the title was the sole reason that i picked the book.
typically i pick a fiction, one of my favs would be Janet Evanovich, the Stephanie Plumb series ... but the newest book is not available to me right now so I will settle for this one.
so far, i am enjoying it. and thought this would be worth sharing ...
preface:
A typhoon stranded a monkey on an island. In a protected place on the shore, while waiting for the raging waters to recede, he spotted a fish swimming against the current. It seemed to the monkey that the fish was struggling and needed assistance. Being of kind heart, the monkey resolved to help the fish.
A tree leaned precariously over the spot where the fish seemed to be struggling. At considerable risk to himself, the monkey moved ar out on the limb, reached down and snatched the fish from the waters. Scurrying back to the saftey of his shelter, he carefullly laid the fish on dry ground. For a few moments, the fish showed excitement but soon settled into a peaceful rest.
- An Eastern Parable
Translation? The fish died.
Relevance to the 21st century church?
Everything.
The title of the book is taken from the Eastern Parable above, this book by Dave Gibbons is liquid leadership for a thrid culture church ...
today I read about defining 3rd Culture:
Third culture is the mindset and will to love, learn, and serve in any culture, even in the midst of pain and discomfort.
Immediatly, I could relate. I understand this concept, I just called it Urban Ministry. It has been my life for the past year.
"even in the midst of pain and discomfort" It is against all we know to embrace pain ... but as stated by dave, it is the catalyst for helping people to see God.
again this I can relate to, my world is not the same that I had imagined. this past year (actually almost 2 years) have been filled with much pain and discomfort - beyond anything I could have ever imagined. And again and again - I have witnessed God at work. While I still long for my son, I also trust in the Lord and know that he has a plan and will use this pain and discomfort for HIS will.
I have been told that as the book unfolds I will discover that 3rd culture is not just a trend or a new thing but the heart of God. In fact ... GOD is 3rd culture. And if GOD is 3rd culture, then that is where I want to be.
I look forward to the journey ahead and how the above parable is explained, it is my prayer that I share this journey with whoever cares to come along.
GRACE AND PEACE!
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