Previous Post – The Primary Context For Discipleship

The following is “Jesus I Have Loved, But Paul?” Blog Tour, based on J.R. Daniel Kirk’s new book, “Jesus I Have Loved, But Paul?”.  See Full Schedule for the line up & dates.  Also checkout the Giveaway page!

When I was asked to participate in the blog tour for J.R. Daniel Kirk’s new book, I was thrilled.  I was even more excited to be reviewing chapter 3, “Christianity As Community”.  Given my own passion for Christian community (and thus my book, “The Cost of Community”), I was eager not only read the book, but share here what I discovered.  I was not disappointed.

For me, the chapter was summed up well with this quote:

“The good news as proclaimed and lived by both Jesus and Paul is not merely the promise of power to make us new persons. It is also the promise of a new people.”

While this might seem an obvious statement, the western church all too often gives this lip service while, functionally, living under the rule of individualism.  The implications of becoming this community- this “new people”- are central to the work of the gospel itself.

Kirk builds the chapter on the solid foundation of Jesus’s clear call for His people to form into His community, drawing significantly on the Sermon on the Mount.  His call to forgiveness, grace and peace is challenging to every individual Christian, yet when understood as they were meant to be understood- that is, in the context of community- the radical nature of the people Jesus has called us to be becomes even more clear.  With the stories and teachings of Jesus with respect to community firmly in place, Kirk moves on to what Paul had to say about the topic.

“Paul’s story of a community of Jesus followers contains many of the same narrative dynamics as the Gospels, though with two particular points of difference. These differences are, first, that though Paul tells the story of discipleship as one of being part of the people of Israel, his churches are comprised not of Jews but mostly of non-Jews (gentiles). The other major difference has to do with how Paul depicts the church as the continuing presence of Jesus in the world: it is Jesus’s own body”

Kirk begins by establishing that Paul’s ministry among non-Jewish believers did not place this new people outside of the narrative of Israel- the story of God and us.  Instead, he demonstrates how it is the natural and only fulfillment of that story through Christ.

“To be part of the church is to belong to a community whose identity is being molded into the shape of that people of God whose story is written on the pages of the Old Testament. And that story, in turn, is being shaped by Paul’s convictions about Jesus as the crucified and risen Messiah.”

Paul viewed adoption into the community of Christ as entry into a family, a connection of more binding than even blood.  While never rejecting the covenant promises that God made with His chosen people, he shows that the work of Christ completed and fulfilled the intention of God to bring His promises to all nations:

“The story of God’s family is the story of Abraham. Paul retells this story, insisting that belonging to Christ makes us part of that community because he understands not only that communal stories determine our individual identities but also that this particular story is the one story that God has wrought salvation with. To follow Jesus is to be written into the story of the one worldwide family of God.”

Perhaps Paul’s greatest contribution was by articulating the a true image for the identity of the Church.  While the community of first believers- the Jews- drew their identity as being God’s chosen people, Christians are to draw an even closer, more intimate identity, the very Body of Christ:

“The members of the church make up Christ’s body in the same way that my eyes, ears, fingers, legs, and other parts make up my body. This might be putting it even too mildly: Christ is the body that is made up of the parts.” (pg 66)

The beauty of this image is that it demands an indivisible unity- one of love- yet defines that unity as only possible through the unity of great diversity.  Kirk contrasts this with the reality of individualism in our culture, including within the church.

“To be saved is to be “in Christ,” and to be “in Christ” is to be in his body, the church, a community of people who need one another not only to thrive but even to live. The story that determines my identity has as its fountainhead that I am inscribed in the story of Christ and thereby written into the story of the people of God.”

Kirk closes the chapter with a compelling challenge for us to embrace our identity as God’s chosen people, His family- as necessarily diverse as we are unified.  Our role as a missional people is made possible in and through that place in Christ.  Let me include one last quote to sum things up:

“What is Christian community? It is a family formed around Jesus. It is a family that has a certain look. Like a human family where unique persons bear a common family resemblance, so the family of God is comprised of an unmitigated diversity of people who are called to look like their Father, which means, in turn, to look like their brother Jesus. As a people we are called into a community.”

While I have not finished the whole book yet, I can already endorse it.  One of the best things about this book is that is brings together some of the best scholarship on Paul that has emerged over the last few decades.  It brings this critical new perspective in such a way that is accessible without losing its authority.  While I do not agree with every point in the book, the differences are not worth noting.  I highly recommend this book.

