"Renovation of the Church" (Kent Carlson and Mike Leuken)

TITLE: Renovation of the Church: What Happens When a Seeker Church Discovers Spiritual Formation
AUTHOR:Kent Carlson and Mike Lueken
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2011, (192 pages).

This is a book about how a large church moves from seeker-sensitive perspective toward a seeking-Christ-more perspective. How it 'repents' from focusing on means to a message, and re-orientate toward the Message rather than the means. Methods may change, not the message.

The way the book begins, is a reminder that most churches face a similar challenge. Dallas Willard begins with a sharp diagnostic question that laments the state of the modern church: "How do we present the radical message of Christ in a church that has catered to the religious demands of the nominally committed?" It is a tough question that demands tough answers. The answer is a thorough renovation of the Church from the inside out.

With a title that is reminiscent of Dallas Willard book, what Willard has done in spiritual formation for the individual believer, Carlson and Lueken attempt to do the same for the Church community. The cover of the book shows a pomegranate above and the juicy seeds below, and the subtitle cheekily asks the question, "What happens when a seeker church discovers spiritual formation." Two pastors, having experienced amazing church growth and vibrant church life since 2000 at Oak Hills Church of Folsom, California, still feel a sense of responsibility for the spiritual formation of their church members. Moreover, they are dissatisfied despite all the "success" in the church. Their Church started in 1984 with 17 members. They had phenomenal growth, "Willow Creek" style, and each week means pumping away hard at the tried-and-tested formula that attracts people to their church. The problem is, has these people been changed from the inside out? Have they become growing disciples of Christ? This realization did not come easy for Carlson and Lueken. After years of numerical growth, they realize the "monster" they have unwittingly created. The monster of trying to keep up with the "success" experienced the week before. The monster of expectations that have been mounting with each "amazing" weekend. The monster of consumerism, of the Church kind. It takes Lyle Schaller's chapter on consumerism in the book, "The Very Large Church" to stop the leadership team at their tracks. It takes Dallas Willard's teachings to orientate them toward the need for spiritual formation, instead of mere performance. The decision to change from the seeker-sensitive focus to be attractive to people, to a renewed drive on spiritual formation is not an easy one. There are discouraging signs too.

• Numbers are plummeting;
• Giving is reducing, and the financial conditions are worsening;
• Staff salaries are cut; some staff are let go;
• Midweek services are terminated and moved to the weekend instead.
• The risks are high.

At the same time, there are barriers to overcome on the way to authentic spiritual formation. Barriers such as:

• the focus on productivity over faithfulness (former is measurable while the latter is not quite measurable)
• ambition placed in the wrong way
• consumer mindset in the culture at large

If there is one ambition, it is to walk on the path of decrease. First, recognize the problem. Second, develop a healthy fear of ambition. Third, work with other ministries humbly. Four, affirm the pastor not on the basis of what they do, but who they are. Five, remember the purpose and the mission of the church. Six, reduce one's public exposure, and finally, to continue the path of insignificance for self, and significance for Christ.

One of the ways in this journey of reduction of self-pride, is through co-pastoring, which requires the need to relinquish power and control. Once the impediments are removed, the church will be ready toward spiritual formation. Some suggestions include teaching spiritual formation, refusing cheap alternatives that prefer consumerism over formation, intentions that are implemented rather than just talked about, develop "one thing" groups that focus on spiritual formation in a laser-beam manner, and many more, with the pastor as spiritual director. The journey is not without its problems. Oak Hills learn the perils of:

• impatient leadership
• Lack of praying
• Too much talking
• Spiritual elitism
• Too much deconstruction by focusing on the negative rather than working on the positive

My Thoughts

The first thing needed before anything can be changed is the awareness of the need to change. This happened to the leadership team at Oak Hills, who has essentially run out of steam, exhausted about maintaining a formula that feeds on their energies. The seeker-sensitive formula can takes its toll first on the leadership, and gradually on the rest of the church. Despite its numerical success, the authors realize something is missing. This book is a brave description of a bold move toward something that is tough, risky, often demoralizing, easily misunderstood, and sometimes, baffling to people who are unfamiliar with what spiritual formation is all about. It is important to remember that this book represents a work that is still very much in progress. Oak Hills Church is not there yet. They are pointing toward the direction of drawing nearer to God. Instead of focusing all their energies, their people, and their resources, to develop and run attractive programs to draw in people to their church, they are turning their ship to be more Christlike in their programs. When fully developed, the vision is to have Christ as the main draw, not the programs. That Christ be the main Person, not the well-polished stage shows. That spiritual formation be the main program, not the weekly performance of the spiritual professionals.

