Prodigal Kiwi(s) Blog

Coughs, tickles and Appreciative Enquiry

Paul writes – I appreciated this from Simon Carey Holt’s blog (good to have him blogging again after a little break to focus on other things). Nice to have another Baptist working with Anglican's

The question of discernment – learning to recognise God at work (in order to join in) – is a regular theme on this blog (for example, see here for a few, more recent posts). I’ve previously mentioned the wonderful book – Spirituality in the City – here, though I haven’t yet reviewed it – in summary I’d give it an “8 out of 10!”

I wonder what kind of essays, actions and initiatives would be generated from within the town I live in – “Spirituality in Cambridge” – if a group of us creatively and imaginatively listened for the “coughs and tickles”…?

"Meister Eckhart believed that 'God is like a person who clears his throat while hiding and so gives himself away.' The challenge to the churches at the moment is to unveil whether there might be a divine presence in so much contemporary darkness, and to encourage the energy that is still there in people's lives to listen out for the divine coughs and tickles."

Mark Oakley, "Reclaiming Faith," in Spirituality in the City, edited by Andrew Walker, 1-14. London: SPCK, 2005.

On a related theme check out the ever thoughtful Len Hjalmarson’s useful reflection (and summary) of Appreciative Enquiry, here. His earlier ‘introduction’ to the theme can be found here.

Faith In Politics – Kevin Rudd, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Rowan Williams

Paul writes – I was struck by a wonderful (although brief) exploration of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s “faith in politics” (by Raymond Pelly) in the latest issue of Anglican Taonga (Autumn 2008). You can read the whole essay (2006), referred to in the Taonga article, here.

As I read it, I heard echoes of recent talks by Rowan Williams, particularly his “Faith and Politics” (here). Both make important and needful points, points I’m only now starting to appreciate. Both argue, in effect that “a Christian perspective on contemporary policy debates may not prevail, [BUT] it must nonetheless be argued…[humbly]”

Here are a couple of excerpts from Rudd’s essay:

“…God is not partisan: God is not a Republican or a Democrat. When either party tries to politicize God, or co-opt religious communities for their political agendas, they make a terrible mistake. The best contribution of religion is precisely not to be ideologically predictable nor loyally partisan. Both parties, and the nation, must let the prophetic voice of religion be heard. Faith must be free to challenge both right and left from a consistent moral ground…

A Christian perspective on contemporary policy debates may not prevail. It must nonetheless be argued. And once heard, it must be weighed, together with other arguments from different philosophical traditions, in a fully contestable secular polity. A Christian perspective, informed by a social gospel or Christian socialist tradition, should not be rejected contemptuously by secular politicians as if these views are an unwelcome intrusion into the political sphere. If the churches are barred from participating in the great debates about the values that ultimately underpin our society, our economy and our polity, then we have reached a very strange place indeed.

The Anglican Taonga article is attached as a PDF below:

Download kevin_rudd_faith_in_politics.pdf

The Insatiable Moon

Paul writes – The Insatiable Moon is a wonderful novel written by Mike Riddell and published in 1997. Mike has, over a number of years, written the screenplay for the movie The Insatiable Moon which I do hope finds funding and does get made. It’s a NZ story, BUT in the same way that Whale Rider was, it is a universal story – one that will cross boundaries and speak to the deeper questions of what it means to be human and what it means to be community.

It is a beautiful story set on the margins amongst a group of people often ‘invisible’ to the many of us middle-class and upper-class, getting on with our lives. To the degree that these people remain invisible; to that degree we will struggle to find God…Insatiable Moon is a novel (and will be a movie) that opens us to the wonder of mystery and the mystery of humanity centered on Arthur, who just might be “the second son of God…”

Going Where Jesus Is; Where His Disciples Aren’t...

Paul writes – Given a lot of reflection and talk in relation to Luke 10:1-12 (see, for example this and this post on this blog) my attention was grabbed by a recent post from Cheryl Lawrie on the other side of the Tasman Sea. Thinking about new ways and new expressions of church, her insight becomes wonderfully provocative and evocative… In essence, she names the tendency for churches to increase the size of their table in the hope that others will find a space and join. Jesus on the other hand was good at “going” and “finding”…new tables... was good at crossing boundaries (e.g. clean / unclean; Jew / Samaritan etc), at going to places and people beyond the Temple.

