Book Review of Jon Walker’s “Costly Grace: A Contemporary View of Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship”

Book Review of Jon Walker’s “Costly Grace: A Contemporary View of Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship”  

I am working on making my book reviews more concise and to the point. I have a way of writing books about books.

Lowdown: Jon Walker does a great job in examining the issue of discipleship and summoning the voice of Bonhoeffer in response to many of the contemporary struggles of the church, particularly the church in America.  

Summary: Walker devotes 25 of the 28 chapters specifically to “being like Jesus…” He touches on areas of prayer, vocation, and loving one’s enemies among many other pertinent concerns for discipleship. In many ways this book is similar to John Piper’s classic, “Desiring God”, in that the primary focus is on Spiritual formation within the more common categories of our life’s concerns.

My Thoughts (Good and Bad): I enjoyed reading the book and think that this may very well rank with one of the better modern books on Spiritual formation. Walker is redundant, but only so far as Scripture is redundant in saying the same thing over and over again so that we can be absolutely clear of what a disciple of Jesus looks like.

Walker sounds like an Ana-Baptist, very similar to Richard Foster, but offers the necessary qualifications on certain issues–like loving one’s enemies not requiring absolute restriction of self-defense when necessary. There are times, however, when Walker sounds anti-credal, anti-liturgical, and almost anti-ecclesiastical. My concerns are that one can walk away from this book thinking that discipleship is pretty much between Jesus and I, and therefore renders the church as a useless appendage in ones pursuit of being a true disciple.

I’m sure that Walker has no intentions of leading people away from the church, but I suspect that his ecclesiology leaves something to be desired. If anything, giving Walker the benefit of the doubt, I am thinking that he only intends to accentuate the fact that discipleship does in fact consist more in how we actually live our life moment by moment and less to do with an hour on Sunday. If that’s the case, I can yield an “Amen”. Even so, we must not make everything sacred to the point where we simply view the administration of the Word and Sacraments on the Lord’s day has having no more significance that personal prayer during the week.

Bottom Line: Overall, I would heartily commend Walker’s book, along with Piper’s “Desiring God”, and some other classics from the likes of Jerry Bridges. I prefer this book over Dallas Willard and Richard Foster’s writings. Paul anguished for the Galatians that Christ would be formed in them and Walker seeks the same in resurrecting some powerful insights from Bonhoeffer. I think that Bonhoeffer would be happy with Walker’s treatment. I certainly agree with Walker’s premise that grace is costly and not cheap. Too many churches are peddling cheap grace and thus not stimulating the body to true discipleship. This book will be a kick in the butt for most and hopefully cause you to pause at times for some introspection and prayer. To that end I pray that God will use this book.

For an interview with Walker about the book, I recommend: http://www.edstetzer.com/2010/11/book-interview-jon-walker-on-c.html

Question and Answer (in a page or less): “Where and When did the Church Begin?”

Question and Answer (in a page or less)

Where and When did the Church Begin?

The Church began in the eternal counsel of the triune God as the Father determined to give His beloved Son a bride who would be regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

In redemptive history, Adam was given the ordinance to beget a holy seed that would inhabit the earth. Adam failed in this charge. He failed as prophet, priest, and king. Everything that follows in the way of covenants is part of God’s reclamation project of Adam’s failures. The promises of God find their culminating “amen” in Christ, who was born in the fullness of time.

Jesus founded disciples who were given the mandate to preach the gospel to all the nations. This task took place during Jesus’ ministry, but really finds its origin on Pentecost in Jerusalem as the ascended Christ poured out the Holy Spirit upon the “called out” assembly who were then charged with bringing the Gospel to Jerusalem, Judea, and the ends of the earth:

Acts 1:8 (ESV) — 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts shows us how the apostles completed this task through missionary efforts, church planting, and training a future generation of leaders. The Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus), and selected material from other epistles give us a clearer picture of the Apostolic Church as a lasting institution. God ordains that the Church be supplied with particular servants/leaders and also supplies the description and requisites for such positions.

A properly constituted Church will function within the defined ecclesiology of the Scriptures. There are many disagreements about what constitutes a valid sanctioned Church.  These matters must be resolved from further study.

