On My Shelf: Peppermint–Filled Piñatas (Eric Michael Bryant)

On My Shelf: Peppermint–Filled Piñatas (Eric Michael Bryant)
by Tom Hsieh

I believe that one issue God's been bringing up with me over the past few months is that I need to love others, and engage with others who are different from me. It's not easy for me to do because I'm pretty much an introvert. One resource that I've found incredibly helpful and encouraging is Peppermint-Filled Piñatas (Eric Michael Bryant).

I bought the book only because I thought it was required reading for the NOC retreat back in January 2010. The name of this book didn't inspire much confidence in me that it would be a good read, but it's actually been one of the most impactful books that I've read.

There are numerous passages in PFP that I found to be very profound. For one example, Bryant writes, "Rather than befriending and loving those who do not yet follow Christ, it seems that the longer we follow Christ, the fewer people we actually know who believe differently from the way we believe ... We have (inadvertently or perhaps sometimes purposely) isolated ourselves from the world around us" (p. 21). That passage describes me – over the years, especially as a parent with kids, my world has become very insular and small.

Another theme of the book that struck me is that we simply need to love others, and love is the most effective method of evangelism. In other words, building relationships and friendships with those who don't know Christ is the best means of winning them over to the kingdom.

One small step I've taken to try to break out of my "insularity," and to apply what I feel God's been putting on my heart, is going to Laundry Love. I'm very grateful for the people who run it (primarily the F3 small group), because they've done all the planning and work, and all I have to do is show up. I found myself making excuses even the first time I drove there (I'm tired, I don't really know anyone there, I'm not really good at socializing, etc.), but I'm glad that I've gone. I sincerely believe that we are blessed as we love others; not materially, but we get more of Jesus as we love others. I would describe going to Laundry Love almost as a selfish thing – that I need to go because it's good for the condition of my own heart to engage with and show love to other people.

I'll finish with these thoughts:

• The book is not perfect (I think the author touts his church a bit too much), but it includes many funny and entertaining passages. More importantly, there really are a lot of great insights in the book regarding the importance, difficulties, and joys in "relational evangelism"; and


• I'm really encouraged by the fact that so many people at NOC are engaging with and loving "the other," such as cooperating with Lifeline Church and Solidarity in trying to love the community in tough areas of Fullerton and Placentia, and ministries like Laundry Love and Burrito Project. I'm thankful for the opportunity to actively participate, in a small way, in what others here have started.

On My Shelf: Resource Recommendations

On My Shelf: Resource Recommendations
by Kumi Nakagomi

Practicing the spiritual disciplines is simply a key part of our journey of growing deeper with Christ, and not a "quick-fix" to life's problems. The biggest temptation that comes with practicing the disciplines is that we somehow buy into the lie that we're doing better spiritually just because we are practicing it. But the reality is that the spiritual disciplines are simply a means to engage more with God, not an end.

Why are the spiritual disciplines so significant? They allow us to

• know God more,
• know ourselves more, and
• cultivate a deeper relationship with God and others as a result of engaging with Him and allowing Him to engage with us.

Here are some resources that may help in your journey of growing deeper with God:

For a great overview and understanding of various disciplines:

• The Life You've Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People (John Ortberg)
  This is an easy-to-read yet comprehensive book that helps spell out what spiritual disciplines look like in everyday life - and it's just very practical and easy to understand. Highly recommend this to people to anyone, regardless of where they are at in their spiritual journey.


• Celebration of Discipline (Richard Foster)
  I enjoy this book as it has so many "golden nuggets" of what the spiritual disciplines are all about and the different platforms that we engage in them (inwardly, outwardly, and corporately). Oftentimes when we engage in spiritual disciplines, we think it's just a personal thing, but it actually is not just individual, but also communal. This book provides a holistic approach to the spiritual disciplines.

For more practical exercises on the disciplines:

• Spiritual Classics: Selected Readings on the Twelve Spiritual Disciplines (Richard Foster)
  If you love to read and can appreciate various people's experiences and perspectives, I highly recommend this book. Foster is a guru in spiritual formation and disciplines, and I would recommend any of his books on specific forms of discipline (such as his books Prayer or Life with God, which are about reading the Bible), but Spiritual Classics is a rich book filled with writings from other Christian authors who have lived life with Jesus before us and so we have lots to learn from their insights and experiences.
  
  There are scripture readings, discussion questions for personal or small group use, suggested exercises you can do, reflections from Foster, and a bunch of resources for each discipline he mentions. This book is a great tool for personal or group use.
  
  There's also another book, Devotional Classics, which is great as well, and he just came out with a daily devotional called A Year with God: Living Out the Spiritual Disciplines which has gotten great reviews. Check them out!


• Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices that Transform Us (Adele Ahlberg Calhoun)
  The book has been very fundamental in my own practice as well as in teaching and guiding others in the practice of various disciplines. It includes a brief summary, reflection questions, spiritual exercises, and resources for each discipline. Very comprehensive and a great tool to have as a resource and guide.

Newsong Orange County also offers resources for spiritual growth on the info. stands in the foyer. Feel free to take them!

Kumi Nakagomi is Director of Spiritual Formation at Newsong Orange County

On My Shelf: The Monkey and the Fish (Dave Gibbons)

On My Shelf: The Monkey and the Fish (Dave Gibbons)

"This book is about becoming water, learning to adapt and become all things to all people. It's about being like Jesus, who is the living water." Dave Gibbons, founding pastor of Newsong opens his acknowledgments with these words and succinctly sums up his book, The Monkey and the Fish: Liquid Leadership for a Third-Culture Church. If you are relatively new to Newsong, this book will give you a good overview of Newsong's values.

From the onset, Dave defines the church's calling to be a blessing to the nations with the term third culture, which means "the mindset and will to love, learn, and serve in any culture, even in the midst of pain and discomfort." Inherent in third culture are the two greatest commandments: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. He challenges us to consider who our neighbor is and how globalism is causing us to reexamine who the church is. How can we be "the most relevant, most vibrant, most vital element of people's lives"?

The contents of Dave's short chapter, "Three Questions That Become the Answers" are actually featured on our own website: 1) Where is Nazareth? (which could also be phrased as "Who is your neighbor?") 2) What is my pain? and 3) What is in my hand? Dave has used these three questions to guide his ministry and personal life. By allowing them to guide us, we can experience God taking us and enabling us to serve Him in a myriad of ways than just the traditional ministries. Everyone with their gifts and talents — including artists, businesspeople, community-development specialists, educators, health professionals, social-justice lawyers, spiritual support teams, relief workers, and economic developers — are all called upon to be God's holy priests (ref. 1 Peter 2:5). The church should be without walls and everybody plays.

Dave also brings in perspectives from innovative leaders around the world to share their thoughts on the status of the church and the third culture concept with an abridged version of their discussion in a chapter titled "Ripples." There is an interesting exercise toward the end of it that lists the attributes associated with Jesus and next to it, the common characteristics linked to the church. Do you think the list was vastly similar or different?

After the conclusion of the book, Dave provides practical steps of living out the third mindset and ends with the sentence, "Be water, my friend."

Even if you have been a Newsong member for quite some time, reading this book is a great reminder of many principles that we have heard directly or indirectly through the years and have embraced at NOC.

Dave Gibbons is the Lead Pastor at Newsong Irvine.