I picked up this book because its title intriqued me. I found it worth reading. Here are some quotes to stimulate your thinking.
A New And Right Spirit: Creating an Authentic Church in a Consumer Culture, Rick Barger (Hendon, VA: Alban Institute, 2005.
I believe that pastors suffer from burnout and depression, not because they are poor at self-care, but because they are stuck in systems that no longer work. They are exhausted from one technical approach after another. (32)
The first adaptive movement might be the realization that Jesus indeed did not come to meet our needs. Jesus came and God birthed the church to meet God’s needs by raising up a community that exists as a sign or witness to God’s redemptive activity in the world. (33)
The biblical nuance of “dominion” is that we serve as agents for God. We are stewards of what belongs to God. God is in charge. We work for God. We answer to God. The human grasp of “dominion,” on the other hand, means that we are in charge! This tension of just who is in charge is at the center of the entire biblical narrative. (48-9)
Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon warn that sentimentality is really “how unbelief is lived out; that when the gospel is reduced to sentiment, we are left with no gospel.” God is not much into sentiment. (83)
Having a personal relationship with Jesus in the presumed manner that pervades our culture today is not a prevalent theme in the New Testament. (86)
Jesus never speaks about taking up a personal relationship with him. He never even remotely suggests that we are to invite him into our hearts. Rather, he invites us to follow him by saying, “Follow me” (Mark 1:17 and parallels). (86-7)
It is not the story of the current confusion, crisis, or consternation that is going to have the last word. Nor is it the next strategic plan, deal, or cause. It is the story of the crucified and risen Lord, to whom the future belongs, who tenaciously holds the church, and who have the final word. (104)
… the church does not exist to meet people’s needs. It exists to meet God’s needs. (129)
Here's the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/New-Right-Spirit-Creating-Authentic/dp/1566993067/ref=sr_1_1/002-4029006-1792806?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179010632&sr=8-1
