The Becoming of G-d: What the Trinitarian Nature of God has to do with Church and a Deep Spirituality for the Twenty First Century

by Ian Mobsby

Ian is the Anglican Priest at the Moot Community, a fresh expression of church in London, England.  This is a creative and vibrant group that I visited three years ago.  In this fascinating volume Ian explores how a renewed understanding of the Trinity can lead to insights about what it means to be the church today. He examines aspects of the emerging church and mixed economies of churches with a keen eye that sees our ancient future possibilities. His passion for faith, Christian community and the Trinity ring clear on every page.

He Ascended Into Heaven: Learn to Live an Ascension-shaped Life

by Tim Perry and Aaron Perry

Ascension often gets neglected as Christians reflect on the meaning of Jesus' life and the implications of that life for our own living - this book sets out to bring the Ascension into the conversation.  The authors look at the meaning of the Ascension from a number of angles and bring some fresh insights to consider.

I found this book to be a helpful condensation of theological themes connected with the Ascension.  I particularly appreciated the connection between the crucifixion and ascension, and the understanding that what was started on the cross was concluded in the clouds - that the ascension turns the cross into a victory.  I also appreciated how the authors were able to show how ascension is found throughout the New Testament, not just in Luke and Acts (not directly, but as a recognition of who Jesus is).

The Sacrifice of Jesus: Understanding Atonement Biblically

by Christian A. Eberhart
 
A little book with some big ideas, packed with an overview of how sacrifice is presented in the Bible, and how it applies to the saving work of Jesus.  Bottom line, this professor at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon suggests that to limit sacrifice to Jesus' death is misunderstanding the function of sacrifice in the Hebrew scriptures.  It is more about offering something pure, costly and pleasing to God than the taking of a life.

In this book Christian Eberhart first gives a detailed overview of sacrifice found in the Hebrew scriptures, which makes it quite clear that death was not the primary element functioning in these ancient rituals (especially when considering Cereal sacrifices).  Then he examines how the New Testament talk about the saving work of Jesus and what makes such salvation possible.  In conclusion Dr. Eberhart writes "Most important is the discovery that, according to the New Testament, Christ's entire mission and life have salvific value. New Testament soteriology does not focus exclusively on the death of Jesus but includes his life and mission."  Some important insights to consider in a culture that has trouble accepting the concept of sacrifice "as it seems to convey death, violence, and the image of a vengeful and implacable God."  Some ideas worth considering as we seek to proclaim the gospel in our current culture.

The Boy Who Met Jesus: Segatashya of Kibeho

by Immaculée Ilibagiza (with Steve Erwin)

Not quite sure what to make of this book. The dramatic story of a peasant farmer boy from a remote region of Rwanda who had visions of Jesus. Jesus gives this boy messages to share with the world, similar to some girls from the same region having visions of Mary (a modern equivalent to the Marian apparitions in Lourdes, France - 1858, or Fátima, Portugal - 1917). These visitations happened in 1982 in the small village of Kibeho, Rwanda. The account is fascinating, but I'm not sure why God would use such a method to proclaim a message that is (for the most part) already recorded in the Gospels.  That being said, I still found it hard to put down, and some of the unexplained aspects of the story make me curious - for one thing, how would an illiterate boy from a pagan family, who had never been in school, never set foot in a church, never seen a Bible, how could such a person be able to speak so skillfully about theological matters?  Those who were sent by the Roman Catholic church to investigate the verity of the apparitions concluded that they were real, that the children, including Segatashya, were telling the truth - something miraculous was taking place.

Perhaps the most forceful impact of the book is its cautionary tale of what happens when people do not love others has God has commanded.  In a little more than a decade after Segatashya had his visions and shared Jesus' message with a wide audience (his messages were broadcast on radio and crowds of 30,000 would crowd into Kibeho when the visitations were to occur), the lack of love and understanding led to the genocide for which Rwanda is infamous today.  In the end the message delivered by Segatashya was a simple one, so simple that a child could understand it - we are to love God and each other, to return to living the way God intended, to pray constantly and in this way prepare for the last days.

Intuitive Leadership: Embracing a Paradigm of Narrative, Metaphor & Chaos

by Tim Keel

I started this book months ago, it was recommended by my brother who read it as part of his Doctor of Ministry studies.  For whatever reason I never got too far into the book, it kept getting set aside as other things took higher priority.  Then a few weeks ago I was able to really dig into this book, and I am very grateful that I did.  It is fill with great insights into what leadership means, and indeed what church means, in the 21st century.  A call to creativity and intuition, and allowing ministry to be shaped by one's context rather than by programs and structures developed elsewhere (in place or time).


Tim Keel leads a church that is part of the "Emerging Church" movement. They have sought to be intentional in shaping their community of faith in an honest and creative manner that does not neglect the past, but is not bound to it.  One of the best things about Keel's book is that he resists the temptation to create a program based on what happens at Jacob's Well (his church in Kansas City, Missouri) that can be transplanted into other churches.  That would defeat the whole premise of his book which is to encourage leaders to respond to their own environments with creativity and intuition (which he says is an important way God's Spirit leads us).

My copy of this book is filled with highlighted passages, and I'm sure I will return to this volume time and again to remind myself of the wisdom and insights Tim Keel has shared, and to reaffirm my commitment to use the gifts of creativity and intuition in my role as a church leader.

Embracing Grace: A Gospel for All of Us

by Scot McKnight

In this book McKnight uses the concept of Eikon (a Greek word meaning "image" which Scot uses to mean "image of God") to explore the question "What is the Gospel, this good news that God has sent to us?"  McKnight provides a balance to the evangelical over-emphasis on a God of judgment with this picture of grace and good news.  Scot has a nice way of explaining theological ideas in terms that an average person can understand, and his examples from life are relevant and in some cases touching.  I particularly enjoyed the chapters titled "Diminished by Exclusion" and "Enlivened by Embrace" - a message the church needs to take seriously today.

Celtic Christianity: A Sacred Tradition, A Vision of Hope

by Timothy Joyce

A comprehensive overview of Celtic Christianity, from its beginning in the early 5th century to its transformation in the second millennium.  An introduction to the uniqueness of the early Celtic Church, with its holistic approach to faith and life. I learned much more than I might have expected in this book - especially the history of how the early form of Celtic Christianity was transformed over the centuries into the very rigid and traditional Irish Catholic Church.  I appreciated Joyce's way of approaching this material as a theologian and historian, a poet and a sociologist.  Once I started the book it was actually hard to put down, not so much because there was a fast moving plot, put simply because I was gaining so much insight and understanding throughout the whole work.  I found the book to be inspiring as well, at the end I felt both hopeful, and committed to be more intentional about weaving more of Celtic Christianity into my own experience and ministry.