Suffice it to say that God purposed an elect body of people who would belong to Him for all eternity. This is according to the mysterious eternal counsel of God from which He set His love upon a community who would be set apart by way of covenant. The Father chose a people > Jesus consented to win the bride by redeeming them at the cost of His own sacrificial love (read Hosea) > The Holy Spirit is the “matchmaker” who wins over our hearts for Christ through the work of “new birth” and therefore makes us a “bride of Christ”. This is all revealed throughout redemptive history and culminates in the fullness of time with Christ. The NT defines the Church in the current era of redemptive history, which shall continue until the second coming of Christ.

Free Ebooklet from Mary Mohler on Modesty

Here it is: http://www.sbts.edu/resources/files/2010/09/modeling_modesty.pdf

The Pauline Necessity of the Spirit in Sanctification and Christian Ethics

The following quote is from Scot McKnight’s commentary on Galatians in The NIV Application Commentary series:

McKnight (1995:272):

I know of no Christian parents or youth leaders, or for that matter any pastors who seriously believe what Paul teaches in verses 16-26 (of Galatians 5), that the sole foundation of Christian ethics is dependency on the Spirit and a life of freedom in the Spirit….I have met only one person who ever expressed this view of Paul in a definitive and, to him, practical way. That person was F.F. Bruce…

I would add Gordon Fee to that list in my own experience as I also shared this same conviction in my study of the reality of Spirit-fullness in the New Covenant. McKnight continues:

To be sure, Paul knew that when a person was controlled by the Spirit, that person was holy. He also knew that a person who lived in the Spirit lived in a loving way. Thus, he knew that the Old Testament moral guidelines and the teachings of Jesus on holiness, righteousness, and compassion would be confirmed by anyone who lived in the Spirit (1995:273).

Needless to say that we can be accused, just like the early Galatians, of wanting to derive our ethic from the law or traditions of men. I am not opposed to the “3^rd use of the Law” in relation to our sanctification, but if such is taught in a way that doesn’t necessitate the presence of the Spirit, then we may very well be acting like the early Judaizers.

It is sometimes said that the Holy Spirit is the neglected members of the Godhead. Study of Scripture, however, will make clear that the Spirit is the one who regenerates our hearts, accompanies the inward call, adopts us into our relational standing as children of God, seals the believer as an objective member of the New Covenant, empowers and guides our sanctification, as well as gifting the Church for ministry. I’m sure that there are pastors out there emphasizing this dynamic, however I resonate with McKnight when he claims F.F. Bruce as the first scholar which emphasized these points in Pauline Pneumatology. For me, it was the pages of Gordon Fee’s, “God’s Empowering Presence”, that had confirmed all that I had believed from my own study of Paul’s theology of the Spirit.

More on Antinomianism

Andrew Sandlin wrote a good post this week on the same subject that I keep seeing – Christians who use grace as a cover for antinomianism. Sandlin says:

We ourselves are required to rebuke evil and have no company with it (Eph. 5:11–13).

What many of today’s grace-talking non-judgmentalists actually want is a grandfatherly God who overlooks their rebellion and favors them despite their gross, unrepentant sin.  They want to fornicate, despise God’s church and its ordinances, observe pornography, abuse prescription (and illegal) drugs, profane God’s name, revel in lewdness, spurn the godly counsel of parents and pastors and teachers, eschew hard work, and otherwise lust to be accepted by an apostate, pagan culture — all while assuming the pious protection of God’s grace.

The New Birth in a Wicked World: Cyprian’s “Letter to Donatus”

I recently read Justin Taylor’s brief interview with Michael Haykin from Southern Seminary.  Haykin, whose book on the Church Fathers is forthcoming, recommended Cyprian’s “Letter to Donatus.” I finally read it in full today and found it quite remarkable.  According to short introduction to the document, Cyprian had promised Donatus to write to him about spiritual matters.  Cyprian expresses his doubt that he is up to the task, but offers “things, not clever but weighty, words, not decked up to charm a popular audience with cultivated rhetoric, but simple and fitted by their unvarnished truthfulness for the proclamation of the divine mercy.”  He follows with beautiful description of his marvel at the new birth:

While I was still lying in darkness and gloomy night, wavering hither and there, tossed about on the foam of this boastful age, and uncertain of my wandering steps, knowing nothing of my real life, and remote from truth and light, I used to regard it as a difficult matter, and especially as difficult in respect of my character at that time, that a man should be capable of being born again — a truth which the divine mercy had announced for my salvation—and that a man quickened to a new life in the layer of saving water should be able to put off what he had previously been; and, although retaining all his bodily structure, should be himself changed in heart and soul. How, said I, is such a conversion possible, that there should be a sudden and rapid divestment of all which, either innate in us has hardened in the corruption of our material nature, or acquired by us has become inveterate by long accustomed use? These things have become deeply and radically engrained within us. When does he learn thrift who has been used to liberal banquets and sumptuous feasts? And he who has been glittering in gold and purple, and has been celebrated for his costly attire, when does he reduce himself to ordinary and simple clothing? One who has felt the charm of the fasces and of civic honours shrinks from becoming a mere private and inglorious citizen. The man who is attended by crowds of clients, and dignified by the numerous association of an officious train, regards it as a punishment when he is alone. It is inevitable, as it ever has been, that the love of wine should entice, pride inflate, anger inflame, covetousness disquiet, cruelty stimulate, ambition delight, lust hasten to ruin, with allurements that will not let go their hold.

Porn Kills…

Ed Stetzer offers 6 problems with Porn based on a recent study conducted by Patrick Faban (link).

Some of the findings are as follows (quoting Stetzer):

• Pornography is addictive, and neuroscientists are beginning to map the biological substrate of this addiction.
• Users tend to become desensitized to the type of pornography they use, become bored with it, and then seek more perverse forms of pornography.
• Married men who are involved in pornography feel less satisfied with their conjugal relations and less emotionally attached to their wives. Wives notice and are upset by the difference.
• Pornography use is a pathway to infidelity and divorce, and is frequently a major factor in these family disasters.
• Among couples affected by one spouse’s addiction, two-thirds experience a loss of interest in sexual intercourse.
• Many adolescents who view pornography initially feel shame, diminished self-confidence, and sexual uncertainty, but these feelings quickly shift to unadulterated enjoyment with regular viewing.
• The main defenses against pornography are close family life, a good marriage and good relations between parents and children, coupled with deliberate parental monitoring of Internet use. Traditionally, government has kept a tight lid on sexual traffic and businesses, but in matters of pornography that has waned almost completely, except where child pornography is concerned. Given the massive, deleterious individual, marital, family, and social effects of pornography, it is time for citizens, communities, and government to reconsider their laissez-faire approach.

It’s not as if we Christians are lacking in conviction over the wrongness of pornography; it poisons everything. Pornography is like a drug. It is intoxicating and stimulating and offers ever diminishing returns, thus leading to more pronounced excursions into more vile forms, while also breeding a discontent with our spouses.

Mark Driscoll offers a resource that may be helpful for those of you in the battle. Here is a link to the book, “Porn Again Christian: A Frank Discussion on Pornography and Masturbation“.

We are reponsible for exerting all sexual desire towards our spouses or future spouses. Pornography is a sign of selfishness and laziness. There is always hope because God’s grace is always present, but let us never presume God’s grace in such a way that we can take a detour into such sin and will return home safely. Our hope must also include a trembling fear over the wrath that our lust incites in God’s character. God reserves the right to make your life miserable and even to take your life for sexual sin.

1 Corinthians 10:1–8 (ESV) — 1 For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.

In otherwards, a single act of sexual sin desrves this same punishment of the 23,000 who fell dead. This account speaks of how God truly feels about things. If you are alive and breathing, there is hope, because God has already been gracious to you. God, however, won’t be mocked and won’t contend with rebellion forever and will inevitably give you over. The study confirms the death that porn brings about. You reap what you sow, so stop sowing to the flesh…it will kill you.

“That’s Tight.” And I don’t mean ‘cool’.

If you aren’t sure if a pair of pants or shorts is tight, or possibly even too tight, here are a few tests to as measure:

1. If you are constantly pulling them out of your crotch

2. If you can see your underwear/panty

3. If you can see parts of your gluteus maximus (butt)

The same would go for skirts/dresses.

My how we have lost the purity and sanctity of our sexuality.  As the days grow older, the trend of “more” is better seems to grow- more skin and bodily parts, that is.  From the dawn of time, women have this need to feel, well, needed.  It’s quite natural, and unfortunately a curse of human kind.  Women tend to look for gratification, satisfaction in their worth through use of their bodies.  I’m not totally against having a sense of ‘style’.  After all, even the early pilgrims and prairie girls think their style is good (which I am increasingly likening).

Finding modesty in the world is one thing, but it’s sad that it’s sometimes hard press to find modest feminism in the church.  By modest feminism, I mean feminine (appealing women’s apparel) that is attractive yet modest in expression of such.  The world has abused and misused (as is what it does) the word feminine/feminism.  It has turned what is meant to be good and perverted it.  No surprise.

