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Posts Tagged ‘Deep-Rooted in Christ’

Your Church Is Too Small: Why Unity in Christ’s Mission is Vital to the Future of the Church

By: John H. Armstrong; ISBN – 978-0-310-32114-9   Zondervan Publishing

FUTURE (Part 3) “The Missional-Ecumenical Movement”

John Armstrong begins this concluding section of Your Church is Too Small by discussing the nature and definition of the “True Church.” He also poses the question whether the “True Church” exists at all. The answer, he says, is “yes;” the True Church does exist… it is God’s community of people on earth. Quoting Paul, he writes: “This ideal church is made up of all people everywhere ‘who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.’”

Personally, I agree with Armstrong that we need an objective starting point if we are to work toward a believable, Biblical, and sustainable unity in the Church. He says the great problem with the famous dictum: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, freedom; and in all things charity” there still remains that one Christian’s non-essential is another’s essential. How true, but we must still find a grounding point or points to proceed on the path toward Biblical (Love) unity. He cites Lesslie Newbigin’s convicting remarks below:

“The world will always, consciously or unconsciously, judge what the church says by what it is. They will interpret the printed epistle by the living epistle.” (p.139)

I continue to wrestle with and process the thinking in this final section, especially chapter fifteen. I’m not sure I fully understand the subtle nuances and intricacies of what Dr. Armstrong purports with regard to “fruit inspection” and determining “who is a real Christian.” As I said, I’m still processing this chapter (and likely, will be doing so for some time), so I don’t have a lot to speak on it at this juncture. I will say that some of the questions I am sorting through regard church discipline, “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” “wheat and tares,” and whether or not (and how) “judgment and/or fruit inspection” precludes discipline…there are more questions, but these are dominating my thoughts rather prominently at the moment. Suffice it to say, this is a very thought-provoking chapter; at least it is for me.

Chapters sixteen through eighteen discuss the missional-ecumenical paradigm that Armstrong hints at throughout the book. It is here that he really spends some time and focus developing the heart of his passion; additionally, he shares his mentors and some of the more significant influences that have helped him formulate this missional-ecumenical paradigm.

I mentioned that I first became aware of Your Church is Too Small from a review by Michael Bird on the euangelion blog site. He brings to light a repeated point and call by Armstrong to return to paleo-orthodoxy as a springboard toward unity. I think Michael Bird captured this call very well, so rather than repeat it myself I will share his thoughts here. Michael writes the following:

A recurring theme is that unity is important for our mission and also the necessity of returning to our ancient roots. Armstrong’s recipe for trying to achieve that is sevenfold: (1) Cultivating a commitment to restore the sacraments; (2) increasing our appetite to know more about the ancient church; (3) express love for the whole church and desire to see the church become one; (4) blend practices of worship, devotion, and prayer from all three streams of the Church (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant); (5) increase interest in integrating more liturgical depth and structure with spontaneity and freedom in the Holy Spirit; (6) provide greater involvement in signs and symbols of worship such as crosses, banners, and clerical vestments; and (7) continue a commitment to personal salvation, solid biblical teaching, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

I was greatly inspired by the examples and resultant fruit that was shared by communities that are practicing this spirit of missional-ecumenism. Personally, I long for this type of community. I stand in the camp with those who agree that One Church is what the Lord has intended for His people.

The final chapter is Armstrong’s concluding thoughts and prayer for the Church. I not only agree with his thesis, but have been refreshed and inspired to press on in pursuit of the vision. As I said in my opening statement, I believe this is a very important book. It raises many questions (some of which I am still working through myself), and prompts us to do some serious examination of our own hearts and ambition. I am reminded of something I read from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book Life Together where he proposes that many of us (Christians) are in love with our own version of God’s Church…we fight tooth and nail for it, but our version is not the Vision of God for His Church (my paraphrase). We build idols from our beliefs and destroy each other in the process of worshiping those beliefs over the God whom we claim to be serving. I am thankful for this book. I am sure I will be referring to it and the well-documented resources and bibliography. I think it should be read by pastors and lay leaders alike. Armstrong includes a few discussion questions at the end of each chapter that are helpful to kick-off  conversations if a group or leadership team wanted to read the book together.

