Emerging Church | The Ooze Viral Bloggers

Thy Kingdom Connected by Dwight Friesen

Networks: They're everywhere. From our roads to our relationships, from our food supply to our power grids, networks are an integral part of how we live. Similarly, our churches, denominations, and even the kingdom of God are networks. Knowing how networks function and how to work with rather than against them has enormous implications for how live lives of faithful and life-filled ministry. In Thy Kingdom Connected, Dwight Friesen brings the complex theories of networking to church leaders in easy-to-understand, practical ways. Rather than bemoaning the modern disintegration of things like authority and structure, Friesen inspires hope for a more connective vision of life with God. He shows those involved in lives of ministry how they can optimize already existing connections between people in order to share the Good News, embed people more deeply in the lives of their faith communities, and grow together as apprentices of Jesus. Dwight says "This book was born in the context of an eleven-year life altering experiment in ecclesial life, fleshed out in learning communities with thoughtful women and men who never ceased to ask insightful and revealing questions, and now it is being published by my new friends at Baker Books. I hope you’ll take a look at it. I’m very excited to offer my voice and contribute, even a small piece, to the ongoing conversation. . . let me know what you think." What others are saying "A wonderful tutorial for those who want to experience the kingdom as more than a wistful idea." -Reggie McNeal, missional leadership specialist for Leadership Network "Friesen brings together current thinking on the Trinity, the kingdom of God, and missional church, and creates the first contextual ecclesiology for a networked world. Highly recommended." -Ryan Bolger, associate professor of Church in Contemporary Culture, Fuller Theological Seminary; co-author of Emerging Churches "A treasure chest of insights to further the conversation on the nature of the missional church in post-Christendom Western societies." -Eddie Gibbs, author of ChurchMorph; professor of church growth, Fuller Theological Seminary "A guide to harnessing the powerful possibilities of connections made available through social networks. You may never look at 'church' the same way again." -John R. Franke, Clemens Professor of Missional Theology, Biblical Seminary; author of Manifold Witness: The Plurality of Truth "Helps us see how connection is at the core of the gospel. I recommend it to all Christians emerging in this inescapable cultural reality." -David Fitch, B. R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology, Northern Seminary; author of The Great Giveaway About Dwight Dwight J. Friesen (DMin, George Fox University) is assistant professor of practical theology at Mars Hill Graduate School [1] in Seattle. He was the founding pastor of Quest: A Christ-Commons [2] in Bellevue, Washington, and lives in Seattle, Washington, with his family. [hide] [3] :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Link-love for your review: Dwight's site [4] Thy Kingdom Connected Facebook page [5] Interview Availability: Dwight is available for blog and podcast interviews. You will receive his contact information if you select Thy Kingdom Connected. [/hide] [1] http://www.mhgs.edu/ [2] http://www.seattlequest.org/ [3] http://viralbloggers.wufoo.com/forms/thy-kingdom-connected/ [4] http://dwightfriesen.com [5] http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thy-Kingdom-Connected/165121348245

The Simple Life by Thom & Art Rainer

No, we’re not offering you the retrospective tell-all about Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie’s reality TV series – if such a thing even exists. This is even better: How-to-live by Southern Baptists! Check thy prejudices at the door, pilgrim. The research and change methods that made Simple Church a multiawarded ministry best seller are now applied to everyday matters in Simple Life. Authors Thom S. Rainer and Art Rainer interviewed a cross-section of 1,077 individuals to confirm that most people feel their lives are overly stressful and misguided, not allowing enough time for what really counts. As they share these I-can-relate stories, the Rainers chart a simple path from joyless to joyful. Breaking life down into four key sections (Time, Relationships, God, Money), the authors show how four key goals (Clarity, Movement, Alignment, Focus) can begin to foster a life that is more spiritual and less busy, a life rich in experiences with family and friends rather than double-booked to-do lists and late nights at the office. The book even lays out an easy-to-follow action plan that will move readers assuredly toward the simple life in just thirty days. [hide] This Title Has Been Closed for Review :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Link-love for your review: Thom Rainer’s website: http://thomrainer.com [1] Interview Availability: The authors are available for blog and podcast review. You will receive their contact information when you select The Simple Life as this month's review title. Your Commitment: Remember, your commitment is to write a blog post (minimum 50 words) about The Simple Life within 30 days of getting it, and cutting & pasting your post to this one. Thank you! [/hide] [1] http://thomrainer.com/

The Diversity Culture by Matthew Raley

We are facing a crisis in civility in our society. Whereas in the 1990s polarizing talk radio was a growing novelty, today this level of demeaning, caricaturing, hyperbole-laden discourse is the New Normal in America’s public square. Even worse, it seems to have found a hotbed of grassroots support among American evangelical Christians. Evangelical Christians, it seems, feel the ‘pain’ of our multicultural, pluralistic society more than most. In fact, to many of the rest of us (this would include emerging, mainline, and progressive Christians), multiculturalism and pluralism aren’t negative realities at all, but something to be celebrated. Even so, emerging and missional Christians often wrestle with how to witness authentically to the life of God found in Jesus without culturally steam-rolling our friends, neighbors, and relatives. Enter a self-confessed ‘conservative evangelical’ California pastor, whose book The Diversity Culture is sub-titled Creating Conversations of Faith with Buddhist Barristas, Agnostic Students, Aging Hippies, Political Activists, and Everyone In Between. Oh no, I grimaced when I first heard about this book (Hey – we take our book-screening seriously at TheOOZE!) – another culture warrior with an axe to grind. Not so. Raley is a compassionate, humane voice, who does a surprisingly good (if not slightly over-stuffed) sympathetic portrait of a woman who thinks quite differently than he, right in the first chapter. He then paints a compelling picture of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan (read: wrong religion, wrong culture, wrong lifestyle, wrong gender) woman at the well as an example of cross-cultural communication that is both clear and without fear. Our new diversity culture makes evangelicals uncomfortable, Raley proposes; not because they feel threatened, but because they feel excluded. Matthew tackles the social tensions between evangelicals and the diversity culture. Drawing on analysis of contemporary media, ancient sources, and Scripture, The Diversity Culture examines cultural barriers and how they can be broken, helping Christians understand this cosmopolitan group on their own terms. This illuminating tome gives Christians the understanding and tools they need to cross socioeconomic, ethical, and ideological barriers and heal relationships in the name of Christ. [hide] This Title Has Been Closed for Review :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Link-love for your review: Matthew Raley’s blog – http://tritonelife.com [1] First chapter download – http://store.kregel.com/client/excerpt/978-0-8254-3579-9.pdf [2] Prime Time America - http://asxarchive.moodyradio.org/PrimeTimeAmerica/2009-07-09_Prime_Time_America__part_02.asx [3] (Raley is interviewed from 20:00 to 28:00. Note: This interview is hosted by Moody Radio, a longtime bastion of the culture wars. J ) Interview Availability: Matthew Raley is available for blog and podcast review. You will receive his contact information if you select The Diversity Culture as this month's review title. Your Commitment: Remember, your commitment is to write a blog post (minimum 50 words) about The Diversity Culture within 30 days of getting it, and cutting & pasting your post to this one. Thank you! [/hide] [1] http://tritonelife.com/ [2] http://store.kregel.com/client/excerpt/978-0-8254-3579-9.pdf [3] http://asxarchive.moodyradio.org/PrimeTimeAmerica/2009-07-09_Prime_Time_America__part_02.asx

