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Wise Words from Thomas Kelly

Posted On December 7, 2009

Filed under Book Reviews, Books That Bless, Change Your Life, Christian Books, Christian Living, Christian Meditation, Christian Mission and Calling, Christian Mysticism, Christian Optimism, Christianity, Contemplation, Contemplative Spirituality, Discipleship, God's Kingdom, Inner Light, Interspirituality, Issues in Transformation, Jesus, Jesus' Teaching, Kingdom of God, Meditation, Mindfulness, Sacred Mind, Sacred Silence, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Practices, Spiritual Quotations, Wise Words for Today, Words To Ponder
Tags: A Testament of Devotion, Christian Mysticism, Discipleship, Inner Light, Quaker Teachings, Spiritual Quotations, Thomas Kelly, Watchman Nee

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Thomas Kelly, the Quaker mystic who wrote A Testament of Devotion is one of my favorite writers and this little book of his is a true gem. “A Testament” has been at my bed side for many years and I normally take it with me when I travel. It is one of those kind of books that repeatedly brings comfort, insight, and inspiration.

Like most Quakers, Kelly writes of a perfect balance between the mystical and the mundane; the silence and the social; the inner and outer aspects of the Christian walk of faith. From time to time I like to share a quotation from Kelly as I think more and more people should be exposed to his writing. I strongly recommend A Testament of Devotion. I have read it more times than I can count. I think I can safely say that this book, along with Watchman Nee’s A Normal Christian Life are two of the most influential books I have ever read and believe me when I say I have read more than my share.

The Inner Light, the Inward Christ, is no mere doctrine, belonging peculiarly to a small religious fellowship, to be accepted or rejected as a mere belief. It is the living Center of Reference for all Christian souls and Christian groups – yes, and of non-Christian groups as well – who seriously mean to dwell in the secret place of the Most High. He is the center and source of action, not the end-point of thought. He is the locus of commitment, not a problem for debate. Practice comes first in religion, not theory or dogma. And Christian practice is not exhausted in outward deeds. These are the fruits, not the roots. A practicing Christian must above all be one who practices the perpetual return of the soul into the inner sanctuary, who brings the world into its Light and rejudges it, who brings the Light into the world with all its turmoil and its fitfulness and recreates it (after the pattern seen on the Mount).

Thomas Kelly

(from A Testament of Devotion)

Wise Words for Today

While there are moments when God steps in and calls us to a specific task or assignment, even without that kind of special directive, we are not left without a mission or calling. Every follower of Christ has the prime directive of representing Him on this earth. We are all called to be His witnesses. We are all commissioned to make disciples. We are all given the assignment of serving as His ambassadors of reconciliation. We are all commanded to love not only God, but also our neighbors as ourselves. We are all mandated to follow His example by serving others even as Christ has served us.

Erwin Raphael McManus

(from Chasing Daylight)

Pilgrimage: A Four-Dimensional Model

Mick Turner

On several occasions I have mentioned the need for effective models in which one can gain a deeper understanding of the Christian faith in general and the sometimes complex aspects of the spiritual journey with Christ in particular. In my experience, having a framework through which we can view the process of growing as a Christ-follower makes things clearer and gives me a broader perspective on why certain things are essential and why others things are not.

I recently discovered one such model and I would like to share a bit about it with you. Basically, it is a “Four- Dimensional Model” of the Jesus path to spirituality and is directly modeled on the life of Christ. This model is found in Ken Wilson’s fine book, Jesus Brand Spirituality: He Wants His Religion Back. Great title, isn’t it?

The map put forth by Wilson is designed to assist individuals and churches move more toward the center, the heart of Jesus’ spiritual path, rather than existing on the periphery. It is divided into four dimensions as follows: active, contemplative, biblical, and communal. In discussing the general principles of the four dimensional approach to “Jesus Brand Spirituality,” Wilson makes clear that these four aspects are interdependent and do not stand alone. He compares them to the four dimensions in the space-time continuum, length, width, height, and time. Again, the author underscores the fact that these four dimensions are interconnected:

We separate them to examine them, but as soon as we’re done, they reconnect. We must resist the temptation to force-fit these into a preordered path: ‘First we take the active step, then the contemplative step,’ and so on. It doesn’t work like that. Depending on where we find ourselves on this pilgrimage, we may be drawn to one dimension or the other first or next. But as we move forward into one dimension of Jesus brand spirituality, our understanding of all the others will be affected because they are four dimensions of one reality.

Wilson is wise to put this caveat out there right at the beginning. From our own experience here at LifeBrook, we have found that it is very common for believers to try to fit new ideas into a pre-ordered program, somewhat like a ladder leading upward one step at a time. In our program The Mirrors of Optimal Living we especially witness this tendency. In our teaching, we always stress that this process is not like climbing a ladder. It is more like a spiral staircase, frequently winding back upon itself. When teaching these issues, I often use the analogy of a bowl of Raisin Jell-o. If you thump one single raisin, all the raisins move.

