Book Review - ReBorn Again by Christopher VanHall

(Re)Born Again – Crucifying Christendom & Resurrecting A Radical

By Christopher VanHall.

This is not my usual kind of Christian book to read. Christopher is a radical progressive Christian whose ideas and experiences of faith are very raw to a traditionalist like me. I was intrigued by the title of this book and also wanted to be better informed of a branch of Christianity that has often made me uncomfortable. I was not disappointed.

Christopher’s deep honesty and coarse language throughout the book are actually quite refreshing. He writes about his experiences from the heart and describes his faith journey in very terse terms. His Christian roots are conservative and he begins the book with several events that eventually led him to question the performance presentations that his large mega-church extravagantly put on. At times, it sounded comical and absurd, but below the surface, Christopher was experiencing a painful spiritual rebirth of who he is and what Christ expects of His followers.

I was captivated by the unapologetic honesty and relentless drive that Christopher conveys through the different stages of his life. His confrontations with church leaders, marriage breakdown, self-questioning, and rock-bottom experiences are all there in the book. How he manages to rediscover himself and climb up out of his spiritual pit is inspiring. His progressive and radical insights taught me a lot about the struggles that others like him have in their own lives. While I may not always agree with his methods or even some of his thoughts on scripture, I do recognize his real passion for what he believes, thinks and does.

I like the way he has set out each chapter, beginning with an episodic situation or circumstance which is quite intriguing, and then breaks off from it to explore and express an important theological point. At the end of the chapter, he very neatly returns to the initial incident and cleverly weaves it into a very effective and teachable lesson. Time and time again, this impressed me deeply.

This book will make a great small group study by all sorts of Christians. I am thankful for the opportunity to both read and review it for the publishers. It is a remarkable journey and I am grateful for the broader insights about progressive Christianity that Christopher has given me.

Christian devotion: Slumber Party - Acts 20:9

Acts 20:9         Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead.

            Who listens to Paul anymore? Who takes times to read and study what he has to say? During the past couple of decades, many Christians have been pushing back against Paul and his teaching. He’s treated by some as a long-winded, misogynistic, slave supporting, self-centered teacher whose writings led the Early Church away from Christ’s grace into a new form of legalistic, dogmatic, self-opinionated religion that had more to do with his Pharisaic roots rather than his conversion by Christ. The post-modern writers and followers of Jesus who push back against Paul and diminish his teachings usually think of themselves as progressive reformers, whose mission is to get the Church back on the right track. Unfortunately, this frequently ends up just as legalistic when progressives write negative things about other Christians or even produce their own self-righteous lists which state things like: “10 Things You Can’t Do When Following Jesus.”

            Like Eutychus of old, the church tends to drift off and fall asleep when reading Paul’s teaching which essentially grew out of his actual preaching. If you don’t believe me, then next time you are suffering from insomnia and can’t sleep, try reading all of the chapters of Paul’s Letter to the Romans – by the time you get to chapter 5, you’ll probably be slumbering.

            Eutychus, as a young person, didn’t understand the importance of Paul’s preaching at the time, so it caused him to switch off, fall asleep, and drop from the window ledge. He was dead to the teaching, and literally to the rest of the world. It’s perhaps ironic and, to some degree, symbolic that it is Paul who raises him from death, back into life. The sleeper is awakened by the same teacher who made him drift off. Perhaps in the future, a whole generation of Christian folks who are turned off by Paul’s teaching today, may return to the church through the words of the very same apostle.

Questions for personal reflection

What do I honestly think about the apostle Paul? Have I truly read all of his letters?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, no matter what we think about Paul, keep reminding us that it was You who chose him to preach the Gospel and teach the Church. He is Your Chosen One, and so we should treat his teaching with a better understanding and greater respect. Open our hearts and minds to his messages, which originated from Your Spirit, and grant us positive opportunities to apply them in our daily lives. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s Christ Icon drawings. It’s called “Christ Icon” and represents Christ as a teacher with the scriptures in His hands. It’s based upon an old Syriac icon. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5255/5457191479_6bdca8084f_b.jpg

A Cautionary Tale

From the Associated Press

TULSA, Okla. - A once prominent leader in the charismatic movement has been forced to shut down his church in the wake of a radical change in his theological beliefs.

Eight years ago, Bishop Carlton Pearson's Higher Dimensions Church had about 6,000 members. He served as a guest host on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, was a member of the Oral Roberts University board of trustees, and was among group of black religious leaders who advised President-elect George W. Bush after the 2000 election.

But Pearson then began preaching that everyone goes to heaven, a theology he calls "the gospel of inclusion." Not long after, evangelical leaders rejected Pearson, the membership in his church fell to a few hundred, and the church's property was lost in foreclosure.

Its few remaining members have now been merged into a Unitarian congregation.

Only the Lonely

John 16: 32 "But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. (NIV)

Loneliness is something that afflicts every one of us from time to time. There are moments in our lives when we feel vulnerable, isolated, and even alienated from our friends and families, as well as the people around us. Each person has to get through life as best as she or he can. Every one of us goes through this journey we call life uniquely and individually.

Sometimes our loneliness is caused by our actions. We paint ourselves into a corner through making the wrong choices. At other times, we are fiercely independent, not willing to look for help or support from our friends or families. And then there are those occasions when we stand out against the crowd, believing in things that others don’t, or struggling to be different from the rest of society.

No matter what causes our loneliness, how we cope with it reveals our strengths and weaknesses, our characteristics and personality traits. For Jesus, loneliness meant speaking out against injustice, going against traditions, and preaching an unpopular message. His loneliness was brought on by remaining true to His calling and obeying God. It’s something that Paul would later describe as being true to oneself.

