This book is excellent for making you think. Rob is the Founding Pastor of Mars Hill church, in Grand Papids, Michigan, (according to the publishers "one of the fastest-growing churches in America", but I don't think from what I've read Rob would've thought of putting that in, he doesn't seem the 'numbers' type! ) and the idea of the book, according to it's author, is to "repaint" the Christian faith. He actually does a very good job, as rather than throwing out traditional Christianity, he re-imagines it, looking at ways in which we've traditionally mis-interpreted the words of Jesus using our western 21st century glasses, instead of looking at the 1st century eastern culture in which Jesus spoke.
Once you start looking at the Bible this way, it's hard to stop, and Jesus' message of the Kingdom of Heaven becomes even more radical than we would like to think. God's world is exactly that. It's His world, and He wants His Kingdom to be set up here, not in some faraway distant future-time. Rob reminds us that the Bible even ends in Revelation with God "coming down" to the earth to set up His Kingdom. Hell anbd Heaven are present realities to be avoided or created. Rather than greek ideas of eternity of the soul and matter being evil, Rob paints a more accurate picture of God in Jesus who's the God of the NOW, ('I AM' perhaps?) who works in our lives NOW, who's revealed in the Bible as actually the One who hates empty religion and religious observances if they're not done with the heart.
Rob poses a question about re-imagining the message of Jesus, the status of the Bible, not because it's trendy or because it's new, but because it's needed, and it's actually an ancient idea: communties of faith-full people who interpret their scriptures and doctrines about God through the way He acts in relationship to them. He presents many amazing insights of the way in which we have interpreted the bible in ways in which aren't neccesarily the best, because we don't make ourselves aware of the culture in which Jesus' stories and teachings were placed. Rob points out that Jesus lived and died as a Jew, and we need to be aware of the context in which he spoke.
He presents a powerful argument to see the Bible, not as an instruction manual, (the traditional evangelical view) but as narrative, the story of God's interaction with His people. (he makes a valid point about this: when was the last time you felt inspired by reading the designer's manual for a toaster!!)
The Bible has authority not because it is "etched in stone" as it were, but because it's stories resonate with our own. It's not important that it happennED, as much as that it happeNS. The stories tell of people's faith in and doubt of God, of their failings and victories, and of His character revealed by how He acts. He is the God of the Now.
He challenges us to see the hand of God as operating all over our world, and not limiting it to even our own religion, but seeing a bigger picture of the Saviour who died for all, and who reveals truth in all things. This is a bigger picture of the God who died for us, and I found it really encouraging that we don't have to be closed minded as Christians, but that we can see and recognize Truth for what it is, in lot's of things not neccesarily within Christianity.
He tackles lots of issues, and I could go into detail but I'd be here all night, (!) so I'll just end with a quote:
They are making a monumental decision in the history of Christianity , and the best they can say is that it seems like it is the best decision? It seems good to them and the Holy Spirit?
They don't claim to have an absolute word from God on the matter; they at best claim guidance from the Spirit of God, but they even hold that loosely.
What is so beautiful about the language in Acts 15 is that they make a decision, they step up, they take their responsibility seriously, they acknowledge a strong sense of God's leading, but they remain humble.
With their "seems", they leave room to admit they may not have nailed it perfectly the first time. They hold their action and God's action in healthy tension. They understand that they have action to take, but they also understand that God is at work as well. They don't take a passive route which is to do nothing, and assume that God will miraculously do it all. And they don't take a route based in human arrogance, which leaves no room for the leading and guiding of the Spirit of God.
What if we were to say about what we do, "It seems good to the Holy Spirit and to us"?
I love the sense of movement in these first Christians' language, like they are discovering things and making decisions, but there is this inherent assumption that they are on a journey. There is more ahead. And God is with them every step of the way.
They aren't done painting...'
I like that. :-)
He's got some good thoughts, go and buy the book!
No comments:
Post a Comment