It is the same with Wilson’s four-dimensional model of Jesus brand spirituality.

Wilson goes on to make the point that these dimensions emerge naturally from studying Jesus’ life and teaching as presented in the New Testament. This was essentially the spiritual path Jesus himself followed.

Stated simply, the active dimension of Jesus’ spirituality occurred because there was a lot going on in First Century Palestine. Jesus and his followers were constantly on the move from one place to another, encountering people, teaching, and engaging in various forms of service such as healing, assisting the poor, and, in the words of Wilson, “mobilizing a movement with an agenda.” For Jesus, all of these ministry activities were a part of his overall spirituality. Throughout his entire mission, teaching was essential. However, the methodology used by Jesus was also action-oriented. According to Wilson:

His training method? Jesus invited curious onlookers to help him do what he was already doing so that his actions would have even greater impact. As we’ll see, his actions were about addressing the pressing problems of his day.

The contemplative dimension of Jesus’ spirituality was also readily apparent to those who were near him over the long haul. Further, this dimension is recorded in the gospels so consistently that it is hard to understand those fundamentalist critics of contemplative practice. Even more directly, Wilson accurately points out that Jesus brand spirituality is, at its core, mystical.

Jesus’ spirituality was also contemplative, because everyone feels there’s more to this world than meets the eye. The world is a mystical playground where, according to the quantum physicists, the most elemental particles – things called quarks and muons and gluons and bosons – pop into and out of existence all the time. No, I don’t understand it, either. But the world is, according to those who can do the math, not as it seems.

For Jesus, this unseen world was very real and he took great pains to make contact with it on a regular basis. I guess it is understandable that he did so. After all, this realm was his home. Even more important, Jesus took what he found when contacting the spiritual realm and brought it to bear on his environment in this world. Wilson continues:

Jesus got up early in the morning and went out to lonely places, and there he prayed (Mark 1:35). When he came back from those times of prayer, you get the impression he must have been making some kind of conscious contact with the divine, because life seemed to blossom wherever he went.

According to Wilson, Jesus brand spirituality is also biblical. After discussing how these days the Bible is often used in either highly selective ways (in order to prove one’s point) or in negative ways (in order to brow beat a lowly sinner into shame and guilt). For Jesus, however, the Bible became something entirely different. Wilson points out that:

…in the hands of Jesus the Bible became a different kind of book. It became a living thing full of the unexpected and the unconventional. It was a book Jesus turned against the browbeaters of his day with one hand, and with the other he comforted and consoled and energized those who had been bludgeoned with it…The Bible in the hands of Jesus tells a story that has a place for us within it. If we could find our way into the Bible through the door that Jesus entered, we might find the storyline of our lives and the world we live in changing for the better as a result.

Finally, for Jesus, the essence of true spirituality was communal. Wilson points out that for Jesus spirituality was about forging connections between people, between people and all living things, and, because God is a living thing, also between people and God.

Wilson has put together an excellent book and I would highly recommend it to the casual reader and the serious student of spiritual formation as well. It is a highly insightful, well-organized work that forces the reader to think outside the box and in so doing, encounter a spirituality that is often a far cry from what we often see in our churches.

Wise Words For Today

The warm glow we get from helping others is not just a good physical feeling – it is the energy of a healing grace that moves between the giver and the receiver and blesses both. We need each other. We’re not meant to be completely independent, but to give and receive. You cannot increase in self-understanding and well-being and simultaneiously remain isolated from humanity. You cannot strive for a healthier, more spiritual life if you keep yourself separate and apart from life around you. The journey of the “self” also involves the journey of the “other.”

Caroline Myss

(from Invisible Acts of Power)

Further Reflections on the Chinese Church

Posted On July 26, 2008

Filed under Asian Christians, Book Reviews, Books That Bless, Chinese Christians, Christian Books, Christian Education, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Global Church, God's Kingdom, House Church, Missions, Morality and Values, Revival, Worldview
Tags: China, Chinese Christians, Chinese Church, Christianity, David Aikman, Global Church, Jesus in Beijing

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Mick Turner

If you are a regular reader of this blog you are aware that I have a deep and abiding love for China, its people, and especially its church. I lived and worked in China for almost six years as a tent maker missionary and, as I have said before on these pages, these were the most rewarding years of my life on both a professional and a spiritual level. Moreover, my wife is Chinese and a Christian and through our years of marriage I have deepened my understanding of her homeland and its people.