A People’s History of Christianity by Diana Butler Bass

Am I the only one who gets depressed reading church history sometimes? For supposed followers of Jesus, there sure seems to be a lot of killing and ugly attitudes among the faithful through the ages. I was pleased last year to read Saving Paradise [1] by Brock and Parker, and I’m equally thrilled to introduce you to Diana Butler Bass’s latest offering, which I think will transform how emerging and missional Christians see their heritage. Subtitled A History of the Grassroots Movements in Christianity that Preserved Jesus' Message of Social Justice for 2,000 Years and Their Impact on the Church Today, Bass’s A People’s History of Christianity is written in the same spirit as Howard Zinn's radical and groundbreaking work A People's History of the United States. In this landmark volume, Bass reveals the under-reported movements, personalities, and spiritual practices that continue to inform and ignite contemporary Christian worship, activism, and social justice reforms in the name of Jesus. The book will offer up a much-needed “other side of the story” for missional and emerging Christians, drawing from examples of alternative practices in every period of Christian history, including: Care for the environment and celebrating God in nature Defining compassion, hospitality, and social justice as integral to the Gospel Peace-making as the pervasive Christian response to war Highlighting the female attributes of God, and the power of women in the Church Celebrating human sexuality as a gift from God This is the book that “the great emergence” has been waiting for - a deeply researched history of Christianity that sheds new light on the underreported personalities and movements of the faith. Bass has garnered a groundswell of support for this innovative project, spanning the conventional left/right spiritual divide. Here’s a sampling: “It would be difficult to imagine anyone reading this book without finding some new insight or inspiration, some new and unexpected testimony to the astonishing breadth of Christianity through the centuries.” —Philip Jenkins, author of The Next Christendom “A perfect armchair companion for contemporary Christians. Charmingly written and refreshing to read, yet rich in details and thorough in its mapping of the major themes and events that have shaped the evolution of the Western Church, A People’s History of Christianity is our story re-told with both clear-eyed affection and a scholar’s acumen.” —Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence “In this beautifully written history, Diana Butler Bass reveals the living, beating heart of love at the core of Christian faith.” —Sara Miles, author of Take This Bread "Intelligent and sassy, honest and redemptive. ...a warning that if we don't remember the blood-stained pages of the past, then we are doomed to repeat them., but also an invitation to participate in the next chapter of what it means to be the Church in this broken world." —Shane Claiborne, author of The Irresistible Revolution "An excellent introduction to grass-roots renewal movements as well as to the various shapes that Christian spirituality has taken through the ages. ...necessary reading for any who may have thought that history is irrelevant for present-day living." —Justo L. Gonzalez, author of The Story of Christianity "...this book is so much more than a wonderful overview of Christian history. It is also a joyful apologetic for a 'new kind of Christianity.' I already gave away my copy, because I knew it would help salvage the faltering faith of a disillusioned friend." —Brian McLaren, author of Everything Must Change and A New Kind of Christian "Interesting, insightful, illuminating, and remarkably relevant." —Marcus Borg, author of The Heart of Christianity "In a refreshing look at 2,000 years of Christian history from the bottom up, Butler Bass offers unique insights into the spirit has stirred the hearts and minds of faithful people over the centuries and brought renewal to Christianity during periods of upheaval and distress." —Christian Science Monitor "...immediately accessible, helped along by frequent and shrewd linkages to contemporary counterpoints. This presentation includes lots of folk along the way who never made the 'power lists.' Readers will resonate with this inclusiveness and be grateful to Bass for making them fellow travelers in the on-going story." —Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary [hide] This Title Has Been Closed for Review :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Link-love for your review: Diana's official website [2] Invite your readers to browse inside [3] A People’s History of Christianity Interview Availability: Diana’s availability for blog and podcast interviews is unknown at press time. Let me know if you’re interested in an interview – I’ll keep you posted! Your Commitment: Remember, your commitment is to write a blog post (minimum 50 words) about A People’s History of Christianity within 30 days of getting it. Please cut & paste your post underneath this entry. Thank you! [hide] [1] http://savingparadise.net [2] http://dianabutlerbass.com/ [3] http://browseinside.harpercollins.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061448706

