Right Color, Wrong Culture: A Leadership Fable, by Bryan Loritts is a bit of an unusual book. It is published by Moody, and its topic is about how to select church staff for multiethnic ministry. However, instead of presenting his material in an expository manner, Mr. Loritts has written the book in a narrative style, and it reads like a novella. The approach works, because it allows the reader to hear and view the thoughts and concerns of all the important characters that appear in this fable. It also allows the reader to learn about what Mr. Loritts has to say about multiethnic ministry at the same time as the characters in the story.
The story is about Peter Williams, a consultant for a firm that seeks to develop multiethnic ministry in churches. He is recruited by a former mentor, Gary, who wishes to change the status quo at the church that he is presently working at. Gary Kirkland, a senior pastor, wishes to stop the migration of Poplar Bible Church and its Christian Academy from leaving the neighbourhood which is becoming less white, and more African-American in its makeup. Poplar Bible Church is primarily a white church and its leadership wishes to move to where their "constituency" is. Gary wishes to remain in the present neighbourhood and develop a multiethnic congregation, but he will need an African-American pastor who will be able to connect with the African-American community surrounding the church.
As the story unfolds, Peter advises the selection committee on how to recognize the best candidate who will meet the church's need. He explains that, "within every ethnicity exists at least three cultures," which he simply labels as C1, C2, and C3. The C1 group is made up of people who have assimilated into another ethnic group or culture. The C3 group is made up of people who refuse to adjust or assimilate within other ethnic groups or cultures. The C2 group is made up of people who are "culturally flexible and adaptable without becoming ethnically ambiguous or hostile." As the selection board interviews each successive candidate who are all African-American, Peter tries to point out how the committee may recognize clues as to which culture the candidate belongs to. The committee realizes that they will need to hire someone who belongs to the C2 group and that it would be in their best interest to do so if they wish for this endeavor to be a success. By the time Peter is done with them, they recognize that they need someone who has experience in crossing cultures which would be reflected in the candidate's schooling, work, and friendships, etc.
I won't tell you who ended up being the person that they hired for the job, but let me tell you that it surprised me, and it also surprised the selection committee.
I have summarized the three cultures, but this doesn't do justice to the explanations of what exactly these three cultures are. In fact, it was a bit eye opening to realize that at times, I can be quite a C1 person, and in some other contexts, I could be quite the C3 type. This book definitely challenges me to become a C2 type of person.
I appreciated the biblical exposition that was provided within the context of the fable. Mr. Loritts draws from the life of Jesus and the training that He gave to His disciples while He was still on the earth. He also discusses the experiences of the disciple, Peter, and how Jesus used him to open up the Gospel to the Gentiles. He also presents the life of Paul, the man who tried to become all things to all people so that by all possible means he could draw others to Christ (1 Cor. 9:22).
Mr. Loritts included statistics from recent sociological studies that reveal that in the United States, there are more than three hundred thousand places of worship, not just including Christianity, but of every faith, such as Muslim, Mormon, Buddhist, etc. Out of these, only 7.5 % is multiethnic. However, within the Christian church, the number falls down to 2.5 %. Since I am Canadian, I wonder how similar the statistics would be for Canada. I wonder what the statistics would look worldwide, in different countries, particularly those that are home to people of numerous ethnic backgrounds.
I definitely recommend reading this book, even if you are not involved in searching for pastoral candidates for a ministry. The ideas that Mr. Loritts presents are challenging my worldview of what the church of Christ could look like, and I think that what he is saying is true. Canadians love to use the word, "multicultural," and the city that I live in is home to people of many different ethnic backgrounds. The world is now at our doorstep, and the mission field is now here in our own homeland. If we do not open our doors to the people who are already here, there is the danger that the church in North America could miss the opportunity that is just staring at us in our faces.
Thursday 27 November 2014
Tuesday 25 November 2014
Review: The Healer's Touch by Lori Copeland
The Healer's Touch, by Lori Copeland, is a western historical romance involving Lyric Bolton, the aforementioned healer in the title of the book, and Ian Cawley, a U.S. Marshal who becomes a wounded amnesiac after his horse crashes into a barn on the Bolton farm while he is trying to apprehend a criminal. Ian has no identification on his person since he lost his wallet during an earlier scuffle in pursuing his quarry. Unfortunately for him, Lyric and her sister, Lark, suspect that he is a criminal himself, belonging to the Younger Gang and are determined to turn him over to their local sheriff in order to claim the reward for capturing a Younger. Because of the abysmal weather conditions, the sisters must ironically shelter and care for Ian, whom Lyric has renamed as Joseph, until the sheriff can make it to their farm in order arrest Ian and hang him for his supposed crimes. As Lyric and Ian spend more time together while she tends to his wounds, they fall in love. Will Ian regain his memory before he faces the hangman's noose?
