Customer Reviews

Reclaiming God's Original Intent for the Church

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book does a good job of showing the differences between 2 christian viewpoints on how to "do church". While they obviously favor one view over the other, the authors give a mostly accurate depiction of what really should take place in a christian community. For a short, easy read, I recommend this book.

I was happy to hear the true message of Jesus ring throughout the pages of this book. Self denial, sacrifice and suffering are three "s's" you don't hear very often in the typical church setting. Yet these authors have shed light onto the message of Christ and His intent for His people, living under His reign in His place.

The authors also did a good job of describing some admirable qualities of a true pastor. They fly in the face of the professional business CEO of a company model. Servanthood, committment to people and trust in the Lord despite circumstances are 3 in particular that were effectively drawn out.

Overall, this book inspired me to continually strive after the narrow path Jesus calls us on as disciples, as leaders and as dumb sheep that must follow the Shepherd. Though the book does not dive deeply into most of the issues, it is a good start to a recovery of what the Church should be.

Beverly D. Berry
The Rev. Canon Dr. Jerry Smith
PT249fb-Field Base Seminar
27 January 2005

Book Review of Reclaiming God's Original Intent for the Church by Wes Roberts and Glenn Marshall, to be posted on Amazon.com

If you are a Christian pastor, lay leader, or "pew potato" who is tired of hearing that "bigger is better," this book is for you! In a straightforward and engaging style, the authors write about defining the "success" of Christian ministries not in secular terms, but instead measured against Biblical standards-what a novel idea! In order to reflect of the Biblical meaning of "success," we are challenged to examine the Bible carefully to see what the early (i.e. before it became institutionalized) Christian church looked like.
We find God's original intent for His church, the authors tell us, by going back to the "much older ways" of the apostolic period. In an environment which was hostile to Christianity, the early Christians were considered "weirdos"-but these weirdos were "authentically sold out to Jesus." In thirteen short chapters, Roberts and Marshall describe the early Christians who were focused on authenticity, calling, community, trusting God, and being a servant to God's people. The chief concern of the early church, the authors write, was being the people of God-far different from the norms in many Christian churches today where success is measured by how many people attend services and how many dollars are in the annual budget.
Indeed, the authors make it clear that the true meaning of being successful is found in discerning the Lord's will both individually and corporately and then in being obedient to that will. The reader is also challenged by being told that the task God calls His church to is a spiritual battle. This book would make an excellent resource and guide for an adult Christian education class. As a seminarian seeking ordination, I will keep it on my bookshelf for much future use.

Roberts and Marshall began their text with the wonderful intention of looking to Christianity's roots to determine how church should be carried out now. Their descriptions of early practice and the focused yet free nature of the early church were riveting and compelling. Unfortunately, they never seemed to get off the ground. They were both critical of making formulas for church success, and in this case seemed to eschew all practical advice for more esoteric and inconclusive musings.
If you are looking for an interesting book to present an opposing worldview to normalcy in Chistianity this is a great book, but if you are looking for application look elsewhere or be prepared to do the work yourself.

Wes Roberts and Glen Marshall have written a book that takes the leap of faith, but unfortunately it misses. There is no doubt that these two authors genuinely desire authenticity within the Church and in its leaders. They write with an almost prophetic style calling the Church to reflect on its heritage and to consider where it is going and they desire some wholesale changes within the Church. While I agree with the authors that authenticity and character is needed I reject the idea that the Church is institutionalized and therefore crippled or spiritually bankrupt. Furthermore, it is not enough to simply point out what is wrong and what needs to change if you do not supply some practical wisdom on how to create change. In the end this is a book that offers a lot of finger pointing and assigning of blame without offering any real hope for a stronger more effective Church.

Being one of the first to review the book, and after reading other reviews, I thought I might amend my review a bit.

As I said previously, the book is tolerably good, but I kept waiting for the aha moment at some point that would set it apart as something more than stating what should be fairly obvious to any pastor not fresh out of seminary. Only those who think the church is about numerical growth at the expense of biblical truth and loving relationships will find something here that is not obvious to almost everyone in ministry of any kind.

I kept reading and saying, OK, yea, but am I missing something? There must be more here. Let's see: Large churches are not necessarily bad, but small churches are OK too. That seems to be a main theme. Small churches are not less successful because they are small. Big churches may not be full of true disciples, but then again they can be good. Catchy chapter titles abound, but nothing much new. Maybe when I read them, it will find the promise held out by the title. Alas...

It is almost as if they really don't want to take a firm stand that might offend anyone, although they want to point out what has been rediscovered by those who have found modernity wanting. Bad, bad modernity! Good postmodernity. Good premodernity (read "Ancient" or the "Much Older Ways"). We must get back to those "much older ways" -- back to the purity of the original church. I seem to recall that the premodern church in Corinth had a few problems. In fact, when are we going to realize that most of the problems in the church in every age have more to do with sin than method or culture?

I would love to read something that deals with the cultural climate without sacrificing the truth of Christianity on the altar of the current mood of European intelligensia (as first in German liberalism and now in French postmodernism). Jesus was not culturally relavant, but counter-cultural to the point that he was opposed by both religious and secular leaders who killed him. Unfortunately, he did not have any bestsellers. But he had and has something to say, that is truth, objective and absolute, whether we have ears to hear it or not. He is not limited by our cultural captivity. He is there and He is not silent, as Schaeffer once said.

