The authors of this work contend that the Church (which the authors understand in a fairly inclusive way, irrespective of denominational label or theological bent) is at a significant crossroads. Specifically, their concern is that a profoundly richer, much more intentional Christology is necessary for the Church (collectively and individually) to find its destiny. They refer to this perceived lack as a "Jesus deficit."
In their ten chapters the authors make their best pitch to convince the reader that (1) Jesus Christ is no longer the preeminent Lord in, evidently, the lives of most congregations and individuals, and (2) that the only way to rectify this deficit is for a deeper spiritual awareness developed in relationship with Christ (versus theologizing or formulaic repetitions of confessional statements or merely a sentimentalized version of Jesus as an outstanding "teacher" or "religious" personage).
Frankly, I struggled with the book. Not because I doubt the validity of their claim (my personal predilection is that yes, churches espousing a Christian identity do, in fact, need to proclaim and live with clarity the presence of Christ in corporate and personal faith lives). And not because I am unfamiliar with the often unique writing style of Leonard Sweet (I have read his works over the years, so I can see his alliterative flourishes at work throughout the text). And further, it is not because I misunderstand the genre (it is described as a devotional work).
My struggle is that I am not certain the authors do enough to prove to the reader that their contention (that Jesus is largely lacking from the Church) is accurate on the broad scale. I sense that the authors have in mind specific situations or identified "types" of Christians with whom their concern is laid (I hear more critique of those obliquely identified as "evangelical," and "mainliners" are not left out, either), but the work lacks a clarity of detail in diagnosing the "problem."
I also find a lack of coherence from chapter to chapter. It seems that most chapters could stand on their own as the basis for a (lengthy) sermon. There is little organic connection between chapters, so that by the time the reader reaches the Afterword, which is presented as a letter from Christ to the reader, the ponderous "God language" detracts from the intent of encouraging the reader to establish or re-establish a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is ironic that in their attempt to bring the reader to a new place of deeper discovery, where the reader will discover what living in Christ means, the persistent confessional (in the doctrinal sense) language overwhelms the goal.
You may find the thesis and text more inviting and sensible than I have. If not, content yourself with reading the sidebars scattered throughout the book. These alone are worth the price of the book.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
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