Hugh Halter and Matt Smay have written an interesting book on "Creating Incarnational Community." It's a good read. Following is not a book review, rather just some notes (and quotes) that I wrote after reading it:
Author Hugh Halter tells this story:
As I’m sitting at a Starbucks in the final week of editing this book, I just took a break to talk to a guy named Don. Don grew up in a non-practicing Catholic home, watched his father convert to a Seventh-Day Adventist tradition, but only remembers the types of meat he couldn’t eat. His wife hates the idea of God, and Don’s already expressed his disdain for organized church. Since he seemed open to talk, I lobbed up this question: "If Christianity was only about finding a group of people to live life with, who shared openly their search for God and allowed anyone, regardless of behavior, to seek too, and who collectively lived by faith to make the world a little more like Heaven, would you be interested?”
“Hell yes!” was his reply. He continued, “Are there churches like that?”
On belonging to those we are reaching:
In order for us to change the incorrect assumptions that people have about God and his followers… we’ve got to get to the point where they consider us one of them.
On becoming an advocate for people:
When your posture is correct, you’ll be perceived to be an advocate, a person who supports and speaks in favor of or pleads for another… Instead of drawing a line in the sand and imploring them to ‘get right with God or get left behind,’ we step across from our religious side into their all-too real world and ask how we can help… To be an advocate means that when people are in need, they know that we’ll be on their team, and that we’ll be there whenever they need us, for just about everything.
On inviting people to join you on your spiritual journey:
Share food… Share life… Listen to them… Share Scripture…
On intentionality around creating incarnational communities:
We put much emphasis on helping people create and participate in incarnational communities. It’s not just an attempt to start a bunch of small groups all over the city. We believe that unless people experience [this lifestyle]… and fight for this tangible Kingdom, they won’t grow as disciples of Christ, and Sojourners [the lost] won’t be moving toward God.
Comments
2 responses to “The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community”
HOLY BAPTISM
I am an Orthodox Catholic Christian. Not long ago the Lord entered my life and changed it forever. I was blessed to have seen him face to face. I am writing this comment to clear up once and for all what the real meaning of baptism is. It is our part taking of his death, burial, and resurrection. Romans Chapter 6
WE ARE TO BE BORN AGAIN!
Romans 6
1 Therefore what shall we say? Shall we dwell in sin, that grace be plenteous?
2 God forbid [Far be it]. For how shall we that be dead to sin, live yet therein?
3 Whether, brethren, ye know not, that whichever we be baptized in Christ Jesus, we be baptized in his death?
4 For we be together buried with him by baptism into death; that as Christ arose from death [that as Christ rose from dead] by the glory of the Father, so [and] walk we in a newness of life.
5 For if we planted together be made to the likeness of his death, also we shall be of the likeness of his rising again;
6 witting this thing, that our old man is crucified together, that the body of sin be destroyed, that we serve no more to sin.
7 For he that is dead [to sin], is justified from sin.
8 And if we be dead with Christ, we believe that also we shall live together with him;
9 witting that Christ, rising again from death [rising again from dead], now dieth not, death shall no more have lordship on him.
10 For that he was dead to sin, he was dead once; but that he liveth, he liveth to God.
11 So [and] ye deem yourselves to be dead [soothly] to sin, but living to God in Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Therefore reign not sin in your deadly body, that ye obey to his covetings.
13 Neither give ye your members arms of wickedness to sin, but give ye yourselves to God, as they that live of dead men, and your members arms of righteousness to God.
14 For sin shall not have lordship over you; for ye be not under the law, but under grace.
15 What therefore? Shall we do sin [Shall we sin], for we be not under the law, but under grace? God forbid [Far be it].
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye give yourselves servants to obey to, ye be servants of that thing, to which ye have obeyed [Know ye not, for to whom ye give you servants to obey, ye be servants of that thing, to whom ye have obeyed], either of sin to death, either of obedience to righteousness?
17 But I thank God, that ye were servants of sin; but ye have obeyed of heart into that form of teaching, in which ye be betaken.
18 And ye delivered from sin, be made servants of righteousness.
19 I say that thing that is of man, for the unsteadfastness of your flesh [for the infirmity, or unstableness, of your flesh]. But as ye have given your members to serve to uncleanness, and to wickedness into wickedness, so now give ye your members to serve to righteousness into holiness.
20 For when ye were servants of sin, ye were free of righteousness.
21 Therefore what fruit had ye then in those things, in which ye shame now? For the end of them is death.
22 But now ye delivered from sin, and made servants to God, have your fruit into holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; the grace of God is everlasting life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Several months back, we noticed on your blog that you wrote about The Tangible Kingdom by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay. Thanks for taking the time to do that.
One of the questions Matt and Hugh often received following the launch of that book was “Loved the book, but how do I get my community to do that?” The newly launched The Tangible Kingdom Primer is our effort to help small groups and churches do just that. It is an 8-week guide to creating missional and incarnational communities.
If you would like to receive a free copy of the Primer, please contact us at: books{AT}crmleaders.org. Please provide your name, the street mailing address you would like it delivered to (no P.O. Box please) and your email address. In the subject line, put Tangible Kingdom Primer Blog Copy.
For more details on the Primer, please log on to http://www.tangiblekingdom.com