societal imagination, cultural icons, and the nature of and encounter with the Bible as Scripture”. (intro)
We have not yet totally passed through modernity. Adam Smith, Thomas Paine, and Robert Callum have expressed significant ideas of modernity. Globalization is the story of how an “emancipation narrative (changed) to an imperialistic metanarrrative”. (15)
The movie ‘The Matrix’ illustrates the elements of postmodernity. To understand the modern requires “a new aesthetic”. (27) We are continually bombarded by consumerism with overt and subliminal messages. Reality is called into question. Change is impacted by “rules of engagement when it comes to cultural transformation”. (63)
Christendom has survived the attacks during the twentieth century, i.e. Christianity is dead, the non-Christian values of the American Dream and the “secularization of society”. (76) The problems of post-colonialism are still prevalent.
“The Bible has never been central to the life and witness of the church during the whole Christendom project.” (97) The “Biblical Theology for cultural engagement” (113) is developed around four stories: “creation, Israel, Jesus the Christ, and the church.” (118) From biblical theology we move to political theology.
Some deconstruction is done on the concept of secularization as part of modernity. What is needed today is a ‘Metavista Missional Community’. We (the church) can and should “imaginatively engage the future based on present experiences in mission, (and a) call to the Christian community to act in a counter-cultural manner”. !83 “A manifesto to the contemporary church” (225) is presented surrounding the narratives of scripture, tradition, and culture.

The Future of Faith

Book Review.
Cox, Harvey. The Future Of Faith. The rise and fall of belief and the coming age of the Spirit. Harper One. 2009.
H.C.- professor of divinity emeritus, Harvard Divinity School. Past faculty of Arts and Science, Harvard.
Comment. Henry.
Cox divides church history (Christianity) into three periods. The first three centuries, the early Christianity, he calls the Age of Faith. From the fourth to the twentieth century he uses the term, the Age of Belief to describe church history. About fifty years ago there began what he calls the Age of the Spirit.
He is a very strong opponent of ‘fundamentalism’ of any kind, especially in Christianity. This probably impacts the legitimacy of his message in evangelical circles. He makes an interesting distinction between faith and belief that becomes the foundation for his thesis.
There is much food for thought in this resource as we seek to understand what is happening in our global religious communities.
The global interactions of religions are bringing about profound changes in ‘religiousness’ and what it means to be religious. The debate about God (gods) is all about beliefs not about faith. “Faith is about deep-seated confidence. Belief is more about opinion. Beliefs are more propositional than existential.” (3)
Christianity began with Jesus and the early church. This was “the age of faith”. (4) It was not long before there developed a group of leaders who felt that beliefs needed to be to be organized and recorded in manuals. It was Constantine who brought in major changes to Christianity when he made it a state religion. These changes focused on control of what people believed and this marked the beginning of the “age of belief”. (5) Christians, worldwide, are now into a transition into the “age of the Spirit”. (8)
Experiencing the mysterious is awesome. “Faith starts with awe”, (22) giving meaning to mystery, which is never solved just discovered. “Faith is a basic posture toward the mystery, and it comes in an infinite variety of forms.” (35)
All religions are not the same. A Christian atheist is not the same as a Buddhist atheist. The Judean-Christian explanation of mystery (faith) includes the “Hebrew Cycle, the Christmas Cycle, and the Easter Cycle” (39-50) note: Cox suggests that the term Kingdom of God would be more accurately translated, ‘Reign of God’.
During the first three centuries Christianity changed “from a movement generated by faith and hope into a religious empire demarcated by prescribed doctrines and ruled by a priestly elite”. (55) (That sounds a lot like Judaism.) Christianity has gone global in our age and we have the opportunity to leave the ‘Age of Belief’ and transition into the ‘Age of the Spirit’. To understand this change requires some deconstruction of early Christianity, i.e. apostolic authority was not part of early Christianity. The ‘Age of the Spirit’ is akin to not similar to the ‘Age of Faith’, of the early church.
There were no theologies, creeds, or doctrines in early Christianity. Christians were followers of ‘The Way’ not followers of dogmas. When hierarchies were erected and creeds were fabricated the foundation was laid for fundamentalism.
The Council of Nicaea called by Constantine in 325 has been called ‘Constantine’s Last Supper’. “A change in how we understand the past can generate a change in how we view the future.” (113) When we understand the ‘age of Faith’ we begin to understand how the Christianity of our age is changing. Some changes in the Roman Catholic Church are examples of that change.
The greatest threats to needed interfaith conversations come from fundamentalists from every religious persuasion. In spite of this, there are encouraging signs of increasing dialogue. Cox’s invitation to Jerry Falwell to be a part of a Harvard dialogue is such an example. He goes on to explain his personal experience with the fundamentalist movement of which he once was a part. He explains his attitude as one of sadness (critics might call it arrogance) for the fundamentalists. Closely related to this ‘conflict’ are the attitudes about the various Bibles and their differing translations of the most original manuscripts.
Liberation theology marks the beginning of the ‘age of the Spirit’ in Catholicism. Pentecostals are seen as another group that show evidences of ‘the age of the Spirit’. It is being suggested that there is indeed a return to matters of faith (at the expense of belief) in many of the world religions.
www.henrydirksen.blogspot.com

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)
www.henrydirksen.blogspot.com

Introverts In The Church.

