ReJesus:A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church, is the latest offering by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch. In this book Frost and Hirsch argue that the church in the West has lost her focus and direction and needs to recalibrate her mission around the person and work of King Jesus. They do this by exploring the "connection between the way of Jesus and the religion of Christianity" (6).
When I am asked if I am a Christian I normally respond by asking the person to explain what they think a Christian is. Almost without fail the answer I get is not the same as my understanding. For example, in the United States, I often hear things like, "A Christian is a Republican," or, "A Christian is a person who hates gay people," or "A Christian is a person who is mean and judgmental" and various other not so flattering descriptives. When I am overseas I hear things like, "A Christian is a pork eating, wine drinking, adulterer," if I am in the Muslim world, or, "A Christian is one of these," which is said while making the sign of the cross on their chest. I honestly do not remember anyone ever answering my question with anything close to my understanding of what a Christian is; that is a person who follows the way of Jesus.
This is exactly what Frost and Hirsch seem to be suggesting in this book. The church, at least in the West, has been taken captive by so many special interests and denominational superstar personalities that no one really knows what this thing we call Christianity is really all about anymore. The answer, according to the authors, and I agree, is to return to our founder, to ReJesus the church.
When the called out ones (which is the meaning of the Greek word ekklesia which is translated church in our English Bibles) turn back to Jesus some very interesting things begin to happen. First, the called out ones will follow the example of Jesus not some denominational founder or superstar. The called out ones will also take back up the practice of equipping everyone to be ministers of the gospel instead of seeking to simply get people into pews. The called out ones will also take on an outward focus of service instead of the consumeristic what's in this for me downward spiral that seems to have entrapped so many. The called out ones will have a much broader understanding and experience of worship. They will see it as a service to mission as all things are offered up to God, not just some songs. The called out ones will practice the presence of Jesus in ways that are not performance based or legalistic but instead an "intense and private connection between a disciple and his or her heavenly Father" (182). The called out ones will see the need for consistent re-evanglization so as to avoid the pitfall of becoming self-reliant and self-righteous. In other words, the called out ones will continually remember the cross and what Jesus did for us so as to not slip into a false belief that it is our "pietism or our personal devotion that sets us free" 184). The called out ones will "abandon its preference for good-manners piety and adopt again the kingdom values as taught by Jesus" (184). Finally, the called out ones will devote themselves to scripture and the exercise of the spiritual gifts, for the purpose of building up and caring for each other. (The points in this paragraph were taken from Chapter 7 - The Church That Jesus Built, pages 165 - 189)
I liked this book very much. It is actually my favorite out of all the books that Frost and Hirsch have written, both as co-authors and individually. My recommendation is this; if when you read the Bible you see a difference between the way of Jesus and the religion of Christianity, then buy the book and read it. If you don't see a difference, then don't buy the book.
For additional reviews of this book go to the page dedicated to this book on The Ooze Viral Bloggers site.
Amen, brother. I think I'll suggest we study this book in our small group. We definitely need more Christians walking the walk behind Jesus as our leader, not ahead, but behind Him. --Rachel in Maine
Posted by: Rachel in Maine | Thursday, June 04, 2009 at 08:14 AM