Okay... Peppermint-Filled Pinatas is a GREAT BOOK!!! My friend Eric Bryant (one of our blog contributors) hit it out the park with this! Personally, it was right on time for me... and, practically, he nailed it: you cannot read this book and come away without understanding the importance of "loving your neighbor"... a must-read for all Christ-followers!
The book is an easy read... it's humorous, engaging, and - most of all - convicting. If you read it with a heart to learn, you will definitely come away assessing your own commitment to seeing people the way Jesus did (does), and have a greater desire to - not simply tolerate those who are different from us - but love them and serve them in the midst of relationship... which is something we must learn to do as Christ-followers. We have to learn how to hone the skill of developing relationships. As Eric says, "The most effective apologetic [in reaching people for Christ] is love."
Here are some other great tidbits from the book:
- "Our isolation from the world fails to communicate God's concern for those around us but instead communicates that we do not want others in our lives who do not know Christ."
- "The early church may have met in homes and hung out near the temple, but they also lived in the community and shared their lives with others who were not yet part of the Way. Too often we require others to come to us to find God rather than allowing what God does among us to spill over into the lives of those who have not been with us in that 'one place.'"
- "In our attempts to become holy or 'set apart,' we have mistaken a call for 'living with a different standard' with 'living in a different place that has a different standard.'"
- "We think others are willing to connect with us, even though what we offer is cheap and unsatisfying. We offer peppermints, when the world wants Gobstoppers, Airheads, and Resse's Peanut Butter Cups. We offer something sweet to believe; they want a new life that helps change the world."
- "The majority of Jesus' most important moments in his ministry involved places away from the temple."
- "Jesus led the greatest small group in history because he was more than a Bible study leader or prayer group facilitator. Jesus was a revolutionary."
- "People long to be part of something important... Connecting to a cause rather than building convictions within people seems to have longer lasting effects."
- "Stereotypes exist because we do not form friendships with others who differ from us."
- "Too often the church falls into a dangerous mind-set. We like to help people, just as long as they don't get too close. We may partner with churches of different ethnicities, yet we work together for a short time and from a distance."
Darren Plummer
Mosaic Church, DC
www.DPLUM.org
great post and overview of Peppermint-Filled Pinatas. Thanks!
Posted by: aaron | Feb 11, 2008 at 09:48 PM
I love this book! You pulled out some of the great quotes and thoughts too--nice!
Posted by: Rindy | Feb 12, 2008 at 09:48 PM