Responding to the Call of the Wild - Book Review of Alan and Deb Hirsch's book, Untamed

Book Review – Untamed-Reactivating a Missional Form of Discipleship, by Alan and Debra Hirsch (Published by Baker Books, 2010)

There is nothing like seeing something that is wild. Fact is, people will pay good money to see animals romp in an environment that mimics their natural setting simply because it looks wild (even though it is not, i.e. San Diego Wild Animal Park). There is something inherently exciting and dangerous about being “wild”…there is anticipation and uneasiness as well as the thrill of unpredictability. Yet, despite our fascination with the wild, we seem to be driven by our desire to cage, tame and domesticate anything that appears dangerous. Why? Because all the talk of excitement and unpredictability is so often trumped by our human and hidden need for safety, staidness, and certainty. As long as something that is wild can be caged up or fenced in we can marginalize and/or control it.

Alan and Deb Hirsch take a strong stance and make compelling arguments for regaining and remembering what it was like to be called to be “untamed” in their new book of the same title, Untamed-Reactivating a Missional form of Discipleship. When I was reading the book, it took me back to the feeling I got watching “Born Free” many years ago…now, I know that sounds absolutely childish, cliché-ish, and ridiculous…but hear me out. We were created by God, called by the Jesus Himself, empowered by the very Power of God through the Holy Spirit NOT SO THAT WE COULD BE domesticated, caged, clipped or tamed. As long as the culture can drive down streets and see churches that they assume house tamed Christians (complete with programs and activities that keep us “in” our cages, fed and satisfied) they will never know that we as followers of Jesus were not meant for domestication…and we will never realize our full potential as being inherently dangerous within our world for the Kingdom. Part of what is needed in our world from a Kingdom perspective is disciples who are invading and infiltrating the culture with the very power and presence of God. Tell you what – you get the “animals” out of the cages, convinced that being untamed is how God originally designed, saved and empowered them to be and you have a dynamic that leads to life and vibrancy. As a friend of mine has said, “unleash the disciple within”…now, that’s an adventure that many followers of Jesus really want to sign up for…many that I know, didn’t want to lay down their lives for the predictability of the cage…they don’t want to be tamed…they want to feel and experience the Kingdom thrill of being empowered by God for something that will not only change their lives, but the world!

Enough of me – the Hirsch’s take on the topic of discipleship in this new book and they do it with biblical astuteness and practical passion. Both have extensive histories in traditional and missional expressions of “Church”…so they write with a personal believability due to the fact that they have “been there, done that.” Both are committed to a historically-based, sound and orthodox Christology, as evidenced in the following:

“Jesus is the key not only because Christian discipleship is about becoming more like Jesus but also because it is only in and through Jesus that we can get the proper, truly Christ-ian understanding of God. In other words, Jesus gets defining rights in relation to life, discipleship, theology and everything in between.” (page. 35)

The Hirsch’s understand the biblical call to discipleship from a decidedly transformational perspective. They call on us to understand what it is to be “living versions of him – little Jesuses.” They warn about how easy it is to fall into lies that convince us to love, follow, and discover our identity in anything else but the true God. I loved the Hirsch’s “boldness” in discussing the Holy Spirit – taking risks of being labeled and pigeon-holed as “raving Pentecostalists”, both Alan and Deb encourage followers of Jesus in the awakening of the power of the Holy Spirit not only for life, but also for creativity, transformation, risky mission and community. This section inspired me,

“…the missional church movement in the West needs to seriously re-embrace the role of the Holy Spirit as part of the Christian experience. And if we really want to recover the lost ethos of authentic missional Christianity, we are going to have to take the risk of encountering the divine and personally experiencing god in wild and wonderful ways in order to bring the kingdom into this time and place. It’s going to take untamed disciples who, as lovers and pursuers of God, have no defenses and are willing to lay bare their hearts before him to make this happen. Amen, come Holy Spirit.” (p. 102).

All I can say is “preach it!” Discipleship is about change…and God is too much of a lover of our souls and a God of action to leave us as we are…to know God is to change (allow ourselves to be stripped of rebellion, stripped of rebellious religion, stripped of restrictive practices that prevent us from a true experience and love of God).

