Surprised By Hope

Occasionally, I come across a book, movie, or piece of art, that just rocks my world. I've been on a pretty good run of late! However, along with the busy holiday season, and otherwise crazy schedule, I've been able to keep reading, but not blogging. Today is a usual day off for me, and in my devotional time, I thought it'd be good to do some catching up.

Last fall, I had the opportunity to go to my bud Joel Heron's church in Greenville MI, to do a worship workshop with their teams. It was a blast! What a great church and great bunch of servants glorifying God with their art! Bringing heaven to earth! Somewhere in all the preparation, Joel had mentioned to me a book I ought to read. He always recommends only the best books, and I certainly wasn't disappointed this time. The book is: "Surprised by Hope" (Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church) by N. T. Wright. This book is not your average walk through a candy shop, looking for that special treat that will momentarily satisfy your sweet tooth. It is much more of a long, long walk through some of the most intense landscapes your eyes could ever behold. The cover of the book is somewhat unassuming, actually it's sort of like a plain paper bag. Inside, I found some of the most fresh thinking I've experienced in a while. N. T. Wright is the Bishop of Durham for the Church of England. Frankly, not where I would have expected to find a piece so rich. My mistake, it's where the likes of C. S. Lewis came from! (Duh!)

I highly recommend this book as not only a great read, but one of the most challenging books I've read in a long time. The premise of "Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church," was intriguing to me. Is this guy some heretical fanatic that is out to reorder God's word to fit his theology, or could he be on to something? This book messed with me! There are a lot of what I'd refer to as, traditional western thinking, that I've been rethinking since reading this book! Wright brings incredible biblical clarity to the ideas we have of Heaven, Jesus' resurrection, (and the implications of that), as well as how to proceed from here. It has restored a hope that I wasn't fully aware that I'd lost.

As a teaser, I'd just like to share a couple of paragraphs here. "The some of it's parts are greater than the whole" cannot be said of this work! It is the entire piece, taken in context that is so impressive. The some of the whole, in this case, is better than it's parts. Each "part", will lead you into a deeper place. But, I'd like to share this thought for today.

A couple of weeks ago, Linda and I we're able to go to Montana for a little getaway. One of the questions I was frequently asked was, "why in the world would you want to go there?" "It's so cold...so snowy...so blah...blah...blah!" "I thought you'd go south to someplace warmer."

Friends is one of the main reasons we go there. We have some beautiful Godly friends that are so gracious to invite us to stay on their beautiful ranch. They're amazing. (Thanks Randy, Kay and staff!) But, the other is largely beauty. Montana, especially Western Montana is incredible this time of year. It is any time of year, but especially this time of year when the mountains are full of snow. The natural beauty there is so stunning! The high prairies, the mountains, the rivers, the wildlife, it's truly an amazing place. Our time there was precious, and we hope to go there again and again. When I see beauty, natural beauty, I tend to think of God. He is Beautiful! I also believe we, the ones created in the image of God, reflect Him when we are creative.

In chapter 13, "Building for the Kingdom," N. T. Wright says this: "To make sense of and celebrate a beautiful world through the production of artifacts that are themselves beautiful is part of the call to be steward of creation, as was Adam's naming of the animals. Genuine art is thus itself a response to the beauty of creation, which itself is a pointer to the beauty of God." He continues later in that same chapter, "Art at its best draws attention not only to the way things are but also to the way things will be, when the earth is filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea. That remains a surprising hope, and perhaps it will be the artists who are best at conveying both the hope and the surprise"

What can you expect to take away from reading this book? First-Hope. Hope that there is purpose in this life. Hope of paradise, heaven, Christ's return! Hope of His coming judgement! Hope in the mission of the church, which I believe is the hope of the world. Secondly-Surprise. Surprise, that He is all around us, drawing us to Himself, pursuing us with a relentless love. Revealing Himself to us, in us, through us, in ways we'd never previously imagined.

Don't miss this one folks, it's hard to find in book stores. You can find it online!

Tribe vs. Crowds

I'm just getting into a new book by author Seth Godin. The book is entitled, "Tribes" Just wanted to share a paragragh or two from the book. I'll no doubt, be sharing some more in the days to come. The book is a business minded book, but some of the principles apply to all of us. In lieu of church, ShadowLand, and much of what I'm involved with, these words had a strangely familiar sound to them. From page 32-34 in "Tribes"

How Many Fans Do You Have?
In an article posted on his Technium Web site, Kevin Kelly brilliantly described the world of “1,000 True Fans.” A true fan, he argues, is a member of the tribe who cares deeply about you and your work. That person will cross the street to buy from you or bring a friend to hear you or invest a little extra to support.
An individual artist needs only a thousand true fans in her tribe. It’s enough.
It’s enough because a thousand fans will bring you enough attention and support to make a great living, to reach more people, to do great work. It’s enough because a thousand fans, true fans, form a tribe.
A true fan brings three friends with him to a John Mayer concert or to the opening of a Chuck Close exhibit. A true fan pays extra to own the first edition, or buys the hardcover, instead of just browsing around on the web site. Most important, a true fan connects with other true fans and amplifies the noise the artist makes.
A corporation or a nonprofit or a church may need more than that-perhaps a million fans if your Starbucks, or fifteen million if you’re running for president. But, it’s beyond doubt that there’s a number-you can figure out what it is- and it’s probably fewer people than you imagine.
Too many organizations care about numbers, not fans. They care about hits or turnstile clicks or media mentions. What they’re missing is the depth of commitment and inter-connection that true fans deliver. Instead of always being on the hunt for one more set of eyeballs, true leaders have figured out that the real win is in turning a casual fan into a true one. (Emphasis mine)
Fans, true fans, are hard to find and precious. Just a few can change everything. What they demand, though, is generosity and bravery.

Your thoughts!?


You can take a look at Seth's blog here

Wide Awake

I recently finish Wide Awake by Erwin McManus. I would consider this a must read. I got copies for the whole family for Christmas. It is such an encouraging book. The subtitle is: The Future is Waiting Within You. If you have unfulfilled dreams, or feel like God has forgotten you, you must read this book. Essentially, it's about dreaming the dreams that God has placed inside you, and dreaming them "Wide Awake." I've moved it onto my top 5 list for sure. Stay tuned here, as in the weeks to come I'll be doing some posts on it!