Jesus Is__ - A Book Review

Jesus Is_

I like the title of this book.  I also enjoyed the premise very much.  Author Judah Smith, pastor of City Church in Seattle Washington, uses that question to delve into the character of Christ. He breaks the theme of Jesus Is_ down into six sections:

1. Jesus Is Your Friend
2. Jesus Is Grace
3. Jesus Is The Point
4. Jesus Is Happy
5. Jesus Is Here 
6. Jesus Is Alive

With passion, humor, and conviction, Judah Smith attempts to show that Jesus is life.  Smith's passion comes through in this book.  You really get the fact that he is into Jesus.  He conviction is there on display.  I found numerous nuggets of truth that seemed to leap off the page.  I read a few out loud to my wife, discussing the ones that seemed profound and full of wisdom.

Sadly,mixed in with that passion and conviction was just a tad to much humor. Don't get me wrong, I love humor.  I use it while preaching and we also laugh quite a bit in our home.  I think humor in a non-fiction book about the character of Jesus is not a bad thing.  Judah Smith just seems to be trying to dang hard. In the first chapter, Smith has Zacchaeus thinking things are "dope" or "jacked up".  It is when he "tells the stories" that this book falls apart.  When Jesus mentions adultery during the Sermon on the Mount, I get taken out of the points Smith is trying to make when he says a guy has the Fisherman's Quarterly Swimsuit Edition in his knapsack and that guys are thinking they never hooked up with any desperate housewives or stopped by Hooters.

I made it half way through this book. By then, the constant modern day culture inserted into Biblical times thing got really old.  The humor was more than enough to drown out a needed message.

BookSneeze® has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy.

5 Questions With Jamie Arpin-Ricci

Welcome to 5 Questions With.....

Today's Guest is Jamie Arpin-Ricci.

I first met Jamie at a YWAM leadership conference. Jamie is a writer, pastor, and missional church-planter living in the inner city of Winnipeg, Canada with his Aussie wife, Kim, and Ethiopian son, Micah. He is the pastor of Little Flowers Community, a Franciscan-Anabaptist faith community in Winnipeg's downtown West End. He is also the director of Chiara House, a new intentional Christian community who share life "on the margins".

Jamie has contributed to several books and is the author of the book, The Cost of Community: Jesus, St. Francis & Life in the Kingdom (IVPress, Nov. 2011) & he writes at a blog by the same name at www.missional.ca. He is a third order Franciscan with The Company of Jesus, an ecumenical order under the Anglican rite.

And now without further delay, on to the questions:

Hello Jamie,

1. Can you explain why you felt led to write The Cost of Community?

The book began as a series of studies/sermons that we were going through as a community. Little Flowers Community (the church I planted & pastor) is a Mennonite church in the Franciscan tradition. As odd as that sounds, both share a lot in common, not the least of which is the conviction that we should seek to live out the teachings of Jesus, especially the Sermon on the Mount. So, as a community, we felt it was important for us to explore it.

We spent many, many weeks exploring the Sermon on the Mount verse by verse, considering the implications of what Jesus taught for our lives together as an expression of Christ's Body. It was a powerful and meaningful exploration. As a result, I have pages or research, stories, experiments, etc., which I had been blogging through as well. One of my friends at InterVarsity Press, Adrianna, suggested it would be a good book. And so, "The Cost of Community" was born.

2. What can you tell me about the Little Flowers Community?

My wife & I are the co-directors of Youth With A Mission Urban Ministries Winnipeg, which we planted 10 years ago. Several years ago, we opened a used bookstore in our inner city neighbourhood (where we lived and served), hoping to create a safe place to connect with our neighbours, as well as allow our neighbours to connect more with one another. It was a great success!

