Just picked up McLaren's new book, "The Secret Message of Jesus" this afternoon.
I like McLaren. I like how he sees the world. I like how he journeys with Christ. I like that he's not afraid to seek to find. Even if finding him leads him to places others are uncomfortable going to. I like that he helps me to think differently and expand the possibilities.
And I can't wait to get into this book. That said, here I go.........
Darryl tagged me so here goes...
Number of books I own: I couldn't believe it myself but I own about 670 books. At one time I owned at least double that. However, a few years ago I decided that I wanted to get down to only two bookshelves. As a result each year I get rid of, give away, send overseas several boxes of books.
The Last book I bought: "So you want to be like Christ - Swindoll"
The Last book I read: "Monster - Peretti"
Book I'm reading: "God in the alley: Being and seeing Jesus in the real world - G. Paul"
Books that mean a lot to me: In no specific order.
1. Pursuit of Holiness: First Christian book I read as a teenager that lead to, well, the pursuit of holiness in my life.
2. The Applause of Heaven: One of Max Lucado's earliest and in my mind best works - on the beatitudes.
3. The Great Divorce / Mere Christianity / Till we Have Faces: My three favourites by C.S. Lewis.
4. The Life You've Always Wanted: Spiritual disciplines for ordinary people - Ortberg
5. A New Kind of Christian: The first book that told me it was ok to be me and have questions that didn't fit my traditional Christian worldview - McLaren.
6. The Jesus I Never Knew: It was like meeting him for the first time - all over again - Yancey.
7. Preaching with Freshness: Fictional but purposeful and good advice to preachers, not just on preaching but their lives - Mawhinney
8. The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good news for the bedraggled, beat-up, and burnt-out - Manning
9. Church Without Walls: Moving beyond traditional boundaries - Petersen
10: Good Fiction: Some of my favourites; A Skeleton in God's Closet, The Oath, This Present Darkness, Safely Home, The Circle Trilogy: Awesome!!!Black, Red, White - Ted Dekker...too many more to mention...I usually read a fiction book after two or three non-fiction books - But those are some of my favourites.
Tag 5 more - I refuse, I'll only tag four:
1. Wilsonian
2. Onion Boy
3. Chris
4. John Carnes
This is a poem by C.S. Lewis that basically echoes scripture when it says, that there is no one that does good, not even one...
"All this is flashy rhetoric about loving you. I never had a selfless thought since I was born. I am mercenary and self-seeking through and through; I want God, you, all friends, merely to serve my turn.Peace, reassurance, pleasure, are the goals I seek,
I cannot crawl one inch outside my proper skin;
I talk of love - a scholar's parrot may talk Greek -
But, self-imprisoned, always end where I begin."
Donald miller has this to say...
"I know now, from experience, that the path to joy winds through a dark valley. I think every well-adjusted human being has dealt squarely with his or her own depravity. I realize this sounds very Christian, very fundamentalist and browbeating, but I want to tell you this part of what Christians are saying is true. I think Jesus feels strongly about communicating the idea of our broknenness, and I think it is worth reflection. Nothing is going to change in the Congo (or anywhere else out there)until you and I figure out what is wrong with the person in the mirror."
It's so easy to point fingers. To look at all the problems out there; in society, in other people. However, the problems out there often arise from the issues that rage inside these walls of my heart.
Considering these things, Paul once said, thank God for Christ! So, we're not just looking for better versions of our selves...we're looking for Christ in us!
In terms of spiritual disciplines, discipleship and grace here's some more thoughts from the book "Blue like Jazz."
"Our behaviour will not be changed long with self-discipline, but fall in love and a human will accomplish what he never thought possible. The laziest of men will swim the English channel to win his woman. I think what Rick (writer's pastor) said is worth repeating that by accepting God's love for us, we fall in love with Him, and only then do have the fuel we need to obey.
In exchange for our humility and willingness to accept the charity of god, we are given a kingdom. And a beggar's kingdom is better than a proud man's delusion."
The rest of the chapter is very insightful in this whole area many of us struggle with in terms of that fine line of obeying God in our own strength and obeying God because we love him, not because we want to prove how good we are.
I just began reading God in the Alley, by Greg Paul a pastor ministering in the inner-city of Toronto. He's the pastor of Sanctuary community. And speaking about being present in our world he says...
