Thursday, May 7, 2009

Stop Worshiping Christ

The title by Robin Meyers immediately grabs you: Saving Jesus From the Church: How to Stop Worshiping Christ and Start Following Jesus.

You can almost guess the cast of characters who are going to be on back cover with recommendation blurbs. And sure enough, John Shelby Spong is there. But then you look closer and praise for the book comes from Bill Moyers, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Diana Butler Bass, and, last but not least, Fred B. Craddock. Now you do not often see these names together.

Raised in the non-instrument Church of Christ but a UCC minister for over 20 years, the author has an agenda, but it is not, he says, "one more attempt to prove why it is wrong to be a fundamentalist."

"Rather, it is a word on behalf of those who have walked away from the church because they recognize intellectual dishonesty as the original sin of orthodoxy." It is also "a call to reconsider what it means to follow Jesus, instead of arguing over things that the church has insisted we must all believe about Christ. Doctrines divide by nature. Discipleship brings us together."

You might want to put this on your Amazon Wish List.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for listing this one. Can't wait to read it. Sounds as if Jesus would approve!

jakemaxwel said...

I am going to add this to my list too. I can't wait until school is out so I can switch from reading student essays to reading the books that interest me. This sounds like it should go near the top of my list.

Judy H. said...

Anyhere I can read more about Meyer's background in non-instrumental Churches of Christ and how he came to be a UCC minister? My Google searches didn't turn up much.

revJohn said...

Judy H., I don't know of a source to point you to. Why don't you go to the Mayflower Congregational UCC Church website and leave your question for Robin. His church is in Oklahoma City. Also you can check out the programs and beliefs of this progressive UCC congregation.