This Beautiful Mess by Pastor RIck McKinley

 

                     Jesus came to this earth, among other reasons, to reveal to us the kingdom of God. His kingdom functions in this earth, but the way that it operates and the principles and standards it holds are contrary to the way we would normally think. And it is some of these principles and the practical ways we can live them out in our lives that author Rick McKinley chooses to emphasize in his book This Beautiful Mess.
                     Rick McKinley is the Pastor of Imago Dei Community in Portland, Oregon. His church is a very creative, socially active and outward focused community. It is many of the stories of his members and friends that he shares in the book. And while the principles of kingdom living are very simple and articulated easily, the way that they are lived out in life vary greatly and allow for out of the box thinking in expressing their reality.
                    He discusses the issues of how we do church, our finances, how we share our faith, and living in the tension between the now and not yet. Particularly interesting are the poems and assorted stories found at the end of several chapters. These were written by those he knows and are one way that pastor Rick embraces the kingdom, by allowing others to use their God given skills freely in the context of church and community.
                     For those who are creative, and envision church functioning differently than the traditional norms, this will be an enjoyable read for you. For others, who find Biblical Orthodoxy and it's expression more and more divorced in society from the examples we actually see Jesus display and emphasize, you will may find yourself disagreeing, struggling and analyzing the concepts found in This Beautiful Mess.
                      I received this book for free from "Water Brook/Multnomah Publishing Group" for this review. It will definitely stretch your paradigms of church and kingdom living. You can read a sneak preview of chapter one at http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/files/2013/04/SneakPeek_ThisBeautifulMess.pdf

What Is Community?

Community is the new buzzword that is particularly popular among young, emerging churches. The concept to most people, from what I've ascertained, is something like 'we all in live close proximity, eat chicken wings at alternating houses, wear matching robes and watch each other's screaming kids while pretending to enjoy it' (perhaps I'm exagerating). But I don't think the Apostle Paul liked chicken wings or watching other people's screaming children (he liked to scream himself). Facebook and other online social networks, for instance, have helped to redefine community for many people. I, for one, am a HUGE fan of facebook. It allows me to reconnect with people I haven't seen or might not otherwise see at a time that is conveient for me (like 3am. Now who would I chat with then...hi to the only follower of the blog so far). So, what is community? Biblically, it is Acts 2:41-47. In society at large, it is anywhere you can connect with people and interact, whatever form that takes. Jesus called us to make disciples of all men, but you can't do that if you don't connect. Spoken from an isolationist like myself, that's strong language. So, get connecting...and pass the chicken wings.