Book Review.
McHugh, Adam S. Introverts In The Church. Finding our place in an extroverted culture. IVP Books. 2009.
A.M.-an ordained Presbyterian minister, a spiritual director, and an introvert.
Comment. Henry.
The reading of this book was a learning experience for me. I had never thought of introverts and extroverts as contrasting groups in the church culture. The thesis of this resource is that most church cultures are extrovert dominated. This presents a special challenge for introverts to function well as participants and ministering staff. This resource is helpful for introverts who struggle with their frustrations and extroverts who are concerned about being more inclusive. The challenge to both celebrate and respect our individual differences will always be part of meaningful life enriching relationships, especially in our churches.
“There is a restless energy to evangelicalism that leads to a full schedule and a fast pace.” (26) Such an environment is not seen as introvert friendly. Introversion and extroversion exist in each of us and are a preference. These characteristics exist in degrees. Introverts process internally and gain strength from their solitude, etc.
Healing for introverts can come from external sources (relationships) and from the Lord. Their spirituality is contemplative with a focus on solitude and “the examen” (74) Community is a challenge but introverts bring a special contribution to community, e.g. compassion, creativity, mentoring, etc. Community pitfalls (for introverts) can be avoided.
Although most lists of leadership characteristics don’t include introvertism, there are many leaders that are (were) introverts , e.g. Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Jonathan Edwards . Leadership is more about calling than personality types. Adequate self-care is important. Spiritual direction plays to the strengths of introvert leaders. Leading and being led as extroverts and introverts are discussed.
“Introvert seekers need introvert evangelists.” (184) Evangelism is usually thought of as an activity (gift) that demonstrates a high level of extrovertism. The church that introverts will feel comfortable in will send messages of safety and opportunities of involvement. For community to happen in our churches it will require that we all have a strong commitment to ‘love one another’.
www.henrydirksen.blogspot.com

Who Stole My Church

Book Review.

MacDonald, Gordon. Who Stole My Church? What to do when the church you love tries to enter the 21st century. Thomas Nelson. 2007.

G.M.- has over forty years of experience as a pastor and author. He is editor-at-large for Leadership Journal.

Comment. Henry.

Mac has written himself and his wife Gail into a fictional story where he deals with the challenges of how a church can transition into the twenty-first century without self-destructing. This is a clever method of presenting valid information that can be helpful in bringing about positive change for a church that is committed to being relevant and effective as a missional influence. With one exception, the author has not needed to include all the contemporary jargon that is so much of today’s literature.

Many objections to change (in a church) are founded on the reluctance to give up what is special about the past, e.g. traditional worship and preaching, predictable services, need-meeting programs, etc. In the face of inevitable change we must remember that the church is not ours but it is God’s church. How change affects us personally is not the bottom line.

It is helpful to look at the changes that have been ongoing in the history of the church, e.g. Constantine, Reformation, etc. We live in a changing world and we cannot expect that our church should be exempt from change. Many of these changes impact fundamental ideas and principles, e.g. the definition and understanding of truth. “Shelf life” (80) is a term that needs to be understood and applied to church and church programs. The volatile topic of music in the church cannot be properly addressed without cross-generational representation.

Unfortunately attrition is an unavoidable part of significant change. The damage resulting from a refusal to change is actually more severe. Genuine change in the quality of relationships requires a high level of vulnerability. Strong intergenerational relationships can happen when there is openness and willingness to change. Young and old can relate to one another’s needs.

An Hour Before Daylight.

Book Review.
Carter, Jimmy. An Hour Before Daylight. Memories of a rural boyhood. Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. 2001.
Comment. Henry.
Biographies should be read for fun, not as an assignment. I certainly had fun with this one. I have an older brother that is about the same age as this president. We grew up on a farm. It was the great depression. That is where the comparison ends. However, that similar background gave this read some relevance for me. When, as a young adult, I developed an appreciation for history and historical leaders it was the result of focusing on the humanness (humanity) of these people. President Carter has shared some very interesting information about his growing up years with his family.