I remember again the key idea that Max de Pree has said. The first task of a leader is to define reality. Carlson and Lueken have tried hard to define their current state of their church, and have openly shared their journey with the rest of the Christian community so that they can learn from and benefit from their learning. This is an important book for leaders of small churches to read, in order to avoid the pitfalls of ambitions that puff up the leadership, or create unhealthy consumer demands within the Church. It is also an important book for leaders of big churches, so that they remember that the means cannot be the message. For all readers, it reminds us that spiritual formation is a must have program in any church. Don't go to church without it in mind.

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book review has been kindly provided by a local library.

"Invitations from God" (Adele Ahlberg Calhoun)

TITLE: Invitations from God: Accepting God's Offer to Rest, Weep, Forgive, Wait, Remember and More
AUTHOR: Adele Ahlberg Calhoun
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2011, (208 pages)

This book is written by a fellow alumnus from my alma mater. With "invitation" as a key theme, Calhoun weaves in 11 areas in which we can find ourselves invited to do. "Invitation" is a great word to use with regards to spiritual formation. It is something unforced but encouraged. It is attractive yet gentle. It is an open invite that has our closest interests in mind.

"Invitations are powerful. Like tides, they ebb and flow, sharing the contours of our existence. . . . Invitations shape who we know, where we go, what we do and who we become. Invitations can challenge and remake us. They can erode and devastate. And they can also heal and restore us.... The things we say yes to and the things we say no to determine the terrain of our future." (9-10)

There are four types of invitations. The first are the "business and career invitations" that "invite us to more productivity, vision, initiative and profitability." The second are the "family invitations" that can affect how closely knitted the family can become. The third kind is "educational" which offers ways to improve or enrich oneself through learning.  The fourth is "entertainment and social" which is an invitation to party. What makes God's invitation different from all of these is that God wants to "mend, shape, anchor and grow us into the character of Jesus."  Our spiritual journey is about how we RESPOND to God's invitation to grow into Jesus. Throughout the twelve invitations, the format is similar. There is first an invite followed by a key passage of Scripture. The author then highlights a roadblock that threatens to derail us from an appropriate response to the invitation. It shows us the way to let the Holy Spirit help us, and then to practice in a way to enlarge our receptivity that God may work even more in our hearts.

"The Circle Maker" (Mark Batterson)

TITLE: The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears
AUTHOR: Mark Batterson
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011, (226 pages).

Beginning with the legendary story of Honi, the Jewish prayer warrior, readers are given an inspiring look at the place of prayer in the ordinary life of a Christian. The key idea in the book is that we need to pray without ceasing and without wavering our faith in God. Beginning with the story of Honi, Batterson describes how the prayer of one man persists beyond the drizzles and the raindrops. How the prayer persists beyond the downpour and the joys of the ecstatic onlookers. Until God from heaven unleashes the many blessings that will drench not only the physical land but the inner hearts of people. Batterson's conviction is this: "Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers." (13)

Batterson talks about how he draws prayer circles around his ministry, how he literally practices prayer walking around the location that eventually houses the coffeehouse initiative on Capitol Hill, and how in prayer, one can dream big and flee one's greatest fears. He sees the Jericho initiative that not only conquers the outside, but overcomes the fears inside. Whether it is on salvation, on reconciliation, on healing, or provision, there is nothing to stop anyone from taking anything to the Lord in prayer. Batterson begins by defining what success means to him.

1. Being able to do his best with whatever resources he has.
2. Being able to help people maximize their potential as given by God.
3. That the people closest to him, respect him the most.

Batterson justifies his praying through with several biblical examples. From the way the Lord has provided rain, manna, and quail to the people in the wilderness; to the parable of the persistent widow, to many personal stories of God answering (and not answering) his prayers. There are three circles of prayer to surround this initiative. They can be described through the phrase: "Dream Big. Pray Hard. Think Long."

The first circle, "Dream Big," is about learning to let God's vision expand our narrow perspectives. It is overcoming our doubts of God toward faith in God. It is not us sizing up God, but to let God size ourselves to a proper understanding of who God is. God has no limits. God has no problems in providing answers to prayers. It is whether it is in God's will. Batterson also makes a distinction between the "qualified" vs the "called," saying that the key issue to any ministry is not whether we are qualified or not. The key thing is whether we are called. Surely God will equip the called, no matter how qualified or unqualified the world may think of them.

