A Recommended Read: The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne.
I picked this read up at SPU's bookstore a few weeks ago while visiting Lizzy, one of my graduated YD students. I found purchasing it--well--irresistible.
Shane spoke at the YS National Youth Worker's Conventions last fall, and I got to see this akward, earthly, passionate man share with us the simple way that he lives his life in order to bring glory to God and be Christ to people. This means he hangs out with homeless people, lives with few possessions, and is immersed in trying to minister to the "least of these."
Clay and I have taken to reading the book aloud on Thursday nights, and last night, in Chapter Three, something spoke so directly to me. (I've left the book at home, so it's missing the exact page reference and citation. I'll correct this as soon as I have my copy of the book.) Something on the order of, "We made a decision to stop complaining about the church as it was and started trying to become the church we'd all dreamed of."
The church I dream of is definitely active, moving in ministry, not just talking about it...and the church I dream of is honest and vulnerable, openly confessing the screw ups. I guess if I want to become that church, I have to do one of two things--actually take actions to serve others, and be confessional and humble about my weaknesses and screw ups.
What's the church you dream of? How can you live it out?
Friday, November 30, 2007
The Irresistible Revolution
Posted by hbu at 11:06 AM
Labels: being a Christian in 21st century America, if we love Christ then we love the church, recommended reads
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3 comments:
I've heard good things about this book from some others too. The church I dream of focuses way more on serving, a nd getting intvolved in the lies of people outside the church, not jsut hanging out with church people. My dear friend Stacy always reminds me that having a church community is not just for my benefit, to uplift and help my faith grow, but to give me a place to serve. I have just found a church in Austria and found out that they have a ministry for refugees and went and helped for the first time on Saturday. It's a really unique and amazing opportunity. Pray for these people who are so far from home, in a place where they don't have frineds or family and don't know the language, and are often treated as outsiders.
And Heather, you asked about other people's blogs. Mine is beccawholeheared.blogspot.com
Jon LOVES this book. He just read it for the second time. I have read it once, and I like it pretty well, especially the story about how they move in with the people in the abandoned cathedral.
We talk about intentional communities in our house a lot.
The church I dream of is the one Jesus prayed for in John 17. Unified, defined by love: for the Father, the Body, those who don't know the Father...
Anyway, I'm an intern with Another World is Possible and I'm searching folks blogs for Shane and Irresistible Revolution to tell them this:
Hey if you're a fan of Shane Claiborne and his book, then you should really check out the Another World is Possible DVD series. It's a multimedia project by Shane Claiborne and Jamie Moffett (co-founders of the Simple Way) that emerged in response to their belief that things are not right in the world, and that they don't have to stay that way. There are three DVD's, one on war, one on poverty, and one on creation. You can find out more about them at www.awip.us.
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