So Beautiful by Leonard Sweet

Leonard Sweet. He got many of us thinking about the postmodern cultural-spiritual shift in the 1990s with provocative titles like Quantum Spirituality, SoulTsunami and AquaChurch. These titles were like books on crack, seemingly taking a cue from the then-popular VH1 Pop-Up Video, with ADD-appropriate sprinkles of information overlaid on more conventional text. By the early, he was introducing proto-emergent ideas of faithful Christian engagement with postmodernity, including books like A Is For Abductive with Brian McLaren. By the mid-2000s, Sweet’s books took on a more contemplative (though no less provocative) tone beginning with Out of the Question…and Into The Mystery, while his message began to identify more with ‘missional’ and less with ‘emergent,’ whatever these constantly-shifting signifiers might point to. With Sweet’s latest offering, he deepens his commitments to a culturally-responsive and biblically-savvy ecclesiology. More than 50 years ago scientists made a remarkable discovery, proclaiming, "We have found the secret of life – and it's so pretty!" The secret? That life's biological code is helixical, two strands surrounding a single axis-the foundation for DNA. This design, Sweet proposes, points to an even deeper – and more poignant – secret. Just as DNA's three strands make life possible, three other elements work in harmony to make life not just pretty, but beautiful. And it's in the church where we find the greatest expression, and ultimate fulfillment, of these three components to a beautiful life. The Good Doctor Sweet presents an extraordinary look at life as it was intended to be lived, sharing secrets of God's design for God’s people in three interwoven elements that form the heart, soul and calling of the apprenticed-to-Jesus life. In the spirit of radical inquiry – from radix, going to the root –So Beautiful unearths God’s deep-rooted dreams for the church after his own heart. Recommended for missional, organic, and house church provocateurs, as well as open-minded emerging church folks. [hide] This Title Has Been Closed for Review :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Link-love for your review: Book trailer, complete with living DNA & beating hearts! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXgW1SfsAkw [1] Sample chapters to share with readers: http://www.davidccook.com/catalog/resources/samples/105793.pdf [2] Sweet’s official website, under construction at press time: http://www.leonardsweet.com [3] Sweet’s Tweet: http://twitter.com/lensweet [4] Interview Availability: Leonard Sweet’s interview availability is unknown at press time. Please email Mike at zoecarnate [at] theooze [dot] com if you’d like to talk with Len on your blog or podcast. Your Commitment: Remember, your commitment is to write a blog post (minimum 50 words) about So Beautiful within 30 days of getting it. Please cut & paste your post into this blog entry. Thank you! [/hide] [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXgW1SfsAkw [2] http://www.davidccook.com/catalog/resources/samples/105793.pdf [3] http://www.leonardsweet.com/ [4] http://twitter.com/lensweet

Christ In Y’all: Following Jesus Into Community

by Neil Carter So it’s not every day that someone you’ve lived with and among for years and years writes a book…not a good book, anyway. But my friend (and long-time Atlanta-area house church mate) Neil Carter does both in his new release Christ In Y’all. So house churching has become more and more popular these days, taking its cue from persecution-laden locales like China and India, and springing up in American, British, and Australian soil in the wake of the Jesus Movement of the 1970s. Gathering in homes as ‘simple church’ has become all the more popular since George Barna’s Revolution told us that millions of people were doing it and Frank Viola’s Pagan Christianity and Reimagining Church passionately argued why we should be doing it, too. But have you ever wondered what simple church ecclesiology might sound like coming from an ordinary member, a non-specialist, non-church planter? One who’s articulate but not mind-numbingly difficult to read, someone who’s into what they’re doing but not overly polemical about it? If so, you have Christ in Y’all by Neil. First, the title: Followers of Jesus were never meant to live alone. Hearing God speak and following God’s voice is a calling for a “we” rather than a “me.” When the Apostle Paul announces that “Christ in you [is] the hope of glory,” that “you” is plural. In other words – yep – Christ in y’all, the hope of glory. (May English teachers forgive us!) In these pages, Neil attempts to explain how spiritual formation is a collective endeavor. After spending nearly a decade meeting in homes with friends and followers of Jesus, he describes what he sees as key elements to thriving intentional Christian community, as well as surviving the pitfalls of home-based fellowships. Neil gave me this to sum up his book: “Our gospel is too small. We seem to care only about getting people to heaven, while God intends to make his home here on earth. How does God do that? He comes to dwell within the community of believers. And while it is true that his Spirit indwells each of our hearts individually, God shows up most vividly when we come together with one another. Christ In Y'all tackles these tough questions: • What did God create us in the first place? • Why do we suffer, and what does it accomplish? • How can we hear God speak to us today? • What single trait best marks a healthy church? • Why are so many committed believers quitting church lately? • Must we "do church" the way we've always done it? • What makes simple, informal gatherings more attractive than large, formal ones?” [hide] Title no longer Available :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: NOTE: This title comes with "Christ In Ya'll" as well. Choosing this bundle also comes with the task of blogging about both titles. Link-love for your review: http://ChristInYall.com [1] is Neil’s main hub http://christinyall.blogspot.com [2] is Neil’s blog Interview Availability: Neil is available for blog and podcast interviews. You’ll get his email address if you select the house church two-pack for your monthly review. Your Commitment: Remember, your commitment is to write a blog post (minimum 50 words) about the house church two-pack within 30 days of getting it. Yes, you can write a single post about both this and Dede: In the Fields of Boaz – though you’re welcome to write two! Please cut & paste your post here: http://viralbloggers.com/2009/04/dede-in-the-fields-of-boaz/ [3] Thank you! [/hide] [1] http://christinyall.com/ [2] http://christinyall.blogspot.com/ [3] http://viralbloggers.com../2009/01/dede-in-the-fields-of-boaz/