As the 2008 Olympics rapidly approach, I have been thinking and praying about this fascinating country and thought I might share with you a bit about a book that explores the Church in China and the ramifications of its rapid growth. The book is by David Aikman and entitled, Jesus in Beijing. Aikman was Beijing Bureau Chief for Time Magazine for many years and has a unique perspective on the social and religious changes taking place in China as it transitions into a market economy. The book is highly informative, readable, and cuts to the chase as far as some of the main issues surrounding the church in contemporary China.

Based on the current growth figures, the book makes several thought-provoking statements early on. For example, consider this perspective:

Within the next thirty years, one-third of China’s population could be Christian, making China one of the largest Christian nations in the world. These Christians could also be China’s leaders, guiding the largest economy in the world…..What is happening in China is what happened in the Roman Empire nearly two millennia ago – a great power transforming itself. The results could be astonishing.

Indeed, the results could be quite astonishing. Is Aikman guilty of being overly-optimistic in his assessment of the potential influence of Christianity in China? Perhaps he is, at least in certain areas. Overall, however, I think his statements ring true in a number of ways. For example, Aikman discusses an important meeting that took place between a group of 18 American tourist and several key Chinese economists and sociologists. In particular, Aikman mentions a lecture attended by this group of tourist. During the lecture, the Chinese speaker said the following:

“One of the things we were asked to look into was what accounted for the success, in fact, the pre-eminence of the West all over the world,” said the lecturer. “We studied everything we could from the historical, political, economic, and cultural perspective. At first, we thought it was because you had more powerful guns than we had. Then we thought it was because you had the best political system. Next we focused on your economic system. But in the past twenty years, we have realized that the heart of your culture is your religion: Christianity. That is why the West has been so powerful. The Christian moral foundation of social and cultural life is what made possible the emergence of capitalism and then the successful transition to democratic politics. We don’t have any doubt about this.”

Standing alone, that statement itself should blow your socks off. Even more asounding, however, is the source. This was not some hard line evangelical Christian preacher from America speaking; it was not a pastor of the official Three Self Patriotic Movement or even a renegade house church organizer. The person speaking was a well-respected scholar from one of China’s most prestigious academic research institutes, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) in Beijing. Although always seeking to expand the arena of social science research in China, Aikman accurately points out that CASS is “hardly a viper’s nest of liberal dissent” in China. In fact, I had several dealings with CASS during my stay in China and found the scholars there to be cordial, helpful, but quite conservative.

The lecture, which took place in 2002, was delivered by a man who spoke excellent English, was quite knowledgeable about both Chinese and American history, and is representative of a growing number of highly educated academic elite in China who are becoming enamored with Christian thought in general and Christian morality in particular.

During my years in China, I noticed that many of my students were spiritual hungry and seeking answers to life’s important questions. Since the collapse of credibility in Maoist-Marxist teachings, more and more thoughtful people in China are turning to religion for answers. Many return to their family roots in Buddhism or Daoism. Large numbers are exploring other religious traditions, many of the New Age variety. The overwhelming majority of these spiritually famished seekers, however, are finding both hope and truth in Christianity.

It will be vitally important for Western Christians to keep abreast of the growth and progress of the Church in China. By sheer numbers alone, the Chinese Church will help forge to future directions of the global church. It is equally important that Christians in the West learn as much as possible about the Chinese Church, its history, its cultural underpinnings, and its ongoing relationship with the government. China as a nation is going to play a major role in the unfolding of history in the 21st Century and beyond. The Chinese Church will also play a significant role in the unfolding of Christian history as well. With these thoughts in mind, let us do all that we can to become better educated about this ever-growing circle of brothers and sisters all across China. A good place to begin is Aikman’s book.

And above all, lets remember to keep these consecrated and committed people in our prayers. They face, on a daily basis, challenges that we in the West never imagined.

The Holy Spirit’s Divine Leading: A Personal Example

Mick Turner

As I look back on my pilgrimage of faith I am amazed at how the hand and the heart of God was usually present, leading me forward to a destination that I could have never predicted. This has been the case in events both large and small, whether involving something as significant as my life-changing decision to go to the mission field in China or something as seemingly minor as discovering and reading “just the right book at the right time.”

From time to time I find it helpful to make a review of my life in general and a specific period of time, usually the last five years, in order to gain perspective on where I have been, where I am now, and where I may be headed. More significantly, I try to see if I can discern the Holy Spirit’s activity in my life. More often than not, in hindsight I can clearly see how I have been nudged, pushed, or at times, dragged in a specific direction.

Recently I became acutely aware of a pattern of this sort of “divine leading” in my life. As I look back on this pattern of formation, I am also aware that I would have never planned or predicted any of it. The events I am speaking of relate to what I said in the opening paragraph about finding the right book at the right time and the eventual impact this had on the development of my Christian world view.