In addition to its theological explorations, ecclesiology and missiology are Untamed’s true call…at the “heart” of the book (literally, the center of the paperback that I have on my lap while I write this) is the pivot section on disciple-making as mission and mission as the definition of “Church”. In these sections, those of you who are familiar with Alan and his past work (Shaping of Things to Come, The Forgotten Ways, etc.) will not be surprised. The Hirsch’s make a passionate argument of the “untamedness” of the priesthood of all believers and for a recovery of understanding of the core message of the Great Commission – Discipleship and Disciple-making. They take on sacred cows…they take on old paradigms…they take on any and all comers…

“…all of us are called to disciple others-discipling is the task of every Christian….discipleship is not just for those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior-it’s for everyone. We as believers are called to disciple everyone who comes into our orbit of influence-it’s that simple. If each believer understood discipleship in this way and then took their biblical mandate seriously, we would have lots of people growing and becoming more and more like Jesus – and hopefully at some point coming under His Lordship. It’s not our role to convert them, but to disciple them. Conversion is God’s business. How much better would the world be? And the fun thing is that in many cases those who haven’t accepted Jesus as Lord may have no idea that they are being discipled!” (p. 147)

That’s Untamed! Without a doubt and without apology, the Hirsch’s call for followers of Jesus to reclaim our disciple-making prowess and passion is at the heart of what it means to be “wild” for Christ. I could go on and on…as I already have for many of your tastes. My enthusiasm for this book is based on its readability, sound biblical exploration and praxis-orientation. It is inspiring and practical and is bound to help you think through how you are to be the Untamed follower of Jesus you have been called to be!

Is it a God-honoring Vision or a Burden?

This cartoon by Nakedpastor.com got me thinking...I've wondered many times as a leader how much people can take of visionary language. Yes, vision empowers, motivates, gives people a "taste" of a preferable future...but how often can vision be something that does not inspire but rather becomes a burden? I was the pastor of a church in Denver years ago...it had had five different pastors over a 25 year period of time...each bringing to the congregation "their" vision...by the time I got there, the people were clear with me - we don't want to hear any more talk of "vision". One man actually said, "don't burden us with your vision, pastor...you do it and tell us how it's going...we're burned out on vision". Just because a leader has a vision does not mean that that vision is owned by the people in the movement/organization. If the vision isn't owned, isn't shared, isn't one that comes out of the heart of every person, then the vision might be one that de-motivates, discourages, or disrupts what God is really up. The dynamic of leadership that is one of the most difficult to attain and experience is how to discern vision in the context of community. Leadership isn't defined by the vision that the leader imposes on the people, or by the time it takes for the leader to convince the community that the leader's vision is worth investing in...but rather is something that is experienced when the leader senses the vision that God has for the community in the context of relationships...in other words, helping people as well as ourselves to see and sense and hear the voice/vision of God that we can all grasp on to and make our own. When the community is owning and leveraging its gifts and passions to actualize a common vision, now there's power! Any further thoughts? Comment below or email me @ rdugall@apu.edu

For how many of us who are spiritual leaders...is this true of our journey?

Revelation 2:4 "but I have this against you, that you have left your first love..."

An online friend "gives it up"...what do you think?

A person I know through the community which is called "virtual" gave up his position as pastor the other day. Below is a part of the statement that he made on his blog that caught my attention. This is sad news to me...as it most likely will be for many of you. The issues in ministry today are complex...the ministry "playing field" has changed...Christianity is no longer in a culturally "favored" status...leaders of congregations are struggling with how to be relevant to the many circumstances that surround them...economic realities are making a huge impact...and the expectations of congregations are often out of synche with how a pastor feels about their own ministry calling. Add to that the immense pressure that is occurring as our congregations become more and more influenced by the cultural value of consumerism, people's obsession with superficial entertainment/voyuerism, the rise of mega-ministries, and a pop-cultural religious system that resembles more the classic definition of syncretism than an adherence to the familiar Judean- Christian ethos and you have a growing sense of desperation within local churches. I feel deeply for discouraged pastors...I've been there myself. If it wasn't for the encouragement that I feel from people close to me who also are "in the trenches" and the empowerment of the Spirit of God in my heart, it would be easy to join the ranks of the discouraged and "soon to be" resigning.