“…Most conversations about new forms of church or Christian community are about rethinking the table at which the disciples sit. True confession… this project doesn’t emerge from any interest in that table, or even really in the disciples. I think the really interesting stuff of the gospels is the other stories - the tables Jesus went to where the disciples weren’t invited, or where they were so absent no-one thought to mention their presence - the afternoons at Mary and Martha’s, the nameless person’s house where Jesus met the syro-phonoecian woman, dinner at Levi’s house, dinner with Peter’s mother, the ‘water into wine’ wedding table… I think they’re the fun tables.

Interestingly, there’s not a lot of evidence in the gospels that the people around those tables wanted a seat at the disciples’ table - the main event, as such. Which makes it interesting, then, is that most conversation about inclusion [and about new forms of Christian community] involves making sure there’s space for everyone at the disciples’ table - the presupposition being that there is only the one table around which everyone should sit. It gives those around the table an enormous amount of power. Perhaps that’s a myth perpetuated by them – because we have been taught to look at things from the disciples’ perspective we think there’s only one table - but the disciples were never as good as Jesus at recognising the other tables…

If that’s the case, the ultimate act of inclusion for Christian communities is to encourage the possibility there might be other tables [fun tables, with good food - just as good as the church’s table] where God might just turn up, because the story of God is not about inclusion into the Church’s table, but inclusion into a story of life…”

I’ve had a couple of rich conversations / experiences recently – one with an Anglican priest on the edge of the “institution”, outside of parish ministry; a person invited to “tables” she doesn’t choose; tables in which she has, in a very real sense, no “institutional” power. The other was with a young woman willing to take risks, and to “go”; a woman willing to embrace vulnerability and a radical trust in God already being at work. Both, whether intentionally or not, are animated by Luke 10:1-12. They are both willing to “go” and to “do” – to enact and embody “gospel” beyond the “table” of local churches. I was inspired, yet my fear remains and needs to be confronted...

The Formational Work of Christian Liturgy

Paul writes – There are some good books around on the subject of Christian liturgy. It’s an important topic.

Good liturgy (especially when multi-sensory alt.worship gets to provide content) lures us through our senses, grounds us in the great Christian tradition, and locates us in an unfolding story centred of God revealed in Jesus, and God’s intentions for all creation. In many ways, good liturgical content weaves into itself “five-acts” which Tom Wright describes in the following way:

“…(1) Creation; (2) Fall; (3) Israel; (4) Jesus.  The New Testament would then form the first scene in the fifth act, giving hints as well (Rom 8; 1 Car 15; parts of the Apocalypse) of how the play is supposed to end.  The church would then live under the ‘authority’ of the extant story, being required to offer something between an improvisation and an actual performance of the final act…”

All that to say that Mark Galli has a new book out - Beyond Smells and Bells: The Wonder and Power of Christian Liturgy. For Galli, the shape of the liturgy is understood as centering on four liturgical actions: Here’s an excerpt:

“…Though different traditions divide the Sunday service in different ways with different terms, one common way is to think of the service, and the story it embodies, as having four “acts”: Gathering, Word, Sacrament, Dismissal. As we proceed, we’ll see that the story is richer than this simple outline, because the liturgy contains a story within a story. It tells a story. It enacts a story. It is an episode in an unfolding story. But these four acts are at the heart of the larger story told within the liturgy…”

More information can be found on the publisher’s site. Contents page, introduction and chapter 1 can be found as a PDF document here.

“Tinkering” and “Some Statements that Grabbed My Attention” – Paul

“…Spiritual direction has become too professionalized…” (See my July 2005 post here).

“…Why can’ there be a tertiary order - communities you don’t have to live in but places you can hang out, like Catholic Workers…”

“…We cannot let established organizations have the last word - we have to also be working outside the system…”

Each of these statements is taken from notes by Eliacin Rosario-Cruz. You can read his full blog post here.

At the same event Eliacin blog’s about, was Jonny Baker. Jonny has the following interesting things to say (in relation to Robert Wuthnow’s book After the baby Boomers: How Twenty- and Thirty-Something’s Are Shaping the Future of American Religion. I like his description of the “tinkerer” – it sounds characteristic of many of us (as we “make-do” beyond traditional church communities), not just young people, although I do still consider myself young…:

“…I was invited to give a presentation on this theme... Here's a couple of quotes I pulled out...