Back in the autumn of 2005, my wife’s business responsibilities necessitated that she make a three-week trip to China. Our daughter Salina was about 18-months-old at the time and Li (my wife) decided to take her along so Li’s parents could meet their new granddaughter for the first time. Although I remained busy with my work responsibilities, I had far more free time than normal during their absence. I figured I would do a bit of relaxing and also devote some time to reading, which is one of my favorite activities.

I visited one of the area book stores a couple of days after Li and Salina departed for China. I was looking for something to read that would be spiritually edifying and I searched the shelves, especially paying attention to what was available from a few of my favorite authors. After spending about an hour doing this, I didn’t really see anything I thought I might want to read. As scanned the shelves yet another time, I saw a book that looked somewhat interesting. It was by an author I was not familiar with at the time and, after discovering that the author appeared to be at least marginally associated with a few Christian teachers that I have major reservation about, I put the book back on the shelf.

For some reason, however, I immediately took it back of the shelf and thumbed through it again. Although I did not hear an audible voice telling me to purchase this book, I did have an undeniable impression from the Holy Spirit to read this book. Having learned from past experience to heed such impressions, I bought the book.

It is not an over-statement to say that I was completely absorbed in the book for the next two weeks. I read it straight through in about four days, then went back through it slowly, taking notes and making application of what I had read. This 14-day period proved to be one of those “watershed” times in my life – a time in which I experienced an accelerated growth and a deepening of my walk of faith. I thank the Lord for leading me to this book at just the right time and I also thank him for giving me the discernment I needed in order to benefit from reading it.

The name of the book: Understanding the Power and the Purpose of Prayer by Dr. Myles Munroe.

It is hard to put into words what this book, and later, other titles by Myles Munroe have meant to me in terms of my own spiritual formation and in my work as a writer and teacher. This is all the more remarkable in that I would have probably never picked up one of Dr. Munroe’s books on my own. A mystic at heart and a bit left of center in terms of my theology and my political beliefs, chances are I would have quickly judged the book by its cover and never give it a second thought. Again, I thank God for pushing me out of my theological comfort zone and, like he did with Jonah, insisting that I go to a place I didn’t want to go. In this case, encouraging me to read something I didn’t particularly want to read.

It is also not an over-statement to say that Dr. Munroe has had a major impact on my thinking, my Christian walk of faith, and my spiritual formation. Do I agree with everything he says? No. I have yet to find any author that I am in total agreement with. Do I agree with most of what he says? Yes, I do. In fact, in studying the works of this writer and teacher, I have come to see a number of things in a different light than I did prior to walking into that bookstore back in October, 2005. In a very real sense, Dr. Munroe has been a mentor to me.

I have had the opportunity to hear Myles Munroe in person on four occasions since that time. He is a gifted orator, preacher, and teacher. I have benefited each time I have had the blessing of attending one of his programs. I have met him, albeit only briefly, and also feel blessed by having the opportunity to ask him several questions about issues that I was unclear about. He graciously took time to answer those queries and, in fact, gave me more time than was expected.

The reason all of this has come to my mind is that I recently undertook a review of my last five years and, in doing so, discovered the depth of the impact of Myles Munroe on my life. In doing this review, I looked over my bookshelf at the books that I have read over the past five years and discovered an unexpected fact. In addition to Dr. Munroe’s book on prayer, the first of his books I had read, I have 14 other titles by him in my personal library. It was a surprise to me that I have read that many of his books. I don’t have anywhere near that many books by any other author.

I could go on and on about his teachings, but I think I will just focus on one aspect of his work that has had a major impact on my thought, my faith, and my professional activities. I want to speak briefly on Munroe’s emphasis on “The Kingdom.”

Dr. Munroe has written what eventually came to be known as the “Kingdom Series.” The first book in the series, Rediscovering the Kingdom, was also one of the books that caused me to reassess my ideas about Christ’s mission and purpose. Subsequent titles in the series only deepened that process. The second book was entitled, Kingdom Principles, followed by The Most Important Person on Earth, in which Dr. Munroe discusses his take on the role of the Holy Spirit in the Kingdom. Recently, another volume was published, centering on the application of Kingdom Principles to daily life. I haven’t read that one yet.

For Munroe, everything he teaches is built upon the foundation of the concept of “Kingdom.” Without a thorough understanding of Munroe’s view of the Kingdom, we cannot begin to understand the depth of his teaching.

All that we have discussed before, the principles of potential, purpose, vision, and glory are worked out in the context of our primary mission as human beings. We are called to establish God’s Kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven. God created man for this purpose and, even though Adam and Eve disobeyed God and abdicated their dominion to Satan, God never relinquished his original goal, nor did he abandon humanity completely. Instead, the whole scope of God’s grand story of restoration moves forward with the original plot line, which was the manifestation of God’s kingdom on earth.

Munroe repeatedly makes a consistent point throughout his books related to the kingdom: Christ did not come to establish a religion – he came to establish a kingdom.

