I'm glad you asked.
Usually the Bible of course, almost exclusively, but I make exceptions.
I finished "Amish Grace" which is very well-known now. I have read more Amish books than average but this one was worth the time because it is a healthy look at Biblical Forgiveness.
I'm not Amish or Mennonite but I have similarities with them.
Today I picked up, "Pagan Christianity?" copyright 2002, by Viola & Barna.
I don't know if I agree with it or not because I'm still in the introduction. But I have found sentences that I like:
"An organic church is simply a church that is born out of spiritual life instead of constructed by human institutions and held together by religious programs."
and........
"[some Christians] are weary of being sent off to complete assignments, memorise facts and passages, and engage in simplistic practices that do not draw them into God's presence."
the back cover says:
"...the problems that emerge when the church functions more like a business organization than the living organism it was created to be."
Sounds good doesn't it?
We will see. I have high hopes that I will like it enough to recommend it to others and then I can shut up and just point at their work. It will save me time and words.
It's bright RED cover already caused the pagan at the health food store to ask me what it was about. I was able to say, "It's about how the Christian church doesn't do much of what the Bible actually said to do and instead picked up ideas from the culture around them."
He said, "Hmmm, sounds really, really good."
Okay then, I can use this book as a conversation starter in public, Good to know.
Allow me to raise my voice a little. Ready?
I WANT TO BE DRAWN INTO THE PRESENSE OF GOD.
Clear?
I don't want to be entertained, pampered, lied to and distracted to death.
As I said recently church is too loud and distracts from the Lord in my opinion. I can hardly find a church that I can pray in for the PA system, they may as well beat on marching drums up and down the aisles.
I think I've made my point---thanks for listening.
1 comment:
This book will tend to do a good job at pointing out the various problems of unscriptural practices in modern churches -- but then altogether fail to present the Scriptural solutions for them. One of its key weaknesses is that Frank Viola is man who is very strongly opposed to Scriptural gender role distinctions. You can look up his teachings on I Corinthians 11:2-16 and 14:34-35, for example, and get a good sense of how he mocks the plain meaning of these beautiful passages. He would be right at home in a very loose and casual and sensual living room atmosphere for church where the men and women alike freely speak up with whatever comes to their minds at the moment, and the things of the Scriptures such as feminine head covering and modesty are despised. Read the book for seeing the pagan origins of various modern practices, but not for obedience to the Scriptures.
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