"...I need to learn how to truly be among the people to whom I am sent, as Jesus was among us. The character of my presence needs to be like his. I am sometimes struck by thoughts of the hundreds of lepers Jesus did not heal, the thousands of people who died of ridiculous little infections during his lifetime, the blind or lame beggars who missed his passing by a few hundred yards or a few minutes. He healed so few! And I, who can heal no one, am reminded that being his presence does not mean fixing everything...Being among people means being in their midst, not outside. It means being with them, not being over them. It means not looking away from their agony or humiliation, but beholding it, and having the courage to be also wounded by their pain."
A couple of weeks ago, I read through Blue Like Jazz in a few sittings. It's funny, until then, I hadn't heard too much about it, since then, I've heard lots (kind'a like when you buy a new car and all of a sudden that's the car you see the most on the streets.) Since I read it, I have heard a lot of dialogue on it mostly criticism, although I've also read quite a few people who appreciated it. Anyway, that's all really besides the point, I really enjoyed it. As you read you come accross morsels of truth and love said so plainly that you go, yeah, that's right. Ok, that's what happened to me, as I mentioned, others read it and only see a finger pointing at problems, but little in terms of solutions. Frankly, sometimes I feel like these people are reading with their eyes closed. But that's just my opinion. Over the next few days, I'm going to put in some of the things that although simple and not new, just resonated with my heart...
"Nobody will listen to you unless they sense that you like them...If a person senses that you do not like them, tha you do not approve of their existence, then your religion and you political (or any other ideas) will all seem wrong to them. If they sense that you like them, then they are open to what you have to say."
Like I said, simple, you knew that already. But here's the question, how has that changed your relationships? Especially with the difficult people in your life? I'm not speaking as one who's relationships are all perfect or who truly has loved everyone (especially) the hard to love (those who have attacke me directly and with intent to harm), as I should. Still, that's where Jesus says that Kingdom love really is powerful. I want to know that love and be a vessel that can carry it and pour it out.
I've been on a reading binge. This last week I've read three books and I'm half-way through my fourth book, not it's not on my reading list, I really need to update my site to reflect my life...maybe in the Fall. I'm realizing things like, no one really cares or wants to know what I'm reading. So, I think I'm going to lose that and other sections like that. Anyway, after my reading there's so much I'd like to write, but I haven't really had the energy. Ok, enough of that...I think I'll go read.
I like Brian McLaren. I like that he pushes the envelope. I like that he pushes the envelope, not just for the sake of pushing it, but in order to deal with real questions that many Christians have had for a long time. Questions that they have been unafraid to even talk about. I remember feeling like that at one time, not just as a Christian, but especially as a pastor. Thankfully, God brought people into my life that allowed me to ask those questions. Unfortunately, they're few and far between.
I like it as well that he's not just pulling questions out of thin air, like I just don't like hell or whatever subject this way so I'll come up with an alternative (although that's how some people paint the issue) Interestingly enough, often I hear people commenting on and worst, criticizing things they've never read. Kind of like the older brother in the prodigal son story, or the workers who were frustrated that the boss was willing to give the same pay to those who just worked one hour. Still, I'm learning God loves them just the same. If you don't understand why I put the these elements together, that's fine. Don't worry about it.
I like it that Brian's questions, not just in this book, but his others, come from wanting to understand God better, wanting to be truly biblical. Not just believing something or holding on to something because it was good enough for my mother so it's "got to be" good enough for me - no questions asked.
McLaren scares people. I think he scares people because of the "where will it stop argument". If you touch this, what's next? Next thing you know he'll be marrying homosexuals.
I've had my own questions about hell, Jesus said there was a hell, so I believe it. But I'm not sure it will all pan out in the same way I was always taught.
My questions all arise out of one passage and so I'll put it here in it's entirety. Although it's really the end that makes the point...
Romans 15:15-19 "For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift God is not like the result of one man's sin: The judgement followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
I'm not trying to stirr a hornet's nest, but doesn't that verse cause you to struggle? Is it just me or do other people say, boy, that doesn't fit well with the rest of our theology? Do we just explain it away by saying I know my theology, so this has to fit in it, although it seems to say something else?
Why do I struggle, because this passage says the grace of the one man, Jesus, is greater than the sin of the one man, Adam, effectively.
Why do I like Brian McLaren? Because he's a voice to Christians that says, it's ok to ask your questions if they are grounded in who God is and in His Word. If you have a faith that is grounded in those factors it's more likely to be or become real and impacting.
May we seek after a "Truth" that is truly Jesus, not just a set of propositions that don't lead to life change and Kingdom living, and may we, the church, be an environment where we're able to be honest about our questions, struggles and even doubts, without the fear of being "voted out" by the rest of the tribe.