Each and every one of us is born with a divine potential, placed in us by God. We begin to realize that potential by discovering our own unique purpose or calling. This purpose or calling begins to move increasingly toward manifestation when we, with the help of the Spirit, connect that purpose with a specific vision. When we fulfill our potential by manifesting our purpose through our specific vision, we can be said to have “realized our glory.” Now, the vital aspect to understand in all of this is the fact that all of these elements are worked out in the context of God’s great purpose: establishing his Kingdom.

Munroe’s concept of Jesus’ mission of establishing a kingdom rather than a religion leads him, at times, to take a rather dim view of religion. In fact, Munroe sees, and I agree completely, that religion can be a major stumbling block to the realization of the kingdom.

All religions are the same in the sense that they attempt to answer the questions of power and meaning. They all promise power to control life and circumstances and to explain life and death. They all claim to have the truth. They all claim superiority over each other. They all compare and compete with each other. They all demand adherence to their particular belief system while denying others. They all are motivated by contention and usually thrive in an isolated culture that excludes other segments of humanity. In fact, all religions seem to glory in a spirit of segregation and separatism. Rather than uniting humanity with common power and knowledge of purpose, religion has proven itself instead to be the great divider of mankind.

Munroe stresses the fact that Jesus’ central mission was to inaugurate and carry out the first stages of the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth. It was Christ’s mandate and, as his followers, it is our mandate as well.

Everything Jesus said and did – His prayers, teachings, healings, and miracles – was focused on a kingdom, not a religion. Jesus was preoccupied with the Kingdom; it was His top priority, His heavenly mandate.

For Munroe, Jesus came not only to reconcile God and humankind, but also to restore something that was lost – the kingdom. And, by restoring the kingdom, help satiate humankind’s intense hunger for two things: power and purpose.

It is important to note here that when man fell from grace, he lost a kingdom, not a religion. He lost dominion over the earth; he did not lose Heaven. Therefore, mankind’s search is not for a religion or for Heaven, but for his kingdom. This is why religion can never satisfy the deep hunger in the heart of man. Religion is itself a search. No religion can substitute for the kingdom or fill the vacuum in man’s soul. The hunger of the human heart is for the lost kingdom.

The teachings of Myles Munroe in many of his other books, particularly his ideas about potential, purpose, vision, and manifesting “glory” in one’s life all come together under the rubric of the kingdom concept. All that we are and all that we are gifted with is to be used to carry forward God’s universal purpose: the restoration of kingdom rule on earth. This is not so much a call for theocracy in a political sense. Instead, it is a call for a personal rule in the believer’s individual life. Only then, can the kingdom become a corporate reality. In this regard, Munroe is clear on what he believes should be the primary teaching of the church in this age:

How important to the Body of Christ is the message of the Kingdom of God? Frankly, we have nothing else to preach or teach. The message of the Kingdom is good news, and the Church exists to proclaim it. If we are doing our job, everything we are about will be Kingdom-focused; every sermon we preach, every Bible study we teach, every ministry we perform, every activity we accomplish, and every worship service we celebrate….The Kingdom of God must be our highest priority. Jesus gave us no other commission.

In my own life, both personally and professionally, I have made an earnest attempt to make these words a living reality on a daily basis. By the grace of God and with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, I have made a degree of progress. I still, however, have a long way to go. As I press forward toward the prize, I am grateful that God took me by the hand that day in 2005 and, in spite of my own ignorance, led me to something that has been transformative and highly meaningful.

I do not mean to imply that everyone should hold the same view of Myles Munroe that I do. I suspect that for each of us, there has been someone, perhaps an author, a teacher, a preacher, or another instrument God has used to speak to us at a particularly critical point in our walk of faith. For me, it was Dr. Munroe. For others, it could be any one of a number of people, some well-known and others quite anonymous.

Books That Bless: Who Stole My Church?

Posted On May 14, 2008

Filed under Books That Bless, Christian Book Reviews, Christian Education, Christian Mission and Calling, Church, Church and Culture, Discipleship, Emerging Christianity, Kingdom of God
Tags: Change, Christian Book Reviews, Christianity, Church, Evangelism, George MacDonald, Gordon MacDonald

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Mick Turner

I recently finished reading Gordon MacDonald’s new book Who Stole My Church? I can say without reservation that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was somewhat forlorn when I finished it. Every now and then I run across a book like that – one that I wish I could keep right on reading.

MacDonald’s book is highly relevant to what is happening in many churches throughout America these days. Reading Who Stole My Church gave me a deep appreciation of the task before our churches in general and pastors on the front line of change in particular. It can be a daunting process to steer a church through these turbulent times of transition. Most churches of over 100 members are likely to have several factions, each with its own agenda and own set of expectations. Meeting the needs of all these divergent people is, without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, an impossible proposition.

