Serving Bread

The assumption of this book is that too many people are living their lives as if they are asleep. The operating mode of living may be “survival.” The hope is to just survive the day or the week or the stage of life. There is no motivation for life beyond just getting through. McManus challenges that notion to say that life can be far richer than just mere survival. He offers this vision by identifying eight characterstics that help people pursue and achieve a life of significance. (They are Dream, Explore, Adapt, Create, Invest, Enjoy, Focus and Expect)

Though his writing may seem a little confusing at times, McManus’s strength is in his story telling. He is a fantastic story-teller. And if there is one take-away for ministers who want to learn from McManus, it’s this: Learn to tell stories well. Rather than simply teach the scripture, McManus illustrates the truths he preaches through stories.

What I appreciate about this book and McManus’s vision is that it hopes to redeem the purpose of humanity. One of the themes of my preaching over the past two years has been to inspire students to live fully with the vision that God intends for them. I am disheartened by the phrase, “I’m only human” because it debases God’s definition. We define being human as being imperfect and weak, whereas God intends so much more for what it means to be human. McManus captures that desire for people in this book. He summarizes this thesis near the end of the book when he writes,

Dream big. Dream God-sized dreams and have the courage to live them…. Never again surrender to the thought, Well, I’m only human. There is no ‘only’ before human. You are human—created in the image of God…. It is a gift to be human.

Through Mosaic, God  is reaching a generation of young adults that may not otherwise step foot in a church. For those of us who are motivated to reach this generation, McManus (and Mosaic) should serve as a mentor. While many of us cannot get personal time with McManus or be a part of his community, his writings can speak into and shape our lives. Paying attention to how McManus prioritizes his values and vision (i.e. the topics about which he is passionate) can be of important value for outreach.

So this book can be read with a few different lenses. It can provide lessons for ministry as well as to inspire for those who are feeling the need for motivation.

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Southern California Region InterVarsity is about to gather for our annual staff conference out at Catalina Island. The speaker this year is [tag]Rick Richardson[/tag], former IV Staff, author, and professor at Wheaton College. His recent book [tag]Reimagining Evangelism[/tag] was assigned to read for the conference.

Continue reading ‘Book Review: Reimagining Evangelism’

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Hearing God by [tag]Dallas Willard[/tag] was published before his recent trilogy of books on spiritual formation. Perhaps [tag]Hearing God[/tag] was meant as a sort of introduction to his later works. What I appreciate about Dr. Willard’s writing is that he works hard to bridge theology with praxis. He lays out the teaching of scripture, but looks for ways to answer the “so what?” question.

In this book, Willard leads the reader to develop a conversational relationship with God. What does it mean to hear God? How does God speak to us? Willard acknowledges that too many people (especially church leaders) exploit and manipulate situations by claiming that “God told me that…” In this book, he takes the mystery out of listening to God, where it is not an act reserved for the few, but one that should be available to all. Continue reading ‘Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God’

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