Church Re-Imagined: The Spiritual Formation of People in Communities of Faith

I first purchasedBodyPrayer: The Posture of Intimacy with Godand was so impressed, I wanted to see what else the author might have written. Growing up Catholic, and now at a staid and true Presbyterian church, I am a mixed bag at best. Pagitt and the Solomon's Porch group show that worship is as diverse as creation, and community isn't something you pay your taxes for someonelse to maintain. Great narratives from fellow pilgrims. My first reading on the emergent church, and now I'm wanting to learn more. Inspirational and easy to read...you feel you know the author as a real person trying to live REAL, and for him, the Word is ALIVE.

This is a retitling of the earlier-released "Re-Imagining Spiritual Formation." It may be that you are coming to realize that the program-driven, "what can you do for me now" consumer approach to Christianity is quickly becoming unworkable. Sure... it may seem still to be reaching many... but where are all your 18-30 year olds? Many are at churches like Solomon's Porch and other emerging communities which are doing their best to walk away from the "provider of religious goods and services" paradigm for church and get back to being covenant communities. Pagitt, and you gotta love the guy- he'll anger you, inspire you and humble you... all in one sentence- provides a glimpse into how their community does it. It's not a program, not a blue-print, don't think you can xerox it... but it may inspire you to do something beyond the "seeker" paradigm (which often doesn't seem to draw many seekers) you've leaned on... but are finding less and less workable all the time. In Church Re-Imagined, Doug Pagitt draws a picture of covenant community for us, a picture many of us have longed to see in our churches for quite a while now...