Farming was very different in Georgia than in western Canada. Life on the Carter farm was really a community. Farm employees, black people, lived on the farm acreage. The Carter ‘community’ lived and functioned very much as an extended family.
Sharecropping was the system of farming. Everyone was impacted by the hardships of the Depression. The primary crops were cotton and peanuts. Farming was very labour intensive for man and beast. Government management (interference) of crop acreages was a difficult experience for farmers.
Life between whites and blacks on the farm was quite integrated. Jimmy’s best friend was a black boy. It could not be called racial integration but it was not extreme racial discrimination. There was good quality of life (under the circumstances). Jimmy’s childhood was a happy one where hard work was a given and comforts of life were limited.
Economic concerns were always a primary focus. Those who lacked skills in farming and commerce suffered hardships.
There were interesting personalities in the ‘Carter clan’. Family relationships were strong. They shared common values of a strong work ethic and respect for strongly held opinions.
The focus of this biography is early childhood and rural life styles. Very little is said about the president’s political career. It is all about family.

The Good and Beautiful God.

Book Review.
Smith, James Bryan. The Good and Beautiful God. Falling in love with the God Jesus knew. IVP Books. 2009.
J.S.- theology professor at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. He is a founding board member of Renovare.
Comment. Henry.
Smith is a disciple of Dallas Willard. He uses the term ‘narrative’ to describe teachings about important life principles. There are two contrasting narratives that referred to frequently, the narrative of Jesus and the narrative of the ‘world’. These are important in how we understand spiritual truth. Much of the teaching in this resource is basic to Christian apologetics. It is strongly recommended that the reading of this book be done as a group project with organized group interaction. A small group discussion guide is provided to accommodate such interaction.
We need to understand the significance of the narratives that determine how we think and live. “Spiritual formation is a combination of our action and God’s action.” (34) The narrative that God is an angry judge is not uncommon. Jesus demolishes that narrative. To have faith in Jesus, the Son of God, settles many questions. To be assured of the faith of Jesus is a great source of comfort when our faith is tested.
Gaining a good understanding of the Fatherhood of God is helpful in developing trust in God. Trust in a God who is good (love) provides a ‘firm foundation’ necessary to deal effectively with the challenges of difficult experiences of life (and death). God is indeed a generous God. Guilt and/or fear should not be our primary narrative of him.
Our performance-based culture becomes an obstacle for our acceptance and understanding of God’s love. “Lectio divina” (108) is suggested as a method of Bible reading. The holiness and love of God are compatible with his divinity. The integration of God’s love and his wrath do not call for a redefinition of the word wrath as some would suggest. “The wrath of God is pathos and not passion.” (120)
Through Jesus Christ his Son, God became“self-sacrifice” (143) for us. To experience the transforming work of God we must have an understanding of who we are in Christ, submit our will to him, and be committed to obedience. We are part of a culture that is continuously rushing around and that presents the challenge and need to “ruthlessly eliminate hurry”. Dallas Willard.

Simply Christian

Wright,N.T. Simply Christian. Why Christianity Makes Sense. Harper San Francisco. 2006.
Comment. Henry.
I appreciate how this first-rate theologian writes so that a layman can quite readily understand. He just makes a lot of sense. I do have an unanswered question for the Dr. Regarding his focus on the new heaven and the new earth, he does not give many details about the ‘extreme makeover’. Is it as he suggests a remodelling involving reconstruction only, or does that also involve serious demolition as some passages of scripture seem to suggest? Tom has done an impressive task to portray Christianity as “Simply Christian”.
Tom identifies four ‘signposts’ (justice, spirituality, relationships, and beauty) that point us to God. As Christians, God’s passion for justice needs to become our passion. The abolition of slavery and the abolition of apartheid are examples of what such passion has accomplished. In the West there is an increasing resurgence of interest in spirituality. It is intuitive to our humanity.
Fulfilling relationships and especially personal relationships are what we desire but they are difficult to bring about. This makes God’s invitation to us for a personal relationship through Jesus Christ such ‘good news’. Beauty in its various forms is truly a signpost to God.
Heaven is God’s space and earth is man’s space. In Judaism and Christianity we discover where these spaces interlock. “It is fundamental to the Christian worldview in its truest form that what happened in Jesus of Nazareth was the very climax of the long story of Israel.” (71)
“Christianity is all about new life in Jesus.” (92) It is in Jesus that our space and God’s space interlock. When Jesus declared, “The Kingdom of God is at hand” he was referring to his own work. Jesus is “personally present and active in the world and in our lives, our rescuer and our Lord”. (119) The Holy Spirit is God’s breath of life for the churches as it indwells each member. It is by the Spirit that we ‘live and have our being’.
The natural response to knowledge of God is worship. The 4th and 5th chapters of Revelation are a good scriptural passage to go to learn about worship. When God’s world will be what it should be all creation will worship him. “You become like what you worship. Worship makes you truly human.” (148) The reading of scripture and ‘bread-breaking’ should be part of worship. Prayer(s) is (are) a basic discipline of a Christian experience. Prayer needs to be taught and caught.
The Bible “offers energy for the task to which God is calling his people.” (182) It is ‘God-breathed’. The Bible is meant for equipping and enabling, not for the forming of ‘authoritative truth’ to be used to lord it over others. Through scripture God speaks to the church which in turn speaks to the world. Interpretation is “a huge and wonderful task”. (197) The Bible is God’s gift. “Believing and belonging” are part of the place and purpose of the church. Worship of God and work in his kingdom, community, and mutual encouragement are also included in the purpose of the church. Rescue through water is a powerful recurring event in Israel’s history and is relevant to baptism, e.g. John the Baptist. Baptism is seen as “the mode of entry into the Christian family”. (214)
Three ‘options’ are given as to how the relation between God and the world are understood. “Option one was to see God and the world as basically the same thing.” (220) This is pantheism and panentheism. “Option two was to see God and the world as a long way apart from one another.” (220) This form of theism has a Christian ethic based on an “overarching moral system”. (220) “Option three declares God and the world are different from one another, but not far apart.” (221) It is in areas where these worlds interlock where the Christian life takes place. “It is about practicing, in the present, the tunes we shall sing in God’s world.”
www.henrydirksen.blogspot.com