Disturb us, Lord… disturb us from our idols and disturb us from being idle. Disturb us, O Lord, indeed.

A Link to many more reviews of Your Church is Too Small

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I have come to the end of a 52-week meditation in the book by Joshua Choonmin Kang, Deep-Rooted in Christ. I first read this book back in the summer of 2008 and decided at that time it would be a great book to work through again in a devotional and contemplative way. I was right. It has been great. If you are a follower of the icrucified blog, you will know or remember that most of 2009 has been “peppered” with quotes and discussion fueled by pastor Kang. I’m looking forward to the next work of his that will be translated into English and am hopeful that it will be a piece that can be useful in the same sense of “Deep-rooted.”

Because there are so many mentions of the book over the past year, I don’t want to give another review or synopsis of the book. However, if you are unfamiliar with it, let me just say that it is a primer and much more on the disciplines of spiritual formation. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

The final meditation speaks directly to the way of transformation (meaning being transformed into the image of Christ – this is what spiritual formation is all about; becoming like Jesus). Pastor Kang writes the following instructions:

Attaining spiritual maturity isn’t easy. Relentless training is needed, much like the training Paul took on when he became obedient to God. Such training requires sacrifice: you must despise sin, be passionate for holiness and balance your work with mature living. Not only that; spiritual maturity shouldn’t be the goal in itself. Instead, our goal should be to witness truly to Jesus in our lives. When all is said and done our spiritual maturity must be for the sake of ministry.

True meaning and purpose are lost when a person focuses entirely on gaining spiritual maturity. But beware. Mature spirituality is no substitute for ministry. And heads up! If one boasts about having achieved spiritual maturity, then that person has to start all over again. That’s not what spirituality is all about. Gaining spiritual maturity is hard; losing it is easy (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Pastor Kang shares some final wisdom in the following tips he calls the prescription for maintaining exceptional spirituality and becoming like Jesus:

1. Walk the straight path (Joshua 1:7; Proverbs 23:19) entering through the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14) the way of Jesus…the road of the cross.
2. Always abide in Jesus. We must always be connected to Jesus in every way; this is our spiritual goal (John 15:5; Hebrews 3:1; Hebrews 12:2)
3. Live a spirit-filled life (Ephesians 5:18; 2 Corinthians 3:18)
4. To follow Jesus will require us to deny ourselves daily; we cannot follow Jesus without first submitting to this prerequisite (Luke 9:23; 1 Corinthians 15:31)
5. We must discipline ourselves to always be alert to the foil of the adversary and staying prepared (1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:10-17)
6. Submission to God and following the way of Jesus compels us to submit to and serve others; the greatest commandment was summarized by Jesus, “Love God and Love others.” (Matthew 22:37-40; John 13:34-35; 1 Corinthians 13) Love is everything.
7. Ministry and mature spirituality requires the Word of God and understanding the Word only comes through a close relationship with Jesus and imitation of Him

I cannot sing the praises of this little book loudly enough; it has been a real joy to journey through it this past year, I have been challenged, blessed, corrected, and inspired. Thank you, Pastor Kang for sharing your wisdom and your love for our Lord; I am blessed.

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Book Review: Primal – A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity

By Mark Batterson

Before I get into the meat of my review, I have to confess that Primal started off rather slowly for me. I’m accustomed to the writing style of Mark Batterson and pretty familiar with his speaking and teaching style. I’ve listened to his sermons from NCC and followed his blog for several years in addition to reading his books. It is/was probably me, but it just seemed that this book seemed a little sluggish in getting moving with the storyline, but I might be getting ahead of myself. Let me tell you a little about the premise of the book; the following is from the back cover:

“Our generation needs a reformation. But a single person won’t lead it. A single event won’t define it. Our reformation will be a movement of reformers living creatively, compassionately, courageously for the cause of Christ. This reformation will not be born of a new discovery.  It will be the rediscovery of something old, something ancient.  Something primal. What would your Christianity look like if it was stripped down to the simplest, rawest, purest faith possible? You would have more, not less. You would have the beginning of a new reformation—in your generation, your church, your own soul. You would have primal Christianity.”