Before long, a group of us were connecting once a week to share a meal together, sometimes drawing up to 50 people. We shifted the mid-week meal to Sunday evening, as it was the day that was most convenient for everyone. It wasn't unusual for someone to pull our a guitar to sing some songs- just as likely being a selection from the Arrogant Worms as a worship song. People shared their lives, asked for advice and even prayer. One Sunday evening, a single mom in our group approached me and said: "Jamie, I think we're a church. Will you be our pastor?" After some prayer, we partnered with Mennonite Church Manitoba and Little Flowers Community was born. We've been worshiping & sharing life together for 3 years.

Little Flowers is an eclectic group of Christians who have found genuine community with one another. However, it is not just a community of friends who enjoy each others company. First, outside of the Holy Spirit, the people who come together would be unlikely to ever hang out. Second, we are united by a deep sense of God's love and mission in the world. To that end, we are often a place where people who are not as comfortable in the traditional church setting can feel at home.

3. The Sermon on the Mount seems to intimidates some believers. Why is that?

Any teaching that begins by calling the poor and persecuted blessed is like to be dismissed, diminished or explained away by many. For some, the Sermon on the Mount is intimidating because it demands absolute, selfless and sacrificial service to God. While many like the idea of such devotion, the reality is far more difficult to swallow, especially when it is likely to get you suffering or even death.

However, some people have dismissed, not because it is too demanding, but because they misunderstand it. One of the products of the Reformation is that, at times, Christians can be overly cautious about "works righteousness". In other words, so worried are they that they might be seen trying to earn their salvation that any demanding obedience to Christ becomes almost suspect. The Sermon on the Mount, not properly understood, could seem to be calling people to works righteousness- which is why many theologians suggest that Jesus never intended us to try and follow it at all.

The truth is, though, that Jesus does call us to a radical obedience to His teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. However, it is critical that we don't see the "sermon" as Jesus's ethic or rule of life. Rather, what Jesus was preaching was Himself. The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus. He invites us into Himself, as His Body, united and empowered by the Holy Spirit- thus the righteousness is not ours to take credit for, but it is ours to incarnate. This is exciting to realize! Yet, what often scares people away is that such a place in His Body comes only when we share in His cross.

4. What can we learn from the life of St. Francis of Assisi?

Some people have called St. Francis "the last Christian", others even calling him a "second Christ". Such homage- extreme and inappropriate though it might have been at times- was born because of the amazing and powerful life that Francis led. Few Christians have had (and continue to have) such a formative impact on the Christian world. He is even widely respected in other religious tradition and among many who claim to religious beliefs at all.

And yet, it is not the perceived perfection of St. Francis that makes him appealing to me. Yes, he accomplished amazing things. Yet, when you look at his life you say that, time and again, he made mistakes, took things to extremes and had to repent over and over. He was far from perfect. And it is in his real and broken humanity that his appeal is found. After all, if such an imperfect person can have such an impact for the kingdom, what excuse do I have for not embracing such a life of radical devotion?

A great book to help introduce you to how Francis might be important to the church today, check out "Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim's Tale" by my friend, Ian Morgan Cron. This is a must read for those who are new to St. Francis.

5. What do you hope readers will take away from The Cost of Community?

My deepest hope for readers of "The Cost of Community" is that they will be challenged to consider what it means to follow Jesus. My hope is that it will drive them into the lives of other Christians who share this passion for obedience. I want to see communities of Christians embracing the truth that Jesus is be followed as much as worshiped.

I also hope that people will begin to see their own stories through the lens of Scripture. I want them to see that their place in God's kingdom is part of the continuity of His work through history. There is no insignificant time or role in that story- His story.

Finally, I hope they share it with their friends and family. I believe in this book, not because I have brought a new message or deserve any credit, but because it is the product of a community of believers who are genuinely seeking to follow Christ faithfully and fruitfully before a watching world.

Thanks so much Jamie!

Well there you go. Please go and pick up a copy of the Cost of Community today.

To see past 5 Questions guests see 5 questions page under the tab above.

The Cost of Community

The Cost of Community: Jesus, St. Francis and Life in the Kingdom (IVP) is book written by Youth With A Mission's Winnipeg Director, Jamie Arpin-Ricci.

