Book Review: The Art of Neighboring (Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon)

Some books make me feel very uncomfortable. Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon have written one of those. The first paragraph wrecked me and it went on from there.

“When Jesus was asked to reduce everything in the Bible into one command he said: Love God with everything you have and love your neighbor as yourself.  What if he meant that we should love our actual neighbors? You know, the people that live right next door?” (15)

That is the essential premise of this book, and the authors make a compelling case that we have lost sight of this most simple of duties.  Without getting preachy or condescending, they carefully move along a course of argument that argues that at the heart of it, we have stopped loving the people who live nearest us.

When I got the book, I assumed it was something akin to a social Gospel manifesto and was ready to critique away. But this was not the case. What you basically get is the story of two guys who decided to relationally engage the people who lived around them.

The crisis moment for me in this book came in chapter 7:

“We want to be clear about something when it comes to the art of neighboring. This is not an evangelism strategy. And if evangelism is your only motive, then you won’t be a very good neighbor.” (99)

That statement set off all my alarm bells, but I think they convinced me of their point. You really need to read the book to get the full argument, but what the authors suggest is a careful distinction between ulterior and ultimate motives. If the only reason I am befriending people on my block is to “bait-and-switch” to the Gospel, I am not really loving them. If love is my great motive to the relationship, the Gospel opportunities will come, be real when they do, and the relationship will not hinge on my neighbour’s response. I can keep loving the guy who is, so far, rejecting the free offer of God’s grace.

This was very liberating to me. And it resonated with so much of what I have been thinking about lately. Sometimes my mouth is closed with the Gospel with my neighbors for the very reason that I don’t want to be another salesman in their world. It cheapens the Gospel! What Pathak and Runyon did for me was remind me of the higher motive: love. I need to re-boot my love for my neighbors.

The book contains other chapters on the how-to’s of this kind of neighborhood love. Mostly they deal in the realm of motive and were very helpful. The book is not about starting new programs (thankfully!) but about getting out of your house and meeting people that live 30 feet from you. They also tackle some of the obstacles to this kind of relational investment that are likely more evident in the West: busyness, fear, etc.

Are you ready for this kind of read? Let me whet your appetite by suggesting you complete one simple task. On a piece of paper, write down the first and last names of the 8 houses/apartments/farmhouses closest to yours. If you can’t do that, buy the book.

(This book was provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications and BakerBooks in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Emergence Christianity (by Phyllis Tickle)

Phyllis Tickle has written her fourth book on the emergent church aptly titled, “Emergence Christianity.” A sympathetic look to the non-movement movement, she does an admirable job of assimilating and distilling in about 200 pages where things have been, where they are and where they might go.

If that sounds a little vague, welcome to emergent.

Tickle suggests that we are living in the age of The Great Emergence across the world. Quite a bold claim, especially for one living in the middle of it! And this book seeks to describe how a certain group of “Christians” are adapting to it.

It won’t surprise you that a book that repeatedly identifies Brian McLaren as “the Martin Luther of Emergence internationally” is not going to be my favorite. Yet, I found one section near the end surprisingly encouraging.

Tickle, against the consensus of most observers, suggests that Emergence Christianity is not in decline, but in a stage of reconfiguration, even maturation. As she describes the influences on this process, she notes the place of the New Calvinism.  Of that movement she writes:

“As such and because of its sheer size, it will also be a participant in, or at the very least a potent influence upon, the events and decisions that, during the coming decades, will determine the shape of Emergence Christianity in its full maturity.” (189)

I found that sentence strangely hope-giving. I most certainly do want to help shape Emergence Christianity! And I think the New Calvinism (which is not just the Old Calvinism, but the message of the Bible itself) is uniquely gifted to do just that. The world of Emergence Christianity that Tickle describes is like the early creation, “formless and void.” But those who take the Scriptures at face value are able to speak the Word and see something of real good come out of it.

For more information on all things emergent, you can read some slightly outdated information here.

(This book was provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications and BakerBooks in exchange for an honest review.)

Are your needs special?

My son was born missing some 25 genes on the 7th chromosome in every cell in his body. He lives with Williams Syndrome. That diagnosis changed a lot of things in my life, one of which was a greater awareness of the massive world of disability and the burdens and blessings families experience as they care for their children with special needs.

Maybe it has to be that close in order to take notice. I wish that weren’t so. I always hope that other people would be more attentive and caring than I was before his diagnosis.

In that spirit, here are a few items of interest from the web today.

• My pal Justin Reimer (The Elisha Foundation) wrote this excellent article here. 

• Desiring God has a great conference I hope to attend coming up in November.

• Another pal, Roger Bergs, is enjoying watching his beautifuldaughter become an Internet ballet sensation!

• The Toronto Star has a moving piece here about a family thathas been broken up and needs help.  This is far too often the case. 

Full circle. Grace Fellowship Church of Don Mills Fully Launched

Yesterday I had the privilege of preaching at the ordination service for Paul McDonald at Grace Fellowship Church, Don Mills (DM).  DM is a church we planted under the leadership of Julian Freeman back in Janauary 2011.

The way we plant churches is fairly simple. They remain under our direct oversight until such a time as they gain a plurality of elders. That means that DM is the first of our plants to go all the way to complete autonomy. Now that Paul is joining Julian as a co-elder, there is no more need for the elders here to oversee the work there.

That made yesterday a pretty crazy confluence of emotions. On the one level, I have known Paul for years, had him as a student when I taught at Toronto Baptist Seminary, worked with him as an intern here, and have been very involved with his life for quite a few years. I love him. And, it was all blessing to see him stand and vow to follow Christ as one of His undershepherds.

On another level there was sorrow. Knowing that this church will grow and take on its own personality – I suppose it was something like the feeling one gets when you send a kid off to university. It is not that I fear these guys will blow apart once they are “out from under our roof!” I just know it won’t be the same. That is a good thing. But, there is a kind of sadness to it as well.

Some day I hope Julian and I will be able to sit down and write about what we learned through this whole process. One thing I know I learned is that it is deeply encouraging and humbling to work with guys like him and Paul. They have put up with a lot from me through the years because they value the Gospel over themselves. That bodes well for what the Lord might do as DM takes flight under their wise and careful leadership.

Praise the Lord!

Revelation 20 Started this Church

Have you ever wondered how Grace Fellowship Church came into existence? In a strange twist of providence, it had a lot to do with Revelation 20.

Since that was my text last Sunday, I took a few minutes at the start of the sermon to rehearse some of that history. In a nutshell, my view shifted on what John meant in Revelation 20 about what is called the Millennium. And in the denomination of which I was a part, that was a problem. Without being able to sign off on that part of their statement of faith I had to resign. Yet, in God’s kindness, that led to planting a church just over 12 years ago. And that led to planting three more. And so on!

Anyway, I don’t think I have ever publicly spoken about this before but I think it brings God great glory to see how He works. My remarks were off the cuff, so not as nuanced or perhaps as careful as I would have liked, but if you give me the benefit of the doubt and listen for providence, I think you will find some encouragement!

You can listen here.  The first 5 minutes is my retelling of the story.