—Mark Batterson, Primal

Mark takes the heart of his premise, primal, from the great commandment; “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul, and all your strength” –Jesus (Mark 12:28-30). He then breaks this down in the book into four parts, deliberately and methodically unpacking these primal elements:

• The heart of Christianity is primal compassion…
• The soul of Christianity is primal wonder…
• The mind of Christianity is primal curiosity…
• And the strength of Christianity is primal energy…

So, while (and this speaking according to my personal preferences) I thought the book started a little slow, the cadence picked up rather quickly and by the time I reached part two (The Soul of Christianity) momentum was “full-on” and I found it difficult to read more than a page or two before I was having “Oh wow, I gotta write this down” moments.

I’m still debating this, but I think the Seventy Faces chapter (chapter five) may be my favorite. There were a number of great quotes in it that I’ll be “borrowing” (Don’t worry Mr. Batterson; I’ll be giving credit where it is due). This chapter is about reading, study, and becoming the word. I especially loved the following thoughts on the need to meditate on Scripture:

“Meditating on it (the Word) turns one-dimensional knowledge into two-dimensional understanding. Living I out turns two-dimensional understanding into three-dimensional obedience… Meditation is the way we metabolize Scripture. That’s how it gets into our soul.”

—Mark Batterson, Primal

I mentioned following Mark’s ministry at NCC and his Evotional.com blogsite. One of the endearing qualities for me with Primal is my noticing some of the teaching illustrations and metaphors that have evolved and become crystal clear in this work. Several years ago I remember a teaching series at the NCC I listened to many times on my iPod (still have this one saved actually) called The Neurology of Faith. I recognized quite a few points from the Neurology series as well as a number of illustrations from various blogging posts. I particularly enjoy seeing things that have developed from the “now and raw” into cohesive and fully formed teaching. I believe that Mark Batterson is a very gifted teacher and speaker; his latest book as well as those that have preceded Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity are proving him to be an equally gifted writer as well.  You can get a sneak peak from the publisher, Multnomah, here. Read the rest of this entry »

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Morning Prayer:

You, O Lord, who command us to ask, grant that we may receive. You have put us on seeking; let us be happy in finding. You have bidden us to knock; we pray You open to us. Be graciously pleased to direct and govern all our thoughts and actions, that for the future we may serve You and entirely devote ourselves to obeying You. Accept us, we ask You, and draw us to Yourself, that we may henceforth be Yours by obedience and love, who are already all Your own as Your creatures, even Yours, O Lord, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. [Amen] Augustine

“As much as God loves the flower of trees, He isn’t interested in flashy bouquets or fancy floral displays. What He values is the inner beauty of the heart. Yes He understands our need for attention. Yes, He dances His attention on us. But what He really wants us to do is to grow, to be substantial, to give life.” Joshua Choonmin Kang

Psalm 37 (excerpted)

Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the LORD. Trust Him, and He will help you. Be still in the presence of the LORD and wait patiently for Him to act. .. The LORD takes care of the godly. Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever. The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand. The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong. They have made God’s law their own, so they will never slip from His path. The LORD rescues the godly; He is their fortress in times of trouble. He saves them, and they find shelter in Him. [Amen]

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I’m coining a new word today; “GOD-pportunity” – this is an event, or circumstance, that has potential to become a divine expression of the LORD Almighty. I don’t think there are always obvious expressions of this event, but they present themselves all the time in our lives…we just aren’t aware of them as the “GOD-pportunities” they are. I know that God is always near; I know that God is always expressing Himself; I know that God desires to express Himself through us as individuals (me). I also know and try to practice the always-aware-life of God’s always present Presence. I was reading this morning in 2 Kings and this phenomenon was clearly illustrated to me.

This is still pretty raw and fresh in my head, so forgive me and extend grace, if my explanation and process are not completely refined here.

First is a comparison and contrast of the person who lives in intimate relationship (hearing from God) versus the person who is not close to God (for whatever reason). This is important, because…in order to recognize and maximize the “GOD-pportunity” we have to be in relationship with God to hear Him and be aware of the “GOD-pportunity” as it develops and is presented.

