Yes, boys and girls, it's reading time. Everyone sit in your places on the carpet. I'll count to ten. One... Two... Three... Sorry. Flashback from my days as a pre-school teacher's assistant.
A few weeks ago I stumbled into the bookstore at Northland Church in Longwood, Florida. My friend Steve Bruton runs the joint. I hadn't seen Steve in a few years. We had only shook hands and shot the breeze for a mere moment before he asked, "Hey, Man! (If you know Steve, you just heard his voice say, Hey, Man!) Have you seen this book?" He tossed a copy of Francis Chan's book entitled Crazy Love--Overwhelmed By a Relentless God at me. I hadn't heard of the book. I hadn't heard of Francis Chan. But Steve's enthusiasm intrigued me. Tonight I start into Crazy Love. I'm inviting you to come along. I'll knock out a chapter or more a week and pontificate my impressions right here. You coming?
Introduction:
Chris Tomlin has some nice words to say about Francis Chan. Yadda, yadda.
Preface:
Chan begins with the admonition that we all know something is wrong. Somehow the church is missing it. He doesn't identify it. I sort of envisioned Jack Palance riding horseback next to Billy Crystal, holding one finger in the air and proclaiming, "One thing!" (If you didn't see the movie--oh my! What rock were you living under?) Anyhow, he promises that this is not simply a book designed at kicking the bride of Christ, but rather it's intended to lead each of us to look in the mirror.
Chan says that he hasn't always felt this way. For years he thought that "Christianity was simple: fight your desires in order to please God." I was sort of halted by that sentence and took a bit of time thinking on it. I recommend you do too. His perspective has changed, and what follows in this book is a roll-out of the things that have challenged him.
This book, he says, is written for those who want more of Jesus, and for those who are bored with what the church has to offer. "We need to stop giving people reasons not to believe in God," he challenges. "It's exhilarating," he suggests, "to be a part of a body where radical living is becoming the norm."
In the chapters of this book we're going to consider what the Bible has to say about being a follower of Jesus. The root of our problem, Chan suggests, is that we begin with an inaccurate view of God. So that's where we'll start, I'm assuming, in chapter one.
The Preface ends with a warning that with change comes discomfort. This won't be an easy journey. I'm intrigued. I'll turn the page. We'll pick up chapter one next time. You still with me?
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