AFM Book Club

AFM’s Online Book Club will resume on September 27.  This time we will be reading The Cross and the Crescent: Understanding the Muslim Heart and Mind by Phil Parshall.

Here’s what the back cover has to say:

Who are Muslims? You hear about them in the news every day. Many people associate them with terrorism and cruelty.  Some admire their willingness to die for their faith.  Others wonder if there is more to Islam than fanaticism and martyrdom.  And Christians ask, “How do we respond in faith and love to these people?” The question is more pressing than ever.

Phil Parhall understands the Muslim heart and mind. Living as a missinoary among Muslims, he knows them–not as a band of fanatics on the evening news, but as individuals, some good, some bad.  In this very warm, very personal book he looks at what Muslims believe and how their beliefs affect–and often don’t affect their behavior.  He compares and contrasts Muslim and Christian views on the nature of God, sacred Scriptures, wroship, sin and holiness, mysticism, Jesus and Muhammed, human suffering and the afterlife.

Thanks to all who joined us for our very first book, Following Jesus through the Eye of the Needle.   For this second book we will be using a different format, a Google group, that will deliver posts to your inbox and hopefully make participation less complicated.

If you would like to join us for this round, please fill in the contact form below and we’ll send you an invitation to the book club:

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This week we conclude our reading of Following Jesus through the Eye of the Needle.  In the last chapter, “Next Steps”, Shelly Annan becomes pregnant while the political stakes in Haiti get higher.  Kent Annan wrestles with the tension between vulnerability and safety.  In the end, they pack up and return to the States, relocating to Florida where he can make regular visits into Haiti.

The epilogue provides a more helpful conclusion, in my opinion, than the laundry list of statements about openness that punctuate the last chapter.  In the epilogue, Kent Annan provides several helpful suggestions for taking next steps:

1. Confess and then turn away from what’s blocking you (which includes identifying your idols);
2. Start on a personal journey–along with some other people;
3. Help people nearby; and
   
4. Commit to a movement.

As we wrap up the reading of this book, I would love to hear your answers to the following questions:

• If you could ask the author any question, what would it be?
• If you could give feedback or comments to the author, what would they be?  Any advice? (He seems open to it).
• Are there any next steps that you would like to take (either the ones listed above or some other step)?

Take a few minutes, to post your answers in either the forum or as a comment to this blog post.

Thanks so much for traveling through Haiti with me these past seven weeks!  We’ll keep you posted on the next book that we’ll be reading in September.

Culture shock typically has three phases:  the honeymoon phase,  the negotiation phase (when the tension between the two cultures creates anxiety and depression), the adjustment phase and, finally, mastery.  In this chapter of Following Jesus through the Eye of the Needle, I believe Kent Annan has stepped into that third phase of cultural adjustment.  He now has moments when he sees beyond the tension disparity creates and sees people and the situation for who and what they are.  He seems to wear his role more comfortably.

The chapter, entitled “Revelations”, is chock full of just that– revelations.  Here are some of them:

• how undeserving we all are;
• how grace rules the day;
• how trying to live simply and sacrificially can become an idol;
• how poverty is multifaceted and complex; and
• how suffering and poverty often intermix with goodness and hope

Is there a point made in this chapter that revealed something new to you as well?  If so, what was it?

What to do this week:

Either respond to the discussion questions through the discussion forum (click on the tab for the discussion forum) OR you can  post your answer in the “Your Reply” box at the end of this post (If you don’t see the “Your Reply” box, click on the word “comment” in the top right corner of this post.  The reply box will then appear).

For next week, read the last chapter.

The rest of chapter 4 reads like a kaleidoscope.  In Part II and III of this chapter, Kent Annan catalogs the last stages of the home construction project; a question-and-answer section addresses his fears and reads like a movie intermission; his work and daily life are sketched out; and the chapter ends with a deliberation on the pros and cons of leaving Haiti during a time of political unrest.

I would love to hear from you about what parts of this hodgepodge caught your attention.  Perhaps there is something that you found humorous, puzzling, or inspiring.  You may have even disagreed with the author on some point.

I have really enjoyed reading the thoughtful comments that have been posted to date. Last week, Cynthia raised the issue of guilt which Annan alludes to throughout the book.   In her comment, Cynthia reminds us that we actually have no control over where we were born and that feeling guilty about having resources can be counter-productive.    She says,

I have been on a number of mission trips with teenagers who often experience a sort of “God is unfair” feeling when leaving country. for the first time. It is probably a natural phenomenon, but I think it some times gets in the way of getting one’s job done. Since, I have gotten older, I believe that God put me in our country for a reason, and I don’t feel guilt about it.

As a follow-up to this idea of each of us being here for a reason, another person commented that Annan’s building of his house is like a metaphor for the body of Christ.  She says,

God continues to make our hearts “soft enough” to respond. We balance that idea of softened hearts with God creating each of us for a very different purpose ultimately to build up the body of Christ. I see the building of their house reflecting that idea. Each Haitian plays a part in building up the Annan’s, the village and indirectly the community and Haiti. We see each person’s life being enriched, be it in very different ways.

Over on the forum,  James posts a favorite quote from the book about gaining everything by losing.  James raises the issue that we can only hold so much in our hands.  In order to draw closer to the Lord, we often have to hand over things to Him. We heard from a couple who actually did pull up stakes and move to a more humble setting in Asia.  He and his wife have reminded us of  how it’s not so much about giving up as following Christ in obedience.  In response, they’ve seen Him provide them in ways they could never have imagined. 

Thanks for these!  I would love to hear from you this week too!

Chapter 5 is on the menu for next week!

Michael Pollan opens his book, Second Nature: A Gardner’s Education, with the observation that he has two gardens– the ideal one that exists in his imagination and the real one that inhabits his backyard with its weeds and pests. What is true in gardening seems just as true in life and in mission.

In this first part of chapter four, Kent Annan, tells the story of building his home on a mountainside in Haiti. He imagines the ideal of sweating alongside his  fellow Haitians as they construct shelter, and meet the the most  basic of human needs. Although this did happen to some degree, the reality was much more complex and confounding.

Kent had to navigate cultural mores– bringing gifts as encouragement to the workers, facing the fuzzy numbers of Jean Louis, and discovering the ins-and-outs of fair labor practices in a third world country.

In addition to battling anxiety due to cultural complexities, Annan often combated guilt.  As much as he tried to work side by side with the Haitians, he couldn’t erase the fact that he was still a foreigner with both perceived and real privileges. Although he knew this home would be ever so humble by American standards, he was keenly aware that many in Haiti lived in much worse conditions.

He learned a few things as he made his way through the cross-cultural tangles, “(1) try to live with integrity and (2) respond with wit.”  Both disarmed and diffused potential conflicts.

This week I would love to hear about any other insights you might have from these twenty pages (pages 80-100).

• What parts did you find interesting? funny? challenging?

• Have you experienced the ideal and real sides of ministry?  Could you tell us about it?

Go ahead and post a reply to this blog, either here or on the forum.

What do this week:

1.    Either respond to the discussion questions through the discussion forum (see instructions in previous posts) OR you can  post your answer in the “Your Reply” box at the end of this post (If you don’t see the “Your Reply” box, click on the word “comment” in the top right corner of this post.  The reply box will then appear).

2. For next week, Read chapter four, Part II and III, pages 100-143 for next week.

This week’s reading is filled with the nitty-gritty of living cross-culturally.  We read about loneliness, giving up relationships, and  managing a loss of privacy.

We learn how living amongst vast needs makes us keenly aware of our limitations. The author provides a  flashback to Albania where he came face to face with his own inability, and perhaps unwillingness, to help an Albanian friend get the cancer treatment she needed. I suppose that piercing memory reminds him of the similar feelings he has in Haiti.

In addition to all these losses and limits, the author battles another that proves to be his greatest nemesis– a rat.  The rodent causes a  loss of  sleep, comfort, and a sense of well-being.  Although this section provides some comic relief, I know it was anything but comical and sometimes these small annoyances can become something much more.

The author doesn’t leave us with the losses.  The chapter is also about finding.  At the close of the chapter, he reflects on Scripture and the contentment of being a peace with his new best friend, a cat, on his lap.

It’s a momentary retreat on this island that suffers too much sadness.  The answers to the question “What do I live for?” press so urgently on most days that I feel the insistent demands pushing away the answer.  Live for love, Jesus answered.  Love God. Love your neighbor. pg .77

What do this week:

1.    Either respond to the discussion questions through the discussion forum (see instructions in previous posts) OR you can  post your answer in the “Your Reply” box at the end of this post (If you don’t see the “Your Reply” box, click on the word “comment” in the top right corner of this post.  The reply box will then appear).

2. Respond to one (or all!) of the following discussion questions:

• Do you have a favorite quote from this chapter?

• Did this chapter remind you of anything?  Did you ever give up something only to find something even better?

• What part of these two chapters did you find most interesting, inspiring, or challenging?

3. Read chapter four, Part I, pages 80-100 for next week.

Finally, thanks so much for the great comments from last week.  Feel free to respond to the comments of others as well.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Today marks the start of AFM’s Online Missions book club. We’re kicking off with Kent Annan’s Following Jesus through the Eye of the Needle. We’ll be reading the book over the next six weeks.  Here’s the line up:

Week One (this week):  Read chapters 1-2, pages 12-50.

Week Two (June 22-29):  Read chapter 3, pages 52-77.

Week Three (June 29-July6):  Chapter 4, Part I, pages 80-100

Week Four (July 6-13):  Chapter 4, Part II, pages 100-143

Week Five (July 13-20): Chapter 5, pages 145-183

Week Six (July 20-27): Chapter 6, pages 185-196

What to do this week:

• Click on the forum link that will take you to the discussion forum.  Take a minute to answer the introductory question so that we can get to know each other;
• Read chapters one and two this week.  Questions on those chapters will be given during next week’s discussion;
• If you’re interested, take time to explore the links on this site about Haiti and the author.

Happy Reading.  I look forward to getting to know you this week and discussing the book next week.

Welcome to the AFM Online Missions Book Club. Although we don’t kick off until June 15th, there are a few things you can do now to get ready.  Here are some of them:

• Read the previous post, “Welcome to AFM’s Online Book Club”  if you haven’t done so yet;
• Register for the Discussion forum.  Click on the “Forum” tab on this website for instructions;
• If you haven’t ordered the book, Following Jesus through the Eye of the Needle, hurry and do it now.  You have time!
• Lastly, subscribe to this blog.  Click on the “Subscribe” button on the left side bar. Choose how you’d like the blog posts sent to you each week– email? Google Reader? You get to choose.

Next week, I’ll post the reading schedule.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.