So, the comp/con of personalities:

Personality One – (2 Kings 5:1-7) King Joram (I think it is Joram) is evil and far from God (see 2 Kings 3:1-3) and a “GOD-opportunity” arrives (literally) on his doorstep. He freaks out in an act of fear, paranoia and despair…perhaps even a little conviction:

v.7 – “When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, ‘This man sends me a leper to heal! Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.’”

Personality Two – (2 Kings 5:8) Elisha, the man of God, is a prophet. He is a man who spends time with God, regularly listening to His voice and acting in obedience to what he hears God say to him. Here is how scripture depicts his response to the “GOD-pportunity”:

v.8 – “But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him: ‘Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.’”

Takeaway: The person living in close-intimate relationship with God hears His voice, responds obediently, and is able to recognize “GOD-pportunities” as they are presented before them.

Now, on to the “GOD-pportunities” Read the rest of this entry »

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The Jesus Way Conference

Recovering the lost content of discipleship…

I arrived in San Antonio, TX for the Jesus Way conference on Sunday around noon. It’s now 9:30pm on Monday night after the first FULL day of main sessions and workshops. The metaphor of “taking a sip from a fire hose” is an understatement for what I’ve experienced the last 36 hours or so. I’m still digesting the sessions and information that has been shared. I think the greatest joy I’ve had so far is the true ecumenical heart and unity that I have sensed among all the people. This is an international conference, people are attending from all points of the globe; even more impressive is how fully represented the Christian people of God are. Every denomination and flavor of Christianity is here…I think. Anyway, to the sessions.

Sunday night was our welcome and first session; our speaker was Eugene Peterson author of the Jesus Way. Eugene was introduced by Max Lucado who shared a scripture meditation and beautiful story illustration around Jesus’ calming of the seas from the gospels. I can’t say what I enjoyed most from Eugene’s talk because I just love listening to him. He is one of my favorite Christian writers of all time, certainly my most favorite living authors. The general session ended and we adjourned to our respective hotels. While waiting in line for the elevator, I had the privilege to meet Eugene and his wife, Jan, they are very charming people.

I have written here on numerous occasions about Joshua Choonmin Kang and his wonderful book Deep-Rooted in Christ. This morning I had the joy of getting to hear Pastor Kang myself; he was the lead-off speaker for our first general session today. Although Pastor Kang speaks English, we were told he is more comfortable speaking Korean. I was able to hear his talk twice today…once in Korean and once through an interpreter and it was great both occasions. The topic of his talk was Abraham and the Jesus Way. The highlights of the talk were the correlation of Mt. Moriah to Sinai to Mt. of Transfiguration to Golgotha. Another point brought out during the talk was the length of Abraham’s journey and the connection with spiritual formation. Pastor Kang said; “spiritual formation doesn’t happen in a day, it takes a lifetime…” I’ve got lots of notes that mean a lot to me, but the context of their content is all in my head; for that, I recommend (again) Deep-Rooted in Christ by Joshua Choonmin Kang.

My workshops were awesome! My regret is that I will only be able to attend four workshops and there is a huge amount of them offered. My first workshop was titled “How we lost the way: Learning from the Historical Neglect of Spiritual Formation.” One word: Fabulous! I loved this session and found it fascinating as well as enlightening. I have a few leads on some more resources and reading I would like to investigate to help me understand this more. The importance of it will be helpful in reaching the people God has called me to minister to.

Workshop number two was; “Entering God’s World: The Kingdom of God as an Ever-present Reality.” It was led by Glandion Carney. The most delightful part of this session was the openness of people sharing their personal experiences with and in the living of God’s Kingdom. After the session, I was able to speak personally with Glandion about training as a spiritual director. God is so good!

The next general session was led by Randy Frazee and Chris Webb. Chris serves as the current president of the Renovare’ Group. He spoke with us about “imperfection,” David, and the Jesus Way. The last general session of the day was introduced by James Bryan Smith and led by Dallas Willard. Uhhhhh, I’ve got scratched notes and furious short-hand things all over my notebook. Dr. Willard shared with us about “Servanthood” and the Jesus Way. LOTS of awesome stuff from Dallas during this session.

