Prodigal Evangelical , livre ebook

Lion Hudson - Kelly Gerard

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71 pages

English

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The Christian faith is about grace, not law, yet the evangelical church gets it wrong. Gerard Kelly uses the story of the Prodigal Son to unpack the idea, explaining as he does so why he is still willing to describe himself as part of the tribe. This book explores in depth the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, suggesting that this one story carries in concentrated form the DNA of the message of Jesus. Exploring this parable and the wider biblical story arc in which it is set, The Prodigal Evangelical suggests a reframing of the gospel narrative in four key words: beauty, brokenness, forgiveness and invitation. These four words describe the human condition ' we are beautiful, broken, forgiven and invited ' and create a telling of the Christian story that centres on the breadth and depth of the love of God. This is the narrative at the heart of evangelical faith. The Prodigal Evangelical embraces the death of Christ as essentially about forgiveness. The cross is where it becomes possible both to be forgiven and to forgive: this is the game-changing force that creates the Christian movement. In both dimensions the forgiveness offered is unilateral. The Prodigal Evangelical leads directly to Gerard's personal experience of the cross as a life-changing encounter.

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Philosophie et théologie

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Publié par	Lion Hudson
Date de parution	15 janvier 2015
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9780857216274
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0450€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Text copyright © 2015 Gerard Kelly This edition copyright © 2015 Lion Hudson
The right of Gerard Kelly to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published by Monarch Books an imprint of Lion Hudson plc Wilkinson House, Jordan Hill Road, Oxford OX2 8DR, England Email: monarch@lionhudson.com www.lionhudson.com/monarch
ISBN 978 0 85721 626 7 e-ISBN 978 0 85721 627 4
First edition 2015
Acknowledgments Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton, a member of the Hodder Headline Group. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a trademark of International Bible Society. UK trademark number 1448790. Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. p. 83: Extract from “Fern Hill” by Dylan Thomas in The Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas: The New Centenary Edition copyright © Dylan Thomas, 1945. Reprinted by permission of David Higham Associates Ltd and New Directions.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Cover image: Lion Hudson

For Chrissie, always…
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Foreword by Jeff Lucas

1. The Dragon in the Station Buffet
2. A Toxic Tag?
3. A Handle on Complexity
4. Walking the Shoreline
5. The Hand at My Trembling Back
6. Three Stories: Four Words

The First Note of Prodigality
7. Pummelling Gauguin
8. The Love that Never Stops Intending
9. Giving up My God Complex

The Second Note of Prodigality
10. Broken Splendour
11. My Long-Remembered Self
12. The Stars Are Scars

The Third Note of Prodigality
13. Disarming Karma
14. Cruci-fiction
15. Good God/Bad God

The Fourth Note of Prodigality
16. Veal and Merlot
17. All Tomorrow’s Parties
18. Sing Me to Your Table
19. Should You Choose…
“The Prodigal Evangelical is honest, humble and hopeful. Its message exposes the deep challenges, and at times the deep chasms within evangelicalism. It’s not just a book, it is a heart cry for a reclaimed evangelicalism that puts God at the centre. His book does what all good books do – it engages my heart, captures my imagination, challenges my assumptions, and stretches my thinking. I am privileged to call this man my friend, honoured to learn from him, and blessed to stand alongside him in ministry and service for Christ.”
Malcolm Duncan, author of Risk Takers and Unbelievable , and senior pastor of Gold Hill Baptist Church

“Gerard Kelly is one of the great thinkers in the Church. His definition of the Kingdom versus the Church has such clarity, and depth. What a fantastic book – destined to be a classic of Christian literature.”
Bev Murrill, speaker, author, leadership consultant, and director of Christian Growth International, Newcastle, Australia

“Gerard convinces us in this book that God cannot be contained, yet can be intimately known. What is enlightening and enlivening here are the glimpses into what can happen when our stories are interwoven into God’s story: when the prodigal turns on the spiritual Bluetooth to receive the gift of faith, life, and belonging. This is a great book of deep stories.”
Fuzz Kitto, Spirited Consulting, Australia

“Gerard Kelly is a prophet-poet-theologian-practitioner who has always managed to sense the existential issues of the age and to speak meaningfully about them. He calls us to faithfulness in a culture that rewards the lack of it. I am grateful.”
Alan Hirsch, author of numerous books on missional Christianity, and founder of Forge Mission Training Network and Future Travellers

“Gerard’s finest book yet. I found myself deeply moved as I explored its pages, and through it, my faith has been renewed and refined. Few writers can craft words, light the imagination, stretch the mind, and draw you in like Gerard. I am grateful for his honesty and for this extremely readable but profound reminder of the mystery and the wonder of God’s grace. Simply put, this book made sense in my soul.”
Cathy Madavan, speaker, writer, member of the Spring Harvest planning group and author of Digging for Diamonds

