On The Verge: The Silver Imagination

(I recently began reading a copy of Alan Hirsch and Dave Ferguson's new book, On The Verge: A Journey Into the Apostolic Future of the Church.  I have been looking forward to reading the book as I have enjoyed the other books that I have read by Hirsch (especially ReJesus).  Over the next few weeks, I will be posting some thoughts from the chapters that I am reading.)

Let me put this out there from the beginning- I loved this chapter.  I'm further along in the book and there is good stuff to come- but as I read The Silver Imagination, it got my juices flowing.  I consider myself a big picture/vision oriented kind of leader...and this chapter in On The Verge challenged my imagination and the imagination of my leaders about what God is doing- and can do in and through our churches.

Alan tells the account of Ivan Illich who was asked what he thought was the most radical way to change a society.  Rather than answering through a violent revolution or gradual reform, Illich said that if one wanted to change society, one must tell an alternate story (pg. 57).  In the church, we have this great story from creation to the final redemption of creation through Jesus Christ- yet we need to find, imagine alternate ways of telling this story as our communities and cultures change.  In the States, as we grow increasing pre-Christian, we must tell the story (and live the story) differently than we did 20 or 30 years ago.  It's a paradigm shift.

The key, according to Hirsch, is imagination.  Hirsch writes that imagination is not just for child's play or fantasy, but is a God-given gift of our mind that allows us to live and minister in creative and new ways.  Imagination allows us to explore possibilities that we have never before considered.  Hirsch writes, "...the fundamental job of apostolic imagination is to produce out of the church we now experience a vision of the church Jesus wants us to experience" (68).

In my previous minister appointment, I was an associate pastor at a church that had been around for over 200 years.  It was an institutional church.  Ministry at this church was most exciting and life giving when our paradigms began to change and we began to imagine a new way of making disciples of Jesus Christ.  I have recently completed my first full year as the solo pastor of a church that is less than ten years old.  While we don't have the institutional baggage of a 200 year old church- we daily wrestle with what it means to be the church because many of our leaders (myself included) operate on an old paradigm of institutional church.  I pray for myself and our leaders that we would pray and create space to use our imagination to become the movement type church that turns the world upside down for Jesus.  I pray this prayer for all our churches that we would produce the church Jesus wants us to experience!

On The Verge: Chapter 1

I recently began reading a copy of Alan Hirsch and Dave Ferguson's new book, On The Verge: A Journey Into the Apostolic Future of the Church.  I have been looking forward to reading the book as I have enjoyed the other books that I have read by Hirsch (especially ReJesus).  Over the next few weeks, I will be posting some thoughts from the chapters that I am reading. 

Introduction and Chapter 1:

In the introduction, the authors liken the current state of the Church to a "phoenix arising from the dying embers of Christendom" as they view the Church of the future.  They believe that the the Christian Church is standing at a pivotal point in history- hence the idea of VERGE...that we (the Church) are on the verge of something new and yet ancient. 

What does it mean to be "on the Verge" or a "Verge" Church?  Hirsch and Ferguson write that what was once in conflict with one another (incarnational or attractional) are now beginning to interact with one another.  This interaction has all sorts of missional implications, according to the authors, including a new paradigm for the Church that "fundamentally altars the nature of the game." The authors believe that the Church can attractional and missional at the same time if the organizational DNA incorporates a both/and approach that is able to contextualize the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Western World.

For most of the first chapter, Hirsch and Ferguson talk about shifts in the Church.  On page 32 the authors write:

"Adopting a Verge church paradigm requires learning what it means to become a more fluid, adaptive, reproducible, viral people-movement.  In other words, it means taking seriously the idea that the church Jesus built- and therefore what he intended- is meant to be more of a movement than an institution."

In short, chapter one is setting up the movement....moving from an institutional church to a movement (or Verge Church).  This is a challenging and exciting step for the Church to consider.

I am currently a pastor in The United Methodist Church.  What was once a great missionary movement in the 1700-1800's has now become an institution.  As I read the opening pages of "On The Verge," my heart rate increased as I considered what the Church could look like if it could once again become a movement rather than an institution. 

Book Review: Church In The Making

I just finished reading Ben Arment's book, Church In The Making: What Makes or Breaks a New Church Before It Starts?  If you're a church leader, you should probably know who Ben Arment is.  He has been a church planter and most recently has been gathering innovative leaders to share their thoughts and insights at events like The Whiteboard Sessions, STORY, and Dream Year.  You can see Ben's heart for equipping leaders in these ministries and in his book.

The first section of Church In The Making is called "Good Ground" and Ben uses the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:3-9 as an illustration of how some church plants are planted in fertile soil and some in rocky (and oppressive) soil.  Ben writes that the spiritual receptivity of the area where the church will be planted has everything to do with the success of the church.  Churches can be planted in "rocky soil" but will face more resistance and difficulties. 

The second section of the book, called "Rolling Rocks" was especially insightful as Arment wrote on creating momentum in a new church.  What was interesting was that he said that people and communities rarely care about a new church, but they care about relationships.  It is strategic then for church leaders to consider the human network that they find themselves part of and see where momentum can be gained. 