“The single word that best describes young adults approach to religion and spirituality - indeed life - is tinkering. A tinkerer puts together a life from whatever skills, ideas and resources that are readily at hand... Tinkerers are the most resourceful people in any era. If specialized skills are required they have them. When they need help from experts they seek it. But they do not rely on one way of doing things. Their approach to life is practical. They get things done and usually this happens by improvising by piecing together an idea from here, a skill from there and a contact from somewhere else.

Like the farmer rummaging through the junk pile for makeshift parts the spiritual tinkerer is able to sift through a veritable scrap heap of ideas and practices from childhood, from religious organisations, classes, conversations with friends, books, magazines, television programmes and web sites. The tinkerer is free to engage in this kind of rummaging...”

I’m sure most of us recognise this sort of approach to lots of areas of life. I explored this theme a bit when I was doing my MA drawing inspiration from [Michel] de Certeau's ideas of making do and developing a set of tactics to negotiate the practice of everyday life. Wuthnow adds that life's uncertainty these days makes tinkering a necessity as we constantly face scenarios that require creative improvising. Further, the electric information environment has meant we can access and draw on the resources from diverse sources, traditions, networks and institutions without relying on experts and freed from institutional constraints…”

You can read Jonny’s full reflection here.

The 'failed experiment' called the church still looks better than the alternatives.

Paul writes - Katie Galli (a barista and a member of an Anglican congregation in Glen Ellyn, Illinois) reflects on two recent books reflecting disillusionment with (established) church – church (and church practice) as it is currently reflected in the vast majority of Mainline, Evangelical, non-denominational and Pentecostal congregations.

I can’t say that I disagree with either author in terms of there assessments and descriptions of church as it is - there is a problem! However, I have some sympathy with the reviewer in terms of her wondering about the solutions being proposed.

I guess for me, in part, these books represent an attempt to have a voice. To articulate the experiences, observations, and protest of the churches “missing generations” (20’s, 30’s and 40’s). This demographic is NOT (typically) the leaders, vestry members, elders etc in a lot of Kiwi churches. They aren’t the “power” holders, and thus their questions, doubts, reflection, learning, needs etc don’t figure in decision-making. Too often, their only protest is to leave (they might get their children baptized, BUT they aren’t coming back any time soon – if ever! ). Read Church Leavers: Five Years On if you don’t believe me (read and reflect on research like that contained in Gone for Good? ).

How many churches sadly frame the issue with questions like, “what do we need to do to attract younger people to our church?” It’s the wrong question! Read Luke 10:1-12. Dwell in it, sit with it, and imaginatively engage with it.

In these established congregations (as a group of us discussed recently) there are too few (older) “Elizabeth’s” (Luke 1: 39:45) willing to encourage, work with, and eventually midwife (an imaginative reflection not drawn directly from Luke 1: 39- 45, but nonetheless engaging with the text) new life in the cracks of the established; too few Elizabeth’s ready and willing to journey in search of Mary’s (pregnant with new life and possibility), in pursuit of the Spirit, the Spirit already active and at work beyond the ‘walls’ of local churches. There are altogether too few Elizabeth’s in aging congregations able (or is it “willing”) to joyfully recognise and name, protect, nourish and enable the ‘hidden’ possibilities of change and new life. Too many congregations are characteristically “un-Elizabeth.”

So, people write books like the two below, and hope that something of what they’re saying might be heard and might make a difference.

Below are some excerpts from Galli’s review. You can read the full review here.

“Are you willing to be with me?”

“…Through Scripture we heard God whispering down through the centuries: “I am with you!” “I am with you!” “I am with you!” Then, we heard God asking a question that searches the human person to the depths: “Are you willing to be with me?” The Scripture[s] reveal that saying “yes” to this invitation thrusts human beings into life with God… daily… hourly … moment by moment…”

Lars, Becoming, and When Love Comes to Town

Paul writes – A Christian … spirituality is a spirituality of liberation and transformation centred on Jesus Christ. It is a Spirituality (i.e. Spirit work) of becoming increasing free and alive as one becomes more fully and deeply human. It is a spirituality of becoming free in order to love and be loved. 

