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25 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Identifies the problem, but doesn't offer concrete solutions..., May 28, 2009
This review is from: Real Church: Does it exist? Can I find it? (Hardcover)
This book resonates with feelings I too have about the modern-day church. However, after finishing it, I didn't feel as though any real solutions were offered. Instead it feels sort of schizophrenic. (My apologies to Dr. Crabb, because I am very sympathetic with his position; this book just wasn't that helpful.) Dr. Crabb complains about chuches who "entertain" the congregation and then complains about churches he finds boring. He complains about teaching that focuses on the individual and then complains that there's not enough "spiritual formation," and so on. He is offended by "entertaining" music, but without it, I'm afraid he would then complain that it was uninspiring.
On page 83, he says he doesn't want to go to a church that teaches about how God's blessings can make one's life better (what I would call spiritual formation - understanding that better doesn't mean easier), or that brings God's kingdom to earth through loving activism, or that offers salvation to the world and moralizes the saved. Instead he wants a church where he "hears the music and learns to dance toward God and other people." But on pages 151-152, he says a "real church" teaches people to love God even when they feel unblessed, loves and encourages spiritual community, promotes social justice, and gets involved in personal evangelism. Confused? So was I.
Although he makes some really good points about problems within some evangelical churches, his closing statement about what a "real church" should look like presents four points that basically describe the typical evangelical church that he's complained about for the past 150 pages.
He states in the book that due to his travel schedule, he is unable to attend any one church on a regular basis and perhaps that is part of his problem. He appears to base his arguments on opinions, anecdotes, and superficial and sporadic church visits to various churches across the nation. He doesn't cite any studies to support his assertions, nor does he provide concrete ways for a church to effect solutions to the problems. And he doesn't seem to recognize that the majority of church services are a compromise created by a diverse and imperfect group of people who are struggling to maintain unity with fellow believers who all have different visions of what praising God looks like.
Two books that I found much more helpful are Simple Church and the Reveal study from Willow Creek. The bottom line is if you have a vision for the local church, don't read this book, but get off the sidelines, roll up your sleeves, and get involved in organizing it.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Discussion is easy, solutions are not, October 26, 2009
This review is from: Real Church: Does it exist? Can I find it? (Hardcover)
In the introductory section, Crabb offers several chapters that discuss key questions about the modern American church experience: Why have we lost interest? Why do so many Christians still attend and like church? What makes a gathering into a church? What causes a church to stop being one and turn into just a gathering of people?
Crabb divides the remainder of Real Church into three sections that discuss commons reasons people go to church that don't work for Crabb and marks of the church Crabb would like to join.
Why to Read Real Church:
* Crabb is a long-time Christian from a theologically conservative standpoint. So his observations can hold weight where readers might tend to dismiss concerns about the church as coming from a confused nonbeliever or a liberal.
* Crabb points out the good and bad of recent "church movements," such as the missional movement. His response is logical, not harsh.
* The author is willing to openly discuss his disappointment with the typical church pattern. By his own example, he points out the fallacy that disillusionment with the church is merely a trend among younger generations.
Cautions:
* Crabb places his discussion in terms of addiction; he says everyone's addicted to something, and the only good addiction is to God. I fear that some of his conclusions are a little stretched. For instance, he says that someone who overlooks offenses is addicted to feeling liked (89). This may be true in some cases, but it discounts the reality that people may choose to forgive because they appreciate God's forgiveness toward them.
* He talks often about hearing, singing, and dancing to heaven's music, but he doesn't really spell out what he means.
* He sometimes gives the impression that there's just two Christian views on satisfaction: we can obtain complete satisfaction in this life, or we must always face emptiness and loneliness in this life. But there is a moderate view that complete satisfaction will come only in heaven, but in the meantime, we can enjoy God's presence with us, and He can indeed bring joy and fulfillment to our emptiness and loneliness.
* Most of Real Church is Crabb's opinion. He uses the Bible to back up some of what he says but not most.
* Real Church is mostly theory. Crabb makes few suggestions for putting any of his ideas into practice.
Students and leaders who want to give more thought to the western church's typical way of doing things could find plenty of fodder for thought and discussion in this book. As long as readers are prepared to come up with their own ways to do something about the problems, they can probably find some things of value in Real Church.
Rachelle Dawson
No-Spoilers Book Reviews
Thomas Nelson has provided me with a complementary copy of this book.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Real Church-Does it Exist?, September 2, 2009
This review is from: Real Church: Does it exist? Can I find it? (Hardcover)
At first glance of this book, my burning question was-"Am I going to make it through the first section of this book?" I also initially thought that I might lose interest like the author describes regular and faithful churchgoers are experiencing across the country. Dr. Crabb warns us early on that he is moving slow and goes to great lengths to provide a firm foundation of his beliefs. The introduction describes why people are losing interest in church, and what makes a gathering a church. Section I discusses why people should go to church and three answers that do not work for Dr. Crabb. Section II explores what kind of church we should want to go to. Finally, section III states what type of church the author wants to be a part of.
I doubt that it is merely a coincidence that I began reading this book in the midst of one of the ugliest experiences that I have ever had with fellow churchgoers. The situation was not handled well at all levels. Initially, I thought that it might not a good idea for me to read the book, because it may cause me to want to leave my church in search of more desirable circumstances. It did not. It did however help me want to confront my own self-redemptive strategies in this situation and other areas of my life. Real Church gave me real hope that God can and is changing me into the woman He wants me to be, and reminded me that He is very well aware of what is going on in His church.
The backbone of this book is written in the introduction where Dr. Crabb points out "Christians in community (Churchgoers) should be and could be the most potent force on the planet for personal transformation, for powerful evangelism, and for cultural influence, not mainly through political clout and certainly not through moralistic judgment but through offering a different kind of love than most people have ever seen or felt-a wise love that speaks with power into where people live."
The depth of thought and emotion which this book brings to the surface was both surprising and very encouraging. Don't mistake Dr. Crabb's book as the next church "Movement", formulas for obtaining God's favor, or a list of things to do in order to have an effective church ministry. It goes much deeper than those ideals. This book should encourage every believer in their lifelong walk with God. Statements such as: "Does going to church help people want to know God more or use God more?" Or, "Spirit of God let me hear the music of heaven with the ears of my soul. I never want to mistake the gospel for reasonably good news" drive home the point that life is all about living to please and worship our God.
As a whole this book is excellent. It does take a little time to make the most promising points, but it is worth wading through the early sections that do help bring a lot of clarity to the later chapters. Dr. Crabb is an author that seems to honestly deal with his humanness, and is humble enough to bring his imperfections to public attention. His style of writing and openness helps to normalize our lack of enthusiasm and sometimes utter contempt for formalized religion. It also helps to draw us closer to our Maker.
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