Read the following remarks if you have a few minutes...how would you respond to a "friend" in ministry who feels this way? What do you do to battle discouragement and fear? How do we enter into a leadership community in such a way that we become "more than conquerors" and not one more addition to a growing statistic? Let me know your thoughts...rdugall@apu.edu.

"I’ve left the professional ministry. I was ordained 25 years ago. I was a student minister before that. It has been a long hard haul. But I’ve gradually come to the realization that I can no longer work inside of the system. I no longer seem to fit within the institution. This is not to say that I don’t believe in the church. I absolutely do. But my relationship to the organization has definitely changed…I believe in the right and the importance of Christians to gather…but it’s the bad stuff that creeps in and clings to the gathering that I’ve always been critical of. One of the most deadly influences on a community is agenda. In my opinion, it should be enough to gather together to study the bible, pray, worship and fellowship. It’s when people desire more that things to go awry. To come without an agenda, without a goal, without a dream, without a vision for the church is most difficult. But this is the only way a church will live in a healthy manner. Visionary thinking, fantasizing, kills the church. Even the slightest bit of fantasizing for the church, like a little leaven, will affect the whole lump. It must be renounced entirely."

Enabling Flight or Intentionally Caging those God created to fly!

Parable of the Skylark and Worms

One day long ago, over the hot sands of a Middle Eastern country, a white skylark flew in joyous loops about the sky. As she swooped near the earth, she heard a merchant cry out, “Worms! Worms! Worms for feathers! Delicious Worms!” The skylark circled about the merchant, hungry at the mention of worms, but puzzled about what the merchant meant. Little did the skylark know that the merchant was the devil. And seeing the skylark was interested, the devil motioned her nearer. “Come here, my little friend. Come! See the lovely worms I have!”

Cautiously, the skylark landed and cocked her head to the merchant. “Come! Taste the juicy worms!” The skylark became aware that she was, indeed, quite hungry. And these worms looked bigger and tastier than any she had ever dug for herself out of the hardscrabble ground of the desert. The skylark hopped closer and put her beak close to the worm. “Two worms for a feather, my friend. Two worms for merely one!”

The skylark was unable to resist. And she had, after all, so many feathers. So, with the swift motion she pulled out a feather – just a small one – from beneath her wing and gave it to the merchant. “Take your pick, my little friend…any two, your heart’s desire!” The skylark quickly snatched up two of the plumpest worms and swallowed her meal with delight. Never before had she tasted such wonderful worms. With a loud chirp, she leapt into the air and resumed her joyful flight.

Day after day the skylark returned. And always the merchant had wonderful worms to offer: black ones and blue ones, red ones and green one, all fat and shiny and iridescent. But one day, after eating her fill, the skylark leapt again into the air – and to her horror, she fell to the ground with a thud. She was unable to fly!

All at once with a shock she realized what had happened. From eating the delicious worms she had grown fatter and fatter; and she had plucked her feathers one by one, first her body, then her tail, and finally her very wings had grown balder and balder. Horrified, she remembered how slowly, imperceptibly, day by day, it had been getting harder and harder to fly, and how she had told herself it was no matter. She could always stop before it was too late. Now suddenly, here she was, trapped on the ground. She looked up and saw the merchant looking at her. Was that a small, sly grin spreading across his face? He grabbed the now helpless bird, put her in a cage, and walked away laughing.

Followers of Jesus were meant to “fly”…to let the winds of the Spirit lead them to where they can love, serve and glorify God with their very lives. To “cage” a Christ-follower by keeping them “well fed” especially within the confines of church is to rob them of their created purpose and identity in Jesus. What is our intention in discipling those whom Jesus loved and empowered through His Spirit? To keep them pump and flightless or to enable them to be follow the Spirit on a spiritual quest that embodies the very dream of God?

For a fresh perspective, check out the Ideavirus!

“Fact is, the first 100 years of our country’s history were about who could build the biggest, most efficient farm. And the second century focused on the race to build factories. Welcome to the third century, folks. The third century is about ideas.” Seth Godin.

I had the pleasure of reading another ebook by Seth Godin who is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Seth never ceases to amaze me with his different takes on the seemingly ordinary…he looks at everything from a fresh vantage point. His books are not about theology, ecclesiology, the bible, church history, liturgy or practically anything that a "church person" would take notice of...rather he is about communication and "idea popping" something that people who lead ministries need to pay attention to...communication, shaping people's imagination, and calling people into a new way of living are all aspects of ministry to which Seth has something to say.