“Jesus came to redeem us, to give us faith in his Father’s love so that we do not need to assert ourselves and our innocence and our rightness, so that we can relax and confess the truth about ourselves, so that we can stop judging ourselves and others, because we know that it doesn’t matter: God loves us anyway, so that we are liberated enough to risk being vulnerable to others – liberated enough to risk loving and being loved by others...”[1]

Suzanne Zuercher (author of Enneagram Spirituality: From Compulsion to Contemplation, and most recently, Using the Enneagram in Prayer: A Contemplative Guide) was recently asked in an interview:  “…What is our original sin?”

“It is believing ourselves to be unlovable and unloved so that we have to [hide and] defend ourselves against a hostile world.”

I was much struck by the theme expressed in the first paragraph as, with a good and wise friend, I watched the wonderful little movie Lars and the Real Girl yesterday. I was struck by the transformative nature of love. I was struck by the way love enables a community (including the local Lutheran church) to enfold Lars and his ‘girlfriend’ in a love that was creative, wise, transformative and healing. I was struck by the rarity of such communities (and churches). I was struck by the way in which love (expressed in so many simple and small ways) enables ones deepest self and humanity to emerge and flourish as ‘winter’ (enclosure) gives way to ‘spring’ (openness to (new) life).

Lars and the Real Girl is a slow movie, but so then is a Christian Spirituality of liberation and transformation centered on Jesus Christ, this journey (into love) from unfreedom to increasing freedom (the lowering and removal of ones defense mechanisms e.g. masks, flight (from others and invitations), delusion, multiple layers (e.g. in Lars and the Real Girl – multiple layers of clothes), and compulsions). This work of transformation is so often the cumulative and hopeful work of small steps, small responses (to grace), and small actions that embody and enact ones willingness to both let love in, and to reach out and extend love.

Lars and the Real Girl is a movie to watch with good friends. It is a movie for (thoughtful, reflective) mens groups to watch. It is a movie, like As it is In Heaven, and The Spiritfire Grill that churches should watch, reflect on, talk about and creatively explore ways of enacting (for the sake of both the church and the world) what they sense of God’s invitations in all three…

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[1]    Herbert McCabe OP (d.28 June 2001), Faith Within Reason edited and introduced by Brian Davies OP, Continuum International Publishing, 2007, p.39. Surely too this “being liberated to give and receive love” lies at the heart of St.Ignatius’ Contemplation on the Love of God at the conclusion of Week 4 of The Spiritual Exercises. Reflect on the following “love response” to God in the light of themes discussed in this workshop and captured in descriptors like “loved”, “liberation”, and “freedom”: “Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will – all that I have and call my own. You have given it all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace. That is enough for me.” (David L. Fleming S.J. Draw Me Into Your Friendship: The Spiritual Exercises – a literal translation and a contemporary reading, St Louis: The Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1996, p. 177. 

The Two James’ – James Alison and James I Packer – Two Contrasting Narratives

Paul writes – Two contrasting narratives:

First one. Influential evangelical theologian latest to split with Anglican Church:

“One of the world's most famous evangelical theologians quit the Anglican Church of Canada this week because he believes many of its bishops are "arguably heretical" for adhering to "poisonous liberalism."

James Packer, whom Time magazine recently named as one of the planet's 25 most influential evangelicals, said he hesitated before using the harsh terms to describe the Anglican bishops, but believed he must do so in the name of truth.

Vancouver-based Packer, who has sold more than four million copies of his many books, said he and 10 other B.C. Anglican clergy left the national denomination this week to operate under the authority of a South American Anglican archbishop because they felt they were being "starved out and worn down…"

Read the full news story here.

Second one. James Alison writes “a letter to a young gay catholic”.

“…I don’t want to pretend that being an openly gay Catholic is something easy or obvious. It isn’t. For a start, merely the fact of your wanting to read a letter like this at all is a sign of how many obstacles you must have overcome already. You may have faced hatred and discrimination in your own country, from family members, at school, at the hands of legislators eager for cheap votes, through shrieking newspaper headlines that sear your soul, and in the glare of which you are speechless in your own defence. And you’ve probably noticed that at the very best, the Church which calls itself, and is, your Holy Mother has kept silent about the hatred and the fear. While all too often its spokesmen will have lowered themselves to the level of second-rate politicians, lending voice to hate while claiming that they are standing up for love. The very fact that, through and in the midst of, and despite, all these hateful voices, you should have heard the voice of the Shepherd calling you into being of his flock is already a miracle far greater than you know, preparing you for a work more subtle and delicate than those voices could conceive…”

Read the full letter here (PDF).

