August 31, 2010

If you followed the link in my previous post “Disregard 1 Corinthians 11-14“, and read the quotes, you probably noticed that the author quoted Emil Brunner’s book The Misunderstanding of the Church (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1953). I thought you might enjoy some excerpt from the Brunner’s preface:

What is the Church? This question poses the unsolved problem of Protestantism. From the days of the Reformation to our own time, it has never been clear how the Church, in the sense of spiritual life and faith – the fellowship of Jesus Christ – is related to the institutions conventionally called churches.

For the Roman Catholic church this problem does not appear to exist at all. Rome presents to the world the face of a church which is certain of itself. But this is only so in appearance; in reality Rome too has no ready answer to the question how the phenomenon visible in the New Testament as the Ecclesia is to be related to the papal church as the latter has developed in the course of centuries; and the uneasiness of those who cannot satisfy themselves with the neat formula that the one has evolved into the other is the less easily appeased the longer it lasts.

In the last 50 or 100 years New Testament research has unremittingly and successfully addressed itself to the task of elucidating for us what was known as the Ecclesia in primitive Christianity – so very different from what is to-day called the Church both in the Roman and Protestant camps. It is, however, a well-known fact that dogmatists and Church leaders often pay small attention to the results of New Testament research, and are only too ready to bridge the gulf between then and now by a handy formula such as that of development, or by appealing to the distinction between the visible and invisible Church, and thus to give a false solution to this grace and distressing problem. But while many theologians and Church leaders are able to quieten their consciences by such formulae, others are so much the more painfully aware of the disparity between the Christian fellowship of the apostolic age and our own “churches,” and cannot escape the impression that there may perhaps be something wrong with what we now call the Church.

For this book has sprung from just this desire to discover the reason why since the Reformation epoch a real solution to the problem of the Church has not been found. The reader will feel, I hope, that behind it lies not merely the impulse to know, but a desire, at least equally strong, to bring into being the true fellowship of Christ. (pg 5-6)

I’m sure that Brunner found many who disagreed with him. There were also probably many who ignored him and carried on with church as usual. I’m also certain that there are many who agree with Brunner, and who desire to study the image of the church as we see it in Scripture. I hope that all of us desire that our study of the church leads to living as the church in a manner that honors God and glorifies Jesus Christ in the Spirit… and that seems to be Brunners concern as well.

August 31, 2010

Frank at “Reimagining Church” has published a letter from Jon Zens to Jim Belcher, author of Deep Church, in a post called “An Analysis of Jim Belcher’s Deep Church.”

Much of the analysis focuses on the manner that churches meet together. For example, Jon writes:

You assert, “Since the Bible does not give us enough information to construct a worship service, we must fill in the blanks” (p.137).  Why do we feel compelled to find a “worship service”?  There is no evidence that the early church had “worship services,” as we conceive of them.  The largest insight we have about a Christian gathering appears in 1 Cor.14.  We have these glimpses because Paul was correcting a problem.  In this passage we see (1) the whole ekklesia gathered; (2) an open meeting where everyone was potentially involved in prophecy; (3) that what was spoken had to be understood by all; (4) multiple expressions from many, “each of you has…”; (5) no mention of a sermon by one person; (6) no pulpit; (7) no leaders.  You mention “the people up front” (p.139), but in the 1 Cor.14 meeting there is no “front,” as they met in homes with simplicity as a family.  Indeed, while the NT does not give a lot of information about believers’ gatherings, my question is: Why have our traditions essentially jettisoned what light we do have from 1 Cor.14 and other passages?

Later he writes:

Again I must ask, is it hermeneutically responsible to disregard the weight of 1 Cor.11-14 and fill in the blanks with practices that fly in the face of what is revealed?

There is much about meeting together that Scripture does NOT tell us. However, Scripture does tell us some things about how the early churches met together, and how Paul specifically instructed some early churches to meet together. Thus, we have a kind of path to follow.

Why would we want to stray from that path? Why would we want to disregard 1 Corinthians 11-14 and other passages that describe some aspects of church gatherings?

I’ve read many books and articles in which the authors defend modern church practices. But, I’ve never seen this question answered.

August 23, 2010

Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group is revamping its “Blogging for Books” program. They expect to relaunch the program sometime in October.

I don’t know exactly what the new program will look like. But, according to the site:

The new & improved program will be easier to use, more advanced and feature several fun “surprises”…

So, I signed up. If you’re interested, jump over to the site and sign up also.

August 18, 2010

A few weeks ago, Energion Publications sent me a free review copy of Finding My Way in Christianity: Recollections of a Journey by Harold Weiss. I knew that this book would be different than the books that I normally read (although not as different as the previous book that I reviewed for Energion), but I was still interested in reading and reviewing it.