The book, The Ideavirus, is only available online. You can check out Seth’s website for more information. His point is clear – “the Holy Grail for anyone who traffics in ideas is this – to unleash an ideavirus….an idea that just sits there is worthless. But an idea that moves and grows and infects everyone it touches…that’s an ideavirus.”

How does an idea manifest itself? Where does it live? What does it look like? How does it grow? These are some of the things that Seth addresses. What’s an ideavirus? According to Godin, it’s a big idea that runs amok across the target audience. He writes, "It’s a fashionable idea that propagates through the section of the population, teaching and changing and influencing everyone it touches. And in our rapidly/instantly changing world, the art and science of building, launching and profiting from ideaviruses is the next frontier."

Some of the Key elements of an ideavirus:

1. Concentrating on the message. If just 1% or even 15% of a group is excited about your idea, it’s not enough. You only win when you totally dominate and amaze the group you’ve targeted.
2. People in contemporary culture are actually resisting "marketing"…Seth says, "stop marketing people"…rather create an environment where people will market to each other...basically, find ways to create movements of information.
3. Figure out how to make an idea worth spreading…spread it properly...and you will influence people.
4. Give attention to Velocity – measure how fast the idea spreads from one party to another.
5. Give attention to Smoothness – how easy is it for an end user to spread this particular ideavirus? How quickly do people get ON board with a new idea?
6. Be a person of Persistence – figure out how an idea can “bug” a person into submission.
7. Study the Vector of an idea – in other words, notice how an the idea “move” through an organization – where did the idea come from? Who resonates with it? Who and what are easy adapters to the idea?
8. Understand an ideavirus LOVES a vacuum...when something fresh hits a stagnant organization, it spreads like wildfire.

One more aspect of the book I thought was fascinating is that Seth says that the heart of an ideavirus are people he calls, "sneezers" – they are the ones who when they tell 10 or 20 or 100 people and people believe them. Sneezers are people of value in an organization...they are trustworthy and will be listened to...Seth says, "you want an idea to spread, carefully choose your sneezers and then let them loose."

Now, you might be wondering what this has to do with being a person committed to God's Kingdom and to the call of Jesus...well, aren't we trying to discover new ways to influence people? Aren't you praying, thinking, dreaming, and brainstorming of new ways that you can share a vision...a compelling picture of what God wants to do in each Christ follower's life as we live and manifest the good news of God's grace? Don't you wonder how to see paradigms shift and how to get new ideas to people that just might influence them in their desire to be transformed by the Holy Spirit? You might want to check out the Ideavirus! Maybe you have a few ideas of your own that need to spread in your context to God's glory!

Moving from the Assumptions of Christendom into a Post-Christendom, Mission-focus Praxis (Part 2)

In part 1 of this two-part post, I made some general comments about the realities of Post-Christendom. In sum, Post-Christendom is the culture that is emerging as the Christian story loses its primacy as that which shapes lives and institutions...Post-Christendom is a reality that includes the following transitions:

• From center to the margins – the Christian story no longer holds a preferred place in culture.
• From majority to minority – Christian population is no longer the undisputed majority of population.
• From settlers to sojourners – Post-Christendom creates a community of people who feel that they are exiles and aliens.
• From privilege to plurality – Post-Christendom sees the inclusion of other stories and faith systems as equally valid.
• From control to witness – no longer able to coerce society, Christians now influence via witness and lifestyle.
• From maintenance to mission – with the demise of the status quo, post-Christendom wrestles with a new understanding of mission.
• From institution to movement – there is a new understanding of the power of movement and the fluidity of a non-reliance on institutionalism.

I ended that initial post by writing, "Some may see these transitions are a tragedy. Others, including myself, see this age as an age of excitement and opportunity. Christ-followers have not had to deal with these dynamics since the early days of the Christian movement. It is not an easy environment to live but it does provide a chance to see faith and life from a radically new perspective. It also demands new ways of thinking about mission, discipleship, leadership development and theology as the movement of Christianity enters one of its most challenging eras in history."