The second circle, "Pray Hard" begins with the biblical story of a widow whose persistence got the better of the typically stubborn judge. Prayer warriors require a high "Persistence Quotient" that puts our faith into work, that practices our belief in God, that lets our prayers open our eyes to God taking action. There is an interesting thought about "hyperlinking" our prayers based on biblical promises. It links the ancient promises with present reality. It circles the promises of God, and revolutionizes our understanding of the Bible and how we read it. Batterson shares about how his "crazy" idea of praying around a crack house, ends up with a mysterious donation that is more than enough to fund the buying of the property, the construction of Ebenezer Coffee House, and how the Church continues to grow branches of ministry to bless people. Once Batterson and his staff received a notice that their rented property cannot be used due to fire code violations. They did the best thing they know. Pray. True enough. When the doors of public schools are closed, God opens the door of something better. Of all places, it is Union Square, a train station! (Since then, they have moved to another location, but the testimony of God's providence continues). The point is, God provides for his people according to what is needed most at that time.

The third circle is "Think Long" where prayer is a form of planting. This takes the form of having eternity in mind. We pray and think not simply of our present generations, but of other generations that are to come, for our children, their children, and their children's children, and so on. Yes, prayer can be "long and boring," but it grows deep roots of faith. When the US stock market crashes in 1929, Conrad Hilton shared about his "Pray Consistently and Confidently" experience which demonstrates to us that Hilton corporation is not built on bricks and mortars, but on a bold prayer to God. Batterson encourages readers to find their own patterns and own methods of prayer. Each of us are different. Drawing prayer circles may often require fasting too. It requires determination. It needs to be fueled by faith. It needs to allow the Spirit of God to overcome the temptations of the flesh. There is an "escape velocity" that we all need to have in order to pray above ourselves toward the heavenly kingdom.

The book ends with ten steps to goal setting, a list of life goals, and how we need to keep circling our prayers with God as our center. All it needs is one person, to draw one circle, to pray to one God, and ultimately to be the person that God has made one to be.

My Thoughts

This book is indeed a fresh perspective to prayer. For people who hardly pray, may this book reinvigorate the desire to pray. For people who prays in a monotonous and boring manner, this book offers ways in which we can keep faith, to be open to new ways of circling our prayers around God. For those of us hungering for more of God, this book is an excellent companion to dream big, to pray hard, and to think long.

I understand that there are some readers who feel uncomfortable about formulas, and steps to do spiritual things. Let me assure you that this book is not some self-help manual. It is a book that will inspire us to pray more and to believe God more. Pray to the point that our focus is not on the answers, but of God, and what He is speaking to us. I like the last part about Rodney "Gypsy" Smith, whose powerful ministry of preaching the gospel is wrapped up in this simple advice Gypsy gives.

"Go home. Lock yourself in your room. Kneel down in the middle of the floor, and with a piece of chalk draw a circle around yourself. There, on your knees, pray fervently and brokenly that God would start a revival within that chalk circle." (215)

Wow. That to me is worth the price of the book.

Keep at it. Don't give up. Keep praying. Keep hoping. Keep believing. This book may very well trigger a change in your prayer life, maybe even your whole life. What is most compelling for me is that while prayers can lead to dramatic answers to prayer from God above, there is something else that happens inside a person every time that person prays. Everytime something fails to happen our way, pray. Pray to hear what God is speaking. Pray to discover the many other factors that we may not have understood. Pray to see how God changes our inner hearts each time we pray. This book had me at the legendary story of Honi. It had me again at the end. "The Circle Maker" has not made the bestselling list by hype alone. It really is that good.

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book review is based on a book provided by the local library.

"The Writings of John" (C. Marvin Pate)

TITLE: The Writings of John: A Survey of the Gospel, Epistles, and Apocalypse
AUTHOR: C. Marvin Pate
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011, (562 pages).

This survey covers all five New Testament books in the New Testament written by John; the gospel of John, the three letters of John, and Revelation. Recognizing the centrality of Christ in its Christology, Soteriology, and Eschatology, and its impact on the formation of creeds and confessions for the Church, this work balances critical scholarship with general commentary, drawn from a variety of sources, including extrabiblical sources such as the Qumran Dead Sea scrolls, the old and new testament Apocrypha, and Pseudepigrapha.

Each of the 57 chapters begin with the same format. It begins with a one page list of objectives for that chapter. Filled with colourful diagrams, tables, and illustrations, it draws out key theological themes, frequent flashbacks to the Old Testament, section by section commentary of the key ideas in John's writings, highlighting contextual information with great clarity and insight. The review questions enable readers to look over the chapter in case they have missed something.

