Finishing "Reimagining Church"

Had a great time wrapping up the book. I have a special interest in the explanation of the Lord's Supper, the nature of the actual meeting itself, and the question and answer sections in the clerical objections section. He makes a good point about trying to do something one doesn't really understand. The absence of pastoral control, the seeming lack of structure, and the inability to trust the Holy Spirit with his church are only some of the things that are radically new to the minds of the average IC pastor - certainly new concepts to me and the network I am associated with. The fear of chaos ensuing and the concern about heresy are very real concerns, but according to the book, reflect a lack of confidence in God. The implication is that pastors have unwittingly taken over the position that belongs to the Holy Spirit. Hmmm...Speaks also to his explanation of authority, and he explains that nowhere in Scripture is one Christian given authority over another. This is a rather thought provoking statement that at first was disturbing, but if you follow his explanation of authority, it is not that it doesn't exist, but that it doesn't look like the worlds's authority - top down, oppressive, and positional. The main point that I found helpful was the emphasis on spiritual authority encouraging submission to Christ rather than submission to a person. There is more here. See the section around p. 216 for more thoughts. His concern is the formalizing of leadership that should remain organic. Seems to me that positions of authority do develop over time especially when you learn who your "go to" people during times of difficulty.

Anyway, its a thought provoking read. The questions at the end of the chapters can aid in leading disucssions, and the Scripture references throughout the text are helpful. Whether I agree with Frank's conclusions or interpretations or not, knowing what passage he is taling about was helpful.

I would suggest that you read Aurther Katz's book "Apostolic Foundations" first. As I read this book recently, it helped me in understanding Frank's points more clearly because there is a different language that is used in the house church culture.