“With wonderful honesty, humility, and insight Gerard tackles many of the questions we all face. Get this vital book today – it’s a work for our times.”
Gavin Calver, National Director, British Youth for Christ

“Biblical, theological, culturally perceptive, and above all disarmingly honest, Gerard Kelly casts for prodigal evangelicals everywhere a fresh vision of the unchanging riches of an evangelicalism released from unnecessary cultural and doctrinal baggage. A must read for anyone wondering if ‘evangelical’ is a word worth saving!”
Revd Canon Anna Norman–Walker, Canon Missioner, Exeter Cathedral

“Gerard is a prophetic voice preparing the way of the Lord – this book will challenge and inspire you to live out the actual good news in real life. I recommend this work as a catalyst for change from the inside out.”
Danielle Strickland

“In Gerard’s usual poetic way he draws us into a place of seeing ourselves for who we are and seeing Jesus for who he is. The Prodigal Evangelical should be read by everyone seeking a faith that truly fulfills their deepest longings.”
Cris Rogers

“In The Prodigal Evangelical Gerard Kelly focuses our eyes on the wonderful story of good news that is the beating heart of Christianity. The book is beautifully written, telling powerful real-life stories, and drawing on great art to make its simple but vital point. I hope it will be very widely read and enjoyed.”
Steve Holmes, Senior Lecturer in Theology, St Andrews University

“We are all broken people but Jesus offers a way out of that brokenness. Gerard Kelly’s poignant and vulnerable journey towards home and wholeness is compelling reading. I highly recommend The Prodigal Evangelical to all who have struggled with doubts and questions about faith and God.”
Christine Sine, Executive Director, Mustard Seed Associates, Seattle

“This beautifully honest and open book will make you stop and think again about your own journey in faith and cause you to reflect on your relationship with a loving God. Importantly it will help you find a language to explain your story in a way that makes sense to others.”
Dr Rachel Jordan, National Mission and Evangelism Adviser, Church of England

A pastor, poet, and missionary, Gerard Kelly lives in Normandy where he and his wife Chrissie lead The Bless Network: a local church-plant and training centre with mission projects in France, Croatia, and the Netherlands (www.blessnet.eu). Gerard was formerly Pastor of Crossroads International Church in Amsterdam and a member of the Leadership Team of Spring Harvest. He blogs at godseesdiamonds.tumblr.com and prays on twitter (@twitturgies).

Foreword
As a lover of words, I have long admired (and occasionally been mildly envious of) Gerard Kelly. The man is multi-talented to the point of it being slightly unfair. As a poet, he possesses a rare ability, not only to conjoin totally unexpected phrases that surprise and sometimes shock, but he is accessible, entertaining, and has an uncanny knack of pointing out the proverbial elephant in the room. His prose is stirring, confrontational, enlightening, and comforting – sometimes all in the same finely-honed sentence. As a theologian, he has a nimble, informed touch, enabling him to throw open hitherto jammed windows, filling musty rooms with air and light. Impatient with flimsy slogans, he’s fearless in pointing out superficiality, but is kind as he does, which is helpful. He’s rather splendid at public communications too, and has wowed thousands with his inspirational Bible teaching. And if all of this wasn’t enough, he’s a missions pioneer, and quite good at prayer. How rude of him to be so clever.
But, despite his Joseph’s coat-of-many-colours talents, I do believe that this beautiful book is his magnum opus, at least to date. We humans talk. A lot. But within us all there is an ongoing conversation, an inner dialogue where we circle our fears, our hopes, our dreams, our faith. Inside our heads we form questions, and often dismiss them, bidding them depart without ever trying to answer them. Sometimes we send them packing because we don’t know where to start; and then, at times, we refuse to entertain them, because we’re fearful of their presence, anxious that, if we allow that question a few moments or hours of our mental hospitality, a few of his heavier, more thuggish friends might turn up in our heads, and who knows what might happen then?
Gerard has listened, not only to his own inner dialogue, but his years as an apprentice of Jesus have enabled him to tune into the hearts and minds of others. And I don’t say this lightly, but I believe that, as a man of prayer, Gerard has sensed some of the whispers of the heart of God too. And so, in this book, I hear the sounds of dancing and music. Gerard’s winsome, authentic and hope-laden words will warm the coldest heart, and bring us back to this core truth: the good news really is very, very good. So if you’re just reading this foreword, and pondering a purchase, then go ahead, take the plunge. Buy it. Gerard may be unnervingly clever, but he’s not rich, and your purchase will help him to carry on doing what he does so well. And, more importantly, as you take this book home and to your heart, you’ll be enriched too.

Jeff Lucas International author and Speaker
Chapter One
The Dra