Book Review, "Jesus Manifesto" by Leonard Sweet and Frank Violaa

Book Review: Sweet, Leonard and Frank Viola, Jesus Manifesto, Thomas Nelson, Nashville T.N. 2010
Reviewed by Ron Aguilera

I can summarize this book by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola in one phrase, “The Christian faith is all about Jesus. Jesus isn’t only at the center of the Christian faith, but along the “corners and on the edges” as well.”

Sweet and Viola believe we have created a “narcissistic” and a “best-seller” Christianity which is “self-centeredness wrapped up as ‘spirituality,’ which has become the latest fashion accessory for the person who has everything” (p. 100).

These days Christians are being separated by terns such as: the “defenders of orthodoxy,” the emerging church, the missional church, evangelicals, fundamentalists, the house church movement, etc…the danger being becoming preoccupied with some thing else other than Christ.

Sweet and Viola write about the importance of rediscovering of the “living Word,” or the Scriptures and its authority; focusing on Jesus and His supremacy; and being moved by the living Spirit and the Spirit’s gifts and power to manifest Christ in the context of that culture. (p. xvii)

We’re living in some tough times economically, politically, and socially. The world needs Jesus more than ever. Is this our mission? To bring Christ to a world that desperately needs him. And, what does the church look like when we are first seeking Christ and His Kingdom?

The authors call us to be “living epistles” or “Jesus Manifestos” in our world. What is Christianity? It is Christ. Nothing more. Nothing less. Christianity is not an ideology or a philosophy. Neither is it a new type of morality, social ethic, or worldview. Christianity is the ‘good news’ of Jesus.

Listening to Your Life

One of my favorite devotional books is a book of daily meditations written by Frederick Buechner. It is called "Listening to Your Life." Buechner is a Presbyterian minister who has authored at least 30 books in a variety of different genres(fiction, autobiography, essays and sermons).

I thought I would share with you one of the quotes that love: “Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and the pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it, because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace. And Christ is here with us on our way as surely as the way itself is here that has brought us to this place. Christ is with us, as subtle and pervasive as air."

I really believe this, Jesus is with us. He will not/does not leave us or forsake us. Good News!

A Million MIles in a Thousand Years

I recently started to read this book by Donald Miller. I previously had read "Blue Like Jazz" and enjoyed it. I am finding this book to be fun to read. If you read it, it might even bring a tear to your eyes. Miller's style is choppy, but engaging. The premise is that Miller describes the experience of looking at his life as he works with others in developing a movie based on his life. The result is a bit distressing for him, but the lessons from the screen-writing experience have some wonderful applications in real life

Stay tuned for more...later.

Book Review

I picked this book up last month. I was initially drawn to it by its title, “the monkey and the fish”. Leafing through it, I discovered it was about an area of church that I have been doing a lot of reading and teaching on, culture (not ethnicity), and how culture gets created and formed, and how to understand the culture we live in and connect with it, and the importance of developing a church culture that in outward thinking (instead of inward focused).
This is a pretty short read, just over 200 pages, and the author uses one word to connect his thoughts: liquid. We live in a different world, and the author talks about the cultural shifts at work in the world, and of how important it is to understand these shifts so we can communicate the gospel effectively in our day.
For many years our church culture’s only means of communicating the Gospel has been informational, yet the culture of today, driven by younger generations, learns best relationally. Being liquid is about adaptability, adjusting and communicating the Gospel in a way that resonates with our culture today. The author also use the term, third culture. First culture is the dominant homogenous culture we live in. Second culture is about how folks live who are not comfortable with the first culture. But, third culture is "the mindset and will to live, learn, ad serve in any culture, even in the midst of pain and discomfort." This reminded me of Matthew 5:16, 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Jesus reminded us that information sharing is not the best avenue to sharing God, our good deeds, our actions are. The author also asks three questions that liquid, third culture Christians should be asking:
(1) Where is Nazareth (Can anything good come from Nazareth)? Where is that area in our town or city where nothing good is happening and how can we serve there?
(2) What is my pain (where he talks about prosperity theology versus the value of pain)?
(3) What is in my hand (what has God given you to do or contribute)? There is so much here for pastors in this short little book. The chart of what the church is known for versus what Jesus was known for is worth the price of the book.