Books That Bless: Who Stole My Church?
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
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 21st 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.
© L.D. Turner 2008/All Rights Reserved
A List of Great Books on Spiritual Formation
April 25, 2008
Filed under Books That Bless, Christian Book Reviews, Christian Education, Discipleship, Positive Living, Spiritual Formation, Spirituality
Tags: Christian Books, Discipleship, Spiritual Formation, Spirituality, Suggested Reading
Mick Turner
I thought I might use a bit of blog space here to list just a few of the books that I believe would be helpful reading for Christians interested in learning more about spiritual formation in general and spiritual disciplines in particular. More significantly, these books supply information that can be of assistance in applying spiritual disciplines to your life. After all, reading a menu does little to satisfy your hunger; you have to grab a fork and get to it. It is the same with the disciplines. Eventually, you have to put down the book and get to work.
The following books are works that I would highly recommend:
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life – Donald S. Whitney
Celebration of Discipline – Richard Foster
The Discipline of Grace – Jerry Bridges
Lost Virtue of Happiness – J.P. Moreland and Klaus Issler
The Life You’ve Always Wanted – John Ortberg
The Disciplines of Grace – T.M. Moore
When the Soul Listens – Jan Johnson
The Deeper Journey – Robert Mulholland
Invitation to a Journey – Robert Mulholland
A Search For What Is Real – Brian McLaren
A Search For What Makes Sense – Brian McLaren
A Testament of Devotion – Thomas Kelly
Becoming a Healthy Disciple – Stephen A. Macchia
Hearing God – Dallas Willard
Renovation of the Heart – Dallas Willard
The Spirit of the Disciplines – Dallas Willard
The Great Omission – Dallas Willard
Drawing Closer – Glen Martin and Dian Ginter
Disciplines of the Holy Spirit – Siang Yang Tan
The above is far from an exhaustive list and the plethora of works on spiritual formation is growing daily. I believe any of these books would be good, no matter what your goal in spiritual formation is. After I developed this initial list, a good friend asked me what my favorite book on the list was. I responded I didn’t think this was a fair question. The reason I said this is that I believe certain books mean more at one point in time in our faith journey than at other times. Any book on this list has meant something to me at one time or the other. My friend however, kept pressing.
She asked if I had to recommend a good book from the list to begin with, which would I choose? Well, the one I started with was Foster’s book, mainly because it was the only book on the block back in the late ’70’s. This is a different day and time, I responded. Now there are more available….
“Quit stalling and tell me which one to start with,” she grabbed my arm and started twisting.
“Macchia,” I screamed. “Go out and get Macchia’s book.”
Books That Bless: Chasing Daylight
April 25, 2008
Filed under Books That Bless, Christian Book Reviews, Christian Education, Discipleship, Emerging Christianity, Spiritual Formation, Spirituality
Tags: Christian Book Reviews, Christian Books, Discipleship, Erwin Raphael McManus
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.
(c) L.D. Turner 2008/All Rights Reserved
The Contributions of Richard Foster
April 25, 2008
Filed under Books That Bless, Christian Book Reviews, Christian Education, Discipleship, Spiritual Formation, Spirituality
Tags: A Celebration of Discipline, Christian Book Reviews, Christian Books, Richard Foster
Mick Turner
During the late 1970’s a fresh wind began to blow in select quarters of Protestant Christianity in America. Growing weary of consistent defeat in their efforts to find depth and breadth in their daily walk of faith, sincere Christians began to clamor for more direction in terms of facilitating spiritual formation, both individual and institutional.
At the same time, Quaker author and teacher Richard Foster published what would eventually become a classic in the literature of spiritual formation. Foster’s 1978 publication of Celebration of Discipline was like a God-send to this growing throng of searching believers who, like Isaiah’s panting deer, thirsted for water brooks of spiritual refreshment. Sub-titled “The Path to Spiritual Growth,” Foster’s exploration of the classic spiritual disciplines of the Christian faith was not only timely, it touched a nerve in many former Christian’s who had drifted away from the church, mostly due to the absence of meaningful discipleship programs aimed at spiritual development.
I number myself among those impacted by Foster’s book. During my college years I moved away from my Methodist upbringing, initially pursuing the intense study of world religions. I was especially enamored with Buddhism in general and Zen in particular. Immersing myself in Zen practice and study, I gave little thought to Christianity. I learned much from my Zen involvement and I think I can safely say that my study of Buddhism, as well as other traditions, actually helped me understand the faith of my upbringing at a much deeper level.
In the mid-70’s I experienced what was for me, an epiphany. I discovered the Christian mystics of the Middle Ages. I devoured the works of Julian of Norwich, Walter Hilton, Richard Rolle, and most of the Rhineland mystics. Of particular importance was the work of the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing. In reading and studying this classic of English mysticism, I discovered Zen in Christian clothing. Shortly thereafter I made another enlightening discovery, Theresa of Avila. In a real sense, I had, like a spiritual prodigal, come home. To say I was enthused would be a huge understatement.
Before anyone gets the notion of running to the library and starting up a study of Medieval Christian mysticism, let me present a caveat. Working your way through these classic works is not an easy undertaking. The language is often obtuse and, even more often, somewhat florid. However, if you are willing to make the effort, pursuing the mystics is an unforgettable experience of high benefit.
My great frustration, however, of this period came when I discovered that no one seemed to know about these writers, especially local ministers and priests. Other than one Catholic bishop who was always too busy to talk to me, and one Episcopal priest who was packed off to Africa two weeks after I met him, my world was void of any opportunity to discuss these important works. What’s worse, local churches had no programs related to contemplative prayer, lectio-divina, or any other mystic practice. Worse still, several pastors told me in no uncertain terms that exploring these matters would, in spite of God’s saving grace, send me barreling off to Hell faster than you could say John of the Cross.
It is for these reasons the publication of Celebration of Discipline and the new interest in spiritual disciplines was such a watershed. For those of us in the church who were seekers by nature, mystics by birth, and aware of our calling to a faith that was, indeed, transformative, Foster’s book and the groundswell of literature that followed, was akin to someone opening a window in a room that had been shut up too long.
Since the publication of Celebration of Discipline, a plethora of books on spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, contemplative prayer and a host of associated subjects have been published. These works fed, and continue to feed, that deep, almost insatiable spiritual thirst I mentioned earlier in this article. Books, essays and articles by numerous spiritual mentors have been a welcomed and much needed addition to the material available to Christians today.
It is for these reasons that I wanted to take the time to recognize Richard Foster for his contribution to what has become a vital movement within the Christian faith – a movement toward depth of experience and clarity of purpose and vision. Additionally, I wanted to bring attention to the fact that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the publication of Celebration of Discipline. Honoring Foster’s contributions, I will close with the very words that the author used to open this seminal publication. These words are as true for our culture today as they were 30 years ago.
Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant gratification is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people… The classical disciplines of the spiritual life call us to move beyond surface living into the depths. They invite us to explore the inner caverns of the spiritual realm. They urge us to be the answer to a hollow world.