I know I haven’t said a lot about the conference specifically, but I’m having a wonderful time enjoying the people of God and great inspiration. I look forward to the next couple days. Live the Kingdom [Amen]

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This meditation is from Deep-Rooted in Christ by Joshua Choonmin Kang (the following thoughts are excerpted, and in some cases paraphrased by me, from Pastor Kang’s wonderful book on spiritual formation and transformation through the person of Jesus Christ.

Knowledge is wonderful, but accumulating knowledge doesn’t guarantee increasing transformation…at best, it produces better informed sinners.

Wisdom is to be strived for, but we must recognize that it has two dimensions: Horizontal (worldly wisdom) and Vertical (spiritual wisdom). Worldly wisdom is temporal and changes easily. Spiritual wisdom stays with us and has no limits.

Understanding is the glue that binds knowledge and wisdom together. “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom, though it cost all you have, get understanding.” Proverbs 4:7

Where does wisdom start though?

The source of understanding begins with the seed of God’s word. The Bible teaches that the word is the key to understanding spiritual mysteries.

The Holy Spirit helps us directly illuminating (giving light) to God’s word and guiding the hungry heart in truth. The Holy Spirit opens our mind to the deep riches of God’s truth.

When we become obedient to God’s word, we may be said to bear good fruit…the kind of fruit that lasts and brings much glory to God. [Amen] Matthew 13:13-23

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40 Days Living the Jesus Creed [Day 23-25]

O God, who has given us the great and saving truths of Your gospel: grant us, we ask You, to live amid these things, to meditate on them and seek them; for one who goes on seeking, finds. Help us, therefore, to learn those things on earth, the knowledge of which shall abide with us in heaven. Grant this for Jesus Christ’s sake. [Amen] Give us strength with changed heart, O Lord, to love You with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength…and help us, O Lord, for Your namesake to love our neighbor as ourselves. [Amen]

“Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace-in peace because they trust in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)

“Scriptural living comes from trust in the Lord. When our eyes are fixed on the Lord Jesus and we trust in His word, we will be steadfast and mature.” Deep-Rooted in Christ; Joshua Choonmin Kang

“Your decrees are my meditation…” (Psalm 119:99) Read the rest of this entry »

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Sorting, Processing, and Continued Reflection… 40 Days Living the Jesus  Creed (Day 14)

“The desperate need for today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but deep people…” [Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster]

Quotables from “Deep-Rooted in Christ” by Joshua Choonmin Kang:

• “The Word of God is the only tool that can bring about our spiritual formation.”
• “The Holy Spirit is what brings us to maturity and depth.”
• “The Holy Spirit offers us the utmost intimate knowledge of God and our inward thoughts.”

I’m still sorting through several things going on in my life; not the least of which are personal relationships. I continue to meditate and reflect on the precepts of God as I search His leading and guidance on how to live as a “reconciler” and peacemaker. Read the rest of this entry »

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There is a hidden world…we have been invited into.

40 Days Living the Jesus Creed [Days 8-9]

Several readings have been coming together for me that are really honing in on a single idea. Everything seems to be orbiting the Presence of the Indwelling God. I suppose to get the full picture you’d need to go back through the last several blog posts covering the past couple weeks or so…might even need to go back as far as the beginning of the year. As near as I can tell, the leading of God in my “inner life” continues to push me in the same direction; that is…making more of Him and experiencing His guiding presence every second of my life. Sounds odd; I know…but I also know it is real.

My Praying the Jesus Creed the last couple days has been:

Almighty and everlasting god, By whom that begins to be which was not and that which lay hidden is made visible, cleanse away the folly of our heart and purify us from our secret vices, that we may be able to serve and to love you, O Lord, with all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds, and all our strength. Help us, O Lord, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. May we do this through Jesus Christ our Lord the Giver of the Indwelling and Guiding Spirit of God. Amen.

Psalm 95:1-7 “If only you would listen to His voice today…” Read the rest of this entry »

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