It's a Dance

It is a strange thing to read words, phrases, and ideas in a book and know the stories behind them. Such things should be expected, however, when the book in question was written by a good friend.

The book, Patrick's first, takes a look at the work of the Spirit in the Church. This is not a typical theology book, however. Instead of the dense prose one might expect, the audience is given the opportunity to listen in on a series of conversations.

Patrick introduces the reader to fictional journalist Luke and his exploration of what church looks like in Southern California. After visiting a number of churches, Luke meets Nate, who pastors a fictional church in Pasadena.

Now that the stage is set, Nate and Luke meet several times to discuss Nate's ideas of church, how they developed, and how they are applied in the church, the Upper Room. These conversations are punctuated with additional input from other members of the church. Luke's week of interviews culminates in his visit to the church, where he finally sees how these ideas play out in practice.

Patrick's fictional church is clearly what we would call emergent, but his extensive study of the early Church is a constant presence. One almost has to wonder how the Eastern Orthodox and Emergent ideologies can coexist in the same person. He seems to be holding Orthodox doctrine in tension with Emergent practice. It works for him though, at least for the purpose of this book.

Over all, this was a good read. It is accessible, making it easy for those of us who might not typically read theology. On the other hand, Patrick is quite intelligent and well educated, with degrees from Wheaton and Fuller Seminary, and his thoughts are well developed and well communicated, making it something my more theologically minded friends can appreciate.

It's a Dance on Amazon
Perichoresis Blog
Patrick's Blog