"The Kingdom of Couches" Review

   I recently read The Kingdom of Couches by Will Walker and his band of contributing authors.  The tagline is "Fighting for Communal faith in an Individual Age".  I think the argument is pretty solid.  The book follows Walker's own personal journey (i.e. faith crisis) and discovery of a community-focused Christian life that he argues is more authentic, more transforming, and more real.  One of Walker's key points is that individualized faith inevitably becomes a faith of achievement and knowledge, not transformation and practice.

   I think Walker's point in the first few chapters is that most of us settle for a cheap, shallow, disconnected, achievement-based, and easy (relatively) form of Christianity because it allows us to be successful in our eyes and the eyes of others and provides all the comfort of the world in Christianized form.  Consequentially,  our spiritual funks, frustrating lack of growth, and "dry times" with the Lord are in some way our just reward for the  shell of a life with Jesus that we live.  

   In contrast, Walker offers a picture of life with Jesus and other believers where there is more genuine repentance as we are authentic with others, pridefully seek the approval of others less but experience more grace and transformation, and see the deep longing of our heart for connection met in the ways God intended instead of through our personal idols and addictions.

    In Walker's words, "It's not that there is a prioritized list of Christian practices and I am attempting to reshuffle the order, stacking community on top of evangelism, prayer, and theology.  What I am saying is that community is the context, the container if you will, for all of it, giving proper balance and correction, motivation, and encouragement for every activity."

   The writers are also brutally honest, exposing the idols that I (at least) cling to and admitting to the attitudes and motives that  few of us with ever will claim as our own.

    The book is especially interesting to me because at the time of writing Walker was a Campus Crusade staff member and all of his contributors have done campus ministry with CCC at one time.  The book carries the familiar tone of a staff guy, but offers a healthy challenge to our assumptions of what is best in ministry.  As a staff member with CCC soon (prayerfully) to return to ministry on campus, I was really challenged to consider whether the things I have done with students I have lead in the past were pointing them to a communal, interdependent, and authentic faith or just towards meeting  external expectations.  Do I model this in my life?  Am I dependent on a model or set of steps for spiritual growth in myself and others, or do I trust the Holy Spirit to work through Word and community to produce transformation?

    One of the things I appreciate most about the books is how Walker sparks a healthy discussion  without "quarreling about words" (2 Timothy).  He is direct but charitable in regards to things he finds uphelpful and doesn't fall off the other side of the horse by arguing blindly for his position.

  In the coming weeks I hope to write more about what I've been learning about Christian community.  

    

The Gospel and "Seven Pounds"

************** SPOILER WARNING.  I've tried not to reveal too much, and its not that hard to guess the ending, but you are warned. ******************  

   Last night I watched Seven Pounds starring Will Smith.  Overall a good movie.  An intriguing story where the actors say a lot without a lot of words.  As I chewed on the story, my mind went straight to comparisons with the Gospel.  I think Seven Pounds represents the American pop-gospel of good works.  Will Smith's character is responsible for a horrible tragedy and tries to free his guilty conscience through great personal sacrifice.  He is haunted by what he has done and is driven on his mission to make up for what he has done.  The film presents this pursuit as noble but ultimately tragic.  I guess this is at some level better than promoting selfish debauchery, but how sad it is if people walk away from seeing this movie thinking that this kind of "making things right" is meaningful and true.  

   How different this is from the Gospel of Jesus which is grace to all.  We each carry a record rebellion against a completely benevolent King, we've selfishly run away from a perfectly loving Father, and each of us has a thousand shameful moments and disgusting attitudes.  

   But, in Christ, we are free from the drive to pay our debt.  Jesus died in our place as our substitute and paid our price in full.  We are free from the drive to justify ourselves before God, before others, before ourselves.  The hundreds of ways we seek to build ourselves up in the eyes of others are meaningless.  The internal defense mechanisms we employ to make enable us to live with ourselves are not needed because we can claim the righteousness of Christ. 

    When we truly embrace freedom in the Gospel, the "I ought. . .", "I should. . .", and "I've been meaning to. . ." of good works fades away into "I can" and "I want to".  Under the law of self-justification we end up in-grown,  depleted, and dead.  The Law is death to those who try to justify themselves by it (Rom. 8:2).  Will Smith's character ends up relationally isolated from everyone meaningful in his life.  He fears the last moments of his life because he wonders if it is enough to make things right, to make his life meaningful. Under grace we end up alive, living beyond ourselves by faith, and confident in hope.

   Crazy, but true.  So counter-intuitive, but so foundational.

   If only I really lived this way.

   If only I could live free from the battle to justify ourselves and free to love others by faith.  When I don't have to build up and cling to myself, my reputation, our idols, I am finally free to give myself to others.  I make my functional Gospel Jesus + my good works.  This makes me feel good because I get some of the credit for my success in good works.

   Lord, give us grace to be transformed in this way.  Spirit, remind us of who we are in Christ.   O that we were free in You.