Book Review: More Ready Than You Realize by Brian McLaren

Book Review: More Ready Than You Realize by Brian McLaren
Publisher: Zondervan, 2002
Rating: 8 out of 10

I have a love-hate relationship working with author/pastor Brian McClaren. I believe much of what he says needs to be heard by The Church. McClaren’s books are focused on making Christians rethink the way they “do” church and religion. He is determined to make Christianity relevent in our post-modern culture. Unfortunately, he often seems to throw the baby out with the bathwater. McClaren often turns his back on centuries of what I consider good and essential theology. Still, I often find myself reading his books because they challenge my thinking and expand my beliefs. Oddly, I tend to find myself agreeing with him more lately than I used to and More Ready Than You Realize is a good of example of that.

More Ready Than You Realize is a book about evangelism. McLaren shares several emails and stories that occurred between himself and a young college student that track her evolution from skeptic to faith. McLaren points out the mistakes the modern church makes when it comes to evangelism. I agree with his assertion that the modern church seems more concerned with their “numbers” of conversions rather than entering into relationship with people. I can remember very well the moment I was “saved” when I was in high school. I had attended a local church with a friend and experienced my first alter call. The pressure was immense. I did my best to ignore the call, but before I knew it my legs were involuntarily dragging me forward. The power of the moment is hard to describe in words. My friend joined me at the alter and led me in “the prayer.” I’m sure the pastor went home that night, patted himself on the back, and added my conversion to the number of souls he had rescued from the burning flames. That church failed me though. After my conversion, not one leader of the church approached me and gave me guidance in my new found faith. Not one experienced Christian stepped forward to help me understand scripture or what it meant to be a disciple. For a fifteen year old boy, my conversion left me with more questions than answers and eventually left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Left on my own, I soon drifted away from the church and God. It took years for me to begin to explore a relationship with Christ again. Thankfully, God put people in my life the second time around that were willing to teach and nurture my faith.

McLaren points out the failures of conversions like mine to explain why we need a new paradigm when it comes to evangelism. No longer can the church be concerned with numbers and conversion experiences. In the real world, these moments just don’t work. Like my experience, they leave people with more questions than answers. McClaren points out the value of entering into “spiritual friendships” with faith seekers. Not in an undercover Bible thumping kind of way, but in a genuine, caring, and authentic manner. McLaren even suggests that Christians may need to take time away from their church circles to spend more time in relationship with nonbelievers. I especially liked McLaren’s point that churches should be open to, and welcome, nonbelievers. It’s only through these kinds of relationships that Christians can fulfill the Great Commission and make genuine disciples.

I highly recommend this book for any Christian that has a desire to enter into relationship with nonbelievers. Especially those that feel the “alter call” is an essential part of their church.

Clark