Book Comments: “Pagan Christianity”

I just finished “Pagan Christianity: Exploring the Roots of our Church Practices” by Frank Viola and George Barna.

My, my, my … many theoretical problems with this book.

The historical study is very accurate and quite fascinating. The analysis and synthesis of the authors’ conclusions lead to a fallacy in method. They are prescribing a practice of the Church (and church, little “c”) that essentially does what they have accused the Church of historically doing: erecting human practices on scriptural grounds. Their methodology is flawed.

Though they argue for the full tenor of scripture, they do not grasp how that understanding is put into practice.

The authors’ criticism is leveled primarily at low-church Protestantism. And unfortunately, there is no talk of the redeeming and reconciling nature of the work of the gospel through Christian practices.

Everything they describe as organic church, I experience in my faith community. Yet, we own a building, we have paid staff, etc. We don’t play dress up on Sunday, nor some of the other things the authors find non-Biblical. But we do intend toward community: meaning our community is intentional.

Many of the criticisms of the book did not hit home with me. It seems that Viola and Barna have found a wonderfully subversive way to sell a lot of copies of a book. But in so doing they are misconstruing the analysis and pigeon-holing the possible practical implications their historicity affords.

For my part, I just listed the book in brand new condition at half.com … though I feel a bit bad to have someone else pay for it. At least it won’t continue to line the authors’ pockets.

SO TELL ME SOMETHING:
Have you read the book? What are your thoughts on the authors’ methodology?

——

Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
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Book Comments: “Beyond Smells and Bells”

I read “Beyond Smells and Bells: The Wonder and Power of Christian Liturgy” by Mark Galli yesterday. Quick read. This slim volume would be a great primer for discussion and understanding in local churches that are reclaiming a sense of mystery and wonder through the Christian liturgy.

I especially think of my vocational setting. Individualistic, consumeristic America; specifically a bit south of “Bible Belt” territory (and closer to the ocean). For those in a parish who might ask “Why do we receive Holy Communion every week?”, or “Why do we stand for the reading of the Gospel text?”, or “Why do we light so many candles?”, or “Why do we extend our hands for the Blessing?”, etc., this book is a good starting place for conversation.

In my faith community, we are attempting to reclaim corporate worship as the place and time we simply worship God and are shaped, formed to go about loving and serving. We believe the work of the people gathered is to let the liturgy (gathering, word, sacrament, sending) be the shaping and forming means.

If you use a liturgical format in your worship (for example: God calls, we gather; God speaks, we listen and respond; God acts, we give thanks; God sends, we go) this book should serve as a necessary touchstone for reaching some sense of communal understanding and appreciation.

SO TELL ME SOMETHING:
How do you experience the liturgy in your local church worship?

——

Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
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Book Comments: “Selling Out the Church”

Couple days ago I read “Selling Out the Church: The Dangers of Church Marketing” by Philip D. Kenneson and James L. Street.

I highly recommend this book for any pastor with the firm conviction that form and content cannot be separated, who is also struggling with the outside pressures of church growth marketing agendas.

The authors pose the question “Can the market-driven church remain Christ’s church?” The answer comes scripturally and theologically as a resounding “No.”

The reason is that marketing is a concept of self-interested exchange, but Christianity is a concept of gift.

This book elucidates my belief that the ideology of “responsiveness” to felt needs (aka, church marketing) essentially reduces the church to a quivering mass of availability. Yet, Christ in scripture clearly intends the church to be a journey of people embodying Christ’s Gospel and the kingdom of God.

One of the gems from the book:

“You can’t market a community that is called to engage in such things as truth-telling, forgiveness, hospitality to strangers, self-sacrifice, and love of one’s enemies.”

It is a rule of life for my faith community that our vocation is to live in a way that demands our peculiar way of being be understood through experience. As in the book, marketing the church wholly undercuts and sidesteps this mission.

SO TELL ME SOMETHING:
Have you read the book?  What are your thoughts on church marketing?

——

Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
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Prayer of Confession from Sunday, April 13

Here is the prayer of confession our faith community has lived with this week:

ONE:
You have shown us love, O God.

PEOPLE:
In Jesus, you have shown us love that seeks, love that suffers, love that survives all things.

ONE:
Yet call us, even command us, to show that love to others.

PEOPLE:
Yet we turn away from what you would have us do.

ONE:
We confess that the ways of love are not our ways.

PEOPLE:
We deny and ignore, hurt and hate, despise and reject.

ONE:
Loving others is hard.

PEOPLE:
Loving ourselves is often harder.

ONE:
Have mercy on us.

PEOPLE:
Help us to receive your love in a manner that allows us to share love with others.

ALL:
Help us to receive your love in a manner that allows us to love ourselves.

“Why Bother?”

I’m experiencing a new kind of service to others. I call it “Why Bother?” service.

Example:

Today I set up shop at my favorite table in my favorite local Starbucks to read, think, pray, write. I ordered my black-eye (coffee with 2 shots). I fired up the iPod.

The barista I’ve gotten to know chats with me. She knows I’m a pastor. She’s been to our church building for an area newcomers’ gathering. We established talking points with her and her boyfriend. We had been working on building relationship with them to bring them into the fellowship of Grace Community Church.

She looks tired this morning. She looks stressed.

“How’s it going?” I say.

“Oh, I’m tired and stressed,” she says (exactly how I thought she was feeling … which is rarity for me to be so perceptive).

“Why?” I respond.

“I’m moving in two weeks back to Seattle,” she elucidates.

“Oh, I understand … Is this a good thing, a good move?”

“Yes, it is.”

I pay, sit down … as soon as the fresh coffee is brewed she brings me my order.

As I wait, my inner monologue expels some words like “crap,” “shoot,” and perhaps another one or two I won’t specify here.

She’s moving back to SEATTLE! She won’t be coming to worship. She won’t be involved in a Community Group. She won’t be someone with and through whom we can experience Jesus. Because in two weeks she’ll be 3000 miles away … for good!

Now that I’ve finished my black-eye, the Spirit just gave me one (a black eye, that is):

“Why are you so selfish?” asks the Spirit.

“What?” I say, stupidly.

“What makes you think that you can only build relationships and serve and love others for the sake of your parish? I loved and continue to love others just for the chance to give my life away? I serve others because that is the way of obedience to God the Father. Now get your butt up there and serve her out of compassion and not out of selfishness.”

So when I pack up here, I’ll be asking her how I and my friends can help her prepare to move. Will she need help packing, loading, running errands, childcare? I’ll give her my card (again) and tell her we really want to help because we just want to show her God’s kindness.

I’ll serve because I’m called to serve (and you are, too). I’ll serve because Jesus does, and not because I want to get something out of it.

Why bother? Because, I am called to be obedient to the person of God, the love of the Spirit, and the way of Jesus.

SO TELL ME SOMETHING:
How have you served someone today?

——

Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
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