A couple of weeks ago I posted a query, "What do you think of Brian McLaren?" and the resulting interaction in my comments section was quite animated and, in a couple of instances, indicative of the polarized opinions toward this controversial author. I'm just an obscure American missionary with a very small readership, but I sincerely asked the question because I had never read any of McLaren's writings. I wanted input because it was my intention to read McLaren for myself and draw my own conclusions; so, a couple of days ago I ordered three books, (1) A Generous Orthodoxy; (2) The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth That Could Change Everything; and (3) A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey.

Over the weekend, I decided to begin reading the second and third books simultaneously, reserving A Generous Orthodoxy for later, and I would have to say—with a healthy balance of optimism and skepticism—that it's been a wonderful journey so far. The Secret Message of Jesus has really grabbed my interest thus far (I'm about one-third of the way through the book) primarily because of my recent Continue reading →