I’ve just finished reading Frank Viola’s book “Reimagining church“. I find it a good introduction to the reasoning and desires behind the organic church movement. His thoughts about the Lord’s supper opened my eyes to some aspects which I cannot remember having heard before. To quote him (Chapter 3, p. 78):
It is a reproclamation of the Lord’s sacrificial death for us in the past. It’s a redeclaration of his ever-abiding nearness with us in the present. And it’s a repronouncement of our hope of glory – His coming in the future.
He continues:
The Lord’s supper is a living testimony to the three chief virtues: faith, hope, and love. Through the supper, we reground ourselves in that glorious salvation which is ours by faith. We reexpress our love for the brethren as we reflect on the one body. And we rejoice in the hope of our Lord’s soon return.
I find both aspects touching and significant.
His thoughts on church unity and the reasons for the great disunity often seen in the local church are also well worth reading.
The second half of the book deals with leadership, structure, and existing renewal movements. On first reading, I found some of his critiques somewhat harsh and arrogant; after a break of several weeks, I was able to approach the passages differently, and found his comments justified and tone more factual.
He doesn’t say anything about the organic church which you won’t find in other books, but provides a lot of food for thought and helpful criteria for judging our own ideas and actions. The appendix dealing with common objections and misunderstandings of Biblical texts is valuable reading.