The final section is called "Deep Roots" and focuses on creating a leadership team that can carry the vision further than the pastor alone.  One way that deep roots are established is by doing something that no one else is doing.  Churches should find a niche, a focus and strive to do that with excellence in communicating the gospel.  A church should create an identity and purpose that they are unapologetic about- and will not compromise on.  That might mean that some people leave the church, but everyone has to get on board with the vision.  Likewise, if an activity or ministry does not help promote the vision, it should be pruned so that time, energy and finances can be put elsewhere.

While this book is geared towards church planters- it has some application for churches that have an established history.  We must consider that spiritual receptivity of our communities.  When Avenue Church launched our 9:30 worship gathering 7 years ago, we had been cultivating the soil of our church and our community for almost 8 months leading up to the launch.  On our first Sunday, when we expected 40-50 people, we had 90 and the service is regularly attended by 200-250 people.  This service is also doing something that no one else was doing in Milford at the time- which contributed to it's success.

I think that Pastors in the United Methodist Church could take more time to think about our social networks and how to leverage them.  Yes, it is difficult to do so in the UMC when you itinerate, but our churches are filled with people who have connections and networks throughout our communities.  Leaders and Pastors must learn how to tap into these networks in order to share the gospel.  It also means that as UM Pastors move into a community, that building relationships should be a very high priority.

Ben Arment's Church In The Making really energized me about church leadership and the possibilities of what God wants to do through the Church.  This book will be very high on my reading list for our church leadership- as it asks a lot of really good questions that most (all?) churches need to wrestle with.

Have you read the bok? What do you think?  Does your church do a good job of using social networks to spread the gospel?  What is creating momentum in your church? Leave your thoughts below in the comments!

Book Review: The Justice Project

I recently received the book, The Justice Project, in order to read and review it.  The book boast an all-star cast of contributers from Brian McLaren, Tony Jones, Peggy Camplolo, Rene Padilla, Lynne Hybels, Bart Campolo, and others.  There are also many contributors who I had not heard of, but was thankful for because they represented various ethnic backgrounds and locations.  This book is not just written my white, western men, but seeks to find more of a global approach to the idea of justice.

The book consist five sections (The God of Justice, The Book of Justice, Justice in the USA, A Just World, A Just Church) where each section consist of small chapters or articles on various topics that would fall under each category.  I appreciated that there was an attempt to view justice from both a liberal and conservative lens as well as creating space to challenge many presupposed ideas of justice for someone, like me, who grew up in a conservative, evangelical home/church.  There were several noteworthy chapters and thoughts throughout the book, but I will not go into detail here. 

My critique of the book is that no one topic gets fully fleshed out.  Yes, the entire book speaks of justice but so many of the chapters could have been turned into 2 or 3 chapters- or maybe even an entire book.  Just as you get your appetite whet for what the author is saying, the chapter ends.  In this way, there is little flow in the book from idea to idea other than the articles being grouped under one of the five sections.

I've been thinking about how I would use this book, other than personal reading/study.  In a group setting, it might be more useful to pull an article around a topic rather than trying to read the entire book.  It could also be used for study around the five sections and talk about the ways in which the articles work in the sections.

Overall, I thought this was a good effort by McLaren and company, even if it fell short of my expectations.  Regardless, the Church must continue to wrestle everyday with what it means to "Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God." 

Book Review: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years (Don Miller)

One of the more captivating and surprising books that I have read in the last eight years is Donald Miller's best seller, Blue Like Jazz.  I really enjoyed Miller's style of writing and his fresh take on grace and faith.  I have read two other of his books, Searching for God Knows What and Through Painted Deserts, yet neither of them reach the critical acclaim that Blue Like Jazz did.  A Million Miles in a Thousand Years comes close to matching the rhythm and excitment of Jazz.

A quick synopsis of A Million Miles from the back cover:

"After writing a successful memoir, Donald Miller's life stalled.  During what should have been the height of his success, he found himself unwillingn to get out of bed, avoiding responsibility, even quiestioning the meaning of life.  But when two movie producers proposed turning his memoir into a movie, he found himself launched into a new story filled with risk, possibility, beauty, and meaning."

Miller's encounter with the movie producers is the main thrust of the book as he learns what makes a great story.  It would be a little disheartening to find that parts of your life are too boring for a movie and that they would end up of the editing room floor.  So the author sets out to find out what makes a great story- and in turn what makes a great life. 

Among the elements of a great story, Miller is aware of the role of conflict and tragedy in our lives- and the possibilities that arise out of both.  When it comes to conflict, we spend so much time avoiding conflict that we rarely embrace how conflict (when handled properly) can mold and shape our character.  Even in the midst of tragedy there can be a beautiful story.  Miller tells the story of his friend Jim, and his wife Janice who ultimately dies of cancer.  When Janice dies, there is a gathering after the funeral where her husband, Miller, and other friends gather to tell stories and each other's comfort.  Here Miller realizes that even in the midst of tragedy and great story, a great life can be lived.