However, I believe that will be hard, even unlikely to see happen as long as what determines whether people belong or not is a set of propositions that were written in stone a hundred years ago or even a few years ago. Like what your stand is on the end times, or the sign gifts, women in ministry, baptism mode, or any of those other things everyone pretends they have enough information on that allows them to close the doors or those people that would disagree with them. I know it's not closing the doors on them it's just telling them they either change or they can't truly be a part of our fellowship.
So, yup, I like McLaren, no apologies. And I won't say whether I agree with him 100%, because frankly, whether I do or not matters little except to try and paint this picture of where I fit in...although this post could lead some to believe they know me inside out. That's alright too.
Over the last year I've heard/read many people quote Henri J.M. Nouwen and have always liked what I heard quoted...last week I came accross and picked up his book, "In the name of Jesus." I'm looking forward to reading it. Here's something from the intro...
"After twenty-five years of priesthood, I found myself praying poorly, living somewhat isolated from other people, and very much preoccupied with burning issues. Everyone was saying I was doing really well, but something inside was telling me that my success was putting my own soul in danger...I woke up one day with the realization that I was living in a very dark place and that the term "burnout" was a convenient psychological translation for a spiritual death."
I'm hooked!
The vacation, the shock afterwards, the busyness of the holidays....all these have served to keep me from my reading (for the most part). Anyway, I'd been reading "A Generous Orthodoxy - Brian McLaren" during my lunch times...today I decided to pick it back up....here's an excerpt from today's reading...
"...I believe that we must be always reforming, not because we've got it wrong and we're closer and closer to finally "getting it right," but because our mission is ongoing and our context is dynamic. From this viewpoint "getting it right" is beside the point; the point is "being and doing good" as followers of Jesus in our unique time and place, fitting in with the ongoing story of God's saving love for planet earth."
Like water to parched lips... (if you disagree, that's ok!)
From a Generous Orthodoxy...
"Significantly, seeing Jesus as the "Son of God" can actually help remove the macho power and patriarchal dominance ideas often associated with God. Jesus comes not as a loud, bullying macho general, but as a vulnerable baby. Jesus lives as a poor Jew without ecclisiastical or political power and models not a conquering arroagance but a filial submission, not rugged independence but courageous obedience, not angry dominance that threatens with suffering but loving faithfulness that suffers instead. If Jesus truly reveals and images God, this vision of God is vastly different from the tough, macho judge and angry male potentate that many people think of when they think of God."
As Ron Martoia would say...if the church is to navigate through the waters of the future, it must look at it's lexicon and see where it needs to change, not to bow or accomodate culture, but to better reflect scripture and the heart of God.
"When I hide parts of myself, I seek to convince another person I am better than I am. If I'm a good enough hider, I may get away with it. The other persom may express affection and love for me. But always comes the voice inside me: Yes, but if you knew the truth about me, if you saw the hidden places, you would not love me. You love the person you think I am. You do not love the real me, for you do not know the real me."John Ortberg
And God, knowing we're hiding, asks the question he asked in the garden..."Where are you? I created you for more than this!"
What are we missing because we're hiding from one another? What are those close to us missing? What is the world missing?
People and a Church that would be a blessing to all nations?
I've just started reading a "a Generous Orthodoxy" by Brian McLaren a couple of days ago and wow. I've come to respect Brian McLaren and yes, his views on a lot of this stuff. It's like I'm reading what I've always felt but couldn't put into words...much of what happened when I first read "A New Kind of Christian".
I was drawn in by reading the cover...
"a Generous Orthodoxy - why I am a missional+evangelical+post/protestant+liberal/conservative+
mystical+poet+biblical+charismatic/contemplative+
fundamentalist/calvinist+anabaptist/anglican+methodist+
catholic+green+incarnational+depressed-yet-hopeful+
emergent+unfinished CHRISTIAN
I know it's not on my reading list to the left, but changing that list is not as easy as it seems, I'll get to that sometime soon...I'm too busy enjoying the book!
Someone stop me! Don't let me buy another book for a year!
I was just looking at my 'to read' shelf and realized I've got several months reading, maybe even a whole years reading in my office.
There's just so much good stuff out there.
I'm actually putting down a reading plan so I get through all of it - that's it no new books until I've read all of it.
Ok, it's not a years worth, but it's a lot...
I'm reading three good books right now, but last night I received a shipment of the first books I bought this year, and all of a sudden I feel like reading all eight. Anyway, my mouth is watering, so I guess I'll have to read these three really quickly, or maybe I'll rearrange my reading. Okay, okay, it's not like you're interested...