As for a woman of godly character, to these guidelines should she aspire:

1Tim2:9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.

So what if the world thinks you’re weird?  You’re to be set apart- different.  For where is your treasure?  In the world’s acceptance?   So shall a woman not think herself ugly or unacceptable if she fails to show cleavage or wear lowriders so that her belly may show and “appeal” to coolness.  Do you contemplate how to “strut your stuff”?  It shows our vanity, our insecurity, our great selfish need of attention. “Look at me, look at me” says the self-centeredness of me.  This is not the mind of the godly.  Those parts, though beautiful, are reserved- if single, for your marriage; if married, for your husband.  Now I know that some would say “that’s the old way of thinking”, “that’s so traditional”.  So is 1Tim2:9 irrelevant for today?  I think not.  Only if you desire to satisfy your own ways, tread with care.  Will you cause another to stumble for the sake of your liberty?  May it not be.  For you are to put others before self.  We were created as sexual beings but also to use self-control.  Our sexuality is sacred and is not to be used in a debased way.  As a believer, we are to use them to the glory of God.  (1Cor6) Your body is a temple for God’s use.  Just because we were created as sexual creatures does not mean that we have liberty to do what we will, that is, IF we are seeking the will and honor of our Christ.  I pray that we women would be aware how we should take care in how we present ourselves in public, for our lives are not just about us, but first about God, then others.  For it is said, “Love God first, then love your neighbor”.  (Matt22:37)  It is not said, “put yourself first, then think of your neighbor”.  It’s a tough balance of understanding and loving.  I know, this is radical.  Somehow, God’s word is, well, radical.  Are we loving our brothers and honoring our sisters by how we dress and adorn ourselves?   By loving our brothers, I mean, causing unnecessary offense or stumbling.  Your breasts are precious and sacred for a greater purpose than to expose them for sake of “style”.  Private parts are named that for a reason. There’s a reason the bible speaks to lust and sexual immorality and fleeing from it!  It’s still relevant for today!  Our bodies have special purposes.  And in ‘honoring our sisters’, I mean are we considering their husbands consciences, protecting their minds & their eyes.  Are we considering their brothers, their fathers, their sons?  As I begin to deal with a teenage son and the world of lust and desires of a man’s heart, I am more and more sensitive to these issues.  I pray the church, at the least, would humble themselves in this issue, and consider the brother and sister, and love them in how they use their bodies.  May we women use our bodies to the glory of Christ, in good works, in modesty, not flashing body parts unnecessarily and inappropriately.

Interview with Pastor/Author Bill Farley on “Gospel-Powered Parenting”

I had the most pleasant time interviewing Bill Farley about his conversion, family life, and his book, “Gospel-Powered Parenting”. I conducted the interview as part of the show “Faith and Reason” on 10/12/2010 while filling in for Christian apologist Matt Slick of Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (www.carm.org).  

Here is a link to the 1 hour interview: Bill Farley on “Gospel-Powered Parenting”

I also want to mention to all that Sovereign Grace Fellowship of Nampa will be hosting a “Gospel-Powered Family” conference featuring Bill Farley. The information is below. Hope to see you there as we ponder how we can better parent for the glory of God!!!

Gospel-Powered Parenting Conference

William P. Farley is pastor of Grace Christian Fellowship  (www.gcfonline.org) in Spokane, WA. He has published articles in Discipleship Journal, Enrichment Journal, & Focus on the Family magazine. He has been married to Judy since 1971, has five children & fourteen grandchildren. He is the author of “Gospel-Powered Parenting” & “Outrageous Mercy” (P&R).

October 22-24, 2010 @ Sovereign Grace Fellowship (1311 6^th Street South, Nampa, ID 83651)

www.sovereigngracefellowship.org  208-466-0937

Schedule:

Friday, October 22

7pm – “How the Gospel Relates to Parenting” by Bill Farley 

Sat, October 23

9am – “Fatherhood Lessons from Noah” by Bill Farley

10am – “Spirit-Filled Parenting” by Rick Hogaboam

11am – “Parenting and the Ten Commandments” by Bill Farley

12pm – Lunch Break (Bring a bagged lunch and eat with others)

1pm – “New Testament Instructions on Parenting” by Bill Farley

2pm – “Questions & Answers” (Panel will include Bill & Judy Farley)

Lord’s Day, October 24

10:45am – Bill Farley will be preaching, “The Gospel: A Narrow Angled View”

COST:  FREE, however books will be available for purchase at conference. No need to register.