My Thoughts

This book is a preacher's treasure chest for preaching on anything that is from John's writings. With brilliant drawings and corresponding photo images of the lands, the book brings the gospels, the letters, and revelation alive to the reader. There are so many ready made point by point summary that it helps preachers and teachers be able to communicate the Bible clearly and meaningfully. The most fascinating part for me is the part on Revelation. Pate is able to move in and out of the three genres: apocalyptic, prophetic, and epistolary. There is history and prophecy, major schools of interpretation compared, with brilliant explanation  that unpacks complex imagery into understandable ideas. Focused on descriptive terms, readers can be rest assured that the author does not share just one view. He draws on many interpretations, and allows readers to decide for themselves. The multiple summaries, glossary, definitions of terms, make this book ideal for learning the writings of John on their own.

If you are looking for something in depth, this may not suit your liking. If you are looking for something that resembles a doctoral dissertation, look elsewhere. If you want to appreciate what the writings of John is about, how the contexts inform understanding of the biblical texts, and how educators can bring alive the events John recorded to the lay person, this is it.

I wish I had this book.

Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.

conrade

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This review is based on a book provided by the local library.

"How to Read the Bible Through the Jesus Lens" (Michael Williams)

TITLE: How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens: A Guide to Christ-Focused Reading of Scripture
AUTHOR: Michael Williams
PUBLISHER:  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012, (288 pages).

This book contains one basic premise: Every book in the Bible points us to Christ. Some more direct, others less, but all do point to this central figure. As a member of the NIV translation committee, Williams has the privilege of looking through the Bible in depth, through the lens of scholarship and translation devices. Called a "guide to Christ-focused reading of Scripture," this how-to book covers all 66 books of the Bible on the basis of John 5:39, "These are the very Scriptures that testify about me." There are several advantages in adopting this mode of reading.

• Unity: It connects both the Old and New Testaments into one big narrative;
• Eternity in Christ: It keeps readers focused on God's eternal plan through one Person in Christ;
• Focus: It prevents us from being distracted by contexts in each Bible that can appear out of place, even causing us to wonder why it is there in the first place;
• Revelation: It increases our appreciation of how the Holy Spirit has revealed God to us through the ages.

How is this done? Williams adopt a consistent four step process. First, he presents the overarching theme of each book, just like most Bible introductory courses. Only when we see the big picture, we can make sense of how Jesus reads the Scriptures during His time. Second, he leads readers through a journey called "The Jesus Lens" to discover the person of Jesus in the Old Testament, and how it is elaborated in the New Testament. This is the main dish. Third, he affirms the revelation of God's Word in Christ and makes a call for readers to learn Christlikeness, through "Contemporary Implications." Four, several "Hook Questions" are provided for readers to do more research and study, for discussion and indepth thining. Williams has provided a link that provides multimedia resources for each biblical book. It is worth taking a look, but users need to register online before it can be used.

My Thoughts

Meant more as a brief guide rather than a full-blown commentary, the book fulfills its purpose by giving readers a brief snapshot of how the Bible can be understood better through the eyes of Jesus. Unique in its kind, it makes the reading of the whole Bible very purposeful and insightful. However, some biblical theologians or inductive readers may not like the way the book straitjackets readers at the onset, to be given the answer of "Jesus" immediately even before reading the book for themselves. In fact, some who prefer to let the Bible interpret or speak for itself may not take kindly to Williams's approach. For example, in the titles of every chapter, there is already an interpretation done for readers, "Separation for Blessing" in Genesis, "Life Purpose" in Ecclesiastes, "Torah Fulfillment" in Matthew, and "Working Faith" in James, seems to over-simplify the particular book. Up to some point, readers may suspect that they are hemmed in to this perspective when they read the Bible.

Having said that, the key way to use this book is as a supplement to our conventional ways of studying the Bible. We can supplement our inductive studies with this Jesus' lens. We can let this book bring additional (not the only) insight to our research. For me, the book is easy to read but a little too brief to do any justification for a really meaty study. I can understand the limitations. That is why the additional resource link will be helpful for such persons. In fact, with the hook questions at the end of each chapter, this book can also be a Bible study material! For me, the big advantage comes with those books that are relatively less read in the Church, like the minor prophets, Song of Solomon, Numbers, etc.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade

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 This book review is based on a book borrowed from the local library.