The Great Omission.

Book Review.
Willard, Dallas. The Great Omission. Reclaiming Jesus’s essential teachings on discipleship. Harper SanFrancisco. 2006.
Comment. Henry.
Discipleship is obviously a major focus of what we have been calling ‘The Great Commission’. To call it an ‘omission’ is quite justifiable. Of the practice of the disciplines of discipleship there is no end. We never arrive. Just as a conversation about our personal prayer life becomes a bit of an embarrassment so the evaluation of our discipleship disciplines make us uncomfortable. That being said, this resource can be helpful for us and for those for whom we feel responsible.
Unfortunately discipleship is not a requirement for being considered a Christian or becoming a church member. Scripture seems clear that it is basic to being a Christ-follower and experiencing spiritual formation. To neglect it results in missing out on ‘the abundant life’. Because it is so lacking in the lives of so many believers, the church has become ineffective. Its members have become ‘spiritually handicapped’, still in spiritual infancy. We must continually be learning from our Teacher. We may have the keys to the Kingdom but we can fail to access the Kingdom. The Sabbath Rest is of no value to us until we enter into it. Spiritual disciplines are the foundation for the ‘assignment’ of making disciples.
“Spiritual formation (now a popular term) is a matter of reworking all aspects of self.” (56) Christian spiritual formation has its own meaning. It has to do with becoming Christ-like, gaining control over self (the flesh), being stirred by the fire of God from within. Soul care (an antonym for spiritual formation), is all about practicing the presence of God which involves the disciplines of prayer, silence, solitude, etc.
Piety should be “Christ-centered”. (159) Evangelical piety is committed to evangelism, i.e. reaching the lost. In an interview with folks from World Christian/U, Willard answers questions about spiritual disciplines. This interview has a very practical focus. Consistent with Willard’s claim that Jesus was the smartest man that ever lived, he talks about “Jesus the logician”.
A brief inventory and summary of five books on discipleship is given as a sort of appendix. Again, this is good, very practical information.

Our World in Transition.

Book Review.
O’Murchu, Diarmuid. Our World in Transition. Making sense of a changing world. The Crossroad Publishing Company. 2000
D.O.- a priest and social psychologist currently based in London. Lecturer and author on new paradigms from a multi-disciplinary point of view.
Comment. Henry.
In my retirement I have attempted to be a learner. Reading is an important part of that commitment. Learning environments often come with some level of frustration. That was my experience with this book. It reminded me of my first experience with my friend and his abstract art display. I had an appreciation but it was sadly lacking in depth. The author has identified twelve transitions that are part of our changing world. They are ongoing. This would be an exclusive list. By now there may be new transitions happening. This is a very non-religious book written by a ‘man of the cloth’.
The transitions (paradigm shifts) identified in this resource belong to the century spanning the last half of the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century. One such shift was from” the whole being equal to the some of its parts to the whole being greater than the sum of its parts”. (15) The quantum theory was a product of this shift. A transition that is still quite evident is the transition from “a mechanistic to a wholistic understanding of our world”. (21) From indepence we have moved to interdependence.
Creativity comes out of chaos. Institutions, marked by authoritarian leadership where, “control was the leading metaphor; balance, the supreme virtue and conflict the great vice” (79), are transitioning to networking structures. At some levels traditional institutions are still valid. Networks function well globally. Thought patterns have transitioned from linear to lateral. Lateral actions pose a threat to firmly established institutions, e.g. education. The shift from masculine to feminine authority goes beyond the male/female concept to the kind of leadership characteristics, masculine and feminine, that are found in both male and female. Some interesting forces have been active in transitioning from production to process marketing. Work is being humanized, moving beyond the ‘job-for-money’ stage. The shift from church theology to kingdom theology may not be seen by many as a paradigm shift. The transition from physical evolution to psychic evolution is the final shift presented. All change is impacted by evolution.
In all these changes there is a “polarisation” (137) of responses. Three groups of change- agents are involved in these transitions and their strategies are “dialogue, resistance and drift”. (140) Six “cultural nerve-points “(146) resulting from these transitions are:
1. The integration of chaos.
2. The polarity of light and darkness.
3. The rediscovery of the feminine.
4. Cosmology as the primary revelation.
5. The call to outgrow anthropocentrism.
6. Learning to perceive laterally.