Previous Post – The Zombie Appeal

“Moving toward my second decade of teaching college students, more than half of whom grow up in a church, of this I am certain: churches don’t talk about the women of the Bible. Of Mary mother of Jesus they have heard, and even then not all of what they have heard is accurate. But of the other woman saints of the Bible, including Miriam, the prophetic national music director, or Esther, the dancing queen, or Phoebe, the benefactor of Paul’s missions, or Priscilla, the teacher, they’ve heard almost nothing.”

That paragraph, from the introduction of Scot McKnight’s new ebook “Junia Is Not Alone”, sets the stage for the passionate and sound call for the church to remember the women to whom we owe so much.  With prophetic clarity, Scot shows how- in the case of Junia (if you don’t know who she is, all the more reason to buy this book)- the church has explicitly silenced their voices, erasing their memory and killing their legacy.

The book goes on to call us back together to a celebration and an honouring of these women.  McKnight offers us challenges in the face of the status quo and invites us to dare to tell the real story of God in all its honest beauty.  It is an invitation that is hard to resist.

This essay length ebook is well worth the $2.99- it is worth far more than that!  If you don’t own a Kindle, then simply download the free Kindle reader for your computer or smartphone.  Then buy this book.  This is a worthy addition to the writings of Scot McKnight, one that you will not want to miss.

Order it today!

Previous Post – Sexuality, Desire & Cheap Fidelity

The good folks over at ChristiansInContext.com are running an exciting Advent Giveaway Event.  My new book, “The Cost of Community: Jesus, St. Francis & Life in the Kingdom” is among the great titles being given away.  Here’s the info from the site:

4 days. 41 books. Somehow we made the math work. So begins our Advent Giveaway. (Stay tuned, the prize packages will get larger as we get closer to Christmas. Be sure to subscribe via RSS feed, Reader, or email so you don’t miss a day of the giveaway!)

Today’s book is Earthen Vessels by Matthew Lee Anderson from Bethany House Publishers. I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing this book already and am pleased to kick of our giveaway with it.

From the review: “While Christians should arguably have a higher view of the body than most, the average evangelical theology of the body often remains unexamined and merely reactionary towards cultural trends and spiritual concerns. Matthew Lee Anderson challenges the unexamined and reactionary in his surprising new book Earthen Vessels.”

For a complete list of prizes and rules, click here. You can enter using the PunchTab app below. RSS readers will need to click through to the post to see the widget. Good luck!

Check it out & spread the word.

Previous Post – Ministry in the Upside-Down Kingdom

With all the excitement with the release of my new book, “The Cost of Community: Jesus, St. Francis & Life in the Kingdom” (Likewise Books/IVPress), I didn’t want to miss telling you about two other book projects that I have had the privilege of contributing to.  As it happens, they are both debuting mid-November.

“Waiting For The Light: An Advent Devotional”

This exciting volume, edited by Christine Sine, Ricci Kilmer & Susan Wade, brings together a collection of devotional reflections by various authors.  Christians of all traditions are discovering the value of taking time in the days that lead up to Christmas to break away from the consumer frenzy of our culture and prepare their hearts and minds for the coming of Christ. This resource responds to this desire. It is more than a devotional, it is a complete guide to the Advent and Christmas season, providing liturgies, weekly activities and daily reflections to equip and nourish us all through the season.  Each week of Advent focuses on a different theme:

Week 1: preparing

Week 2: seeking or expecting

Week 3: waiting

Week 4: becoming

The theme for the twelve days of Christmas is incarnation  Each week begins with a prayer or liturgy that incorporates the week’s theme. in other activities that may help you and your family focus more meaningfully on the these seasons of the liturgical year.

Pre-order it here.

“Widening the Circle: Experiments in Christian Discipleship”

In the last half-century, a growing number of North Americans have been smitten with an Anabaptist-Mennonite vision of church and mission. Often coming from outside the Mennonite mainstream, they’ve formed communities with others of like mind and sought to live out their radical faith. But in the process, they often bump up against the institutional church that has housed the radical vision for generations. The stories and reflections offered in Widening the Circle explore that creative tension. The result is a rich showcase of Jesus-centered discipleship-windows into what the future church can look like.

My contribution to this book explored the intersection of the Franciscan and Anabaptist traditions, examining where each tradition compliments and challenges the other.  I cannot wait to see this book get out there.

Pre-order it here.

Previous Post – Courting Satan

After waiting so long, I am excited to announce that my new book, “The Cost of Community: Jesus, St. Francis & Life in the Kingdom”, is now shipping!  As if that was not exciting enough, today I received an email from the amazing folks at InterVarsity Press informing me that they want to do something special for you all.  Between now and October 28th, they are offering the book to you at 40% off retail price.  Further, if you buy 3 or more copies, shipping is free in Canada & the US.

For more information, click here and place your order.  Please help get the word out.

Peace & all good!

P.S. For all those who already ordered the book, but didn’t get this kind of deal, all I can say is thank you for your early support.  It went a LONG way in helping the book off to a great start.

Previous Post – If You Don’t Work, You Don’t Eat

Before I say anything, I want you to take a few minutes to watch this trailer:

My first response when I saw this video was to laugh out loud & look for The Onion link.  However, the laughter died in my throat when I realized that this film is very much a reality.  I have no doubt of the good intentions and sincerity of those involved in the movie, but apart from the dreadfully poor acting (“I want you to win it. You hear me, I want you to win it!”), I cannot imagine who they expect this film to appeal to.

The fascination (and oft-times obsession) of Christians with Satan can tell us a great deal about ourselves- and not all of it very flattering.  One of my favorite new writers, Tripp York (author of “Third Way Allegiance”, among several others), has recently tackled this topic in his cleverly titled new book “The Devil Wears Nada: Satan Exposed!”.  Here is a brief product description:

In this devilishly entertaining book, Tripp York takes it upon himself to find the Prince of Darkness. Provoked by a wager made in one of his religion classes, York explores whether in proving the existence of Satan, we might in turn prove the existence of God. Admitting the idea is not half-bad (and thus, conversely, only half-good), York enlists the aid of numerous ministers, theologians, spiritual warriors, pagans, shamanists, fortune tellers, and Satanists in his fiendish quest to determine the whereabouts of God’s first fallen creature. Part memoir and part theological treatise, The Devil Wears Nada is a compelling and humorous account of the strange, bizarre, and (oftentimes) offensive things we think about God, the Devil, and everything in between.

I am excited to announce that I will be interviewing Tripp in the coming weeks about his book(s).  If you had to ask him any questions, what would they be?

Previous Post – Belated St. Francis Day Blessings

As the release of my book, “The Cost of Community: Jesus, St. Francis & the Cost of Community”, approaches rapidly (weeks, maybe days!), the amazing folks at Likewise Books (an imprint of InterVarsity Press) have released a couple more videos for the book.  This first one is a great overview of the book, exploring the three main focuses of the book: St. Francis, Little Flowers Community and the Sermon on the Mount.  Check it out:

This next video is shorter, but explores what it means to be a “blessed” people- the community of the Beatitudes:

Here is the first video, which I posted here some time ago:

Pre-order the book today.

Previous Post – Christians & the Death Penalty

With the weekend (and Autumn) upon us, I thought I would share with you some of the online reading that has been getting my attention these days.  Feel free to add what has caught yours in the comment section:

• Top honour this week goes to Rachel Held Evans and Justin Lee (director of the Gay Christian Network).  Rachel has been doing an amazing series, called “Ask a…”, in which she invites readers to engage with people who believe differently (i.e. Calvinist, Athiest, Mennonite, etc.).  The most recent was “Ask a Gay Christian”, in which Justin is gracious, honest, articulate and very, very helpful.
• When Mike Breen post his “Why the Missional Movement Will Fail” (Part 1, Part 2), I was frustrated by how I felt he had missed the point.  I was writing a response when I found this one by JR Rozko, which says it well enough for both of us.
• You have probably already heard that Rob Bell is leaving Mars Hill for other ministry activity.  While I am interested to see where he goes, I must admit that I am more excited to see how Shane Hipps does taking on more leadership at the church.  Way to go, Shane!
• Finally, I would like to highlight to authors/bloggers who I enjoy a great deal.  Since picking up his book “Third Way Allegiance: Christian Witness in the Shadow of Religious Empire”, I’ve been following Tripp York’s blog, “The Amish Jihadist” with great interest.  I’ve also made a good friend with Franciscan, Brother Dan Horan, OFM, author blog and book, “Dating God”.  Check out Dan’s podcast too.

Previous Post – Little Flowers of Faith

In the coming month or so, my new book “The Cost of Community: Jesus, St. Francis & Life in the Kingdom” will be released.  The book chronicles the journey our missional community took through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, allowing St. Francis of Assisi to be our likely guide.  The result is an exploration of what it means to take seriously the words of Jesus, seeking to live them out together for relationship with God, each other & service to His kingdom.  You can get a sneak peek at the the first few chapters, compliments of Google Books here.