MacDonald has written the book in a highly readable format, one that lends itself very well to the topic. Rather than writing a standard didactic non-fiction work, the author has arranged the book in a fictional setting in which the pastor of a church is facing significant friction from a cadre of older, active members who are resistant to the changes being brought about by younger congregants with a different focus. In order to gently educate these resistant members to what is going on and why, the pastor forms a “Discovery Group” which meets on Tuesday nights to dig deeply into the matter. The group also serves as a venue where these committed church members can vent their ongoing frustrations about changes in the church. The fact that MacDonald puts the book together this way makes an otherwise difficult subject highly readable and even entertaining.

The book is subtitled, “What to do When the Church You Love Tries To Enter the 21^st Century.” MacDonald well understands that the future of the church lies with the younger generation, not with the older folks, no matter how loyal and committed they might be. This view is not to downplay or trivialize the needs of the older members in a church, but instead, to break through the church’s denial system and help us all see that unless the needs of the younger people come to the forefront, the church will go the way of the dinosaur. MacDonald states:

Any church that has not turned its face toward the younger generation will simply cease to exist. We’re not talking decades – we’re talking just a few years.

The author drives this point home throughout the book, usually through the voice of the pastor during the Tuesday night meetings, but also at coffee shops, the mall, and in other settings, including conversations with his wife. MacDonald also gives voice to those in resistance to these changes and does so in a way that shows he has deep insights into the nature and legitimacy of their concerns. In one chapter of the book, one of the male members of the Discovery Group is angered because he misperceives a point the pastor was making about evangelism and missions, two subjects this particular congregant is passionate about. The two meet for breakfast and, after giving this man an opportunity to express his feelings about evangelism and missions, MacDonald, through the pastor, states that times and methods are changing. Relationships and actions are more important than programs and words:

The difference is this. We’re in a new era where people want less of your carefully scripted evangelism sales presentation and more personal demonstration of your genuineness, your authenticity. They want to see evidence that what you believe had legs – that it does something.

MacDonald goes on to stress the vital importance of developing deeper relationships with people in our post-Christian culture in order to reach them. Stressing that more is now needed than the “Four Spiritual Steps,” the author states that we have to go deeper with people and allow them to see us for who we are and let our actions, not our words, demonstrate what faith in Jesus really means.

If you are concerned about the direction your church is taking, or if you want to gain insight into the dynamics of institutional change in a religious setting, then I would strongly suggest you read MacDonald’s book. I believe the author makes a solid contribution to helping both sides of the generational divide in today’s church gain understanding into what makes the other side tick. In the end, the book helps foster insight rather than animosity – compassion rather than conflict.

Books That Bless: Who Stole My Church

Posted On May 14, 2008

Filed under Book Reviews, Books That Bless, Christian Books, Christian Education, Christianity, Church, Culture, Discipleship, God's Kingdom, Issues in Transformation, Ministry, Mission and Calling, Missions
Tags: Change, Christian Book Reviews, Christianity, Church, Church and Culture, Gordon MacDonald

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Mick Turner

Any church that has not turned its face toward the younger generation will simply cease to exist. We’re not talking decades – we’re talking just a few years.

Books That Bless: The Normal Christian Life

Posted On May 3, 2008

Filed under Books That Bless, Chinese Christians, Christian Books, Christian Education, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, God's Kingdom, God's Love, Gospel, Grace, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Spirituality
Tags: Chinese Christians, Chinese Church, Christian Book Reviews, Watchman Nee

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Mick Turner

The Normal Christian Life, written by Chinese Christian martyr Watchman Nee, is one of my favorite books. I have read it and re-read it many times over the years and can say without reservation that each time I go through this remarkable little book, I get something new out of it. My original version fell apart years ago and I purchased a second paperback copy. It is dog-eared now and highlighted from cover to cover. Recently, I purchased a nice hardback gift edition and treasure it greatly.

Nee came to Christ in the 1920 and over the years produced a copious amount of writing. He founded a Christian movement in China, known as the Little Flock, and this movement continues to this day in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and around the world. The U.S. branch of this group is located in Los Angeles. Nee was a controversial figure with a charismatic demeanor and sharp mind. He read voraciously and seemed to glean something from a wide range of theological perspectives. Arrested shortly after the Communist Party took power in China, Ni died in prison in 1972.

The Normal Christian Life, published in 1957, has been widely read and has influenced countless Christians in general and a number of Christian writers in particular. I can recall first encountering this book in the late 1960’s when, after serving in the Army, I moved to Arizona and, for a time, became involved in the now famous (infamous?) “Jesus People.” I think it was the clear way in which Nee broke down the work of Christ on the cross that struck such a resonant chord in many believers, especially the young.

