The Real Simple Way

… isn’t really that simple. There’s apparently a new book out called Simple Church. (Check the CT Review here.) This book is apparently not about “simple church” (i.e. organic/house/networked church) at all; it’s about “simplifying” your traditional church structure/model, having a clear “mission”/purpose/focus/blah blah blah. The authors equate numerical growth with spiritual growth. Come on! That’s the “old, old story” we all know has gone horribly wrong.

The real “simple church” is the one Shane Claiborne talks about in this fascinating, hour-long talk from a recent youth conference (see below). Claiborne’s question, “Did Jesus really mean what He said?” challenges everything that is at the core of our traditional/contemporary/modern church structuresâ€”our ecclesiology, if I can be so bold as to drop that terminotological bomb on ya. Along the way, Claiborne shares a good bit of his amazing journey so far, and the bottom line challenge is to radically reject prosperity (and all its entrapments) and embrace the poor who live among us, although they are often “invisible.” That’s “the simple way,” and it isn’t really “simple” at all.

I encourage you to take the time to watch this, and, if you haven’t already, add Claiborne’s book The Irresistible Revolution to your wishlist:

(HT: Emerging Joy)

Posted on 04-17-2007

Comments

Joy says:
April 21st, 2007 at 7:51 am

Hey Steve!!

Joy aka Kimber here…. I struggled through the book of Revelations with a group of teens (I did the anti-left behind version) and at the end of the class, I gave them this book!

My son was one of the kids in the class. I hope this impacts him in a way that challenges him to question the “church” the same way I taught him to question the Establishment… whatever that is!!

:::drifting off singing:::: So you say you want a Revolution…
Steven Burleson says:
April 22nd, 2007 at 1:00 pm

Hey Steve,

I recently finished Shane’s book and I am both excited and (let’s face it) a little afraid of the implications that this book and it’s reflections on the teachings of Jesus is going to have on my life. Truth is hard to swallow sometimes. My family is starting to call me a radical. Imagine that! HAHA. Any way, Look foward to seeing you at the next Cohort Meeting!
Check your "Simple Church" at the door of the Real World... « Confessions of a TreeHouse Monastic says:
April 22nd, 2007 at 1:06 pm

[...] April 22, 2007 at 6:06 pm · Filed under Uncategorized My friend Steve Knight has some awesome commentary on the “Simple Church” and the real church we’re supposed to be… Check it out! http://www.knightopia.com/journal/?p=683 [...]
Sarah says:
April 25th, 2007 at 2:12 pm

Fantastic! I am super excited about what God is doing through people like Shane, and many other revolutionaries. Since watching Shane on Youtube, I looked up all the times Jesus talked about ‘rich’ and ‘poor’. Very interesting! I am in the process of asking God how He wants me to respond to His word on this. What does it look like in my life? God, what then should I do? I’m listening…