The Monkey and the Fish.

Book Review.
Gibbons, Dave. The Monkey and the Fish. Liquid leadership for a third-culture church. Zondervan. 2009
Comment. Henry.
Doing church in a global and cultural context is the contemporary challenge that churches must be prepared to respond to. This is a huge challenge. This resource is a helpful tool in attempting to do just that. Like most books (authors) Dave has developed his own vocabulary for presenting his thesis, i.e. third culture church. There are some good take-a-ways here for those who desire to be third-culture personally, to be salt and light. Although the word does not come up, this is really emergent stuff.
“Third culture is the mindset and will to love, learn, and serve in any culture, even in the midst of pain and discomfort.” (38) This is the church’s mandate. We need to continually evaluate how well we are doing when it comes to embracing our third culture. How are we doing when it comes to loving people who are different from us, perhaps even threatening? When we do this we love God. Third-culture churches have made some significant shifts, e.g. individual to community, comfort to painful, etc.
Great leadership focuses more on asking questions than giving answers. “When we make a church not about a place or form but instead a home where everyone plays- a church without walls- we end up with something liberating, empowering, and engaging”. (127)
A third-culture roundtable discussion involving multi-national, multicultural leaders tackled the following topics, “the third-culture concept, crisis in the church, big issues facing the church, and third-culture ministry movements”. (153-163)
www.henrydirksen.blogspot.com

Surprised By Hope

Book Review.
Wright, N.T. Surprised By Hope. Rethinking heaven, the resurrection, and the mission of the church. Harper One. 2008.
N.T.W.- one of the world’s top Anglican biblical scholars: bishop of Durham.
Comment. Henry.
This resource stands out in the landscape of popular, contemporary church literature with its focus on theology. For me the read was a welcome, stimulating change. Our knowledge of scripture is a fundamental building block for our spiritual growth and transformation. This book provides great ‘building material’. For me the ’take-a-way’ was the exegeting of the phrase, “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven”, from the Lord’s Prayer. We are what we believe. This book can help us with getting some clarity on what we believe.
Very few Christians know what the orthodox Christian belief is about death and resurrection. Confusion about these topics is demonstrated in our hymns and practices, e.g. cremation. “What we say about death and resurrection gives shape and to color everything else.” (25)
Resurrection is a concept unique to Judaism and Christianity. It is much more than just life after death. Christians believed in an immediate resurrection, e.g. Jesus. Most Jews believed in an eventual resurrection. The transition from Jewish beliefs to articulated Christian beliefs involve seven modifications or mutations.
When it comes to the stories of Easter, there are almost no “biblical echoes”. (53) The witnesses were women, not credible in the ancient culture. Jesus appeared in a very normal, physical body, not as Daniel had described him. I.e. a shining star. Furthermore, this body was not limited to physical laws (he entered rooms without using entrances). There is no mention in the Easter stories about future resurrection hope. “Believing in the resurrection of Jesus becomes a matter of discovering hope in the twenty-first century.” (75)
There are two popular answers suggested to the question, “What is God’s purpose for the world as a whole?” (80) The first answer is called “the myth of progress”. (81) It is represented by teachings of evolution and teachings of Pierre Teillard de Chardin and the New Age spirituality. The second answer, called “the negative myth” (87) is represented by the Platonic irresponsible attitude toward creation. The Christian answer focuses on what God has done in Jesus and will do by his resurrection “for the whole world- the entire cosmos”. (91)
Early Christians “believed that God was going to do for the whole cosmos what he had done for Jesus at Easter.” (93) Col. 1:15-20, 1Cor. 15, Rev. 21&22, are scriptures suggested to support this claim. “The redeemed people of God in the new world will be agents of his love going out in new ways, to accomplish new creative tasks, to celebrate and extend the glory of his love.” (106)
The resurrection and the ascension are two separate events. Eschatology must consider “the entire sense of God’s future” (122), not just the second coming. Jesus is coming as judge. “Resurrection isn’t life after death; it is life ‘after’ life after death.” (169) If there is a purgatory it functions in the present life not after death. (Wright humour.) Paradise is pre-resurrection. There is no indication that we should pray for the dead but there may be an option to pray to the dead and they in turn may pray for us. Those who are consistent and continual in their rejection of God’s love and forgiveness are “beyond hope, beyond pity”. (175)
We cannot get mission right until we get resurrection right. Salvation is- being raised to life in God’s new heaven and new earth”. (198) such a salvation is inclusive, i.e. not just humans but also creation. Such a salvation is both present and future and is nurtured by faith.
When we are doing the works that God has for us to do we are investing in the coming ‘new creation’. That is provides great motivation to work. “Beauty matters”. (222) Art is a response to the beauty of creation. Evangelism (conversion) is all about the gospel that presents an invitation to become a Christ follower, not a passport to heaven.
“Easter commissions Jesus’ followers (the church) for a task: Pentecost gives them the necessary equipment to accomplish it.” (239) Based on the writings of Paul a case is made for the resurrection ushering in “the new world”, (253) God’s kingdom on earth.
There needs to be a higher level of celebration at Easter. It is a coming together of heaven and earth. The hope of Easter involves, “six central aspects of Christianity: new birth and baptism, Eucharist, prayer, scripture, holiness, and love.” (271-285)
Jesus’ resurrection is the beginning of God’s new project not to snatch people away from earth to heaven but to colonize the earth with the life of heaven. That, after all, is what the Lord’s Prayer is about.” (293)
www.henrydirksen.blogspot.com