In reflecting on the reasons I appreciate this book so much I find that I must be selective in the sense that there are so many aspects to this work that speak to me. Pressing myself to choose a place to begin, I will start with how the book is organized. Nee begins with discussing the importance of the Book of Romans in general and the first eight chapters in particular. Further, he next breaks these chapters down into two sections, one dealing with the significance of the Blood of Christ and the other dealing with the Cross of Christ. The four and a half chapters from 1:1 to 5:11 form the first half; and the three and a half chapters from 5:12 to 8:39 the second half. In summary, he contends that the blood deals with our forgiveness and justification and the cross deals with our deliverance. Nee states:

In the first part of Romans 1 to 8, we twice have reference to the Blood of the Lord Jesus; in chapter 3:25 and in chapter 5:9. In the second, a new idea is introduces in chapter 6:6, where we are said to have been “crucified” with Christ. The argument of the first part gathers round that aspect of the work of the Lord Jesus which is represented by “the Blood” shed for our justification through the remission of sins.” This terminology is, however, not carried on into the second section, where the argument centers now in the aspect of his work represented by “the Cross,” that is to say, by our union with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection. The distinction is a valuable one. We shall see that the blood deals with what we have done, whereas the cross deals with what we are. The blood disposes of our sins, while the cross strikes at the root of our capacity for sin.

Much of what follows in subsequent chapters hinges upon the reader grasping a fundamental understanding of these two aspects of the gospel. Nee goes on to give a fine description of the difference between “sins” and “sin.” The former is concerned with our behavior and the latter with our core nature since the Fall.

As I said, I believe Nee has done a fine job in organizing the book. Each chapter paves the way for the following chapter and he builds a framework that is easy to follow, digest, and ultimately act upon.

After making clear his understanding of the difference between the work of the blood and the work of the cross, Nee goes on to discuss how a Christian should go about making this new identity in Christ a living reality in his or her experience. Again, he goes right to scripture to explain the process, which he sees as a four-fold phenomenon involving:

Knowing -> Reckoning -> Presenting Ourselves to God -> Walking in the Spirit

Nee’s main focus is on the role of God’s free and radical grace and our faith in accepting what God has granted us – basically, salvation and restoration. If we accept and believe that we have been forgiven by God through faith, then we should accept the reality of the second half of the gospel as well – that God will also sanctify us.

Nee also has excellent chapters on the division between spirit, soul, and body and the Holy Spirit. Although this is a short synopsis of the book, I hope it at least creates a thirst on the part of the reader to explore Nee’s book.

I have also read, twice now, Nee’s epic tome The Spiritual Man, which takes these ideas and delves into them with great detail. I would also recommend this book with the caveat that it requires a commitment in order to read it. It’s a long and at times tedious book.

Over the years Nee’s work, especially The Normal Christian Life, has been widely read. As mentioned earlier, his work has been a significant contribution to the growth of many believers, both clergy and lay, and this little book continues to be held in high regard by most who have taken the time to read it. Nee, like most writers, has also attracted his share of critics. Some of this criticism is founded, while much of it is not. Care should always be taken when reading someone’s work from another culture and another period of time. No writer, or reader for that matter, exists in a vacuum. Instead, our lives are all impacted at some level by what famous historian Carl Becker called, “The Climate of Opinion” that exists at the time a particular book is produced.

Another factor to consider when reading Nee is the fact that he wrote in both Chinese and English and, in either case, English was not his primary language. As a writer and a person who taught writing and journalism in China, I am well aware of how easily it is for one’s thought, especially when dealing with abstract ideas, to be misunderstood and/or mistranslated. For these reasons, critics need to realize the difficulty he may have had in attempting to fit his eastern mind into a western language. Every time I have to write something in Chinese, I am well aware of the difficulty involved.

Nevertheless, I agree with much of what Nee wrote and disagree with parts of his thoughts. I am careful, however, to never throw the baby out with the bath water. I find Nee a generally effective teacher and one that I would highly recommend. This is especially true of The Normal Christian Life.

Read it – reflect on it – enjoy it.

Books That Bless: Chasing Daylight

Posted On April 29, 2008

Filed under Book Reviews, Books That Bless, Christian Books, Christian Education, Christianity, Discipleship, Positive Living, Spiritual Formation, Spirituality
Tags: Christian Book Reviews, Discipleship, Erwin Raphael McManus, Spiritual Formation

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Mick Turner

Right out of the gate, let me say that I had difficulty choosing a book to continue the Books That Bless series with. Having said that, it is important to note that Erwin Raphael McManus’, Chasing Daylight was selected not only because it is significant, but because I recently read it for the third time while researching an article I published in a Christian magazine.

