Monday, June 1, 2009

ReJesus: A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church.

 
ReJesus:  A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church.  By Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost

Publisher, Hendrickson Publishers, 2009, pp. 204. $19.95 Paper back.


            Here is a frank, honest assessment of the Christian religion today in light of the biblical revelation of Jesus.  ReJesus is much more than just a catchy, or to some, offensive title.   It is an exploration of the connection, or lack of it, between the "way of Jesus" and the religion of Christianity as it has evolved over these 2000 plus years.  I think we could all agree that Christianity today is much different than the Christianity of Jesus’ day, or of the first three centuries.

Hirsch and Frost have written a book that is all about Jesus, about bringing Him back as the central core of discipleship, of congregational polity, of individual spirituality, of evangelism - in short, of every aspect of our lives as followers of Jesus.

Unlike the "quest for the historical Jesus" of the last century, this work is solidly based on a highly-respected view of the Scriptures.  The authors insist on returning to the primitive, original movement Jesus set in motion; a movement squarely based on the "wild and radical" life of Jesus during the first century.

            As the authors say, their desire is to "reJesus" the church - to bring everything back to the One who began the movement.  Readers are challenged to reinstate Jesus as the foundational center of their lives both individually and corporately, as a community of faith.   

"If the heart of Christian spirituality is to increasingly become like our founder, then an authentic comprehension of Jesus is critical."  It is this comprehension of Jesus that becomes the dominate theme of the entire book. 

While the book is not an "easy-read," it will challenge the reader to rethink what it means to be a "Christian" in the biblical sense of the word.  The book will challenge you to peel back the layers of tradition that, for far too long have hidden the real heart of our faith - Jesus. 

Personally, I loved the book.  But, of course, I'm a lot more missional in my thinking these days.  Whether or not you agree with everything presented in the book, you'll appreciate the desire to return to the historical roots of our faith.  It will compel you to wrestle with the meaning of Jesus outside of our cultural trappings. 

 

Dr. Larry S. Doyle

Director of Missions

Piedmont Baptist Association

Greensboro, NC