I was asked by Evangelical Times to do a book review for them. It was in the September issue I think. Here it is for those who don't read that paper. I find it hard to write a review of a missions book for a wide readership. On the one hand there will be plenty of readers who have no interest in missions. These people need desperately to read almost any book on missions.
Make the World Your Parish: Increasing Your Global Influence for Christ by Reggie Weems (Leominster: DayOne, 2012; 112 pages; £6).
Reggie
Weems, pastor of Heritage Baptist
Church, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA has written this book to “help pastors
understand the full ramifications of applied grace (practical theology), and in
so doing increase their global influence for Christ” (p. 20). He has a heart
for getting pastors involved in mission and helping them lead their
congregations in mission just as he has during his twenty year ministry.
Weems explains the difference between the
terms ‘mission’, ‘missions’, ‘missio Dei’ and ‘missional’ as they are used in
contemporary missiology and is keen to disabuse his readers of the idea that
mission is just something that people do in far-flung places. His emphasis is
on discipleship which leads to mission, wherever people are. Weems argues, rigthly, that foreign mission is
an extension of this and the author includes a number of case studies of people
who are living ‘missionally’ as examples of what he is teaching. I think this
is all good stuff.
I am not
especially keen on the book, however, because, although he does
include some choice phrases and statements (e.g. “Mission is God’s grace-based
global initiative” [p. 19]) sometimes his writing seems to lack originality and can even
be quite obscure. The book
could have done with a more careful edit.
Having said that I hope Weems’ book
is read widely among his fellow pastors in Tennessee. I am sure for many it will increase their passion for God and their appreciation for world mission today, and will encourage them to be senders, supporters and goers themselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment