{"id":4307,"date":"2016-05-11T11:37:19","date_gmt":"2016-05-11T18:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/irreverin\/?p=4307"},"modified":"2016-05-11T11:41:42","modified_gmt":"2016-05-11T18:41:42","slug":"how-jesus-saves-the-world-from-us-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/irreverin\/2016\/05\/how-jesus-saves-the-world-from-us-review\/","title":{"rendered":"How Jesus Saves the World (From Us): A Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Some political consultants on NPR this morning\u2013one Democrat, one Republican\u2013were talking about the current election cycle. Given that it was NPR, it was not the level of anxiety and venom that we usually hear in political discourse these days. I\u2019ve long suspected that NPR\u2019s real listener loyalty comes, not from the quality of news and programming, but from that soothing, monotonous drone of their commentary. If you\u2019re in heavy traffic, having a crazy day, or just tired of clicking through miles of shouting preachers and Rush Limbaugh\u2026 Flipping\u00a0over to public radio is\u00a0like taking a Xanax and washing it down with a beer. Ahhhhh. Self-medicators, unite!<\/p>\n

Anyway. So yes, they were arguing about politics, but \u201carguing\u201d is relative over there. There were also many points of agreement. Like the fact that neither party is thrilled with their presumptive nominee, and that surely, we can do better. But mostly, what I heard was this: these guys from two different sides of the aisle were united in this one truth: the next 6 months are going to be toxic. That\u2019s the word they used for it, toxic.<\/em>\u00a0The process, the dialogue, potentially even the outcome\u2013pure wasteland sludge.<\/p>\n

\"CCO<\/a>
CCO Public Domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This is not surprising news, but it still gave me pause to hear it\u00a0spoken aloud. Toxic. As in poisonous, harmful, a threat to life in all its forms. And they were talking like it\u2019s going to get WORSE. Isn\u2019t it already pretty awful?<\/p>\n

It got me thinking about how the faith community can protect itself from getting swept up in that toxic sludge. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be fully present in the world; to show up where we live each day, to be part of the neighborhood, and to speak to the world\u2019s greatest need. But it\u2019s so easy for the Church itself to become an extension of the world\u2019s anxiety\u2026 even to feed into it, and become one of its primary mouthpieces.<\/p>\n

Which brings me to\u2026this book: \u201cHow Jesus Saves the World From Us: 12 Antidotes to Toxic Christianity.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n

To say that this book is timely is an understatement. This book\u00a0speaks to the faith community\u2013in engaging, straightforward ways\u2013exactly where we find ourselves at this moment in history.\u00a0\"mg<\/a><\/p>\n

My fellow Patheos blogger Morgan Guyton<\/a> explores 12 facets of \u201ctoxic\u201d Christianity\u2013the skewed\u00a0understandings of salvation that do more harm than good in the world. Beyond just positing a critique of popular Christian culture, he offers 12 \u201cantidotes\u201d to counter the destructive system. The chapters explore some expected binaries like \u201cMercy, Not Sacrifice\u201d and \u201cWorship, Not Performance.\u201d \u00a0But it\u00a0also holds up some fresh\u00a0contrasts, like \u201cSolidarity, Not Sanctimony,\u201d and\u2013my favorite\u2013\u201cPoetry, Not Math.\u201d (This is discipleship for English Majors! Finally! Kind of like the Gospel of John\u2026)<\/p>\n

I like this book because it is going to piss off all the right people. If you like pissing off the same people that I do, then you will probably like this book, too. I\u2019d recommend it for personal growth kinds of reading; but also for exploring and discussing in community. Because if the next 6 months (or longer) is going to be as \u201ctoxic\u201d as we think it is\u2026then there has never been a more important time for God\u2019s people to offer, not just critique, but a better alternative. This book can get your folks talking about that \u201cother way\u201d in real, empowering and tangible terms.<\/p>\n

Wouldn\u2019t it be great if NPR was not the only respite from the sludge?<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, I hope this book, by way of its United Methodist author, will make its way into the discussion at the UMC General Conference<\/a> this week. As they explore the place of LGBT people in the life of the church, their leaders should hear the challenge echoed in these pages;\u00a0and use the 12 \u201cantidotes\u201d as a road map for progress.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong\u2026 My inclusive, affirming congregation would LOVE to keep welcoming the fed-up local Methodists that are jumping ship and bringing their gifts over the Disciples of Christ. Seriously, other churches begin stuck in the dark ages is super for our growth trends. But in the interest of progress, and the Oneness of the Body of Christ, I am hopeful that there will be a vote for love today. Which is good for everyone.<\/p>\n

As is this book. Check it out. Peace and love out there, to all y\u2019all at the #UMCGC<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some political consultants on NPR this morning\u2013one Democrat, one Republican\u2013were talking about the current election cycle. Given that it was NPR, it was not the level of anxiety and venom that we usually hear in political discourse these days. 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