Now, in this post, we are on to the “So what?” That is the question I try to pose to myself as I encounter any new information or try to learn something that could have the potential of impacting my life. If we have moved into an era of Post-Christendom, what are the “take aways”…what lessons do we need to learn as we attempt to be faithful to the call of our Lord Jesus and track His Spirit’s movement in our lives and the lives of others? Below are some "suggestions"...a place to start a dialog on how to proceed and how this "new playing field" may be that which the Holy Spirit uses to challenge the Body of Christ for a new era of ministry.

Possible Action Steps for a Movement of followers of Jesus

1. Discourse in the vernacular.

In Christendom there was little difference between the language inside and outside of the Church. In fact, because of a unified foundation of understanding/frame of reference, there was little need to engage in the language of culture. When Martin Luther himself completed his translation of the scriptures and the penning of hymnody utilizing the songs of local fare he was a full participant in the benefits of Christendom. But times have changed…in a movement of followers of Jesus in today’s culture, what appears to “us” to be common religious, theological or biblical terms must be explained and translated. The movement must avoid 'tribal' language, stylized or parochial language, and unnecessary pious jargon. The movement of mission needs to consider avoiding “we-them” language, disdainful jokes that mock divergent politics and beliefs, and dismissive discourse. The church needs to begin to avoid ever talking as if non-believing people are not present. If you speak and discourse as if your “whole neighborhood” is present (not just scattered Christians), eventually more and more of your neighborhood will find their way into relationship. As one missiologist wrote, “Unless all of the above is the outflow of a truly humble-bold gospel-changed heart, it is all just 'marketing' and 'spin.'”

2. Enter and re-tell the culture's stories with a biblical narrative perspective.

In Christendom it was entirely possible to simply exhort Christianized people to "do what they know they should" or “just be a good Baptist/Lutheran/Methodist/Catholic/etc.” in order to “correct” errant behavior or practice. There was no need for real relational engagement, listening, or persuasion. Church history is littered with communication permeated with exhortation, challenge, as well as a heavy reliance on guilt and legalism. In a Post-Christendom faith community, preaching and communication should always assume the presence of skeptical or irreligious people, and should seek to engage their stories, not simply talk about "the good ole days” when living the faith was perceived to be easier. To "enter" the story of the culture means that ministry “architects” show sympathy toward and deep acquaintance with what one author calls, “the literature, music, theater, etc. of the existing culture's hopes, dreams, 'heroic' narratives, fears.” To "re-tell" means that we take seriously how to communicate the reality of the Kingdom of God, the redemptive heart of God in Jesus, and the power and presence of God through the Spirit where the biblical narrative not only embraces and convicts but transforms the formed stories of those to whom we minister.

3. We have to intentionally “tackle” the perceive separation between the clergy and the laity. Faith Communities MUST theologically train lay people for public life and vocation.

In a Post-Christendom world, we must begin to take a “hard look” at the perception of the “ministry divide” between the clergy and laity. Not only do few people in the culture understand or appreciate the role of the clergy in the formalized Christian experience (i.e. institutional church), but there still is a void in the “ownership” of ministry by the laity. Most believe that they are not trained, called, gifted, or empowered to do the work of Jesus (like that of the pastor). We must also understand that despite all our words that highlight the biblical proclamation of the “priesthood of all believers” that the symbols, offices, roles, the public experience of most followers of Jesus within local faith communities underscore the experience of a specified “religious class” that solely handle the precious gifts of faith. In Christendom, the Church could afford to train people to be religious professionals – to see the acts of prayer, worship facilitation, Bible study, ministry leadership, even evangelism as private world skills. Christendom needed its “experts” because they are not facing radically non-Christian values in their public life…in other words, it seemed to make more sense to have a religious caste system in a world that was dominated by religious institutions and worldviews. But times have changed…in a “mission-minded” community, the laity needs to have not only access but also the permission to engage in the deep, transformational experiences of the life of faith. The culture needs to see followers of Jesus who are not being “paid” to be “professional” representatives of the Kingdom of God. Relevance, authenticity, and transparency are the call words of a new era. In order to facilitate and inform a growing experience of ownership in ministry, theological education and an intentionality of discipleship training need to be the passion of leadership in regards to the laity. All followers of Jesus need an opportunity to grow in “thinking Christianly” about everything and work/live with faithful, biblical distinctiveness. They need to how to discern cultural practices were experiences of common grace could be embraced as well as what practices are antithetical to the gospel and must be rejected. Post-Christendom marks a new day for lay people who are on the “front lines” of renewing and transforming the culture through a distinctive understanding of Christian vocation where everyone takes their place at the “table” of real “kingdom work” and ministry alongside those committed to the traditional ministry of the Word and Sacraments. Finally, Christ followers will need to learn how to use the gospel to demonstrate true love and “acceptance” in "the public square" toward those with whom we deeply differ. Acceptance should equal or exceed that which opposing views show toward the Jesus following experience.