I would not have normally gravitated to a book about St. Francis. To be honest, I just thought the guy was a bit...strange. However, the fact that I knew the author and that he was discussing the Sermon on the Mount as well were big hooks for me.

So I set aside my preconceived ideas about St. Francis of Assisi and decided to pick this book up at a YWAM gathering.

I am very glad I did.

This is more than a book about St. Francis. It is about a way of life. Jamie shares about his own church (The Little Flowers Community) and how they were profoundly impacted by reading, discussing and attempting to live out the Sermon on the Mount. Interwoven throughout this journey, Jamie takes readers deeper into the life of St. Francis and deeper still into the heart of the Sermon on the Mount.

I found myself turning to the message Jesus shared and re-reading the Sermon while contemplating on what His words have meant to me. I saw how often I read this passage of Scripture while overlooking some of the practical implications. I came away challenged to not just read, but also apply what I have learned.

I was also excited to see how God has been working in the heart of Winnipeg via the ministry of the Little Flowers Community.

Some Christians ignore the life of St. Francis, which I think is a shame. Though at times he went to extremes while attempting to live out his faith, his passion for Christ cannot be ignored.

We need to get out of our comfort zones at times and this book is perfect for helping us take the first step.

Jamie will be popping in as my next guest on 5 Questions with...on Jan. 8th.

In the meantime, why not order your own copy of The Cost of Community.

Mission: Possible (Part 3)

From the Archives - Dec. 2008

This is it. The conclusion to Mission: Possible? If you have not read the first 2 parts please skip down two posts to Part 1. Join the discussion. Let's look at the final part of the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5 was rough and chapter 6 was only slightly better (or worse depending on your perspective). Let's see where ch. 7 takes us.

"Stop judging so that you will not be judged. Otherwise, you will be judged by the same standard you use to judge others. The standards you use for others will be applied to you. So why do you see the piece of sawdust in another believer's eye and not notice the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to another believer, 'Let me take the piece of sawdust out of your eye,' when you have a beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye. Then you will see clearly to remove the piece of sawdust from another believer's eye.
(Matthew 7:1-5)

Ouch! Jesus pulls no punches here. Right out of the gate He hits the nail on the head of an issue plaguing our jobs, churches, etc. Who reading this has not been guilty of this one? I know I sure have.

The next few verses are like a whirlwind rush to the end. Asking, giving and receiving all are hit on here. Verse 12, also known as the GOLDEN RULE, talks about doing for others what we would have them do for us. Oh that we all truly lived that way. He even talks about knowing a believer by their fruit. Is the fruit the stuff He was talking about in chapters 5-7? What do you think?

Jesus tells us to avoid the wide road to destruction and to go into life through the narrow way but then says, "But the narrow gate and the road that lead to life are full of trouble. Only a few people find the narrow gate." The way He TELLS US to go is full of trouble. Not easy! Uh Oh....

Then He throws this one at us: "Therefore, everyone who hears what I say and obeys it will be like a wise person who built a house on rock."

The chapter comes to a conclusion with this: "When Jesus finished this speech, the crowds were amazed at his teachings."

Well yeah, I am as well. This was the longest discourse Jesus gave that we have on record. It is not a sermon to the unbelievers, to the world so to speak. It is a sermon to us, His children. Many say if we try to live this way we are "socialists, communists, hippies, etc. You can't live in peace with one another, you can't forgive EVERYONE who wrongs you. What about JUSTICE?"

The thing is, Jesus doesn't ask us for excuses. He doesn't say, "Hey try this and if it doesn't work for you no harm, no foul." He call us to obedience. It may be uncomfortable obedience but it is obedience He calls us to nevertheless.

Is it possible? Yes. Is it hard? Yes. What we need is Jesus living in us and through us to accomplish this possible mission. We also need faith! (Hebrews 11:6)

Do you long to see change in your life, church, etc? Let's all try to follow the example of Jesus and truly live our faith! I'll be honest and say I'm not there yet but I want to make the journey. Are you with me?