Ian is a likeable character. I had to smirk at his thoughts as his body meets up with the barn: "I'm going to sell that miserable horse if it's the last thing I do." I don't mean to be laughing at the injuries that he is about to suffer, but I thought that it was a humourous thing that he was thinking of instead. If I were him, I would have probably been fearful that I was going to be taking my last breath instead and my thoughts would have reflected that. Anyways, throughout the story, his thoughts, words, and actions reveal that he is a believing man who is more likely to be a good citizen rather than a hardened criminal.
Lyric is a young woman who had to assume adult responsibilities too early in her youth. She doesn't recall any knowledge of her father, and had to care for both her mother and sister since she was about seven years old. On top of that, because her mother's illness is of the mental kind, the family has been treated as social pariahs. Now that Mrs. Bolton's health is starting to fail, Lyric is waiting for their mother to pass on, and then the two sisters will leave the area and move away to a new place. Lyric hopes to make a new start where they will be accepted instead of shunned.
There is also another significant character in the novel, and that is the Spooklight, which, according to Lori Copeland, is based upon a real phenomenon in Missouri. I haven't done a lot of research into the Spooklight, so I don't want to comment much about the real phenomenon beyond the idea that this seems to touch on a sort of supernatural spiritism that gives me the creeps and heebee jeebies. In the book, many of the characters feel in a similar way, and this Spooklight, which seems to act as an impish and mischievious will o'wisp, appears quite frequently near the Bolton Farm. This has added more social stigma to the sisters who are already shouldering public ostracization in response to their mother's mental health. The Spooklight plays an important part in bringing Lyric and Ian together, because it is the thing that frightens Ian's horse into its mad dash into the barn door. Ms. Copeland doesn't directly confirm what the Spooklight is in this story, but she strongly hints that it could be an angel for this book. Regardless of what it actually is, it seems to be a sentient being in the novel, frightening some, acting as a nuisance to others, and giving comfort to one of the major characters. Because it hasn't been overtly identified as an angel of God, I must confess that the character of the Spooklight is not a comfortable idea for me.
If you are interested in a western historical romance with a touch of the supernatural in it, this might be a book to look into.
Disclaimer: I was provided with an e-copy of The Healer's Touch from Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions stated in this review are mine.
Ian is a likeable character. I had to smirk at his thoughts as his body meets up with the barn: "I'm going to sell that miserable horse if it's the last thing I do." I don't mean to be laughing at the injuries that he is about to suffer, but I thought that it was a humourous thing that he was thinking of instead. If I were him, I would have probably been fearful that I was going to be taking my last breath instead and my thoughts would have reflected that. Anyways, throughout the story, his thoughts, words, and actions reveal that he is a believing man who is more likely to be a good citizen rather than a hardened criminal.
Lyric is a young woman who had to assume adult responsibilities too early in her youth. She doesn't recall any knowledge of her father, and had to care for both her mother and sister since she was about seven years old. On top of that, because her mother's illness is of the mental kind, the family has been treated as social pariahs. Now that Mrs. Bolton's health is starting to fail, Lyric is waiting for their mother to pass on, and then the two sisters will leave the area and move away to a new place. Lyric hopes to make a new start where they will be accepted instead of shunned.
There is also another significant character in the novel, and that is the Spooklight, which, according to Lori Copeland, is based upon a real phenomenon in Missouri. I haven't done a lot of research into the Spooklight, so I don't want to comment much about the real phenomenon beyond the idea that this seems to touch on a sort of supernatural spiritism that gives me the creeps and heebee jeebies. In the book, many of the characters feel in a similar way, and this Spooklight, which seems to act as an impish and mischievious will o'wisp, appears quite frequently near the Bolton Farm. This has added more social stigma to the sisters who are already shouldering public ostracization in response to their mother's mental health. The Spooklight plays an important part in bringing Lyric and Ian together, because it is the thing that frightens Ian's horse into its mad dash into the barn door. Ms. Copeland doesn't directly confirm what the Spooklight is in this story, but she strongly hints that it could be an angel for this book. Regardless of what it actually is, it seems to be a sentient being in the novel, frightening some, acting as a nuisance to others, and giving comfort to one of the major characters. Because it hasn't been overtly identified as an angel of God, I must confess that the character of the Spooklight is not a comfortable idea for me.
