Not Crazy Love, Doesn't Matter

Just finished Frank Viola's new book, From Eternity to Here: Rediscovering the Ageless Purpose of God.

I was actually contacted by the publisher, I think because we are currently going through Francis Chan's Crazy Love in our Encounter Discussions and Viola's new book was billed as the "followup" to Crazy Love.

While I didn't quite get the connection, I was happy to review Viola's book — after all, he has recently written two other interesting books, Reimaging Church and Pagan Christianity.

IT'S NOT CRAZY LOVE
Let me just say first that I still don't get how From Eternity to Here is the followup. Perhaps it's because it is from the same publisher. Perhaps there are some similar themes in both books. But I would say when you're writing about faith in the same Jesus, you are bound to overlap some themes — or at least you should. So that's about the best connection I could make.

Viola's book focuses primarily on "God's purpose" in three areas: 1) the Bride of Christ, 2) the House of God, and 3) the Family of God and Body of Christ — whereas Chan's Crazy Love focuses on how crazy it is that God loves us, realizing that He does love us anyway, and how we're called to love others with that same kind of crazy love.

Additionally, Viola's writing style is completely different. I have to admit that beginning the book, I found myself wondering if I would make it through. Voila has more of an academic approach, where Chan's style is more conversational.

I guess I am just saying that From Eternity to Here is not Crazy Love. I think it is weird to market it that way.

YOU MUST READ IT ANYWAY
With all that said, Viola's book is definitely worth a read. Contained within the pages of From Eternity to Here, are deep forgotten truths, penetrating rebukes of the status quo, heart-touching Biblical stories and insights, and a long-needed focus on the person of Jesus Christ as the simplicity and centrality of our faith.

More than anything, I found myself weeping more than once as Viola described the character of God and His eternal plan revealed in three different aspects of faith. The message of last chapter alone would be worth the purchase of the entire book. In that chapter, Viola shares his own life experience and journey of faith. And through the process, reveals the epidemic stumbling block that I have observed first-hand in American churches – that Jesus Himself is missing.

He writes, "I strongly believe that the underlying reality of the church is none other than Jesus Christ Himself. Not as a doctrine. Not as a system of belief. Nor as a set of moral teachings. Not as a philosopher or a social activist ... A living person who dwells within our spirits and who can be known."

See the post previous post below for some of the many insights that spoke to me.

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The following bloggers are posting a review or Q&A with Frank Viola on his bestselling book From Eternity to Here today, Tuesday, July 21.

You may order the book at a discount at www.frometernitytohere.org – it’s also on audio book. Free discussion guide, sample chapters, interviews, and a free audio of the first chapter are available on that site also.

Here are the bloggers who are participating:

Jay Becker - www.jaybecker.org
Mark D - deadmanstravelog.blogspot.com
Igniting Hearts | Kimber Britner - www.ignitinghearts.blogspot.com
Karyn - tiger-kar.blogspot.com
Barefoot Preacher - thebarefootpreacher.blogspot.com
Every Day Angels - www.weareeverydayangels.com
FaithEngineer - www.faithengineer.com
Kristen Schiffman - dancinginthemargins.typepad.com
CrossPointe: The Church at Bevo - churchatbevo.blogspot.com
Crazy Love for God - crazyloveforgod.blogspot.com
Amazima Ministries - oatsvallteam.blogspot.com
Down to Write Honest - downwritehonest.com
A Beautiful Mess - blnorth1105.blogspot.com
The Blakes on a Mission - www.theblakesthailand.blogspot.com
Words by Jud Kossum - judkossum.blogspot.com
Eric Jaffe - www.ericjaffe.org
Reconnect with God – www.reconnectwithgod.org
2nd Cup of Coffee - 2nd-cup-of-coffee.blogspot.com
Nolan Bobbitt - www.nolanbobbitt.com
Klappyanne - www.xanga.com/klappyanne
Daveingland | Dave Ingland - www.daveingland.com
Randi Jo Rooks - seedsinmyheart.blogspot.com
Ephesians Five - ephesiansonefive.blogspot.com
Michael Bayne - www.michaelbayne.net
Encounter Church Helena Blog | Eric Powell - encounterhelena.org
Thoughts B4 Conviction N2 Action - tsharrison.blogspot.com
Edevotion - e-devotion.blogspot.com
Seeking After - seekingafter.blogspot.com
Borrowed Light - fbcnewlondon.blogspot.com

Impacting Quotes: From Eternity to Here

Just finished Frank Viola's new book, From Eternity to Here: Rediscovering the Ageless Purpose of God. I've been reading it over the last 3 weeks and discovered a number of gems to glean from. Tell me what you think. What speaks to you?

