Here's what I've been reading lately. It's probably the most cerebral book I've read in a long time. Now I'm not sure I buy McLaren's view on everything, but right now it's helping me decide I need to have an opinion on things. Here's an excerpt that sent chills up my spine.
Is it possible that Jesus was intentionally keeping his message of the kingdom a secret so that it wasn't obvious, wasn't easy to grasp, wasn't like a simple mathematical formula that can quickly learned and repeated? It is possible that the message of Jesus was less like an advertising slogan - obvious and loud - and more like a poem whose meaning only comes subtly and quietly to those who read slowly, think long and deeply, and refuse to give up?
Thoughts?
11 comments:
I've started reading this book twice now, but I'm kinda waiting until my mind is in the right space.
I think McLaren could definitly be right in that. The diciples we're Jesus' closest companions and at the end of a 3 year stint they still had no idea what Jesus was about. They had said he was the Christ, but I don't think understood correctly what the Christ was. The Jews we're looking for an army commander to lead them into war and freedom. We look back on that and find that thought ridiculous, but more and more I'm beginning to feel that I act in my context like one of them, some days having brilliant revelations about Jesus, but then other days missing the boat as I search for a category to place Jesus in. It's like Jesus isn't someone who essence can be captured in 3 points, but only shown. What do you think?
Here is an excert I pulled from Seth Godin's marketing blog this morning: I think it brilliantly shows a little bit of what Jesus was like:
The most successful marketers tell two stories at the same time. A shiny one and a deep one.
The shiny story is easy to notice, easy to enjoy, easy to spread.
The deep story is fascinating, worth your time. It has texture and mystery and it lasts.
Consider The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia. It's more than 800 pages long. Dylan is shiny (sometimes). His songs get played on the radio or around the campfire. It's not unusual for a teenager to hear an old Dylan song for the very first time and then add it to her iPod.
But Dylan's also pretty deep. Hence the encyclopedia. Can you imagine an encyclopedia about... The Back Street Boys?
Most marketers choose to be just shiny. Deep, it seems, is way too much work.
Dude!
I am convinced this is what Jesus was saying when he spoke "... he who has ears let him hear". (Luke 14: 25-35).
Good stuff! I'm a bit behind you - reading "A Generous Orthodoxy"
The quote I posted has caused me to read everything slower and with more pause to understand. I must confess to being a task oriented reader (read to finish so you can start another read). I also realized I live my life the same way. I'm just trying to get things finished so I can get to the next thing. I need to pause to understand. I think that is the meaning of SELAH in the Psalms.
Good food for thought. Speaking of food do we have church plant group this Sunday?
Candice
I can't take Bob Dylan seriously realy, he had friends who helped him where he is today and not on talent.
Bob Dylan is one of the best songwriters in a hundred years. Also one of the worst vocalists in a hundred years which proves all you need is "3 chords and the truth".
what city boy is trying to convay by the way I see it is that Neil Young says the Man( Govt) is againts freedom for the people.
Keep us in the dark and tell us their lies.
Peace!!!!!!!!!!
This quote is not too difficult to come to grips with if one's view of salvation is more in line with Calvin than with Arminius:
If the premise of salvation is that we must choose Jesus, then it seems to be somewhat of a challenge that He spoke in such a way that many people wouldn't get it.
If the premise of salvation is that God knows those who are His and that they are revealed through their acceptance of the preached gospel, then there is no challenge; those who are appointed to eternal life would get it.
Here's a fun activity that will get the mental faculties going: try to read Romans as an Arminian, then as a Calvinist. Which method of reading requires less explaining of the text?
Hmmm...
I find it interesting that any talk about salvation will lead eventually to Calvin and Arminius. It's not wrong, but I find it interesting. What was Chrisitans view on salvation before the reformation (besides the penance heresy and such)? Does anyone know? Particulary when it comes to the early disciples, it'd be interested if it relates to our views on salvation? I'll see if I can dig up something.
I wonder if what McLaren is writing is more of a reaction to the "modern" desire to have everthing figured out, and packaged into a neat little box that we can grasp and understand? I think there are great mysteries to the gospel and to Jesus' teaching, however I think some of the basic elements of what it takes to follow Jesus, or be saved are not all that "secret" at all.
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