In recent weeks, I’ve come across people who think, act and do things differently from what I believe, say, and do. In the past, I’ve often dismissed them as being sad, weird, and disillusioned people. I’ve not credited them with the courage to be different. I’ve not respected their wishes to walk a different path. I’ve not recognized that God makes each of us unique with a different set of characteristics, personalities, and ideas. One such person is Ngia who writes the Wayside Pulpit blog. She has written about the loneliness of being a Progressive Christian. It is a remarkable statement of personal faith.

Loneliness can be a feeling of being unloved, but it can also be a calling to explore the unexplainable, to walk the unattainable, and to believe the untraditional. In other words, there are lessons to be learned, acquired and experienced in the lonely heart that hunts for meaning, purpose, and truth.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, loneliness is a part of life. We belong to many groups, societies, and organizations, but we are still individuals who experience existence in different ways. When we feel isolated and vulnerable, give us the perseverance to endure. When we feel that we are out on a limb, alone and all by ourselves, grant us the courage to sustain our thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and opinions. And when at last we walk through the valley of the shadow of death on our own, come near to us and take us by the hand. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Blogachute #6 - The Progressive Sphere

Thank Goodness it’s Friday! After a heavy week of doing VBS – Splash for Jesus – I need to get out of the spritual plane and blogachute somewhere in cyber-space.

This week, I’m heading out of my comfort zone and into the world of Progressive Christianity. This is not easy for me, for freefalling in this area of the blogosphere goes against everything I was trained for…ah, well here goes nothing!

Bultmanimo!

8000feet Shuck and Jive – this is Pastor John Shuck’s progressive Christianity blog. John is a pastor like me in East Tennessee. We have crossed theological swords from time to time, but without any real animosity. I think he is leading the flock under his care astray, but that’s just my opinion.

The site, however, is well written and John does a lot of progressive reading. He’s willing to debate issues of faith, and does so in a jocular manner. Currently, he’s in a theological discussion about evolution, creationism, and a whole bunch of other worthwhile topics. Be warned! – John gives as good as he gets.

7000feet Fides & Veritas – written by H.H. Patriarch Anthony, who’s in the process of raising money for an online church. I think Anthony originates from the orthodox church, so his blogs are very academic and intensely progressively theological. He suggests that his blog is like looking down the path to an unknown end. (I think that’s a pattern amongst progressive Christians – not sure of where they’re going).

Anthony has started a new job working at some building complex. His observations are startling, expecially about those who don’t look after their children.

Nice aesthetic looking site though, and the bookmarks are user friendly. Talking about bookmarks, you need to check out his current reads. Plenty of food for thought there.

6000feet The Wayside Pulpit – I liked the title of this because it reminded me of several churches who used an outside bulletin board to get their messages across to passers by. The anonymous blogger writes this about the site:

This wayside pulpit is not a space for traditional Christian beliefs and theologies, rather it is a place to press beyond these traditional views. This is a space of both play and radical exploration. It is a place to throw faith against the wall and see what sort of ink blot is left behind. You won't like all the twisted and strange shapes that emerge, neither will I, but together they'll form their own unique graffiti.

The blogger wears his/her heart on their sleeve. This week, there is a very insightful blog called “Why a god?” it seems to reflect a lot of the loneliness that Progressives encounter.

5000feet Left of Calvary – definitely not for the faint-hearted. This is the Al Franken site for progressives. A lot of anger is vented against conservatives. Presently, the blogger (Father David Jennings) is writing about the Christian protest of the Hindu chaplain praying in Senate. All I can say is “Holy Cow!”

Very thought provoking and clever thinking here.

4000feet Ponderings on a Faith Journey – Bob Cornwall is a Disciples of Christ pastor and a church historian. I like the current religious news angle of this blog. Some of the progressives I’ve read just seem to want to bash conservatives and George Bush all the time. Bob’s writings are less vitriolic and have more value because of his scholarly knowledge. This is a site that I will bookmark and visit often.

3000feet Faith in Public Life – a resource center for justice and the common good. This is a social justice site founded, as it states, by America’s diverse faith leaders to strengthen faith movements sharing a call to pursue justice and the common good.

This is Progressive Christianity at its best – a resource providing lots of information about events, issues, and ministries that seek to better society and change our world. It’s an advocacy group which seeks to bring controversial issues to the attention of Joe Public and Roger Right Wing.

Torture is the current issue, especially the continued incarceration of foreign prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. The site contains breaking news and blog links, a calendar of protest events, as well as promotions for new Progressive books. Quite an interesting site and well presented.

2000feet Street Prophets – another site not for the faint-hearted. This is a bunch of blunt Progressives who have partnered together to produce a radical blog full of articulate, opinionated left wingers. If the Right really wants to know what the left thinks theologically, then this would be a key site to read, digest, and ponder.

These guys (and gals?) base their theology on the call of the prophet Amos, who troubled the establishment and authorities in Israel. They’re busy writing about the Hindu Chaplain and advocating on his behalf, some even going as far to say that we’re all the same….but how does a person who worships God and one who worships animal deities be classified as the same?

1000feet Religious Right Watch – this site is the equivalent of jihad watch and may be considered as the theological ‘moveon.org’ site. I get the feeling that they really don’t like RWs here…the blog proudly declares that they do what they do in order to secure the blessings of liberty.

The site contains many contributions from different bloggers and a whole host of facts and figures about why the Religious Right is ruining America, especially its reputation abroad. There are the usual writings from agnostics who are unsure about God and comments on the homosexual ordination issues. It’s a clever site, but nothing really original. Maybe I’ve been in the Progressive blogosphere too long today.


Zero feet - Down to earth, with a few bumps on the way! Whew, I’m sure glad this is over. Now I can get back to ruining America by sticking to my Christian beliefs….