Yes, I do realize this is the third Craig Gross book I have reviewed on the blog. I like the work this guy does, all right! This is the newest book from Mr. Gross, with his associate Mr. Mahon from xxxchurch.com. This book comes out August 2006 but you can read the first chapter here.
Basically Mr. Gross & Mr. Mahon are calling the church out. They want people to act - doing anything they feel led to do, but actually do it. Not talk about it, not hold a meeting regarding it, do it. "Give to the poor. Feed the hungry. Evangelize on a city street. Help a kid with cancer. Join the fight against pornography. Give your time to the elderly. Love your neighbor. Give time to a little kid. Make yourself available to a teenager who needs a mentor. Fix someone's car. Paint a house. Talk to a homosexual about their faith. Pull a drunk out of the gutter & get him something to eat. Give the homeless guy a place to crash. Bring the hooker to church. Spend the afternoon talking to an inmate at the local jail.
You get the idea. Bottom line: get off your butt & do something."
The authors are looking for Christians to get out of their comfort zones at church & start being the church to a lost & dying world. Two points which the authors feel the church fails miserably in (they include themselves here) are serving & honesty. "Many Christians see the world as a mission field, but the sad truth is that many of us never leave the driveway of the church to do anything about it." Here is the challenge for the church - stop playing the game of keeping up appearances & go out to the world, live authentically, and help some people in whatever ways we can.
The authors are not pulling any punches. A youth pastor in California used many of the sentiments spoken of in this book in a sermon & was fired 2 days later. The authors are not concerned about offending. A tour is forthcoming which Mr. Mahon seeks to chain himself to a church or two to get this message across.
Check out the website here. If you do not like how they are doing things, fine. But the overall goal of what they are doing should not be in debate. Let's do something together as a Church & stop talking about doing something.
Category: Social Justice
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