AUTHOR: Jon Tyson
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah, 2020, (256 pages).
- "Discipleship must be stronger than Cultural Formation"
- "Loyalty must be stronger than compromise"
Almost immediately, the author goes on to apply these to basic Christian Living. In relating to Church, he is aware of the broken images that the Church has been going through. Yet, the Church is still the Bride of Christ, the Temple of God, and God's main channel of resistance. That is why it must begin there.
He deals with worship, that the Church must resist idolatry. Worship must never bow down to cultural or heart idols. It must take captive of everything and ensure they do not replace the lordship of Christ. He notes how our culture is obsessed with work and the busyness of working. Resist the temptation to allow work to dominate and control our lives. Connecting hunger with food, he warns us against the idolatry of food. True hospitality resists fear of the stranger. Honor resists the rise of contempt. Love resists hate and sacrifice resists privilege. Finally, he raises the need to celebrate instead of being cynical about life.
My Thoughts
The beatitudes of Jesus have one key theme: Being Counter-cultural. We are called not to be of the world but to challenge the world against the values that are counter to Christ. This challenge does not mean warring against flesh and blood but against the powers and principalities of the world. Jon Tyson is spot on when he goes back to the Church and reaffirms the place and purpose of the ecclesiastical order. We need that. In this post-Christian world, the Church has been rendered irrelevant by mainstream society. By reminding us that in spite of her flaws, God has chosen the Church to be His Temple, the People of God, and the Bride of Christ. Anyone who spits on the Church is essentially spitting at God and His choice. The Church is imperfect simply because people are imperfect. Yet God chose to love the Church. This alone should remind us not to belittle the church in any way. Yes, the Church has flaws, but who on earth does not have flaws? The most successful institutions too had to go through growing pains. That's why I think the strongest part of Tyson's book is the way he reignites the crucial position of the Church and addresses the place of worship. If there's anything we need to resist most, it is none other than idolatry. The heart of resistance is an idol-resistant heart. The best way to idol-proof our hearts is to ensure that our worship belongs to Christ alone.
The rest of the book focuses on resisting the idolatry of many faces. Tyson chooses several areas from the idolatry of work to the idolatry of modern cynicism. These cultural influences could affect believers in more ways than one. As a result, even believers are increasingly skeptical and cynical about Church and Christianity. There is a pressing need to remind believers that the Church needs to be preserved and protected, simply because God loves the Church, His Bride. This book helps us recognize the subtle cultural influences that are threatening to eat away at our resistance. Those without any shields are easy pickings. Those with shields need to be on their guard constantly.
Jon Tyson
is a pastor and church planter in New York City. Originally from
Adelaide, Australia, Jon moved to the United States over two decades ago
with a passion to seek and cultivate renewal in the Western Church. He
is the author of Sacred Roots, A Creative Minority, and The Burden Is Light. He serves as the lead pastor of Church of the City New York.
Rating: 4 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Multnomah Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
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