Review: Jesus Culture New York (Martin Smith); Book: Culture of Honor (Silk); Articles: "I Dream of A Church..."

Welcome to Digital Worship News, Edition 74. This issue includes 3 different resources. First is a book review of "Culture of Honor", a book on church culture, government and leadership by Bethel staff member Danny Silk. Second is the album review of the recent Jesus Culture recording "Jesus Culture with Martin Smith: Live from New York"! Finally, is an article discussing the oft-posed question "why do churches spend money on buildings when we should be reaching the lost?" In "I Dream of a Church..." we discuss this question in balance. Be sure to check out this resource!

blessings,
Kim Gentes

...One book I have recently read on church government is Danny Silk's "Culture of Honor: Sustaining A Supernatural Environment". Silk is a senior staff member at Bethel Church in Redding California, most known for its popular leader, Bill Johnson. "Culture of Honor" is a different approach to church government than you might expect. It's main distinctive is embedded in the title of book- that the honor of people is the only way to true leadership of those same people. This is stated up front in a succinct definition:

The Principle of Honor states that: accurately acknowledging who people are will position us to give them what they deserve and to receive the gift of who they are in our lives.

Silk provides both strong points and excellent personal/church examples of those points throughout the book. The examples shine of the vibrancy of mercy, wisdom and faith that takes both God and people seriously. It is clear that Silk (and the book therein attributes this clearly also to Bethel) is looking to undermine the assumption of a business world influenced hierarchical church government and supplant on it primarily the pastoral care of mercy and wisdom within the context of a relational, not structure, based leadership...

I really like this book. It has some excellent points, but also some glaring issues.. Read more here...

There are moments in worship that mean as much as the songs that accompany those moments. They are the times of encounter, surrender, offering and praise in which something of our most humble offerings meet with the very presence of the awesome God to whom we are surrendering. After 30 years of "modern worship" (however loosely one might define it and move that time marker), some of the best recordings are not marked just by great songs, but by the moments captured in that embrace of emotion, theology, and art...

...It is this kind of thing that comes to mind when listening to the new album "Jesus Culture with Martin Smith: Live from New York". This recording is as much about great moments as it is about great music or gifted artists/leaders. Veteran artist, songwriter and worship leader Martin Smith takes the front seat in this worship experience vibrantly paired with the energy and passion of musicians and leaders of Jesus Culture...

Read the complete review, here...

The last 20 years has seen an explosion of post-modernity pushing a healthy self-criticism into the pews and leadership of the church. For the most part, I think this has actually been good for us. Not always painless, but in ways, making us revisit who we are, what we are doing, and whether we are still connected to the true origins of Christ's call to this enigmatic organism and organization we call the church. The truth is, this paradigm shift has forced us to re-look at ourselves, to admit some of our brokenness and to ask God for guidance. Even for us to see that brokenness, we must invite Him to reveal these things to us, if we are ever to be put us back together in a proper functioning configuration. We are the puzzle here, not God. We are the ones needing to be refit for the task, not the Maker. To be sure, God isn't confused about the church. But as His stewards on this celestial ball, we have the opportunity to partner with Him (in surrender, no less) to stand still long enough for His work of refitting to be done to and through us.

There are times, though, that I think we allow these criticisms to fly by without offering some reflectory responses that are worthwhile. I recently saw on such comment, that I felt was both well meaning, and thoughtful. The problem I had was, well, like many things- I didn't agree...

read more here...