The Missio Dei Breviary

Paul writes – Today a book review:

Mark Van Steenwyk (editor and designer) The Missio Dei Breviary, 2007 159pp (with thanks to Mark and Missio Dei for a review copy)

Coming as I do from a liturgical background, I’ve been significantly enlivened by the contemporary / missional reengagement and creative re:mixing of the Catholic-Anglican practices of praying. Specifically I’m thinking of The Missio Dei Breviary, developed and published by the Missio Dei community (in Minneapolis, Minnesota).

But first, a little background in respect of "breviary's":

In liturgical language the (Roman) Catholic breviary was a book that set out the regulations for the celebration of Mass (‘Breviarium Ecclesiastici Ordinis’).

The name “has been extended to books which contain in one volume, or at least in one work, liturgical books of different kinds, such as the Psalter, the Antiphonary, the Responsoriary, the Lectionary, etc.” In Roman Catholic terms it has come to include the following: the Psalter; the Proper of the Season (e.g. the lessons, psalms, prayers/responses etc for, for example Advent, or Lent etc); Proper of the Saints (e.g. the lessons, psalms, antiphons, and other liturgical formularies for the feasts of the saints); the Common; certain special Offices (e.g. the office for the dead).

In essence, a breviary is a prayer book for daily prayer, historically most commonly associated with clergy (some have called it a “priest’s prayer book”) and monks. You might also hear it referred to as the “daily office”, the “divine office”, or the “liturgy of the hours”.

“The prayer of the Breviary is meant to be used daily; each day has its own Office; in fact it would be correct to say that each hour of the day has its own office, for, liturgically, the day is divided into hours founded on the ancient Roman divisions of the day, of three hours apiece – Prime, Terce, Sext, None, and Vespers, and the night Vigils.” There was also Compline which was prayed as night fell. 

“Each of the hours of the Office in the Roman Liturgy is composed of the same elements: psalms (and now and then canticles), antiphons (often a verse taken from a psalm), responsories, hymns, lessons (readings from Scripture, the Church Fathers, and /or commentators on Scripture e.g. excerpts from homilies/sermons), versicles, little chapters, and collects (prayers).”

In Anglican practice, the approach to prayer is often less complex and focuses on morning and evening worship featuring psalms, OT, NT, and Gospel readings. They also have prayer book liturgies for morning, midday, and evening prayer.

Now, back to the Missio Dei Breviary. It’s a whole lot less complex, and therefore more accessible (and considerably less expensive) than the ‘traditional’ four volume “liturgy of the hours”. It is a prayerbook for the ordinary person.

NT. Wright – Kingdom, (Liturgical)Worship and the Image of God

Paul writes – Another interesting interview with NT. Wright by Trevin Wax (24^th April 2008). Excerpts below. Full interview here. Also, good news is, God willing, that Wright intends to write his big book on Paul at the end of 2009. Volume four in his projected five-volume Christian Origins and the Question of God project.

“…We don’t know how the kingdom works. Take Jesus’ parables about seeds growing secretly and small seeds becoming mustard bushes and so on. The kingdom is always a surprise to us, which keeps us humble. The danger with “building the kingdom” language can make us very proud. “Building for the kingdom” keeps you humble. It says, “These are your tasks; you’ve got to get on with them. How God puts them into the eventual construct is completely his business.”

“…It dawned on me several years ago that when somebody says “no” to God and refuses to worship the God in whose image they are made, saying “I’m not going to worship that God,” then what happens to their humanness is that it progressively ceases to bear the image of God. You become like what you worship. You reflect the one you worship. It’s one of the great truths of spirituality…”

While on the subject of “worship” (see Wright's quote immediately above), many of you will find Simon Chan’s book, Liturgical Theology: The Church as Worshipping Community (companion volume to his excellent, Spiritual Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life) thought and praxis provoking. More information on the book can be found here (it includes a PDF of the “Introduction” and a chapter titled: “The Ontology of the Church”. For NZ readers with access to the latest issue (Autumn 08) of the Anglican magazine, Taonga, there is a useful review of the book (pages 40-41).

