ordinary isn't always ordinary

It would be nice if every Christian had unlimited assets with which to share the gospel. If everyone who darkened the doors of our churches had all the gifts required to bring the gospel to life for the unreached people in our neighborhoods, and then they were willing to use those gifts and those assets to further the kingdom. But the world doesn't work that way and the Church doesn’t work that way either.  It doesn't have to, it’s not expected to.

In Ordinary: How to Turn the World Upside Down (B & H Publishing Group, 2015) Tony Merida points out in a compelling fashion how the Church of the 1^st century was made up of ordinary people. Ordinary people who managed to do extraordinary things for the King and His Kingdom.

This is a short book, easy to read, and full of valuable insights on how we ordinary people can do some pretty incredible things in the broken world that surrounds us. We don’t need to have a bank account the size of that of Bill Gates; we don’t have to be on the leadership team of a megachurch. What we need is to be aware of the grace that we have been offered, and to be willing to share it with someone else.

We learn to love, to share hospitality, to care for the needs of others, and are amazed as Merida show us that we ordinary people can make a significant impact on someone else’s eternity by doing some pretty ordinary things.  We read about the biblical basis for worship, for justice, and community, read about some ‘how to’s” and read examples of how other ordinary people are making ordinary work in their context, and also some of the results.

This is an excellent resource for a Bible Study or small group, and would be a great starting place for a sermon series.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through a 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Definite A+