Jesus Has Left The Building

By Paul Vieira (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

Paul Vieira, a post-modern, Gen Xer, shares his experience within the traditional (institutional) church and his call to “leave the building” so that he could encounter a more “organic” church experience. What he seeks is something that is more in line with the church that Jesus started and as shown in the gospel accounts.

Just as Jesus “left the building,” both then and, in many respects, now, he is calling his church to follow suit, leaving the comfortable confines of a building and going out into society, just as he did. Vieira shares seven secrets or lessons that can be gleaned from the church that Jesus started.

Drawing parallels between today and the message of Jeremiah and the example of Daniel, Vieira encourages Jesus’ followers to do the same. They are to act counter-cultural (as Jeremiah called the Israelites to do) within their society so that they can be God’s voice when called upon. Today’s institutional church has been marginalized and discredited; society no longer looks there for answers. However, a Jesus follower, truly engaged with his or her culture, can be a source that people turn to for real answers (as was the case with Daniel).

[Jesus Has Left The Building, by Paul Vieira. Published by Karis Publishing, Inc., 2006, ISBN: 978-0971804081, 276 pages.]

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Between Two Worlds: The Spiritual Journey of an Evangelical Catholic

By Mike Timmis (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

The subtitle of Between Two Worlds serves as an apt and accurate summary of what the book is about: “The Spiritual Journey of an Evangelical Catholic.”

At first consideration, the phrase “Evangelical Catholic” seems to be a contradiction of terms. However, author Mike Timmis shows autobiographically how these two seemingly enigmatic thoughts are not mutually exclusive. He deftly demonstrates how they comfortably coexist in his life and ensued through an understandable series of events.

Though faithfully and firmly Catholic, Timmis is also Evangelical. He sees the two as a desirable outcome and points to increased activity and acceptance of Catholics who are also Evangelical.

In addition to providing insight into what it means to be both Catholic and Evangelical, Timmis shares his journey, with its joys and sorrows, success and failures, in an interesting and compelling manner.

This book serves nicely as both an interesting memoir of an amazing man and as a Catholic-Evangelical primer.

[Between Two Worlds: The Spiritual Journey of an Evangelical Catholic, by Mike Timmis. Published by NavPress, 2008, ISBN: 978-1600062483, 256 pages.]

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Escaping the Cauldron: Exposing occult influences in everyday life

By Kristine McGuire (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

In Escaping the Cauldron, Kristine McGuire shares her rollercoaster ride with the occult. What at first seemed like harmless play and entertaining experimentation, eventually progressed into a full-blown embrace of dark spiritual forces. Kristine became a witch. For a time, she pursued her secret life in tandem with Christian practices. Then she turned her back on her faith, before attempting to integrate the two, as a Christian witch.

Kristine’s experience shows that spiritual forces are at work all around us, both good and evil. The good is from God, while the evil forces, though perhaps inviting at first, ultimately enslave and control those who let them in.

Kristine’s story ends well, having been freed by Jesus, she reveals truth about the occult, witchcraft, and magick, warning all who will listen to spurn society’s gullible embrace of the paranormal and avoid being sucked into its insidious pull.

Escaping the Cauldron is part memoir and part tutorial – and completely helpful in discerning fact from fake and wise practices from the unwise ones. We need to be informed and alert, being spiritually perceptive of the supernatural forces in the world.

[Escaping the Cauldron: Exposing occult influences in everyday life, by Kristine McGuire. Published by Charisma House, 2012, ISBN: 978-1616386979, 240 pages.]

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Isn’t it Time for a Coffee Break? Doing Life Together in an All-about-me Kind of World

By Amelia Rhodes (reviewed by Peter DeHaan

In her new book, Isn’t it Time for a Coffee Break?, Amelia Rhodes shares her journey of connecting with others, to form community and provide encouragement. Her six chapters, cleverly build on coffee metaphors – the aroma of relationships, brew a strong cup, the variety of blends, and so forth, using narrative to show the value of pursuing deeper friendships. Her personal experiences add delightful flavor, while her ample use of scripture provides valuable external support. Life is better when shared.