WHO: Everyone is invited. Married, single, whoever.

WHERE: Sovereign Grace Fellowship of Nampa (address listed above)

CHILDCARE: There will be no childcare or nursery staff; however the nursery will be available for moms to use. Children are welcome.

                          

If I were a ????? man…

“If I were a rich man,
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
All day long I’d biddy biddy bum.
If I were a wealthy man.
I wouldn’t have to work hard.
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
If I were a biddy biddy rich,
Yidle-diddle-didle-didle man”
from Fiddler on the Roof

Got that song in your head now? I’d apologize if it wasn’t for the fact that it fits contextually and will probably serve as an incessant reminder of this post, at least for a few hours. I was thinking about the song after inadvertantly humming it the other day in the office, and during my musings, I thought, “If I were rich, I’d keep my job but I’d me way more outspoken about Jesus in the office.” I know, I know, it’s so wrong of me to admit that, and I admit that I too was surprised to have the thought run through my head, and even more surprised that the version of me in my intellect was nodding in agreement.

I took Intellect Jon to one side and pointed out that, if that were really the case, then financial security is an idol because it supercedes Jesus in decision making. Intellect Jon looked at me and nodded some more, and I sensed the impending arrival of the Fail Whale to gobble me up for three days of rumination.

So here I am, three days later, to ask you a question and invite you into the inner dialogue. I left the word “rich” out of the title and replaced it with “????” not because I think rich is a dirty word, but because it might not be financial security for you. It might be a different job, or family, or a change of location or a myriad of other things. But ultimately, the question remains… what is stopping you from radically sharing Christ where you are at today? Whatever it is, give that up and trust Jesus first!

“Seek first the Kingdom of God…”

Vocation: General and Specific

We’re getting well into the vocation series now, and I thought I’d pitch in an idea that I want to clarify. Whilst I see no distinction in the different works men and women do, I do not think it can be taken so far as to say it doesn’t matter at all what you do. We are all called to be ambassadors of Christ, we are all given a calling to follow Jesus and to give witness to His work in us. In that sense, we can achieve the tasks just as well at the bakery, the school, the coal mine, the church office, or the home. The environment is condusive to proper Christian behavior, wherever that environment is. However, the following statement I made in the introductory post needs some alteration:

Vocation, as a Christian ideal, must sit at a level above the mere task at hand, and is instead rooted much deeper in our identity, informing the manner of the task at hand rather than defining the specific actions of the task at hand.

I think I should much prefer it if I had written “as well as” instead of “rather than” for I feel I was a little taken with my own cleverness when I wrote that sentence. As men have noted before, sometimes the pendulum swings too far the other way. And so I am publicly correcting myself. I could have just edited the old post and the people who have read it would not have necessarily noticed the difference, but that would be cheating. I’m quite comfortable with the fact I do not have all the answers, and the answers I think I have are often in need of refinement, or abandonment as the case may prove! All except the matter of Jesus! He I am quite convinced of, in all His splendor.

90 Days with the ESV

Sometimes I have thoughts and share them before I have a chance to really consider the full ramifications. Thoughts like this one:

“I wonder what it would be like to read the Bible in 90 days?”

I thought that thought, and then shared that thought not only with my wife, but with our home church group too, a couple of whom decided that I had not lost my mind but wanted to join us on this endeavor. And in a fit of one-up-manship, my wife decided that to read the Bible in 90 days is one thing, but to read it chronologically? Well, that would surely elevate us to the level of SuperChristian*, the heady heights of which we could only previously imagine.

I saw Zondervan has a whole kit from which to work if you like the New International Version, but I’m an English Standard Version man. I recommend it to anyone who asks, and having been immersed in it intensely this summer, I stand by my conviction that this is the best single translation you can use. I always like having multiple translations available, but if there was only one open to me, I would want the ESV.

Armed with a chronological outline and a copy of Logos 4, I assembled our reading plan to begin on the first day of June and we have been reading every day until the culmination last Sunday night when we read the entire Revelation of John aloud to each other.

Girding the Loins of the Mind (Pt. 4)

This is the fourth and final installment in the “Girding the Loins of the Mind” series, where I’ve been exploring the practical ways we can prepare our minds for action. We don’t want thoughts flapping about in the breeze when we must run, and we don’t want to pull an intellectual hamstring because our mental agility was impaired by a lack of support and strength. We’ve discussed prayer and Scripture as the main practical applications, and then considered other reading, and fellowship/mentoring as extra principles that assist in the work. Today we will conclude by considering the place of rest and worship.

