LOVE ONE ANOTHER By Kim Shockley

I know, I know - Love One Another sounds so “churchy” – why did we use this as a chapter title?  Well because, it is the central message of the Gospels!  We worked hard with this chapter to make sure that it got to the heart of Jesus’ message of love - that it is much harder than being “nice” to one another.  Being “nice” has that fake feel to it, that veneer that covers over my real thoughts and feelings in order not to upset the applecart or rock the boat.  Jesus’ call to love one another has a deeper, richer meaning that moves us to helping other people find the best within themselves and hold them accountable to living as Jesus’ taught.

SEEK SIGNIFICANT GOD-ENCOUNTER by Paul Nixon

Americans are mostly sick of church.  Fact.  But they are fascinated and hungering for God-encounter.  The odd thing is that many of the churches are scared of God-encounter.  I helped to edit a simple resource for daily reading through the Book of Acts entitled Catch Fire in 50 Days!  The cover featured a lit match.  One of the pastors I coached suggested this resource to some of his congregation's leaders.  One particular woman revolted, "There is no way - I didn't join this church to read Fundamentalist stuff."  And the fact was all the contributors to the daily readings in the book were progressive laity and clergy, most from the San Francisco bay area.