Although written from a female perspective, Coffee Break, offers application for both women and men. While perhaps more accessible to women, the message may be needed more by men to combat a tendency towards isolation. Even more so, the lessons of Coffee Break are ideal for couples desiring to work together to form a meaningful faith community with others.

One engaging story is her husband’s desire to use his past pizzeria experience to host monthly homemade pizza parties for their growing network of friends. He plans to make the crust (his specialty) and supply the sauce and cheese. Everyone else brings his or her favorite toppings. They will make homemade pizzas, share food, spend time in community, and connect their friends. The first event is “mayhem,” but everyone returns the next month and continues to do so for the next few years until Amelia and her family move. With 25 to 40 people present, half under the age of six, it’s organized confusion, but with the intent of providing hospitality to friends rather than entertaining guests, it’s hugely successful.

Though Isn’t it Time for a Coffee Break? is of practical application to both genders, it’s unfortunately marketed to women.

[Isn’t It Time for a Coffee Break?: Doing Life Together in an All-About-Me Kind of World (Circle of Friends), by Amelia Rhodes. Published by Barbour Publishing Inc. 2012; ISBN: 978-1-61626-887-9; Kindle, advanced reader copy.]

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A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny

By Amy Julia Becker (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

How do we react in the presence of someone who is physically or mentally different from us? Do we accept them, ignore them, or retreat? Do we say the right things, the wrong things, or say nothing?

These are all issues that confronted Amy Julia Becker after she was informed her daughter Penny was not what she was expecting. Penny had Down syndrome.

In A Good and Perfect Gift, Amy Julia shares her story as she struggled to understand, accept, and finally embrace the gift God had given her in Penny. Amy Julia writes with transparency and integrity as she honestly relates her questions and faith struggle – and later reveals insights and an enlightened comprehension of Down syndrome and what it means in the world today.

There are things Penny will never realize because she has Down syndrome, but there are also things – special and amazing things – she will exhibit and give, only because she has Down syndrome. To miss those would be to miss much.

Penny is indeed a good and perfect gift.

[A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny, by Amy Julia Becker. Published by Bethany House Publishers. 2011; ISBN: 978-0-7642-0917-8; 237 pages.]

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Kingdom Journeys: Rediscovering the Lost Spiritual Discipline

By Seth Barnes (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

Seth Barnes begins Kingdom Journeys by relating one of his own – a journey both physical and spiritual – one he first took as a 20-something college graduate. It resulted from restlessness, an inner desire to do something that mattered. It bubbled up inside. He needed to be more, to be part of something greater. “I had trusted Jesus to save me from hell,” he recounts, “but I hadn’t begun to understand the life he offered before death.”

Not content to simply share his own story, Seth relates the accounts of many other kingdom sojourners, of Jessi, Claud, Eugene, Miguel, David, Marlena, Matt, Tiffany, Ruth, Keturah, and many more. He weaves in practical biblical teaching and the wisdom of others to support the practice of pursuing a kingdom journey, which asserts Seth Barnes, is a spiritual discipline.

Although there is renewed interest in pursuing spiritual disciplines, one often overlooked is the discipline of a kingdom journey. The first such journey happened about 2,000 years ago. Jesus sent his followers out in groups of two, with no provisions and no plan other than to heal the sick and proclaim his kingdom. We will do well to emulate their example and follow Jesus’ instructions. “God is not in the destination,” teaches Seth, “but in the journey.”

Over several decades, Seth has encouraged thousands, including his own children, to pursue their own kingdom journeys. Embarking on an extended kingdom journey – not a short-term mission trip – is not just for young adults but is for people of all ages and at any stage in life.

Seth wraps up his thoughts on the importance of taking a kingdom journey, saying: “To end well, we have to fight our natural tendency toward self-preservation and control. Jesus tells us that losing our life is the only way to discover it.”

[Kingdom Journeys: Rediscovering the Lost Spiritual Discipline, by Seth Barnes. Published by Ashland Press, 2012, ASIN: B009EW6MUW, Kindle.]

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