And, I’m so glad that I read it! This book was a joy to read! Yes, Weiss and I would disagree on many theological points, but I still enjoyed reading his book.

The book is (almost) autobiographical. It does not follow specific events in the life of the author as much as it follows his spiritual journey. Each chapter centers on a location where Weiss lived and the various factors that influenced his thinking about God in that location.

The book begins with Weiss living in Montevideo, Uruguay before World War II as a child of German immigrants. He was raised in a family of Adventists and his father worked for the denomination, which certainly shaped his theology.

From there, each chapter discusses events and influences of various locations: Paraná, Buenos Aires, La Habana, Collegedale, Takoma Park, Durham, New York, Berrien Springs, and Notre Dame.

In the first few chapters, the reader learns much about Adventism (at least, more than I knew), and about the apocalyptic traditions that shape the denomination. Later, as Weiss attends college and seminary in Adventist schools, he begins to question some of the denomination’s traditional apocalyptic interpretations.

This certainly resonated with me as I’ve been questioning some of my denominations traditional ecclesiological interpretations. And, my denomination prides itself (with a capital P) on its ecclesiology.

Eventually, Weiss begins to study and accept higher critical views of Scripture and questions even more of his denominations beliefs. In the later chapters, as the author begins to explain his understanding of Scripture and the nature of God, there were many points where I would disagree. But, I can empathize with his decisions.

I cannot end the review without discussing the author’s purpose in writing. He does not intend to simply tell his story. Instead, he sees modern apocalypticism as a danger to Christianity and the world. Growing up in a denomination that specializes in apocalyptic interpretation perhaps gives Weiss a better view of these matters. So, he states at the end of this book his purpose:

My purpose in writing a memoir of my faith journey, and in my other various activities, has been, precisely, to be an agent of peace, more specifically, peach within Christianity. (pg. 228)

In fact, in the last two chapters of the book (titled “Justice, Faith, Hope and Love” and “Epilogue”), the author argues that the life of the Christian must demonstrate just, faith, hope, and love. Otherwise, all of the doctrines are meaningless.

With this point, I can certainly agree!

I would greatly encourage anyone to read this book. You will probably not agree with the author at every point. At times, you will sympathize with some people in the book, and at other times you will be angry with the way Christians treat other Christians. However, it is interesting to follow the author’s spiritual journey. And, perhaps more importantly, this book will lead the reader to consider his or her own spiritual journey and the influences that have helped to shape their theology.

July 30, 2010

Under the terms of the new covenant, worship goes on all the time, including when the people of God gather together. But mutual edification does not go on all the time; it is what takes place when Christians gather together. Edification is the best summary of what occurs in corporate singing, confession, public prayer, the ministry of the Word, and so forth. (D.A. Carson, Worship by the Book)

July 30, 2010

Energion Publications has been very good to me. They have sent me several free books that I was interested in reading in exchange for posting a review on my blog. Note, they never asked me to post a good review, only a review.

So, a few weeks ago, when Aaron asked me to review another book for them, I could not refuse, even though the topic is not one that I normally read or write about. He soon sent me a free review copy of Preserving Democracy by Elgin L. Hushbeck, Jr. Since I was preparing for my trip to Ethiopia, I did not have time to read it. So, I took the book with me, and I read it on the flights to and from Ethiopia.

I’ll be honest. This book was difficult for me to read. The difficulty does not stem from Hushbeck’s writing at all. I found the book to be easy to read and easy to understand. The difficulty arose simply because the topic was not one that interested me greatly.

However, I have to say that Hushbeck convinced me that for Americans interested in “preserving democracy” there are many indicators that something must change in this country and in the way the government operates.

The subtitle of this book explains Hushbeck’s purpose in writing: What the Founding Fathers Knew, What We Have Forgotten, and How It Threatens Democracy.

Throughout the book Hushbeck demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of democracy, and the eventual decline of democracy into a totalitarian system as more and more rights are relinquished to the government in exchange for added programs. He demonstrates this using historical and modern examples.

Perhaps the most startling revelation (at least to me) is how the Supreme Court of the United States shifted in the mid twentieth century from interpreting the law as stated (in the Constitution for example) to legislating new laws. In effect, this shift has placed the Supreme Court and other justices above the Constitution, voiding the Rule of Law for the United States. Americans can no longer look to the Constitution to determine what is legal, but must now wait for the Supreme Court to rule on what is lawful and what is not lawful. Hushbeck demonstrates how this is similar to medieval kings who passed judgment based on their whims, and thus, their subjects never knew what was lawful or not.