Mission: Possible (Part 2)

From the Archives - Dec. 2008

(If you have not read Part 1 I would suggest you skip to the post just prior to this.)

Let's continue examining the Sermon on the Mount and see if our mission truly is possible.

I will have to admit Chapter 5 of Matthew was really rough. Is Chapter 6 any better?

Verse 1 doesn't sound so bad. Not doing things for public praise isn't a bad idea. In the next verse it says, "So when you give to the poor, don't announce it with trumpet fanfare. This is what hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets in order to be praised by people. I can guarantee this truth: That will be their only reward."

Wait did that say "So when you give?" Why it sure does. Verses 3 and 4 talk about giving to the poor as well. Oh...this is something He actually wants us to do! Not announcing our actions is a key part of these 2 verses. That's not too impossible....is it?

Jesus then talks a bit about prayer and even gives us an example that we affectionately call the Lord's Prayer. It's a beautiful prayer. However there is that one potential stumbling block. That line that says: "Forgive us as we forgive others." How come God keeps throwing in all these things on forgiveness, helping the poor, etc? This is looking like Ch. 5 all over again.

Wait here's a piece on fasting. No problem there. Wait...what's that in verse 19-21....oh no....it says we shouldn't store up treasures on earth, that our heart is where our treasure is and it should not be here but in Heaven. (I will not look around my room, I will not look around my room....oh dang...where did all this stuff come from!)

The rest of chapter 6 talks about not worrying. Reminds me of the old Mad Magazine slogan, "What! Me worry?" I will admit I have been a worrier from time to time. It's been a hard one for me, yet Jesus clearly talks about not doing it.

Where will this all end? Things look even more impossible then before. What does Jesus want from us?

Come back for the 3rd and final part of Mission: Possible?

Mission: Possible (Part 1)

This is from the Archives...Dec. 2008

An examination of the Sermon on the Mount.

My family and I love watching old reruns of the American TV show, Mission Impossible, which ran from 1966-1973. Sure, most of the technology is cheesy now and the special effects are corny, but the show had a fantastic theme and a great premise. A team put together to accomplish the impossible missions.

Do you ever feel like God is calling you to the impossible? I do every time I read the Sermon on the Mount! If you read Matthew chapter 5 you'll find many things that might seem hard to swallow. Some will feel downright impossible.

Just look at how Jesus starts off in Matthew5:3-12. The Beatitudes...or as I like to think of them the way our attitude should be! Sure, some sound easy and nice, like v. 6 which says if we hunger and thirst for righteousness we will be filled. However when you look at v. 5 about being meek, v. 7 about being merciful and v. 9 about being a peacemaker....gulp...those are not easy. Try to encourage someone to be merciful when they are wronged and they are just as likely to turn on you! I know because I've done it...I've turned my anger to the person saying be merciful.

Matthew 5:13-16 doesn't sound that hard. Letting your light shine, being salt, can't be that difficult can it? (Unless you think about that meek, merciful peacemaker thing!)

Right after this, Jesus talks about the Law and how He came to fulfill it. Look what He points out though: In v. 21 He basically says, "Never Murder" and then in v. 22 He says, "But I can guarantee that whoever is angry with another believer will answer for it in court. Whoever calls another believer an insulting name will answer for it in the highest court. Whoever calls another believer a fool will answer for it in hellfire."

We've never done that right? We've never called another believer an insulting name, right? Or a fool?

Makes me want to not open my mouth period!

Jesus goes on to say adultery is looking at a woman with lust in your heart. Verse 39 is easy: "But I tell you not to oppose an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn your other cheek to him as well. " Oh wait.....

Well there is the whole love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you thing......well.....er....yeah........

This doesn't get easier does it? What do you think? Is Jesus trying to tell us another way to live? Yes. Is it comfortable? No!

Here's a question for you....do you want to live that way? The way of the Sermon on the mount? Is it even possible? Come back for Part 2 of Mission: Possible.