[rating:4]
(Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2008.)
205 pgs
For someone who has taught principles from Experiencing God for the last twenty years, it was intriguing for me to read this book. In many ways I saw this as a contemporary attempt to address some of the same issues my father dealt with in his classic book. There is clearly a movement among many of the younger church leaders today to get back to what genuine Christianity is supposed to be. What I liked about this book as compared to a work like Pagan Christianity, is that Francis Chan has not given up on the modern church, but is calling it to go to new levels of devotion and missional living.
Chan’s premise is that, as we draw close to God, we are inevitably going to have His heart and passion. He writes in his foreword: “This book is written for those who want more of Jesus” (21). That seems to describe much of the younger generation in the modern church. They don’t want more religion, or meaningless church activities. They want to know and experience God.
Chan argues: “We need to stop giving people excuses not to believe in God” (21). How true! For anyone looking for an excuse not to believe in God, the modern church is quick to oblige! Chan argues that God is far greater than we can comprehend. In fact, if we could fully understand God, “What a stunted, insignificant god that would be!” (32). He argues that it is arrogant to think God owes us an explanation for anything (33). More disturbingly, he also claims that worry and stress both “reek of arrogance” (42).
Chan says a number of things that make you stop and think. He is not obnoxious about it. In fact, he is quite transparent and generally humble. He says things like: “The thought of a person calling himself a Christian without being a devoted follower of Christ is absurd” (85). And, “Let’s face it. We’re willing to make changes in our lives only if we think it affects our salvation” (86).
Chan came from a difficult life. His mother died delivering him. His father may have resented him for this and was abusive to him (54). Chan’s story and passion for God are all the more compelling knowing what God delivered him from. He offers some interesting glimpses into Scripture at times. I liked his treatment of Abraham sacrificing Isaac (115). He also asks: “How would my life change if I actually thought of each person I came in contact with as Christ?” (118).
Chan gets “radical” when he mentions that he downsized his house to one half as large so he could give more money away (136). Here you see a close relationship to David Platt’s Radical. Chan claims: “The concept of downsizing so that others might upgrade is biblical, beautiful . . . and nearly unheard of. We either close the gap or don’t take the words of the Bible literally . . . There has to be more to our faith than friendliness, politeness, and even kindness” (121, 130). In following this principle, Chan’s church gives half of its revenues away and it chose to build an outdoor amphitheater rather than a large, indoor auditorium so it could give more away. He admits that some days church can get chilly, but “there will also be joy in knowing that we’re sitting in the cold so that someone else can have a blanket” (163). Chan confesses that the Christian life is about “complete surrender.” He notes that he was never very good at merely “trying harder” (170).
This, like Platt’s book Radical, has garnered widespread interest, and rightly so. While there are many books out today that urge people to be on mission, this book begins not with a demographic study, but with our relationship to Christ. Too many books push missions without ever laying a proper basis for it.
I think that for many churches, Chan’s words will be too radical. Too many Christians are still enamored with their buildings and programs. I also think that it will challenge many evangelical Christians who have wedded themselves perhaps too tightly with the political right wing movement. While I tend toward many right wing viewpoints, I also recognize that it is precarious for Christians to bind themselves too tightly to political and economic camps. I have heard many evangelical Christians offer the simplistic solution that if people in America don’t like being poor, they can get a job! For Chan to suggest that we downsize what we have so we can give more to others definitely runs counter to right wing politics today!
This book has been out for a couple of years but I felt it important to read it as it has exerted considerable influence. Overall I enjoyed it. I found it fresh and provocative, without being harsh or unduly negative. Not only does the book offer some great challenges, but it also gives a good insight into the attitude of many of the younger generation of Christians. For both reasons I recommend that you read it.