If you are interested in a western historical romance with a touch of the supernatural in it, this might be a book to look into.
Disclaimer: I was provided with an e-copy of The Healer's Touch from Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions stated in this review are mine.
Wednesday 5 November 2014
Review: The Forfeit by Py Russell-Heath
The Forfeit, by Py Russell-Heath, is a regency that I found off the freebie list at Amazon. Yes, I'm still in my freebie hunt mode. Plus, on top of that, it was a regency. I just couldn't resist. I also loved the fact that on her author page, Ms. Russell-Heath posted a photo of herself decked out in regency garb. I want my own gown now. Actually, now that I think of it, if I could get the special man in my life into a frock coat, I think that I'd be pretty estatic, but I'm digressing from the purpose of this blog entry, which is to discuss The Forfeit.
The hero in this story is a stuffy earl, Lord Edmund Spanton, the Earl of Merton, who forgets himself when he crashes into the heroine, the Honorable Miss Regina Carbury, on a staircase at The Withered Rose Inn. Both are not in their finest frames of mind; Regina is furious with getting knocked over and proceeds to verbally flay Edmund with her words, while Edmund, who is en route to London after an aggravating visit with his sister, responds with boorish behaviour in the face of what he perceives as an attack by still yet another criticizing female. When Regina tries to pass by him, he refuses to budge unless she pays him a forfeit, which is, of course, a kiss. Regina leans over to kiss him on the cheek, but sneaky man that he is, Edmund places his lips in the way, and "...her face reflected the surprise that he felt." I thought that this line was rather Austen-like...it reminded me of the verbal spat between Darcy and Elizabeth when discussing Wickham, or of the meeting between Elizabeth and Darcy at Pemberley, or even when E and D reconciled their differences on their walk to Oakham Mount.
At this point in the story, neither person knows the identity of the other, and leaves the inn with a bit of shame over their own behaviour, relieved that they will likely not ever see each other again. That is the case, until they meet at a ball in London when they find out that Edmund is a dear friend of Regina's aunt and uncle with whom she is staying. Awkwardness abounds. Edmund is taken so much by surprise that he ends up giving Regina the cut direct unintentionally, which creates a problem for him in his relationship with Regina's aunt and uncle. He tries to rectify this error by taking Regina out riding the next day, and Regina and he apologize to each other for their abominable behaviour. However, Edmund becomes stiff and remote by the end of this outing when he realizes that too much attention has been drawn towards Regina and himself that he fears that talk would circulate about a relationship between them. Regina, realizing that Edmund is not interested in having society gossip about them being together, regrets her behaviour, but stands firm in her resolve to not presume on the earl's acquaintance. However, she does admit that he is an attractive man.
Regina is in London to find a husband so that she will not inconvenience her brother or his future wife. Edmund is also on the marriage hunt, trying to look for a wife who will meet the Three B's: breeding, bearing, and behaviour. However, neither is on each other's list initially, until it becomes apparent that no other candidate will do except for the person who each had met at The Withered Rose Inn.
I found this novel to be populated with nice people. It was rather refreshing. There wasn't much by the way of catty or mean behaviour by many of the characters in this novel, with a few exceptions: Mrs. Tifton, a social climber, Lady Bremond, the diamond of first water who is the frontrunner for the position of being Edmund's countess, and Lord Linley, a marquis who makes some rather unwelcome advances towards Regina. Other than that, many of the characters appeared to be self sacrificing, willing to do the right and honorable thing, and in some cases, even at the expense of their own personal happiness. However, Regina was the one who was the one who exemplified this type of behaviour the most in this story.
The Forfeit had its funny moments too. For starters, there were Regina's responses to all the marriage offers that started coming her way once the three top contenders for her hand were refused. I also found it a bit funny when Edmund's good friend, Lord Matthew Warton, Viscount Neal, decided to throw in his hat and propose to Regina to stir up Edmund's jealousy. Ah, dear Matthew...such a cheeky fellow.
Another funny moment was when Regina realized that the house party that she was attending would have seven unmarried men, most of whom were earls, one of whom might try to offer for her if only to see if he might succeed where a viscount could not. Why is the girl panicking? Really, I don't think that I would have if I were in her shoes.
Finally, there was the time when Edmund persuaded Regina to read through his updated list of requirements for the Countess of Merton. Edmund was trying to argue that she had the appropriate breeding and bearing, but I had to laugh at the history of how Regina's forefather gained his title. I also found it humourous that he said to overlook the behaviour section.