As I read this book, I had to continually remind myself that I am not a citizen of this democracy. Yes, physically I reside in the United States, and (like Paul) I have been granted citizenship and make use of that citizenship. However, my real citizenship is in the Kingdom of Heaven (God). My law is not the law of this world but the law of Christ, and I must live as a citizen of his kingdom regardless of my earthly location or government.

Thus, if the United States remains a democracy, then I must live as a citizen of God’s kingdom in that democracy. If the United States becomes a totalitarian government (with either a single ruler or group of rulers), my purpose does not change. I must continue to live as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven within that totalitarian government.

If you are interested in democracy, politics, government, economics, etc. then I would recommend Preserving Democracy. However, for those who are following Jesus, never assume that your ability to follow Jesus and live in his kingdom is dependent upon America being or remaining a democracy.

July 10, 2010

About a month ago, I reviewed the book Exponential. Now, there is a response to my review and other reviews at the EngagingChurch site: “Reader Review Trends in Exponential Blog Tour.”

Also, Koinonia announces another blog tour for John Dickson’s book The Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission. What is this book about? The author says, “A central aim of this book… is to show just how all-encompassing is the Bible’s call to be involved in God’s mission.” Sounds like a good aim to me.

So, if you’d like to apply for a review copy of the book (and possibly win a signed copy) and take part in the blog tour (meaning you’ll review the book during the specified week), then jump over to this post and sign up: “The Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission: Blog Tour and Giveaway.”

June 28, 2010

Westminster Bookstore is relocating their warehouse. They’ve put several books on sale while they are moving. Since they are moving, they will resume shipping orders on July 14. However, they will continue to take orders while they are moving to the new warehouse.

You can reach the sale page by clicking here.

June 9, 2010

Zondervan sent me a review copy of Dave and Jon Ferguson’s book Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement.

The book both tells a story and presents a methodology. The authors tell the story of Community Christian Church, and, in the process, present a methodology for multiplying Christian communities of increasing size (from small groups to campuses to movements). The book is divided into four parts: 1) Movements Start with 1, 2) Reproducing Tribes of 10-100, 3) Reproducing Communities of 100-1000, and 4) Reproducing Movements of 10,000s.

To be completely honest, I did not expect to like this book when I received it. And, in the end, while it is not my favorite book on discipleship, it was better than I thought it would be.

There are several good points to this book. First, the authors point out several times that the purpose of Community Christian Church – from small group to missional movement – is wrapped up in the mission statement, “Helping people find their way back to God.” I like that mission statement. It’s simply another way of stating that we should be about the business of making disciples.

Similarly, another good point to this book is found in their discussion of the word “disciple” and the comparison with another word that the authors prefer: “apprentice”:

You may have noticed that what I’m talking about sounds similar to what we call “discipleship.” I intentionally use the word apprentice as opposed to disciple. While disciple is a brilliant word (and a word used by Jesus himself), it often does not mean to us what Jesus meant when he used it. I believe that disciple is a ruined word. When Jesus called people into discipleship, he was calling them for and preparing them to accomplish a mission.

When people use the word disciple today, though, it has almost nothing to with our mission. Discipleship in the church today has more to do with consuming and absorbing cognitive content than it has anything to do with missional action. (pg. 44-45)

I think the authors are right about the way the word “disciple” is used in the church today, and perhaps the term “apprentice” presents a clearer picture of what Jesus called his followers (and us) to. (Snarky remark: Jesus never used the word “disciple.”)

Finally, the book was easy to read and quite entertaining. The stories and asides helped put the content in perspective.

However, I also had a few concerns. While the authors intended the growth of their small groups, churches, campuses, networks, and movements to continue their mission of “helping people find their way back to God,” it was easy to mistake the growth as the mission. Without a foundation of making disciples (apprentices), the methods presented in the book will simply lead to growth of organizations and structures.

In other words, the important work takes place in the small groups and missional communities, in the leader to apprentice-leader relationship, in the relationships between coaches and leaders, etc. In fact, if the small groups and missional communities (which are difficult to distinguish) are making apprentices, I never understood the purpose in building larger venues, sites, campuses, networks, and movements. Small groups of Christians who are apprenticing (discipling) one another and helping others find their way back to God is a movement on all its on.

Also, I tended to get bogged down in all the seven steps to this, and four paths to that, and five principles of this. Often, it seemed that these various steps and acronyms could have been placed anywhere in the book and they would have worked. For examples, consider the RPMS:

One way our coaches develop and maintain a strong relationship with their leaders is by focusing on what we call the RPM’S. This is an acronym based on Luke 2:52… RPM’S help our coaches remember the four key areas where they need to be providing relational accountability and encouragement in the lives of their leaders. (pg 120)

So, what are the RPM’S needed to provide relational accountability and encouragement in the lives of leaders? R: Relational, P: Physical, M: Mental, and S: Spiritual. Yes, these are important aspects in the life of “leaders” that “coaches” should consider. But, aren’t these also important for anyone making disciples (apprentices) to consider? Are the RPM’S really important only for the coach/leader relationship?

So, there were positive aspects of this book. But, without being founded in discipleship (apprenticeship), I’m afraid that many readers will find strategies and methods that will help them build bigger and bigger organizations and structures and networks… and all the while no one is being discipled (apprenticed). If no one is being discipled, then all the strategies and methods and steps and principles and guidelines are completely worthless to the kingdom of God.

May 14, 2010

About 1 1/2 years ago, I wrote a post called “More ready to submit than to impose.” The post was in response to a book by Lesslie Newbigin. It seems that in our current “church order,” leader impose on the freedoms of others. Meanwhile, Newbigin says it should be just the opposite. Anyway, I thought this would be a fitting end to our week-long discussion on spiritual gifts and serving others.

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More ready to submit than to impose

I recently read Lesslie Newbigin’s book The Household of God (Friendship Press, 1954). Kärkkäinen describes Newbigin’s ecclesiology as a “missionary ecclesiology” – “The new conciliar understanding of mission is based on the idea that the essential nature of the church is missionary, rather than mission being a task given to the church. (Velli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Introduction to Ecclesiology, Downers Grove: IVP, 2002, pg. 151).

However, Newbigin does not begin his book with mission. Instead, he begins with the essence or nature of the church:

We are to be speaking about the Church, and it is necessary at the outset to say that this means a society of human beings, which—so far as those still living in the flesh are concerned—is a visible community among the other human communities. The question, ‘What are its boundaries?,’ is part of the question we have to discuss, but just for that reason it is important to make clear that we are speaking of a society which has discernible boundaries. We are not speaking of an abstract noun, or of an invisible platonic idea… We are called to recognize and join ourselves to God’s visible congregation here on earth. This congregation is truly known only to faith, because it is constituted in and by the Holy Spirit. (19-20)

According to Newbigin, the Spirit plays an essential role in the constitution, nature, and task of the church. The Spirit primarily functions through his abiding presence:

The Holy Spirit is now [in contrast with what was described in the OT] no more an occasional visitant to a favored individual, but the abiding and indwelling principle of life in a fellowship. The supreme gift of the Spirit is not the spectacular power by which an individual may gain preeminence, but the humble and self-effacing love by which the body is built up and knit together. (115)

Finally, the Spirit also functions during the meeting of the church, not only through the gifts that he gives to those he indwells, but also – and primarily – through the manner of life of the believers who are meeting together:

In the building up of the common life of the body there will be need for the due operation of the principles both of order and of freedom. Where these clash with one another there will be room for honest difference of opinion, and there will need for a common seeking of the Spirit’s guidance. But the mark of the man in Christ will be that he is more eager to claim freedom for his brother than for himself, and more ready to submit himself to good order than to impose it on his brother. In any case the fundamental principle will always be the love which seeks not its own good, but the common good of the body. (116)

I believe this is one of the most best explanations of the work of the Spirit among the body of Christ while the church meets! When the church meets, if each individual – or any one particular individual – is seeking to exercise his or her own spiritual gifts without first considering and giving preference to other present, then this is a clear indication that there is a lack of “a common seeking of the Spirit’s guidance.”

It seems that the mark of the church today is that some people have freedom to exercise their gifts – and are even required to by the church – while others do not have that freedom. It also seems that very little “submission” is done when it comes to spiritual gifts. Certain people exercise their gifts and impose those gifts on others every time the church meets. Thus, some claim and even demand freedom for themselves, while imposing “order” on others at the same time. This is backwards!

In fact, I believe that the common, traditional way the church meets – one or a few people exercising their gifts week after week while the others watch or listen – is detrimental to the spiritual health of the church. In order for us to seek the “common good of the body” we (especially leaders – who are supposed to be mature) must submit to others and allow the Spirit to work through them – even if their “offering” is less than “excellent”.

Read and ponder this sentence from Newbigin one more time: “But the mark of the man in Christ will be that he is more eager to claim freedom for his brother than for himself, and more ready to submit himself to good order than to impose it on his brother.” May God change us – especially us leaders – so that we are more ready to submit to others than to impose ourselves on others!