The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community: The Posture And Practices Of Ancient Church Now (2008) - Plot & Excerpts
Halter and Smay���s book was an interesting read. While I appreciated their warmth for evangelism and authenticity, I have a major point of contention with one of their opening statements. In their opening chapter they say, ���I believe in the church. I believe God loves his church, and that he���s quite ticked that his bride looks like ���Fiona the ogre��� instead of Cameron Diaz.��� It seems to me that the rest of the book and the quest of the authors are to create a church that looks like Cameron Diaz. When reading this book I was continually reminded of a quote by St. Augustine. Augustine in talking about the church once said, ���The church is a whore, but this whore is also my mother.��� In thinking about Augustine���s quote I believe that he portrays the church in a healthy manner. The very church itself is composed of sinners that will always fail to meet up to the glorious standards of God. The church is not immune from sin nor a perfect utopia here on earth. The Christian church will always fail to meet the mark, and always fails in being free from hypocrisy. However, it is this very broken, whorish, and unfaithful vessel that God in His grace has called and commissioned to bring forth the Gospel (Ephesians 3:20). Through its unfaithfulness, brokenness and hypocrisy God has used the church, the body of believers, as an instrument to proclaim the life changing message of the Gospel. Through the lips of sinners God ministers His Word that penetrates hearts, grants faith and imputes assurance. Through imperfect people and an imperfect institution God���s perfected Gospel has been preserved, ministered and spoken forth to the ends of the earth.If anything, Augustine���s quote testifies more about the faithfulness of God and the power of His Gospel working in the midst of broken man rather than commenting on the church itself. If anything, Augustine���s quote exposes my sin of putting trust into an unfaithful church rather than the unchanging and faithful message of the Gospel. If anything, Augustine���s quote is yet another example of God���s grace and intense love towards sinful mankind.While I commend Halter and Smay in their missionary zeal I do not believe the answer to missions is to become like Cameron Diaz, for I believe the natural state of the church is Fiona the orge. Furthermore, I do not believe the Kingdom of God is found in the tangible events of the church body but is found in the King, Jesus Christ. Where the King is, there is the kingdom. What makes the church unique and the Gospel so sweet is that Christ would pursue, die and love Fiona! I think all my friends should read The Tangible Kingdom. I haven't been this inspired by a Christian book someone still alive in a long time. Someone codified many things that we've been doing a Circle of Hope for over a decade and had enough subtle differences to challenge me. This would be good for people trying to lead, trying to have a fresh season walking in the Jesus Way, think that Jesus is cool but churches suck, or are aligned with ideas of community transformation then you will find a lot of great stuff here.
What do You think about The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community: The Posture And Practices Of Ancient Church Now (2008)?
I would love to be part of a community like the author describes.
—Torie
Great read with practical God stuff to engage
—suestorm