It also could be that we just can't resist the urge to knock things we don't like by claiming we have found the better way. Ethan and Jacob's reviews were more to the point. I find it a bit arrogant to embrace the postmodern mood, decrying the notion of propositional truth by writing a book filled with propositions to do it. We just can't resist the urge to find the secret (gnosis) wisdom.

Perhaps it is part of the "Emergent" mood that has most recently been hailed in "A Genereous Orthodoxy" which some have described as neither generous nor orthodox though it attempts to be both. Honestly, I suppose I am a bit ungenerous at an English teacher turned pastor, without serious theological training, who by his own admission becomes so disappointed with the kind of Christian and pastor he is that he wants to quit, then "discovering" a "new way of being a Christian" that apparently deconstucts the exclusive truth claim of Jesus (or any absolute truth a la postmodernity) as the only way to the Father. Perhaps there is an authentically biblical "kind" of Christian that none of us have attained causing that dissatisfaction within us that should be pursued rather than thrown out because our ears are itching for some new thing.

But I digress. Back to the book at hand, which does see itself as part of the "emergent" movement. The chapter titles are snappy, but obvious, and unfortunately the chapters do not do much more than painfully restate them repeatedly without actually providing the deeper edge needed to make it more than an elementary introduction to church for those who have been poorly taught.

And one more thing. Someone should inform Amazon that Lawrence (Larry) Crabb did not write or edit the book, but only provided a forward. He is listed as the primary and first author. At least let the two authors get the credit for and/or take the heat for the work they did.

Reading Reclaiming God's Original Intent for the Church reminds me of panning for gold in a river; there is allot of useless mud and dirt but every once in awhile you come across a tiny gold nugget. Overall I was incredibly disappointed with this book. I felt like I was simply reading another polemic against The Purpose Driven Church, or two men whine about what they dislike about the "modern" church, instead of really pinpointing what God's intent is.

Three things really aggravated me about this book. The first was the tremendously poor church history that is implored. The authors contrast some magical perfect pre-Nicaea church that never existed, against this tremendously flawed corporate "Christendom" that was birthed by Constantine. Their claim, that if only we can shed modernity and get back to our early-church roots is a complete farce, because it fails to understand that the church throughout the ages, yes even the early-church, was made up of sinners.

Secondly, I was offended by the broad generalizations they made. As a former youth pastor I was insulted by their claim that many youth ministers leave there ministries because they are looking to climb that corporate ladder (118). I don't think the general statements that the authors make in this book are part of God's intent for the church.

Finally, the chapter entitled "It's About Listening-Not Just Preaching" was awful. The authors are correct to say in counseling and evangelism Christians spend way to much time talking instead of listening. However, they have gotten good counseling confused with good preaching. As a matter of fact I would argue that one of the reasons the church has become so irrelevant is that there are very few gifted preachers in this country. Romans 10:17 say "faith comes from hearing the message." I would contend that preaching is central when it comes to reclaiming God's original intent for the church.

I will say that I did appreciate their point: that the role of pastor is about a calling and not a career. I believe there is something to learn from the church of Antioch; that sent people of proven maturity and effectiveness to new areas. I would claim one of God's original intents for the Church is to send young pastors to our modern day Antioch parishes (large and stable churches). And dispatching our pastors of proven maturity and effectiveness to unchurched areas, instead of vice versa.

This book is a quick and easy read; however it does not come close to effectively reclaiming God's original intent for the church!

Original Intent will encourage, challenge, and inspire you. If you wrestle with how to serve in a culture where the church is now on the margin of society, this book will lay out for you an approach based upon the much older ways of the apostles. Whatever size ministry you are in, this is a great book for leaders and staff to read to remind them of "first principles" and how to minister in a postmodern world. Get it.

Wes and Glenn put words to so many thoughts I've had about living this thing I call a Christian life. This book is intended for pastors and Christian leaders, but I'd recommend it to anybody who is serious about following Jesus.

The need for publication of "Reclaiming God's Original Intent for the Church" seems to emphasise the penchant humans have for making things more complicated then they need be. Through this work, Roberts and Marshall have attempted to return the focus of Christian church leaders and pastors to the basics of the Gospel by stressing the importance of making disciples rather than striving for increased numbers or programs that build a false sense of success or security. Their intended audience is those church leaders who have been disenchanted with the promises of church growth formulas or new and better programs who need to hear this clarion call to once again return to the simple Gospel. They call leaders to put into practice the essentials of developing character, serving, listening, loving, creating community and following the leading of the Holy Spirit in their churches in order to grow into the unique community of faith that enfleshes and authenticates the Gospel.

I found this material refreshing in its simplicity and foundational in its importance. The authors have returned to biblical principles and encouraged readers concerning the necessity of applying such timeless wisdom in our postmodern culture. It's a book which inspires but also helps us take a look at some of the not so pleasing aspects of our churches today. It will engender enthusiasm and give positive direction to any who have committed themselves to Christian service and will lead to good fruit in the lives of those who accept its challenge to reclaim God's original intent.

Roberts and Marshall have provided the post-modern church a fantastic conversation starter. The issues they bring to light are current and problematic for our congregations. Particularly helpful is the suggestion that we, as Christians in a society that does not value Christian values, refuse to measure success utilizing market place standards and instead develop Biblical standards, thus allowing small congregations to realize their potential for ministry. Unfortunately, conversation starter is all they have provided. We need to be very careful not to turn our conversations into two position issues. There are many proper ways of doing church, not simply two (p22), and perhaps the pieces from several puzzles indeed will work together. After all, they are not our pieces, their God's.