• "The next time you feel condemnation over your past, please remember this one thing: the first person to lay eyes upon the resurrected Lord was a former prostitute."
• "The call to Abram contains a profound truth: Involvement in God's building often means leaving the tradition of our forefathers."
• "The priesthood of Israel is fully active. The priests are sacrificing animals and slinging blood at the brazen altar. They are marching through the religious program, passing out the bulletin, lighting the candles, ringing the bells, preaching the sermon, and following the litergy. But there's one problem: the ark's not there. God is not there. Does that bother them? Apparently not. They continue on with the ritual."
• "The house of God is not a thing. It's not an object. It's not brick and mortar. Nor a metaphor, a doctrine, or a theology. The house of God is a person. It is the Lord Jesus Christ"
• "Scattered stones can never make a house, no matter how many of them exist...Thus lone-ranger Christians are of no use in the building of God's house."
• "God is not looking for a place to visit. He is looking for a place to dwell."
• "Jesus Christ did not die and rise again just to forgive you of your sins. He died in order that His Father could obtain a home."
• "What is Babylon? It's the human attempt to reach God by human strength, human wisdom, and human ingenuity."
• "The old men who remembered the glory of Solomon's temple were bitterly critical of the new temple... Point: The past work of God often persecutes and devalues the new work of God."
• "Jesus Christ didn't come to begin a new religion. He came to begin a new creation."
• "Leaving the wilderness may come at an obscenely high price. It is for this reason that many do not leave it."
• "We cannot receive the new until we first let go of the old. Old wineskins do not patch well... God has never been in the business of pouring new wine into old wineskins."
• "Living by 'right and wrong' is not Christianity. It's old covenant living. And it's very human."
• "To Paul's mind, when brothers and sisters in Christ divide from one another, it's like taking a butcher knife to Jesus Christ. It's like tearing off a chunk of flesh from our Lord's own body."
• "We Christians are not simply disciples of Jesus. We are not simply believers in the Savior of the world and the Lord of Creation. We are members of Christ."
• "I cannot fully know Christ on my own. Neither can you. I must know Him through His body... But in order for us to know Christ through the other members of His body, we have to get close to them."
• "It's not a metaphor. Paul never says the church is like His body. No, we are His body."
• "The Bible, also weeping, speaks out and says, 'I came to point men and women to Him. I came to testify of Him. I came to make Him known. But they have made a god out of me."
• "In so many modern churches, a set of doctrines. a certain theology, a charismatic personality, a set of special works or ministries, is the centrality rather than Christ. Mark it down: The centrality of anything other than Christ is a betrayal..."
• "You an I become fully human in community. God's intention was never for a bunch of saved individuals."
• "As the body of Christ, the church not only cares for its own, but it also cares for the world that surrounds it. Just as Jesus did while He was on earth."
• "One of the Roman emperors... publicly lamented that the pagan temples were loosing customers because 'the Christians not only take care of their own needy, but ours as well."
• "I made another discovery. Namely, that Christian doctrine can make a person downright mean... I came to the place where I was compelled to lay down my doctrinal sword, for like Peter, I had been cutting people's ears off."
• "Evangelism is an it. The power of God is an it. Eschatology is an it. Christian theology is an it. Christian doctrine is an it. Faith is an it. Apologetics is an it. I made the striking discovery that I don't need an it. I have never needed an it. And I will never need an it. Christian its, no matter how good or true, eventually wear out, run dry, and become tiresome... We do not need things. We need Jesus Christ.
• "Everything in scripture—every book, every story, every teaching, every theme, every letter, every verse, all the arrows point to Him."
• "Jesus Christ not only reveals the way... He is the Way. Jesus Christ not only reveals the truth... He is the Truth. Jesus Christ is not only the giver of life, He is the Life."