Because of a two hour flight delay this week, I finally began reading Jim Belcher’s Deep Church: A Third Way Between Emerging and Traditional. I have very much enjoyed the first half of the book.

As I read, I found myself marking up the book more than usual. There is much to appreciate from Belcher’s insights. He writes with a great sense of humility and fairness as he critiques both the good and the bad in both “camps.”  The chapter that prompted the most “markings” is titled “Deep Gospel.” I liked Belcher’s description of a more wholistic/robust gospel that includes the kingdom:

The gospel is at the center of all we do. The “gospel” is the good news that through Jesus, the Messiah, the power of god’s kingdom has entered history to renew the whole world. Through the Savior God has established his reign. When we believe and rely on Jesus’ work and record (rather than ours) for our relationship to God, that kingdom power comes upon us and begins to work through us. We witness this radical new way of living by our renewed lives, beautiful community, social justice, and cultural transformation. This good news brings new life. The gospel motivates, guides, and empowers every aspect of our living and worship.

Later he speaks of four core commitments, that include:

Gospel —— Community —— Mission —— Shalom

With the above commitments, he then writes:

The order is important. As we are affected by the gospel, we are empowered to move into community to care for one another, we begin to reach outside of our community with acts of mercy – mission. And as we move into our community with acts of service and mercy, we begin to look for ways to make and renew culture and its institutions so that they honor God’s original design for creation. This is shalom. The more we live in community, are merciful and transform culture, the more we need the gospel to empower and transform us, and the circle starts over again – gospel, community, mission and shalom.

If you want to read more of what others have said about the book, Belcher has compiled a great collection of reviews, (not all in total agreement by the way) of the book here. The dialog that takes place in the comments of several of the reviews is also well worth reading.