5) Rest – We live in an instant-on society, and increasingly, in some ways, a constantly connected society. I keep my phone by my bed because I use it for an alarm, but the fact that my phone can now Facebook, post tweets, surf the web, text, and receive phone calls, means I am always connected. Whenever we go away as a family into the mountains of Idaho wherein no AT&T coverage has ever dared venture, I have a brief moment of panic as I get disconnected, which is followed by a long period of elation that I am effectively off the grid. To be released from the constant influx of new information is profoundly liberating. Trust me, I’m a guy who reads. A lot. I use Google Reader on my Mac, and Reeder on my iPhone, to stay on top of the wealth of blogs out there, and I have at least three books on my nightstand at any given time.

The Beautifying Effects of the Gospel…or Brush Your Teeth and Chew With Your Mouth Closed

“One of the consequences of our culture’s slide away from the true faith has been a marked rise in Christians making their peace with various forms of uncleanliness — in food prep, in personal hygiene, with tattoos, in dumping litter, in sexual practices, or how they keep their living rooms and yards. “

One my good buddies Nick Smith (Pastor of Nampa United Reformed Church) gets a hat tip for pointing me to Wilson’s post,  “Jesus. Reason. Soap.” The quote above comes from Wilson’s post.

Ouch, but he’s right. Part of the creation mandate was to cultivate, and I would say beautify or maintain the beauty of creation. Because of sin, creation has been affected, but it still retains much majesty and glory. Part of the Mosaic law spoke to matters of hygiene, what to do with one’s body, etc, for the intention of separating Israel from the nations in their lifestyle. While I am not advocating that we keep the ceremonial law, it is important for us to note that Christ fulfilled the law…He was a lamb without spot or blemish. He was pure. He was clean.

Christ seeks to restore beauty in our lives, both inward and outward as part of His redemptive work in our lives. While the ceremonial law no longer applies, the substance of it still speaks to us…that we should cultivate a clean and beautiful life. It was to mark Israel as distinctly clean and beautiful. We also are to be marked off in such a way that our lives proclaim to the nations that our Lord is beautiful, that His ways are good. The way we dress, the way we eat, the way we host guests, all of these things matter. The Proverbs 31 woman beautifies her surroundings because she has a beautiful heart. Her husband and children are blessed because of her. Paul also said that outward training has some value and that we do need to tend inwardly first, but Paul didn’t say that tending outwardly was on no value, just puts it in its proper perspective.

Missional Lessons from Mr. Miyagi and Karate Kid

I recently watched Karate Kid after having not seen it in many years. It was one of my favs when a kid. I even dressed up as Daniel on Halloween one year. Anyhow, Mr. Miyagi is well known to us all as he was a transformational character in Daniel’s life. Here’s a profile of each character:

Mr. Miyagi – old Japanese widow, somewhat of a hermit, Buddhist, manages an apartment building, spends his time tending to the restoration of things, and the beautifying of his bonsai trees.

Daniel – frustrated teen being raised by a single mom, trying to fit in at school after a cross-country move, bullied, angry, wants to do well just like everyone else

So Daniel’s getting his butt kicked, comes back one night and beats up his bike, leaving it for the garbage bin, and finds it full restored the next day. Mr. Miyagi has his eyes on Daniel and can see right through the mirage of his lies and sees a hurting teenager with no father to turn to. Mr. Miyagi reaches out to Daniel and the rest is history, all the sequels included.

If an old Japanese widowed hermit can radically change the course of a frustrated teen, then the Church can most certainly reach out to others that are hurting in much the same way. I am sick and tired of Churches that think our youth need someone cool and hip. They need Mr. Miyagi, minus the Buddhism and insert the Gospel. We need to do a better job of reaching out to the hurting in our community, whether it be our Church or our neighborhood. Old folks can make lemonade for the “thugs” balling it up a couple houses down. An older woodworker can invite someone in to learn a trade. And on and on and on. Being missional is being loving in a savvy and genuine way. Is it really so hard?

Daniel did NOT need some immature cool dude giving him lessons on life. He needed a mature warrior who understands the battles of life and the pains of youth. I think that there are a bunch of Mr. Miyagi’s in the Church and I am absolutely certain that there are Daniel’s everywhere around us. Let us learn the lessons of Karate Kid and be Mr. Miyagi’s.