The Way Of Jesus

Book Review.
Campbell, Jonathan, S. Campbell, Jennifer. The Way Of Jesus. A journey of freedom for pilgrims and wanderers. Jossey-Boss. 2005. A Leadership Network publication.
Comment. Henry.
There are many stories around about people who have been disillusioned with the institutionalized church of modernity. This is the story of Jonathan and Jennifer Campbell. What makes their story more intense is that they were involved in positions of significant leadership. Jonathan has a PhD from Fuller. He was a ‘successful’ pastor and trainer of church planters and professor at graduate schools. After twelve years of professional ministry they left all that (and Christianity) to enter into what they call ‘the way of Jesus’. I found this book thought provoking and sometimes provoking. However, it is important to be aware of what is happening in our church environment if we are to be missional and/or relevant.
There is an inverse correlation between possessions and spiritual vitality. The author’s disappointing experiences with Christianity (see p. 19) are disturbing. The ‘Jesus Way’ is quite different from Christianity. It is among other things, a response to New Age spirituality. Two cultural chasms seem to characterize the church; the “church-culture chasm” (35, and the “church-Jesus chasm”. (38)
The ‘Jesus Way’ is really a rediscovery of first century Christendom. There is nothing new. Jesus is still the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In developing the concept of the “reality of the body of Christ” (69) a severe deconstruction (demolition) is done of the institutionalized church. The Thessalonian fellowship of believers is held up as an example of an effective church, i.e. people of the Way. Disciples are discussed under the topics “seed, sower, soil, Spirit, and sacrifice”. (84)
The analogy from scripture about wines and wineskins is used to explain the need for the ‘Jesus Way’. To access this way requires a letting go of and a dying to the status quo. We have “social longings for connection, ecological longings for creation, and spiritual longings for connection with the Creator”. (127) Our desire for God, our need for God, is primal.
Our identity, made in the image of God, has been severely impacted by the Fall. Our destiny is a restoration to a position of relationship with God through atonement. Living by faith is part of the ‘Way of Jesus’. Christ’s sufficiency becomes an increasing reality as we experience losses. “In Christ we undergo a metamorphosis, literally a changing of form.” (185)
Finding our way beyond religion is a difficult undertaking. Fruits of freedom are the result of ‘streams of living water’. Interconnectedness with life can only happen when Christ is the centre of our being. We must live what we believe. When we give what we have received from God, i.e. love, healing and forgiveness, we experience “Christ in community”. (219)
Here is the advice the author gives regarding what we should do with what we have read. “Gather all into your hand. Pick out the good to hold close to your heart. Blow the rest away with the breath of kindness. Know that whatever good you find is from the Creator.” Robert Francis, a Cherokee elder, talking about a hickory nut. I am not quite sure what I have but I seem to be quite breathless.
www.henrydirksen.blogspot.com