Finally, and again related to the subject of (liturgical) “worship”, though at a more ‘popular’ level than Chan’s book is the latest from Mark Galli, Beyond Smells & Bells: The Wonder and Power of Christian Liturgy (pub. April 08). You can find a PDF of the "Introduction" here (Hat Tip to Matt Stone). 

Recently Published Merton Biography

Paul notes – From the Publisher of Tom Merton: A Personal Biography:

“Thomas Merton did not choose to keep his most personal writing secret. He provided for his diaries to be released 25 years after his death. This biography combines the details of those diaries with the more widely known and published circumstances of his life.

Within these pages Merton reveals his hopes and his dreams against the backdrop of an incredibly turbulent period of social change that both frightened and energized him. We witness his love of the rich Cistercian tradition and his adjustment to its evolving practices following Vatican II…he confides to us the difficulties he had in everyday relationships. He chose to be remembered as a monk who was only too human, determined that his most human faults should be revealed. He wanted his readers to believe that the principles he espoused are in fact practicable for anyone, not just those who live like a saint. He proved he had flaws by carefully recording them. It was a most generous gift…”

You can get a copy of Tom Merton: A Personal Biography by Joan C. McDonald from here.

Praying for our Needs

Paul writes – I came across this in my reading recently. It challenged and pushed against some of my misunderstandings about prayer that have grown since my youngest days. I was reminded of this in a recent conversation. Somehow we think that the kind of prayer described below is something that we grow out of, as though there are “levels” of prayer that we pass through as we “grow-up”. Sure, there ARE many different ways of praying; different prayer practices, BUT I think McCabe (below) is reminding us that we’re never not a child of God, and so there’s nothing “childish” about asking for what we need.

…prayer is good for us first of all because in prayer … we understand more deeply that we are children of God and that he is our loving Father. And there is nothing selfish about … [asking for what we want and need]. It’s normal human behaviour. What would you think of a child who never asked her parents for anything? What would her parents think of her? Would they think her to be unselfish?

When you pray, consider what you want and need and never mind how vulgar or childish it might appear. If you want very much to pass that exam or get to know that boy or girl better, that is what you should pray for… When you pray you must come before God as honestly as you can. There is no point pretending to him. One of the great human values of prayer is that you face the facts about yourself and admit to what you want; and you know you can talk about this to God because he is totally loving and accepting [though many struggle with images of God where God is neither of these things!]. In true prayer you must meet God and meet yourself where you really are. For prayer is a bit of a risk. If you pray and acknowledge your most infantile desires, there is every danger that you may grow up a bit, that God will grow you up. When (as honestly as you can) you speak to God of your desires, very gently and tactfully he will often reveal to you that in fact you have deeper and more mature desires. But there is only one way to find this out: to start from where you are…

Prayer is the way in which our Father in heaven leads each of us by different paths to be … with him.

[Also we need to understand that] there is no such thing as unanswered prayer (if it is real prayer, and not just going through the motions. Either God will give you what you ask, and this is extremely common; or else he will reckon that you are ready now to receive more than you asked. To you at the time, and especially to an outside observer, it may look as though your prayer has not been answered. But, as you will recognise some time later, God has been getting you to understand that your deeper desire was for more than you asked for. If you let this continue he will gradually lead you to realizing that what you really do want above all things is himself…”[1] 

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[1]       Herbert McCabe OP, God, Christ and Us edited by Brian Davies OP, London: Continuum, 2005. pp105-106.

Demonstrating the fullness of God’s alternative way of being human

Paul writes – I like the following statement from Andrew Perriman, author of the excellent little book Re:Mission – Biblical Mission for a Post-Biblical Church (2007 / a review with be forthcoming). Thanks to Len Hjalmarson, I’ve read a lot of Perriman’s reflections over the last few days, and found much that both resonates and stretches my own thinking.

The quote resonates with this post and some comments I made in this interview.

“…I think that we still have some way to go in collectively re-imagining the content of the ‘good news’ and its implications for [the gospel & culture conversation, and] the life of the people of God…

“…The missional challenge that we face in the West, in the absence of persecution, is to demonstrate the fullness of God’s alternative way of being human. It may sound a bit alarming but I think that discipleship construed simply as following Jesus is too narrow…”

You can read the full article from which this quote is excerpted, here. It is an appreciative (yet at times critical) engagement with Alan Hirsch’s book, The Forgotten Ways.