McManus is pastor of “Mosaic,” an emergent sort of congregation in Los Angeles. Mosaic is somewhat unique in terms of its congregational makeup (highly mixed) and because of its location. Mosaic most often meets in a nightclub. Somewhere I recall McManus saying that congregational volunteers normally arrive early on Sunday morning to clean up the club’s mess from Saturday night.

Let me be blunt: I love this book! I first read Chasing Daylight when I was developing a program at LifeBrook designed to assist student’s ability to be more “mindful” of what was going on around them. Like all programs and practices at LifeBrook, I put myself through the suggested disciplines first. I don’t feel it is kosher to ask folks to partipate in a spiritual practice that I have not experience firsthand. I encountered this book at just the right time and its impact on my life was significant. Further, I firmly believe the Spirit brought this book to me at this point in time because McManus covers several issues that are highly pertinent to being more mindful in our daily rounds.

According to McManus, many of us are so preoccupied with the incessant chatter inside our heads that we are often oblivious to our surroundings. I know this has certainly be a reality in my life. It was only after suffering a major cardiac event and subsequent surgery back in 1996 that I began to reassess my life and my priorities. Due to a fairly extended period of forced time away from work, I was fortunately better able to come to grips with some aspects of my life that needed radical change. One of the issues that God laid on my heart (as it was healing) was the need for more mindfulness and this required a reduction in the hectic pace with which I normally went about my business. The five years I spent in China only deepened this transformation.

McManus spends part of the book discussing the fact that it is in the present moment that we often discover divine activity. He calls these “divine moments” in which God often reveals something of import. We have these moments with regularity but many of us miss them because we are just not paying attention to what is going on. Learning to be more cognizant of divine moments is important, but does not constitute and end in itself. According to McManus, it is in these moments that we move from living a routine and largely monotonous life to finding God’s purpose and God’s passion.

McManus goes on to say that he spent much of his life as a “sideliner,” a person who was a passive observer of life rather than a passionate particpant in the unfolding of God’s dramatic story of restoration. I read this and related deeply to what the author was saying. I am a thinker and have the unfortunate capacity to complicate something as simple as a postage stamp. McManus tells us that the best way to overcome this sideliner sydrome is to seize divine moments and allow them to transform us:

Until our bodies return to dust, there will always be a voice crying within us to move from existence to life. The possibilities that await us in each moment are fueled by the potential God has placed within us. Seizing divine moments is not simply about opportunity; at the core it is about essence. It’s about the kind of life you live as a result of the person you are becoming…..It is in this process of transformation that we find the fuel to engage with confidence the opportunities placed before us.

A related issue covered by McManus concerns our frequent seeking of God’s will. He makes the point that many of us perhaps spend too much time seeking God’s will, when, in fact, that divine will has already been revealed to us is scriputure. In short, the Bible tells us that we are to be Christ’s hands and feet on earth and each divine moment, if we pay attention, will reveal to us how we can carry out that will on a consistent basis. I know this has been true in my own life and in the lives of more than a few of my friends. In years past, we spend much time discussing and debating what it is that God would have each of us do, how were were to do it, and when. The danger in this line of pursuit is that we often became paralyzed into sort of an intellectual game of discernment at best and missional nitpicking at worst.

God’s will, simply put, is to find a need and meet it.

McManus makes the point that it is imperative that Christians understand that simply making choices between good and evil, right and wrong, is not enough when it comes to carrying out our kingdom responsibilities. We are told to go beyond these choices and to live a life of proactive pursuit of doing good.

We must resolve not only to leave the path of doing evil, but also to passionately pursue a life of doing good…..It is rarely counted as evil when we live in neutral. At worst a passive life is only pitied, yet God counts it as a tragedy when we choose to simply watch life rather than live it. Jesus described as wicked the person who leaves his talent unused. When we fail to choose, we choose to fail. You cannot put your life on hold. It moves forward with or without your approval. Choosing not to choose does not put off the problem; it only exacerbates it.

I highly recommend McManus’ book. It is a good read, it challenges the reader’s thinking on a number of key issues, and is highly practical. The author cuts to the chase when it comes to giving a picture of the importance of “divine moments” and, further, how to recognize God’s will in those moments.

I especially suggest this book to those among you who may feel that you are existing but not living; that you increasingly feel finding God’s purpose and your own passion has taken on the character of a greased pig; and particularly if you are squandering precious time and God-given talents while a hurting world is desperately crying out for exactly what you have to offer.

WellSprings and WineSkins

Wise Words from Thomas Kelly

Wise Words for Today

Pilgrimage: A Four-Dimensional Model

Wise Words For Today

Further Reflections on the Chinese Church

The Holy Spirit’s Divine Leading: A Personal Example

Books That Bless: Who Stole My Church?

Books That Bless: Who Stole My Church

Books That Bless: The Normal Christian Life

Books That Bless: Chasing Daylight

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