Organic Leadership

Book Review.
Cole, Neil. Organic Leadership. Leading naturally right where you are. Baker Books. 2009.
Comment. Henry.
This book is sequel to “Organic Church” by the same author. There is strong push-back on many commonly accepted practices by conservative/traditional churches. I believe at times it is too harsh if not unfair. E.g. Pharisaism is a result of church tradition. He does not say these practices are wrong but his attack is aggressive. What is presented is not new but in the current context of today’s church environment it is challenging. Endorsements speak of Neil’s courage and clarity with which he confronts the need for change.
In his foreword, Reggie McNeal points out that the present missional movement is a shift from church based to kingdom based priorities. This shift must be reflected in the leadership of the church. Kingdom leaders will have an influence that goes beyond the church.
The institutionalizing of the church spawns two serious problems. Individuals look to the church to have their needs met. God is limited to what happens in the institution. The solution is not doing away with the church but creating a freedom within the church. Leaders must always be prepared to deal with dangers of power, possessions, and pleasure.
“I have always sought Christian unity but not at the price of servitude.” Martin Luther. The blame for modern “pharisaism” (58) is placed squarely on tradition. To use the author’s own words, “Perhaps I was a little too pointed and aggressive.’ (77)
There are six ways presented on how leaders keep their congregants in the dark, e.g. being “gatekeepers for God”. (79) Spiritual authority must flow from Christ (the head) to leaders and not through a chain of command.
There are many dichotomies in church culture that must be dealt with, e.g. secular vrs sacred, clergy vrs laity, members vrs adherents, parachurch vrs local church, etc. There are parachurch organizations that are considered parasites of the church. The church has actually ‘out-sourced’ spiritual responsibilities. A church that is run like a business will die.
When it comes to finding leaders “recruitment sucks”. (132) There are very few examples in scripture of finding leaders this way. Leaders need to be developed from within, grown “organically”. (140) Successful leaders are recognized by faithfulness, fruitfulness and finishing well. Five factors are identified that are part of finishing well.
In the kingdom of God leadership takes on an upside-down model. Leadership is influence. Here are five types of authority listed in order of their strength, “positional, expertise, relational, moral and spiritual”. (177) Delegated authority is compared to distributed authority. Christ is our example of “downward mobility”, (184) e.g. incarnation and execution which was followed by exaltation. Incarnational leadership is being and living Christ-like.
Developing leaders involves mentoring, a one on one activity. It cannot be done in a classroom with curriculum.
To maximize life you must embrace death, e.g. a life producing seed. Only under rare circumstance should pastors be paid. This is not a job. By way of conclusion Neil draws parallels between organic leadership and organic churches.

Deep Church

Book Review.
Belcher, Jim. Deep Church. A third way beyond emerging and tradition. IVP Books2009.
J.B.- founding church planter and lead pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (RPC) in Newport Beach, California,
Comment. Henry.
When confronted with two equally unacceptable alternatives it seems that a third acceptable option would be wonderful. This would be the most optimistic assessment of this resource. To call a choice that is an alternative between emergence and traditional “deep church” is somewhat profound. A lot of diligence and research has gone into the development of this alternative. The commitment to mission and community makes this choice relevant. The present ‘success’ of Redeemer Presbyterian suggests that “deep church” is doable.
In his introduction Jim expresses deep concern about the ‘gap’ that he feels exists between the camps of the emergent and the traditional. This book is his alternative or ‘’a third way”.
During his initial experience with emergence he came to the conclusion that he was both an “insider and outsider”. (Conflict avoidance syndrome?) As he began to explore a third way he made a commitment to learn all he could about emergence and traditional.
Neither the traditional churches nor the seeker movement churches have been successful in reaching the present generation. In an attempt to understand the emergent movement it is helpful to know what they are protesting against in the traditional church(es). Seven issues are identified. “Captivity to Enlightenment rationalism. A narrow view of salvation. Belief before belonging. Uncontextualized worship. Weak ecclesiology. Tribalism.” (40-43) The varying positions put forward suggests that “the emerging tent (44) What is needed between emergent and traditional is “unity in the gospel, in evangelical essentials”. (54) When they use the term ‘postmodern’ they attach differing meanings to the term.
Traditional churches are said to be boundary set (foundationalism); emergent churches are centre-set (post-foundationalism). When provision is made for ‘belonging before believing’ there needs to be a strong focus on believing. Another area of controversy is the topic of the kingdom of God. What some emergents believe to be the kingdom is considered by some traditionalists as a slippery slope of liberalism and a social gospel and a form of reductionism.
The four commitments of Jim’s ‘deep church’ (RPC) are: “Gospel- Community- Mission- Shalom”. (121) ‘Deep worship’ is developed by drawing from “the Bible tradition and culture”. (137) “Deep preaching’ “happens in centred-set preaching, in community groups and in individual lives”. (159) Ecclesiology is made up of “Bible + Tradition + Mission”. (173)
Where emerging and traditional camps are most divided is culture. Emergents are accused of being assimilated by culture and traditionalists are accused of being irrelevant in culture. This division provides motivation for Jim and his deep church alternative. Church must be understood as being an organization (traditional) and an organism (emergent). This calls for a “common-grace language”. (192) in conclusion Jim presents “seven suggestions for becoming a deep church”. (204)
Note: I am aware that I am interchanging the terms emergence and emergent and I apologize for the confusion that may cause. I know they do not mean the same thing.

An Altar in the World.

Book Review.
Taylor Brown, Barbara. An Altar in the World. A geography of faith. Harper One 2009.
BTB- an Episcopal parish priest for fifteen years. Now a professor at Piedmont College. Also teaches at Columbia Theological Seminary.
Comment. Henry
On the pendulum of postmodern/emergent literature this resource would be in the (extreme) left quadrant. Although I do not consider myself anywhere near this position I was amazed, maybe even shocked, at how often I resonated with what I was reading. Some of that response came from my spiritual experience as a child and young person. There is a much in this book that would make ready ‘cannon fodder’ for a conservative who sees postmodernity and emergence as apostasy and heresy, e.g. Roger Oakland. This is “a book about practices not ideas”. (194) Barbara really pushes the envelope for me when it comes to tolerance and inclusiveness. That being said I did enjoy the read. I am thankful that I experience no pressure about the need to defend or attack this author’s thesis.