I also appreciated that Miller is aware and communicates that our lives really never come to a resolve.  We have grown up on stories where "everyone lived happily ever after," and if we're honest we know that doesn't happen in real life.   But we want it to.  Instead, he says that we experience lots of little "resolutions" to the various scenes in our lives.  Some of us even put our faith in Jesus thinking that this will make our life complete, or bring resolution to our problems.  This doesn't happen- although Jesus does offer us hope that one day we will be made complete.  One day we will have resolution.  One day, there will be no suffering, sickness, or death.  Until then, we will not have perfectly put together lives.  As Miller writes,

"When you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can like them for who they are.  And when you stop expecting material possessions to complete you, you'd be surprised at how much pleasure you get in material possessions.  And when you stop expecting God to end all your troubles, you'd be surprised at how much you like spending time with God."

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years is an inspiring book on living a great life.  Don Miller does a great job of capturing his own struggle to live a great life and being transparent on sharing it with the reader. 

Book Review: Finding an Unseen God

So I signed up to be a Viral Blogger for The Ooze. It's a cool deal where every month you have the opportunity to sign up for a book, they send it to you (free) and in return you write a book review. This is my first opportunity to do so with the book I received.

I read Finding an Unseen God by Alicia Britt Chole on my way out to Denver for a week away. The short book (160 pages, I believe) was perfect for the flight. The book is Chole reflections on moving from Atheism to becoming a Christian. Chole's writing was relaxed and certainly her goal was to tell her story rather than convince other atheist that they too should become Christians. It is the narrative of Chole's life and experiences that catch your attention.

The most interesting thing about this book from me was not what I read, but the conversations that it opened up. I read the book during a four hour flight to Denver where I was seated next to a recent graduate of the Univseristy of Colorado who was a self-professed "Intellectual" and "Agnostic." While I read on a plane, as a pastor I have created my own policy of attempting not to listen to headphones in order to be free for conversations. Why? Because I have had the most fascinating experiences talking with the people around me.

This was no different. While he admitted to being skeptical of Christianity, certain events in his life had led him to believe that everything happens for a purpose. After reading the back cover of the book, he thought a book like this could help with his own spiritual journey. So I gave him the book. To my mild suprise, he accepted it. (Which is why this is light on substance!) At the end of the jetway as we exited the plane, we shook hands and we went our seperate ways. I prayed that Chole's book might help him to find God through Jesus as well.

Book Review: Simple Spirituality

One of the most recent books that I've read is Simple Spirituality by Christopher Heuertz. Heurtz is the International Director of Word Made Flesh, which is a community who ministers to the poorest of the poor around the world. I really looked forward reading this book as Andrea went with WMF to India and I have had friends serving in India, Brazil, Peru, Romania, and Sierra Leonne through WMF. The book did not disappoint as I have read it twice in recent weeks.

The books is organized by WMF's five Lifestyle Celebrations; Humility, Community, Simplicity, Submission, and Brokeness. As Heuertz writes in the introduction, "As I pray for the grace to live into a spirituality that embodies these simple commitments, I invite you to join me." These Lifestyle Celebrations are central to WMF and their commitments and mission to serve the poorest of the poor. It would do good to do a quick synopsis of each from the book

Humility
"Humility affirms our need for God." Heuertz goes on to write, "Humility is not a means to an end. Rather humility is the door through which we must enter to be welcomed into God's presence." How often do we allow pride to get into our way of seeing God and seeing our desperate need for God. The only remedy for our pride is humility that bows before God.

Community
Community is that which provides orientation and clarification for our identity. Our identity is not found in what we do or what we own- our identity is found in community with God and with others. The book challenged me to be willing to step into other people's community rather than expecting them to come into mine...to try to view the world through a different lens.

Simplicity
Here in the Western world, much of our value and worth is ascribed by our paycheck, possessions and neighborhood. When we live simply, we live without extravagence and with an eye and heart to our neighbors. Heuertz writes, "We want to make the issue about what we give, but in truth the issue is about what we keep." Are we engaged in a lifestyle that frees us to give? Or are we trapped in a cycle where we strive to accumulate more and more possessions?

Submission
"Submission is giving up oneself to the power of another." When we submit to God, we give up our desires and wishes and allow God's desires and plans to shape us. Submission is realizes that our lives are not our own- our lives belong to God and that we must seek each day to submit our lives to God.

Brokeness
"Brokenness is different- a voluntary surrender to God's will over our own will...brokenness is open even to the grace in pain." Brokenness is proactive rather than reactive.

Certainly the review above could be more in depth. But you'll just have to read the book in order to get more. This was just to whet your appetite.

Heuertz does a great job of weaving personal experience to convey the points that he is making. Some of the stories are light hearted while many of them are a gut wrenching reminder of how the majority world lives.

One critique, and I don't know if it is a major one. Heuertz speaks a lot of seeing Jesus in the poor. That is certainly true, but it is not the only place where we can see Jesus. Each of us is made in the image of God, and thus we can see God work in and through us in the way we live our lives. Heuertz's emphasis on this certainly ties in with WMF's mission to reach the poorest of the poor. It's not major...there is another side to where we see God in our world today. The poor may be our most visible reminder, though.

I'm interested in your thoughts...have you read the book? What's your take?