I have a tremendous
stack of books for future reading. Here, however, are two books that
have captured my attention, and why I recommend them. I am seeing them
as balancing aspects in my ministry life. Both have come out of my
experience in the Academy of Congregational Transformation (ACT), the
congregational leadership course I am taking through the Evergreen
region.
For my ministry focus outward, to
non-Christians who are wondering about Christianity, I am reading
More Ready Than You Realize: Evangelism as Dance in the Postmodern
Matrix by Brian McLaren (Zondervan, 2002). It details the author's
email conversations with a woman he calls Alice, who is interested in
Christian faith. All the participants in ACT received this book. These
conversations, and McLaren's reflections upon them, detail a "spiritual
friendship" in which they talk about God in the context of a growing
friendship, a relationship that does not involve a push to conversion.
Alice questions whether becoming a Christian means she'll become intolerant
and unforgiving. Yikes! But that reflects how many non-Christians see
Christianity today: exclusive and compassion-less. McLaren's thesis is
that in the contemporary world, disciple-making is a process, a conversation
within a relationship, in the spirit of openness. People are more ready
to learn about God than you may realize, but the folks in the community
have to see you as safe to talk with. McLaren says engaging in longer
conversations that don't automatically lead to asking, "Do you accept
Jesus Christ as your personal savior?" is the way to make disciples in
these times. This book reveals real concerns in the minds of people we
hope to reach in the community. It's also an easy read, with chapters
easy to digest.
|
For my inward
spiritual development, and for my own renewed look at scripture, I am
reading The Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible (editors Richard Foster,
Dallas Willard, Walter Bruggemann, and Eugene H. Peterson.
Harper SanFrancisco, 2005). Renovaré is Latin for "renew." When I saw
this bible in the Christian bookstore I visited in California, I knew
I had to have it. It is an entire bible, in the New Revised Standard
Version, with articles and notes on how the bible reveals various aspects
of life with God through many spiritual practices. The practices are
based on Foster's work, outlining the six Christian traditions present
throughout the faith's 2000-year history:
- Contemplative: the Prayer-Filled Life
- Holiness: the Virtuous Life
- Charismatic: The Spirit-Empowered Life
- Social Justice: the Compassionate Life
- Evangelical: the Word-Centered Life
- Incarnational: the Sacramental Life
We learned about Foster's six spiritual traditions/styles in our first
session of ACT. First, we had to identify our own typical styles and
second, practice new styles to deepen and expand our ways of encountering
God. When our prayer lives feel a bit stale, as will happen with any
Christian on occasion, it helps to have a model for praying in different
ways. My spiritual director is (wisely!) calling me to expand my spiritual
practices, and if you are interested in doing the same, I'd be happy to
share this information with you.
May your encounters with the living God, and with your neighbors, be
frequent and rich!
--Angela
|