While the book delves deeply into Scripture, it is the embedded story of Jesus’ words in our inner city community that make it so compelling.  Many have asked how they can get involved.  There are many ways, but I want to highlight one.  While we are very light on programing as an aspect of our ministry here, one core program we strongly endorse is the Justice Discipleship Training School (JDTS).  We have spent years developing this intensive spiritual & missional formation experience to maximize impact of the participant while responsibly including them in our local & international missions projects.  Check out this video about the JDTS:

Winnipeg YWAM Justice Discipleship Training School

Our next program begins on Sept. 26- that’s right, only 10 days left!  We are still looking for a couple of participants.  As my book will be part of the curriculum and I will be teaching a week on The Gospel & Community, I wanted to offer a special promotion.  The first two applicants to apply & be accepted to our upcoming JDTS will receive a $500 tuition reduction.  Further, if you can’t come, but know someone who will, if you recommend them, they will receive the discount and you will receive a free copy of my book when it releases.

We believe in this program and its ability to transform lives.  Please help us get the word out.  Tell friends.  Post the video.  Apply yourself!  10 days is plenty of time, so let’s make this happen!

I can be contacted in the comment section or at jamiearpinricci@gmail.com for more information.

When we began our work in Winnipeg nearly 10 years ago, all but one of my four immediate neighbours were drug dealers and pimps.  Immediately I found my impulse to be to find ways to continue to serve God, yet avoid this more uncomfortable and risky context.  Given that we live on the financial sponsorship of family and friends, where we often only just made ends meet, the thought of pursuing a paid pastoral position became very appealing (and readily available). Ways that we could accomplish the task while reducing the difficulties and costs repeatedly came to mind- most options that were completely legitimate in and of themselves.  And yet, I knew that any such choice would be a compromise.  The means was as important as the end. And so we made the choice to move into an old, abandoned gang house and become neighbours with the inner city residents.  Looking back, I am deeply grateful we made that choice.

St. Francis of Assisi knew that such choices impacted the quality of the Gospel we brought to our neighbours.  He never elevated action over proclamation in sharing the gospel, but neither did he believe that the gospel message was fully communicated only in words. Francis recognized that the gospel was the all-consuming work of God to restore all of creation to Himself, for His glory. He embraced the truth that the power of the gospel proclaimed with his mouth was given authority by a Spirit-empowered life that reflected the reality of its transformation.  It still needed to be proclaimed, for we would continually fail and compromise.  However, he never allowed that truth to be an excuse for not living out the gospel every day.

People were drawn to Jesus because they saw in him an authority that was both unfamiliar and deeply compelling. Here was a man who lived the truths he spoke, a man who proclaimed a new kingdom with his words and then made it possible, tangible and immediate with his actions. It is little wonder that Jesus and his disciples founds themselves surrounded by crowds eagerly waiting to hear what he had to say. Leading them to the mountainside, Jesus sat in the posture of a teacher and began to teach them.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. “

What could He mean by such words?  If “blessed” was being used as an entreaty for good favour, then the Beatitudes could be understood as saying something like: “You’ve done well in your mourning; as a reward, you’ll be comforted. Excellent job at being meek; as a gesture of my gratitude, you’ll inherit the earth. You’ve got being poor in spirit down pat; therefore, this kingdom will be yours.” While inevitably we are called to live in ways consistent with the Beatitudes, Jesus is not offering a transaction of his favour in exchange for certain behaviours. Rather, he is describing a present reality of happiness in the midst of these various circumstances, be it poverty of spirit, mourning or meekness. In other words, the people described in the Beatitudes are fortunate in the here-and-now because they live in the assurance that God´s promises are being fulfilled, in part in the present and in fullness in the future. God is not cutting deals with us or even making promises. Rather, he is describing the transformed reality of his kingdom as it breaks forth into the hearts and lives of his faithful people.

These are among the themes I explore, alongside our small inner city faith community, in the book.  “The Cost of Community: Jesus, St. Francis & Life in the Kingdom” poses the question: Did Jesus really mean for us to live out His teachings in the Sermon on the Mount?  The answer is emphatically yes.  Following the entire Sermon on the Mount text (Matt. 5-7), accompanied by a helpful study guide, this book is ideal for both personal and group study.  Intentionally engaging the mind, the heart and the hands, it is an invitation into the costly, but rewarding journey of following Christ.

Pre-order you copy today: