While Stephen and I were on a 2 week break recently, I read Nigel Measures book “God’s Stump” The Church in all it’s Glory. I really enjoyed it as it’s one of those “REAL” books in which Nigel tackles real issues head-on and humbly offers clear, practical advice on how to overcome some obstacles and bridge the gap between people of different cultures.
Building multi-cultural church is not easy. There are many challenges, joys and pain, laughter and heartache but, a diverse church brings glory to God. I enjoyed all the chapters particularly, “The Church in all its Glory”, “Building together”, “Cultural Tapestry”, “Breaking the Silence” and “As it is in Heaven.” There is so much that we don’t know about one another’s cultures and yet we can be so quick to make judgements. Going in as a learner is the best way forward. Reading through some of the stories made me think of my situation - living amongst the Ndebele people in the rural areas of Kezi. They are such an amazingly resilient people who have endured so much. Nigel did an awesome job on racism and prejudice in “Breaking the Silence.” It’s such a hot and painful topic which many Christians avoid talking about and yet it’s as real as it gets. May God help us as we build multi-cultural, multi-racial churches and cross economic, racial and social boundaries. Jesus is our perfect example.
I really enjoyed “Life from a Stump” Isaiah 11:1 says “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.” What is a stump? Here are some pointers from the chapter:
1. The stump was a prophetic picture of what was going to happen to the people of Judah if they did not respond to the voice of God.
2. The stump was to become a metaphor for both Isaiah’s ministry and the message that he preached. Just as people might so easily overlook a tree stump in the ground, so the people of Judah overlooked both Isaiah the messenger and the message that he preached.
3. The stump is the holy seed from which salvation will grow. This stump is a person insignificant in appearance, but who will be the salvation of the entire world.
4. The stump is Jesus! The God of heaven and earth, the giver of salvation would choose to reveal himself to us and appear to us as a stump!
5. Jesus came like a stump and died like a stump. He also became a stump. Like a mighty oak he was felled down, crucified, destroyed and seemingly chopped of all life, never to grow again. Yet death could not hold Jesus in the grave.
6. Isaiah continues by highlighting some of the evidence or fruit that will emerge from the stump with the coming kingdom inaugurated by Jesus. From the stump new life will shoot forth…………
7. New life in Jesus will reveal itself through the radical transformation of relationships. Isaiah prophesied that the fruit of Jesus ministry would be the formation of new and unusual relationships that stand in sharp contrast to what is generally witnessed in the world around us.
8. The stump, therefore, not only gives us a picture of unusual relationships, but also of togetherness, activity, unity and community displayed in those relationships.
9. The stump then points to radical, strange and new community found in Jesus and his coming kingdom.
10. Reconciled relationships across worldly divides made possible by the spirit of God, will give a vivid demonstration that God is alive.
“God’s Stump” is such an excellent book to read. Give it a bash!
By Molly Manhanga
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