Spirituality: A Post-Modern & Interfaith Approach to Cultivating a Relationship with God by Carl McColman

‘Spirituality’ – such an often-used word. Many wonder what it even means. Spirituality is a book about the spiritual life that doesn't tell you what to believe. Have you ever heard someone say: "I'm spiritual, but not religious." Or "It's easier for me to find God in nature than in a church." Or "I can't limit myself to just one faith tradition: I see God in all of them." If statements like these make sense to you, you aren't alone. Today, more people are searching for spiritual experience outside traditional channels of religious faith. But even alternative or New Age spiritualities are often filled with dogma and prescribed notions of how to behave and what to believe. By contrast, Carl McColman's book answers the question "What is spirituality, and why does it matter?" with insights drawn not only from religious traditions, but also popular culture. Here the emphasis is on celebrating the many ways spirituality makes a powerful and positive difference in our lives. Carl McColman is a lay Cistercian novice, a freelance writer and the bookstore manager of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA. He was raised Lutheran, spent several years as a young adult as an Episcopalian, and then got really creative and explored Wicca and other forms of Neopaganism for a number of years, before deciding that he missed Christianity and returned (by entering the Catholic Church) in 2005. Spirituality is his first book, and was written while he was still an Episcopalian – in this anniversary edition there’s a brand-new forward sharing how its themes influenced his own journey of faith. For a number of years Carl was a superstar of the neo-pagan set, penning tomes like The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Celtic Wisdom, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Paganism, Embracing Jesus and the Goddess, and The Aspiring Mystic. Currently he’s at work on a large-scale book on Christian mysticism, to be published in 2010 by a major independent publisher. A personal note from Carl to prospective Ooze Viral Bloggers: “Spirituality" came from an idea that I had one day while sitting in the parking lot of a large music store in Atlanta. Listening to the radio, I thought about how popular music often conveys “spiritual” and “mystical” themes. Then the thought occurred to me: “What would a book look like, that attempted to explain the spiritual life by relying on culture, rather than religion, as its starting point?” Thus began the period of personal exploration, prayer and reflection that culminated in this book. Spirituality is not opposed to religion — on the contrary, it makes the argument that spirituality requires community to thrive— but it sees its topic as something larger than what the language or symbolism or doctrines of any one faith can fully explain. The result is a book that celebrates spirituality without enforcing any particular religious agenda – which makes it not only congenial to the practitioners of any faith, but also a contribution to the conversation of how different faiths can find common ground here in our postmodern world. Spirituality was originally published in 1997; it was my first book. For this new edition I have written a new introduction, in which I reflect on how the landscape of popular spiritual exploration has evolved over the past decade.” [hide] [1] :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Link-love for your review: Carl’s award-winning blog: http://anamchara.com [2] Your Amazon Affiliate link. :) Interview Availability: Carl is available for a limited number of blog and podcast interviews. You’ll get his email address if you select Spirituality for your monthly review. Your Commitment: Remember, your commitment is to write a blog post (minimum 50 words) about Spirituality within 30 days of getting it, and cutting & pasting your post here: Thank you! [/hide] [1] http://viralbloggers.wufoo.com/forms/spirituality/ [2] http://anamchara.com/

Enough by Will Samson

How much is enough? It’s what we’re all asking as the economy seems to be in free-fall; ‘wants’ and ‘needs’ seem to be inverting themselves with each month’s finances. In a society where children spend more time worrying about their weight than their grades, is it possible to find peace? In a world being drained of its natural resources, is it conceivable that we do nothing? And with a universe of dazzling temptation at our fingertips, will we still seek the God of all creation? Will Samson is good at opening thoughtful dialogue. In Enough, Will addresses the idea of finding contentment in this age of excess. Does the God who offers himself to be Eucharistically consumed in Jesus Christ have a community-forming alternative in mind to consumerism? Can we be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be Eucharistic community for others? With a casual, accessible writing style, Samson discusses consumerism, contentment as a Christian discipline, and the notion of stewarding our resources. In four sections, Will outlines the ideas that drive a consumeristic mindset; the effects those ideas have on ourselves, our communities, and the earth; conclusions about the situation; and practical solutions for negotiating everyday life once we understand that our abundant God is, in fact, enough. If you're exhausted from keeping up with the Joneses, or if you're looking for the balance between what is necessary and what is too much, just stop. Enough is enough. Endorsements: “Can a book be hard-hitting without being guilt-inducing? Can it be both convicting and encouraging? Can it be beautifully written and deeply thoughtful—and really funny in places too? Can it be good for you and enjoyable to read? Can it help intensify your commitment to God and decrease your addiction to stuff? With Will Samson’s Enough, the answers are all yes.” Brian McLaren, author and activist, brianmclaren.net “The problem is not us owning things; the problem lies in things owning us. Will Samson reminds us not to confuse Christianity with Capitalism. Enough is a hopeful invitation to begin banking in God’s economy and reimagine what it means for followers of Jesus to prosper. Enthusiastically recommended.” Matthew Sleeth, MD, director of blessed-earth.org & author of Serve God, Save the Planet “Will Samson calls the Christian family to the table for a veritable feast of information and inspiration on how to live in peace, community, and simplicity. Enough is not to be missed.” Claudia Mair Burney, author of Zora and Nicky and Wounded “Will Samson has caught a glimpse of the abundance that promises more than your best life now. Inspired by the Eucharist, Will outlines a life better than we could imagine in our cultural captivity—an economy of enough where the poor find bread and the rich find contentment because we find one another in the community of our Lord. Read the book but more than that, join the feast. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, new monastic, author, and director of School for Conversion [hide] TITLE NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Link-love for your review: A PDF excerpt, if you’d like to post it for readers: http://www.davidccook.com/catalog/resources/samples/105401.pdf [1] Will’s blog: http://www.willzhead.typepad.com [2] (C’mon, Will – update it!) Interview Availability: Will Samson is available for a limited number of blog and podcast interviews. You’ll get his email address if you select Enough for your monthly review. Your Commitment: Remember, your commitment is to write a blog post (minimum 50 words) about Enough within 30 days of getting it, and cutting & pasting your post here: Thank you! [/hide] [1] http://www.davidccook.com/catalog/resources/samples/105401.pdf [2] http://www.willzhead.typepad.com/

