So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore
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- ISBN13: 9780964729223
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
What would you do if you met a name you thought just might be one of Jesus original disciples still living in the 21st Century? That’s Jake’s dilemma as he meets a man who talks of Jesus as if he had known him, and whose way of living challenges everything Jake had previously known. So You Don t Want to Go To Church Anymore is Jake s compelling journal that chronicles thirteen conversations with his newfound friend over a four-year period and how persons exchanges turn Jake’s world upside-down. With his help, Jake faces his darkest fears, struggles through brutal circumstances and comes out on the additional side in the joy and freedom he permanently dreamed was possible. If you’re tired of just going through the motions of Christianity and want to mine the depths of what it really means to live deeply in Christ, you ll find Jake s tale will give you hope for your own. This book probes the hard questions and offers some far-reaching answers. It just might turn your world upside-down as well!
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A dull as hell book about a conversation that takes place between two people about things you already know. Don’t waste your money. Buy a few draft beers as a replacement for.
Reader’s Rating: 1 / 5
There are many different aspects of this silly book I could poke holes in and say “Incorrect!” but here’s something I permanently point out to home-churchers:
Home-churchers or home-fellowshippers or whatever they want to call themselves permanently say that meeting in one another’s homes is God’s approved manner of worship, the pure form practiced by the earliest Christians.
Whenever I hear a name say this, I permanently know that they know nothing about the history of Christianity, which is an vital thing. It’s as if Christianity started the day they got saved and nothing that came before is of any importance whatsoever.
The reason why the earliest Christians worshiped in each additional’s homes is because Christianity was illegal: persons people were hiding from the authorities. Same thing for persons who worshiped in the catacombs.
Constantine became the Roman emporer in AD306. He converted to Christianity in AD312 and made Christian worship — the holy Mass — officially authorized for the first time. This was naturally a time of fantastic rejoicing for the Christians under his rule, which was lot of people throughout Europe and the Middle East — there was no longer a need to hide. Finally, they were able to start building churches to elevate God Who brought them out of hiding, places where a fantastic number of believers could gather in one place. That was a excellent thing.
So when people say that home church is what God wants, I permanently know they don’t have a clue. Why would God want us to go back to a form of worship that goes back to a time when Christians were hunted down and persecuted for practicing their religion?
There’s also the part of this book that says that God unrestricted us from the form of worship that is full of rites and rituals. Incorrect again. Who was it that set up the way that the Hebrew people worshiped?
That was God.
Keeping in mind that Jesus didn’t come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it, it is only logical to come to the conclusion that God is pleased by rites and rituals that recall the history of salvation and Jesus’ fantastic like for us in His sacrificial death on the cross. How do we know this? Well, we know this to be right because Jesus started the first ritual on the night He was betrayed, by consecrating the bread and wine there at the Passover meal into His Body and Blood by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is the Holy Eucharist, the very foundation of Christian worship, the cornerstone of the Christian faith and the birthright of all Christians everywhere.
The Hebrew Law “passed over” that very evening and became the unique form of Christian worship known as the Mass.
Jesus made that take place, and He is God. Why are people trying to play around with what Jesus made and customary?
For people who are burned out on church, I’d like to first suggest that you might have had too much to do with people and not enough to do with Jesus. Secondly, I suggest that you check out a excellent Catholic parish’s Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) classes so that you can learn about God’s right, organic form of worship, birthed from Hebrew tradition into the gorgeous Lamb’s Supper Christians have known for the past 2,000 years.
Reader’s Rating: 1 / 5
I was very pleased with how soon I received my product, it was in perfect condition, I would use this seller again.
Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5
Being a name who has seen the ups and downs of many churches I hoped this book would have an inspiring message. Sorry to say, it appeals to persons who feel to some extent alienated or a bit on the outside of their church. Or, who have had perhaps an encounter with an authoritarian or manipulative preacher. Welcome to the real world! Churches, whether they be part of long standing denominations or the more unstructured models suggested by the authors, are human creations and reflect our humanness. The authors had a real chance to explore this concept and provide guidance to the rest of us who may have had hurtful experiences in church but wish to continue to be part of a traditional church.
The central figure is Jake, an associate pastor at a church with a dysfunctional, grossly hypocritical senior pastor. Jake eventually leaves this church after meeting an enigmatic, mysterious man named John. John is alluded to as being the incarnation of John the Apostle. He is not a comforting presence but speaks with an power that Jake succumbs to very naively. This man won’t give his last name or tell Jake where he lives, but Jake essentially puts his spiritual and emotional life in this fellow’s hands, because John abstractedly alludes he is the apostle John. Granted, it’s fiction but it doesn’t give Jake a lot of credibility. He struggles with the same struggles that beset all of us in our spiritual growth: The shortcomings of others, our own shortcomings, questions about our right craft and our relationship with God. But, I want to question Jake, “What about prayer? What about meeting with excellent friends, or spiritual mentors if you are having some problems? Heck, what about your wife? Or, see a therapist, or even a Christian therapist.” HOwever, Jake does none of this and his life suffers as a result while he waits for regularly months before he sees the mysterious John to set him straight.
I would have felt better about the book and Jake had he turned to more positive ways of coping thus avoiding dysfunctional dependency. I mean, what would we say to our teen agers if they place all their faith in a name who wouldn’t give their last name or say where they were from?