4. Create Christian community that is counter-cultural and counter-intuitive.

In Christendom, “ekklesia” became the foundation of personal faith nurturing, support and accountability. In the 20th century, the onslaughts of the values of consumerism have further promoted the “individualistic ingestion” of the Christian experience. In a Post-Christendom culture, those dynamics continue to be a necessary aspect of the faith community. However, the realities of Post-Christendom demand that the Christian community go beyond personal encouragement and relational development. As in the book of Acts, a community of followers of Jesus must begin to embody a “counter-culture” which demonstrates to the culture at large how radically different a society transformed by the Spirit is God is. This kind of church is profoundly “counter-intuitive”to cultural observers. The community that lives the “Sermon on the Mount”, that takes seriously the “Fruit of the Holy Spirit”, and the ethic of the Kingdom of God is truly one that will stand in diametrical opposition to the culture at large. In a Post-Christendom world, followers of Jesus in community must make the faith and life of a disciple so evident that it refutes cultural dismissal and marginalization.

5. Practice and promote Christian unity as much as possible.

In Christendom, the understanding existed that “everyone was a Christian” and that “brands” of the Church could exist, on the one hand, to act as a leaven to heresy but also as unique expressions of the faith within ethnic or even personal preference boundaries and understandings. Many regarded the diversity of “church”/denominational experience as necessary as a plethora of followers of Jesus sought to define themselves and underscore their experience within the flow of history. Within the Christendom paradigm, Christian identity was clarified by denominational preference. Denominational preference led to a diversity of ekklesia that enabled people to experience “church” within theological and practical comfort zones but also led to an explosion of ecclesiastical pride and arrogance. As Christendom was falling, a once helpful diversity of religious experience in denominationalism led to public condemnations over differences, turf wars, and a radical, exclusionary differentiation of the faith journey furthering the breakdown of any understanding of Christian unity. In a Post-Christendom culture, denominational is the ecclesiastical equivalent to “white noise”. The “brands” of Christianity make no sense to the culture…those driving by buildings with a denominational or even non-denominational titles mean nothing. One religious institution equals that of another. It is past the time to call our churches to a new sense of partnership in embodying the Kingdom of God in today’s world. It is very important that we not spend our time bashing and criticizing other kinds of churches, movements, and ministries especially if those expressions of the faith fall under a commonality of understanding and passion for the truth of the Gospel. While we need to uphold some practices that align ourselves in denominations that share many of our specific distinctives, at the local level we need to incarnate a renewed passion to cooperate with, reach out to and support other congregations and faith communities. It is time we obeyed the words of Jesus who, in the parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, challenged all to allow the “Lord of the Harvest” to be the One who brings any charge, condemnation, or exclusion to the fruits of the fields of life that are ultimately His.

“The church gets in trouble whenever it thinks it’s in the church business rather than the Kingdom business. In the church business people are concerned with church activities, religious behavior and spiritual things. In the Kingdom business people are concerned with Kingdom activities, all human behavior and everything God has made, visible and invisible. Kingdom people see human affairs as saturated with spiritual meaning and Kingdom significance. Church people often think about how to get people into church; Kingdom people think about how to get the church into the world. Church people worry that the world might change the church; Kingdom people work to see the church change the world. When Christians put the church ahead of the Kingdom they settle for the status quo and their own kind of people. When they catch a vision of the Kingdom of God their sights shift to the poor, the orphan, the widow, the refugee 'the wretched of the earth' and to God's future. They see the life and work of the church from the perspective of the Kingdom. If the church has one great need it is this: to be set free for the Kingdom of God, to be liberated from itself as it has become in order to be itself as God intends.” Howard Snyder


Comments or questions: rdugall@apu.edu