The Furious Longing of God by Brennan Manning

Imagine a stormy day at sea, your ship yielding to a relentless wind, pummeled by crashing waves, subject to the awesome force of nature. A force that is both fierce and majestic. A power that is nothing short of furious. Such is God's intense, consuming love for his children. It's a love that knows no limits, and no boundaries. A love that will go to any lengths, and take any risks, to pursue us. The Furious Longing of God is vintage Brennan Manning in a new flask. If you’ve enjoyed The Ragamuffin Gospel or Ruthless Trust you know that Brennan’s gaze holds steady. He presents a love story for the brokenhearted and those who are burdened by heavy religion. For those who feel they can never measure up. It is a provocative and poignant look at the radical, no-holds-barred love of our Heavenly Father with the potential to change how you view God. There’s something even older, more weather-beaten in his authorial voice – and yet more hopeful, perhaps desperately hopeful and reckless confident in the boundless love of God. From the introduction: I’m Brennan. I’m an alcoholic. How I got there, why I left there, why I went back, is the story of my life. But it is not the whole story. I’m Brennan. I’m a Catholic. How I got there, why I left there, why I went back, is also the story of my life. But it is not the whole story. I’m Brennan. I was a priest, but am no longer a priest. I was a married man but am no longer a married man. How I got to those places, why I left those places, is the story of my life too. But it is not the whole story. I’m Brennan. I’m a sinner, saved by grace. That is the larger and more important story. Only God, in His fury, knows the whole of it. [hide] TITLE NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Link-love for your review: http://www.brennanmanning.com [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLz72f75nyU [2] An awesome Furious Longing book trailer http://www.davidccook.com/catalog/resources/samples/105875.pdf [3] Interview Availability: Brennan Manning’s interview availability is not known at press time. Please email me if you’d like to talk to him. Your Commitment: Remember, your commitment is to write a blog post (minimum 50 words) about The Furious Longing of God within 30 days of getting it, and cutting & pasting your post here: Thank you! [/hide] [1] http://www.brennanmanning.com/ [2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLz72f75nyU [3] http://www.davidccook.com/catalog/resources/samples/105875.pdf

Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture

by Michael Frost Have you ever seen a photo of Michael Frost? He looks like he can beat you up. That's neither here nor there - unless you're wanting someone in your corner in a Mark Driscoll debate - but this Aussie scholar-practitioner is not your typical armchair pontificator. In his first popular solo writing effort, Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture presents a biblically-rooted paradigm for the church in emergence-people who are not at home either in the traditional church or in the secular world. As exiles of both, they must create their own worldview that integrates their Christian beliefs with the contemporary world. Exiles seeks to integrate all aspects of life and decision-making and to develop the characteristics of a Christian life lived intentionally within emerging (postmodern) culture. It presents a plea for a dynamic, life-affirming, robust Christian faith that can be lived successfully in the post-Christian world of twenty-first century Western society. This book paints a picture of a Christian lifestyle that can be lived in non-religious categories and be attractive to not-yet Christians, not to mention being credible to oneself. Such a worldview takes ecology and politics seriously. It offers a positive response to the workplace, the arts, feminism, mystery and worship. Exiles seeks to develop a framework that will allow Christians to live boldly and courageously in a world that no longer values the culture of the church, but does greatly value many of the things the Bible speaks positively about. This book suggests that there us more to being a follower of Jesus than meets the eye. It explores the secret, unseen nooks and crannies in the life of a Christian and suggests that faith is about more than church attendance and belief in God. And there are photographs - even of Frost himself. http://viralbloggers.com/2009/01/exiles-living-missionally-in-a-post-christian-culture/ [1] [hide] TITLE NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW IMPORTANT: This is a 2 title set! Please be ready to blog about both. :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Link-love for your review: http://www.forge.org.au [2] Forge, an Australian missional think tank/activist cell that Frost heads up http://www.smallboatbigsea.org [3] - a missional church community that Frost is part of http://www.morling.nsw.edu.au/morling_college/about_morling/our_faculty/michael_frost.php [4] His academic bio http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77ndCFSv47g [5] - nice YouTube clip (more where that came from) Interview Availability: Michael is available for blog and podcast interviews. You'll get his email address if you select the missional two-pack for your monthly review. Your Commitment: Remember, your commitment is to write a blog post (minimum 50 words) about the missional two-pack within 30 days of getting it. Yes, you can write a single post about both this and The Shaping of Things to Come - though you're welcome to write two! Please copy & paste your post right here, below! Thank you! [/hide] [1] http://viralbloggers.com../../../../../2009/01/exiles-living-missionally-in-a-post-christian-culture/ [2] http://www.forge.org.au/ [3] http://www.smallboatbigsea.org/ [4] http://www.morling.nsw.edu.au/morling_college/about_morling/our_faculty/michael_frost.php [5] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77ndCFSv47g

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