{"id":39211,"date":"2024-10-31T10:27:57","date_gmt":"2024-10-31T17:27:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=39211"},"modified":"2024-10-31T10:27:57","modified_gmt":"2024-10-31T17:27:57","slug":"finding-the-good-shepherd-in-deconstruction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/finding-the-good-shepherd-in-deconstruction\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding the Good Shepherd in Deconstruction"},"content":{"rendered":"

In today\u2019s complex and shifting world, what defines a good leader? And as a Christian leader in the Pacific Northwest, how can I embody a healthy, mature approach to guiding others in faith during such uncertain times? Reflecting on these questions led me to choose Invisible Jesus<\/em>, a new book by Scot McKnight and Tommy Preson Phillips, for this week\u2019s leadership reading. This text came recommended by a fellow pastor, one who knows the challenges we\u2019re facing as church leaders in this region. The book, timely and relevant, addresses the evolving landscape of evangelical Christianity and the notable trends of decline, deconstruction, and re-engagement in American churches today.<\/p>\n

Both McKnight and Philips are long time American pastors, observing the changes and trends within evangelical Christianity over the past decades in America. They write in response to a growing trend of decline in engagement within American churches and seek to better understand what might be happening in this time in place in the religious and spiritual lives of Americans.<\/p>\n

The central thesis of this book, however, is what was most compelling to me about this text. Rather than continuing to bemoan the exodus of people from organized churches or throw up their hands in despair of people \u201cwalking away from the faith\u201d, McKnight and Phillips have reframed our perspective on this issue to invite us to see this period of deconstruction as a gift to the church at large, to people walking through times of deconstruction and to the leaders and pastors that are in relationship with people who are going through this. Furthermore, they challenge us to see deconstruction as conversion<\/em>. They believe that, \u201cdeconstruction is not, as many religious leaders have suggested, something born of evil that must be denounced. We believe the work of deconstruction is often born of the Spirit, a movement of God attempt to bring the church back to Jesus.\u201d[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

This central thesis stood out to me particularly because we have been studying the history of Evangelicalism and conversion is one of the central tenets of classical Evangelicalism according to Bebbington. Is it possible that a new wave of revival could be coming to the American church, but in a completely different form that the crusades and tent meetings of previous centuries? Perhaps revival is coming through the throwing off of religious structures and systems that have intertwined themselves with the commodifying and anti-Gospel principles of capitalism and consumerism and a new movement of Jesus-centered believers is emerging in the ashes of deconstruction?<\/p>\n

Phillips and McKnight suggest a new way forward for leaders who are walking with people on this faith journey. In this book, they provide a map for us as we meet people where they are. The reason this book is critical to leadership is that leadership begins with listening and is responsive to the people that are entrusting us to lead them.<\/p>\n

The most impactful chapter of this book for me was the chapter on seeing Jesus as a shepherd. In light of the many examples of spiritual and pastoral abuse that are causing people to re-examine their faith and trust in Jesus, this chapter offers a way forward of humility and hope. This powerful metaphor has been used many times in Scripture and is a central metaphor in American Christianity. It also reflects that leadership ethos that I seek to live out in my life and ministry. How can I be a life-giving source to those around me? How can I lead them to places where they can experience abundant life, sustenance and safety in order for them to flourish and fulfill the roles and vocations God has called them to? McKnight and Phillips text has given me a road map for walking alongside people who are going through the important work of seriously examining their faith and deepening their search for the ultimate Good Shepherd. They write that Jesus, \u201cwants his followers to look at how he leads with love, grace, humility, and mercy so they can understand that these are the marks of what all good leaders should be<\/em>. Jesus resets the template for what a leader looks like.\u201d[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

This text has left me more hopeful as a leader in a world where churches and pastors are wrestling with seismic shifts in the way the church and faith is being expressed today. It has given me tools to walk with people going through different parts of their spiritual journey. It has reframed the discussion on a national level, moving the voices of those deconstructing to a prophetic position in the emerging post-Covid, post-Christendom American Christianity. May we have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to our churches.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> McKnight, Phillips. Invisible Jesus<\/em>. 2<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> McKnight, Phillips. Invisible Jesus. <\/em>163<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In today\u2019s complex and shifting world, what defines a good leader? And as a Christian leader in the Pacific Northwest, how can I embody a healthy, mature approach to guiding others in faith during such uncertain times? Reflecting on these questions led me to choose Invisible Jesus, a new book by Scot McKnight and Tommy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":196,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/196"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39211"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39211\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39212,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39211\/revisions\/39212"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}