I probably could if I set my mind to it. I studied literary criticism a little in college (36 years ago!) And I have studied and continue to study theology. But quite frankly, I don't care for book reviews all that much….for the same reason I don't care for political commentators who review political speeches….sometimes before the teleprompter has had a chance to cool off for crying out loud. Seriously. I have a brain. I am capable of coming to my own conclusions about a speech, a movie and, of course, a book.
No. I prefer the word "reflections" I would rather reflect on the author's message and consider how it relates to my life in hopes it may relate to my readers. So, let's dig in.
I must tell you, Len Sweet is a brilliant theologian, and to my mind, equally effective missiologist. My introduction to Sweet was "Soul Tsunami", a book that for me was an interesting introduction to spiritual formation for the late modem Christ followers. So creative! I loved it. Read it more than once.
My second Sweet encounter was "The Gospel According to Starbucks" (by the way, found this book for $1.00 at, of all places, the Northern Arizona University bookstore in Flagstaff!) I found the book to be, above all, a call to Epic Worship. (experiential, participatory, image driven and connected). Last summer I was asked to speak at a teen camp in the Mid-Atlantic region. It had been 20 years since my last invitation to teen camp. So I went EPIC with an experience I called CROSSWALK. I think most everyone, including the teens themselves, were shocked how powerfully and convincingly the crucified and risen Christ among us. It was….EPIC. And I am thankful for Sweets influence.
But hands down, the most helpful book I've read in 10 years on the mission of the church is "So Beautiful". As I read this book God did an MRI on me and the church I serve. Are we missional? Are we relational? Are we incarnational? I can't even begin to measure the effect this book had on my thinking…..and my heart….and on the church I serve.
Now, reflection on my latest Sweet read: Nudge. (Again, a gift. Thanks Larry Ritchey) Nudge is Sweets invitation for Christ Followers to explore evangelism together. Sweets thesis is that God is already present and at work in the life of every person we come in contact with. The evangelist's task is to pay attention to what God is doing and nudge the person toward a greater awareness of God. This nudge is the work of Christ's Spirit and is discerned. It's compatible, in my view, with the Wesleyan Holiness way of following Jesus.
The first half of the book is vintage Sweet…creative, provocative, interesting, humorous, quirky and profound. He establishes what he calls "the three primary notions of nudge evangelism".
- Jesus is alive and active in our world.
- Followers of Jesus know Him well enough to recognize when he is at work in our day.
- Evangelists nudge people to wake up to Jesus actively in and around and through them.
A nudge is never coercive. It cajoles. One of my favorite quotes in the book:
"People are hungry for encouragement and love and need help noticing the presence of the divine in their lives. (p. 36)
As helpful as the first half of the book was, (what is evangelism) I found the second half to be annoyingly repetitive and strained (how to do evangelism). I felt Sweet was tilling the same soil over and over again…so much so it could not hold my attention. (could be my A.D.D. for sure!)
Be that as it may, it's still a 5 star book as far as I'm convinced. And has left me ready to purchase and read his next effort as soon as it hits the shelves.
Thank God for something Sweet. (sorry)
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