To make a long review fleeting, I will say that the basic problems Jake sees in the institutional church are certainly existent, but many churches are pretty welcoming and not dsyfunctional, despite periodic displays of hypocrisy and additional human flaws. But, I will also say that these same problems can be present in tiny, unstructured house groups, and can then become reasonably magnified. I judge that large churches should do all they can to foster tiny, informal groups where people can really bond and worship together and truly live as the body of Christ. I simply don’t see the structure of Christian worship as institutional church “terrible” house church “excellent”. And, I don’t reflect they are mutually exclusive. The thrust of the book certainly puts these two models at odds with each additional.
Now, the primary reason for my disappointment. Both authors are very veteran in the role of the church and at least one is an veteran pastor. I would have expected a deeper understanding of the role of the institutional church and creative and constructive ways to handle it lacking a total rejection. It smacks of pouting over past hurt feelings.
I would have agreed it either 3 or 4 stars had the tale at least been excellent, but it was repetitive and reasonably predictable.
Reader’s Rating: 2 / 5
for persons who search their hearts & feelings as a replacement for of the Word of God, remember what jeremiah says about the scenery of the heart in 17:9, “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can know it” (ESV).
for persons who are opposed to an organized meeting of believers, please read your Bibles [and not just a name who agrees w/ you & supports you in your being 'churchless'):
like in acts 20:28, where paul, language to the ELDERS of the CHURCH in ephesus said, "pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you [plural, not singular] OVERSEERS [Greek: episkapous], to care for the CHURCH of God, which He obtained with His own blood” (ESV). if God likes & died for the church, why do so many people despise it & disregard it w/ such levity?
or, perhaps, ephesians 5:25, which says, “husbands, like your wives, as Christ loved the CHURCH and gave Himself up for her” (ESV).
the very reason paul left titus in crete was to place what remained into ORDER (the greek word comes from the root from which we get orthodontics), namely appointing ELDERS [plural] in every town [i.e. a place where the believers would assemble to meet, titus 1:5; cf. acts2:42). the reason: 1) that the [Biblically qualified] ELDERS refute the treacherous heretics who are ‘dividing’ w/ their unbiblical [perhaps individualistic?] reasonings (2:10-15), and 2) that the [Biblicaly qualified] ELDERS teach OTHERS GOOD doctrine by precept & example (ch. 2-3).
hebrews 13:7 reminds the listeners to “remember your LEADERS”, and in v.17 it says “obey your LEADERS & submit [ouch! of course, cf. Acts 5:29) to them, FOR they are keeping watch over your [a genuine leader cares for the sheep] souls, as persons who will have to give an account” [cf. James 3:1].
in ephesians 4, paul tells us that the risen [i.e. conquering King] Jesus has plundered His foes & agreed gifts: “apostles, prophets, evangelists, PASTORS & TEACHERS to equip the saints for the work of THE [not one's own, personal] ministry for the building up of the BODY of Christ” (read 4:10-16, and note the corportate aspect BODY implies [i.e. more than just me, my Bible & the Holy Spirit], cf. Rom. 12, 1Pet. 4).
in philippians, paul does write to ALL the saints; but, he reminds us that their is an customary leadership & organization of these saints: “to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at philippi, WITH THE OVERSEERS & DEACONS”.
the Bible is replete w/ hierarchy. yes, all belivers are priests [martin luther was right]; but there is also what is called leaders among equals, like in the marriage [i.e. husbands lead w/ the authrority bestowed upon them as heads of their family tree], something which our liberal american ‘christianity’ is beginning to reject more & more as well. likewise, children, though made in the same image of God as their parents, nevertheless are under the LEADERSHIP of their parents. this is just how the God who reveals Himself in the Bible works, people.
reading the ot, God elects a NATION called israel. God also punishes the nation collectively as well [722 BC & 586 BC]. the whole individual aspect of 20th century ‘evangelical’ [i.e. american] Christianity is not Biblical, but anti-biblical. in revelation Jesus sends His messanger to the 7 CHURCHES, not just people. 1 John is about people who place CHURCHES as well, so let’s be careful about assuming everyone who leaves a church is spiritual. paul’s commands [imperative] are nearly ALWAYS plural, writing to churches. the list goes on & on [and on].
proverbs 18:1 says, “whoever isolates himself seeks his OWN desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment”. to be honest, most people place churches b/c of their sinful tendencies of unsubmissiveness [i.e. i don't get my way, so i place].
yes, some churches are bunk. but that does not mean all of them are. yes, some leadeers are wolves; but that does not make all of them megolomaniacs[if people read & obeyed the qualifications of 1 timothy. 3 & titus 1 before 'calling' their 'pastor', we wouldn't have such a widespread problem in the 'church', which is biblically defined by having biblically qualified leadership].
morevoer, for persons who reflect the whole maverick Christian walk is more spiritual than gathering together w/ others, i struggle w/ texts like hebrews 10:23-25, where we are commanded to not forsake gathering w/ the elect of God. individualism becomes treacherous, b/c there is no accountability, no one to point out our blind spots, which we all have. the ‘confession’ (10:23; cf. read frank thielman’s treatment on 1 john in his new tribute theology) becomes individual, which is very post-modern, and therefore treacherous.
please read the Bible as a whole [redemptive-historically]. don’t trust your heart or emotions, or for that matter, your brain. we all have logs in our eyes [blindspots] which are noticed by others who really KNOW us [sorry to say, most american churches are the huge gathering of a bunch of selfish, individualisitic people who don't care about others' lives to even notice).
honestly, persons who refuse to gather as a congregation [a better translation of 'ekklesia' than 'church', which does evoke the imagery of a building] place up red flags of unregenracy in my experience. i have seen it over & over [and over].
hopefully this [Biblically] helps
ryan case
Reader’s Rating: 1 / 5