I’m very much enjoying soaking in ‘The Uprising’ by Captain Stephen Court and Olivia Munn. Its a great read, full of depth, revelation, challenge, teaching, blessing, salvationism…pretty much everything I enjoy in a book. Its interactive, conversational and direct all at the same time. Its written for teens but I know several people in 20s – 90s who’d love it and who need it. Its revolutionary stuff.

More than that, it moves me. I get tired of books which leave me stuck rigid in my chair. I had that experience the other day when I picked up Bill Hybels’ new offering, ‘Just Walk Across the Room.’ Its not a kinda book I normally would pick up…its one of those that put all of the church’s evangelistic eggs in the basket of friendship evangelism. The only reason I picked it up is because there is a little course attached to it that I thought might be helpful for some of the quieter souls in my soldiery by ways of encouraging them that they can do something.

Anyway, as I pick it up, I realise all of a sudden that I’ve read this book before, at least 10 years previously. I remember reading ‘Becoming a Contagious Christian’ by Hybels very early in my Christian life and it was something that was actually full of good stuff…still is really. Because I’d enjoyed BACC so much when I was younger, I read it several times, often dipping into it. So, you’ll understand I was familiar enough with it to spot the same basic plot in his new book. I don’t reckon he figured someone sitting down with the two books and being able to spot the same formula, same pattern but different words approach. If you can plagerise you’re own work he’s done a good job.

Now, of course, its the same author, he’s bound to have similar thinking as himself! Thing is, all he’s pretty much done is said that other methods of evangelism (outlined in his old book) are pretty much useless and sold his hat to go with the friendship evangelism. So, I put the book down feeling disappointed and a bit robbed that I’d just forked out £8 for a book which has had a previous existence in a much better book that has all the good bits still in. It just reminded me so much of the evangelistic fads that come and go and how fickle the church can be.

In contrast to the Uprising, there is a call, not just to holiness, but holiness in action, loving the lost, saving the lost, caring for the poor, resting in Jesus to supply us with what we need and responding in simple obedience as perfect love fills us an moves us with compassion. Court and Munn haven’t come up with a new plan. They’re re-digging old wells and coming up with material which would keep you well fed for a long time!

By the way, I’m not being paid to say these things about the nice book ;o) But still, my recommendation still stands: sell your bed and buy it!