Using the story of Jacob’s experience at Bethel the author suggests that an altar, a place of worship, can be anywhere, even a rock in a wilderness. It is certainly limited to an acceptable ‘house of God’. As God came to Jacob, where he was so, he will come to us if we watch for him.
Reverence can be learned by the very young. It can take many forms and is often learned by observing nature. (I think that was my experience as a child.) “The first criteria for reverence- is to remind ourselves that we are not gods.” (24) When we pay attention we will discover many altars that provoke reverence.
We do well to learn to accept our (physical) bodies as an important part of our spiritual well being. God became flesh. He lived in a body. The “practice of wearing skin” will become an important part of healthy spiritual well-being.
Simple activities such as walking can become meaningful spiritual exercises. There are lessons that can be learned from becoming lost, i.e. wilderness experiences.
Have a purpose for living. Know the discipline and the level of freedom that comes from knowing when it is appropriate to say no. There is great value in a work ethic. When we decide to engage pain and give it our full attention we can learn things about reality.
The chapter on prayer reads more like a search than a spiritual exercise or discipline. There is great value in “blessing prayers” (208) that are directed to even the insignificant things.
www.henrydirksen.blogspot.com

An Emergent Manifesto of Hope.

Book Review.
Pagitt, Doug. Jones, Tony. (editors) An Emergent Manifesto of Hope. Baker Books. 2007
Comment. Henry
This book is a collection of essays from twenty five contributors who are all part of an organization called ‘Emergent Village’. They explore A People of Hope, Communities of Hope, A Hopeful Faith, A Hopeful Way Forward, and Hopeful Activism. I have named each contributor and attempted to summarize each contribution in one sentence (a very general statement). The writers reflect a wide ‘pendulum’ of positions. This resource is helpful to learn more about emergence and those who consider themselves part of the movement.
People of Hope.
Mark Scandrette. There is reason for optimism as more and more churches take the road that leads toward justice, mercy and love.
Heather Kirk Davidoff. Evangelism needs to move from recruitment to genuine relationships that present Christ as one whom we love.
Manette Sawyer. It is our responsibility to live Christ-like rather than coming up with ways to determine who is or who is not a Christian.
Carla Bornhill. In emergent communities children are treated “like full and essential members of the community”. (56)
Troy Bronsink. Emergent is seeing the church as a “creative agent within creation”. (73)
Communities of Hope.
Sherry and Geoff Maddock. Salvation that is demonstrated in redemptive work is communal.
Thomas Malcolm Olson. (An addictions counsellor working with prisoners) Emergence in community takes on a unique dynamic in prisons.
Tim Condor. The interaction between traditional churches and emergent churches needs to transition from “collision to collaboration”. (103)
Brian Mitchell. An interesting essay on how American Catholicism is being impacted by emergence.
Adam Walker Cleaveland. A personal experience from a representative from a mainline church, PC (USA).
A Hopeful Faith.
Ryan Bolger. The emergent church is presented as a social movement and its impact on our culture.
Brian D McLaren. (A progenitor of emergence) The emergent conversation needs to transition from modernity cf Postmodernity to colonialism cf post colonialism.
Will Samson. The over-arching challenge for churches is to know God and become a part of his work.
Barry Taylor. “Religion is concerned with the right belief; faith is believing the right thing.” (169)
A Hopeful Way Forward.
Sally Moganthaler. More attention needs to be given to female leadership.
Samir Selmanovic. “If we seek first the kingdom of God, then maybe our beloved religion, saved from ourselves, will be added to us.” (199)
Dwight J Friesen. When Christ-followers embody an “orthoparadoxical ethic, theological method and theology” (205) there will be hope.
Dan Kimball. Theology should be living, i.e. open to development. Methodologies should flow out of theology.
Tim Keel. The world has changed. Increasingly leadership is coming from the margins of our cultural environment.
Chris Erdman. Lessons are drawn from Karl Barth that can be very helpful for those who are into emergence.
Hopeful Activism.
Rodolpho Carrasco. Practicing justice is part of being emergent.
Karen E. Sloan. Emergent churches need to be more authentic about “the joys and struggles of healthy sexuality”. (266)
Deborah and Ken Loyd. History will determine the impact of the emergent movement based on choices made regarding women’s rights, poverty and oppression.
Anthony Smith. The way to deal with racism is to practice Pentecost within the kingdom of God.
Randy Woodley. The plight of disenfranchised Native Americans is presented as a challenge for the emergent church.