I did fear that the novel was going to drag on a bit after Regina's refusal of her second suitor. The first two refusals took a bit of time in the plot, but the third and subsequent refusals were dealt with quite quickly and the pace picked up. I did want to rattle Edmund's shoulders for not realizing his feelings for Regina.
The novel was clean, witty at points, and enjoyable to read. I wanted to find out how it ended. From Ms. Russell-Heath's author page, it appears that she may have another couple of novels in the works. I hope that Matthew Warton's story will be one of those.
The hero in this story is a stuffy earl, Lord Edmund Spanton, the Earl of Merton, who forgets himself when he crashes into the heroine, the Honorable Miss Regina Carbury, on a staircase at The Withered Rose Inn. Both are not in their finest frames of mind; Regina is furious with getting knocked over and proceeds to verbally flay Edmund with her words, while Edmund, who is en route to London after an aggravating visit with his sister, responds with boorish behaviour in the face of what he perceives as an attack by still yet another criticizing female. When Regina tries to pass by him, he refuses to budge unless she pays him a forfeit, which is, of course, a kiss. Regina leans over to kiss him on the cheek, but sneaky man that he is, Edmund places his lips in the way, and "...her face reflected the surprise that he felt." I thought that this line was rather Austen-like...it reminded me of the verbal spat between Darcy and Elizabeth when discussing Wickham, or of the meeting between Elizabeth and Darcy at Pemberley, or even when E and D reconciled their differences on their walk to Oakham Mount.
At this point in the story, neither person knows the identity of the other, and leaves the inn with a bit of shame over their own behaviour, relieved that they will likely not ever see each other again. That is the case, until they meet at a ball in London when they find out that Edmund is a dear friend of Regina's aunt and uncle with whom she is staying. Awkwardness abounds. Edmund is taken so much by surprise that he ends up giving Regina the cut direct unintentionally, which creates a problem for him in his relationship with Regina's aunt and uncle. He tries to rectify this error by taking Regina out riding the next day, and Regina and he apologize to each other for their abominable behaviour. However, Edmund becomes stiff and remote by the end of this outing when he realizes that too much attention has been drawn towards Regina and himself that he fears that talk would circulate about a relationship between them. Regina, realizing that Edmund is not interested in having society gossip about them being together, regrets her behaviour, but stands firm in her resolve to not presume on the earl's acquaintance. However, she does admit that he is an attractive man.
Regina is in London to find a husband so that she will not inconvenience her brother or his future wife. Edmund is also on the marriage hunt, trying to look for a wife who will meet the Three B's: breeding, bearing, and behaviour. However, neither is on each other's list initially, until it becomes apparent that no other candidate will do except for the person who each had met at The Withered Rose Inn.
I found this novel to be populated with nice people. It was rather refreshing. There wasn't much by the way of catty or mean behaviour by many of the characters in this novel, with a few exceptions: Mrs. Tifton, a social climber, Lady Bremond, the diamond of first water who is the frontrunner for the position of being Edmund's countess, and Lord Linley, a marquis who makes some rather unwelcome advances towards Regina. Other than that, many of the characters appeared to be self sacrificing, willing to do the right and honorable thing, and in some cases, even at the expense of their own personal happiness. However, Regina was the one who was the one who exemplified this type of behaviour the most in this story.
The Forfeit had its funny moments too. For starters, there were Regina's responses to all the marriage offers that started coming her way once the three top contenders for her hand were refused. I also found it a bit funny when Edmund's good friend, Lord Matthew Warton, Viscount Neal, decided to throw in his hat and propose to Regina to stir up Edmund's jealousy. Ah, dear Matthew...such a cheeky fellow.
Another funny moment was when Regina realized that the house party that she was attending would have seven unmarried men, most of whom were earls, one of whom might try to offer for her if only to see if he might succeed where a viscount could not. Why is the girl panicking? Really, I don't think that I would have if I were in her shoes.
Finally, there was the time when Edmund persuaded Regina to read through his updated list of requirements for the Countess of Merton. Edmund was trying to argue that she had the appropriate breeding and bearing, but I had to laugh at the history of how Regina's forefather gained his title. I also found it humourous that he said to overlook the behaviour section.
I did fear that the novel was going to drag on a bit after Regina's refusal of her second suitor. The first two refusals took a bit of time in the plot, but the third and subsequent refusals were dealt with quite quickly and the pace picked up. I did want to rattle Edmund's shoulders for not realizing his feelings for Regina.
The novel was clean, witty at points, and enjoyable to read. I wanted to find out how it ended. From Ms. Russell-Heath's author page, it appears that she may have another couple of novels in the works. I hope that Matthew Warton's story will be one of those.
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