Super quick, super profound read. Hits a little too close to home. Bottom line? Self-centeredness unchecked will always, ALWAYS kill relationships, anSuper quick, super profound read. Hits a little too close to home. Bottom line? Self-centeredness unchecked will always, ALWAYS kill relationships, and when the relationships that comprise an institution die, the institution is inevitably going to die with it.
The heartbreaking thing about seeing this play out in churches is that churches ought to reflect the sort of selflessness & humility we see in the life of Jesus, Who we claim to follow. This doesn't mean we will look perfect -- in fact, if we're actually embracing such qualities, our communities will inevitably be messy because we'll be embracing imperfect people, just as WE ourselves (who are also still imperfect) were embraced by Jesus. But people tend to dislike & resist what is messy, and so this institution that should be giving life through the power of the Holy Spirit often instead becomes self-obsessed and implodes.
I don't pretend to have figured out how to avoid this. But given that the common thread among the 12 problems Rainer outlines in his book can be summarized as selfishness and/or pride, a little humility surely would be a great start....more
I really enjoyed reading about Lauren Winner's journey from Judaism to Christianity. I was raised in a Christian home, but although Christianity is inI really enjoyed reading about Lauren Winner's journey from Judaism to Christianity. I was raised in a Christian home, but although Christianity is inextricably connected to Judaism, I honestly know very little about Judaism. It was fascinating to read about various Jewish beliefs and practices as Lauren described her Jewish upbringing and her decision to become Orthodox.
Lauren's subsequent awakening to Jesus and decision to follow Him (a decision that appeared to her Orthodox friends as a great act of betrayal) really resonated with me. I've spent most of my life in rather conservative branches of American Christianity, but as my understanding of Jesus has deepened through the years, my worldview has been transformed, often in ways that have not been understood or appreciated by some of my own fellow Christians. Lauren tells of one Orthodox friend who asked her, "You've spent all these hours studying Torah. How could you be taken in by that carpenter?" I, too, have been "taken in by that carpenter," and I suppose when He takes any of us in a direction different from that in which we previously walked, whether we are Jewish or Christian or Muslim, conservative or liberal or whatever, we will unavoidably be met with some amount of skepticism and questioning by those who believe we are abandoning the truth. But, although it can be a messy and uncomfortable transition learning to follow Him, as Lauren learned (and as I have learned), when one has been captivated by Jesus, the thought of turning back to older, "safer" ways is overshadowed by the prospect of walking with the Friend of sinners.
While the tone of this book is a little more intellectual and dry than what I am normally drawn to, I found the candor with which Lauren spoke of her ongoing journey refreshing. I love that she is real about her own shortcomings without losing faith in Jesus' love for her. I love that she is clearly a logical thinker while also demonstrating her own human capacity for emotion. This was a good read....more
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