recovering our primary love

As I wait for my visa, I have put myself to writing the new book on Christology with Mike Frost. This book will be first and foremost a call for the church at the dawn of the 21st Century to rediscover its first, and therefore our primary, love (”Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Rev.2:4). This text in Revelations has often been interpreted to mean that we must rediscover the more naïve love we had for Jesus when we first experienced his grace and forgiveness. This might be also be implied in the text, but I believe that actually Jesus is here reclaiming his role as the defining (primary) love of our lives, a love which clearly the Ephesian church had somehow lost touch with. In other words, he is here reasserting his rightful role as the defining center of the Christian faith. This sends a clear signal to all who would follow in any age and culture. It is Jesus who gets the first place on defining who we are and how we must conduct ourselves in the world. Our love of Jesus must so qualify all other loves that even the love of our parents must appear to be hatred in comparison (Lk.14:26.) A single-mindedness must determine our relation to him and all competing claims for loyalty and worship must be filtered via our love for him. We therefore believe that behind this primal call to devotion lies a very important and ongoing principle for the life of God’s people in any age: that to renew faith and church, we must always first rediscover our main love.

June 7, 2007 | Filed Under christology, renewal |

Comments

19 Responses to “recovering our primary love”

Eleanor Burne-Jones on June 7th, 2007 8:52 pm

I had a discomfort reading this, in that the concept of Father has huge importance for me in understanding God and modelling on him - as in the Prodigal Son, and Nouwen’s interpretation of how we can be all three characters at different times and in different ways.

I don’t have a problem with the centrality of Jesus in dialogue on discipleship, but I can’t reduce the emphasis on Father and that aspect is not obviously apparent in looking at Christ.

I became worried at one point that I was not understanding the Holy Spirit in this Father and Son picture/model, but a spiritual director worked with me on learning to look for what is life-giving in a situation, and how my loving with the love of God in the world through his indwelling,and my dwelling in him, is life-giving.
Janet on June 7th, 2007 9:25 pm

I have this prayer up on my desk… a prayer of John Wesley… that expresses something of the spirit of devotion to Christ…

A COVENANT PRAYER OF JOHN WESLEY

And now, beloved, let us bind ourselves with willing bonds to our covenant God, and take the yoke of Christ upon us.

This taking of His yoke upon us means that we are heartily content that He appoint us our place and work, and that He alone be our reward.

Christ has many services to be done; some are easy, others are difficult; some bring honour, some bring reproach; some are suitable to our natural inclinations and temporal interests, others are contrary to both. In some we may please Christ and please ourselves, in others we cannot please Christ except by denying ourselves. Yet the power to do all these things is assuredly given us in Christ, who strengtheneth us.

Therefore, let us make the Covenant of God our own. Let us engage our heart to the Lord, and resolve in His strength never to go back.

Being thus prepared, let us now, in sincere dependence on His grace and trusting in His promises, yield ourselves anew to Him, meekly kneeling upon our knees.

I am no longer my own, but Thine. Put me to what Thou wilt; rank me with whom Thou wilt; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for Thee or laid aside for Thee, exalted for Thee or brought low for Thee; let me be full, let me be empty; let me have all things, let me have nothing; I freely and heartily yield all things to Thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father Son and Holy Spirit, Thou art mine, and I am Thine. So be it. And the Covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen.
Adam Young on June 8th, 2007 1:43 am

I look forward to your new book with Frost. Your last collaborative effort (The Shaping Of Things To Come) blew away my perceptions of what church should be about. There were several times I threw the book away from me like a venomous snake because I knew that if I truly agreed with you, I would have to make drastic changes in my life to become more missional.

I couldn’t find a way to contact you through other means, but I was wondering if you have the time (yeah right), if you could check out my latest blog post. I’m reading The Forgotten Ways (great book by the way), but I’m also posting my thoughts on another book called “Jim And Casper Go To Church”. I have some thoughts on Willow Creek and the separation of believers and seekers into different targeted worship services and how it relates to yours (and Frost’s) discussion in your books about Hellenistic vs. Hebraic approaches to behavior/change. I also quoted from your book, hopefully you don’t mind. If you could let me know what you think, that would be great.

Do you ever come to the U.S. to speak on these subjects? I would love to hear these concepts first-hand (although don’t expect change from just me taking in information )
Adam Young on June 8th, 2007 1:44 am

Yeah, that blog would be at http://www.psalm63adam.blogspot.com

Should have mentioned that.
Wes Roberts on June 8th, 2007 1:47 am

Alan…if that paragraph shows the direction of your writing…then I am very glad the visa is late. Count on my prayers as you write…for I need to hear what our Triune God is saying, through you. …so thankful we are walking in His direction, together. …Wes
Peggy on June 8th, 2007 5:42 am

See, bro, God is actively redeeming the time you’re having to wait! Good for you…good for us!

Be blessed and inspired as you allow the Holy Spirit to use your gifts to bring glory to God and rekindle the fire of our all-consuming First Love in our hearts.

As CS says: luvyerwork!
Bob Carder on June 8th, 2007 2:09 pm

Looking forward to the read!

And I echo Peggy’s “Be blessed and inspired as you allow the Holy Spirit to use your gifts to bring glory to God…”
Alan Hirsch on June 8th, 2007 2:42 pm

Come Holy Spirit!
Peggy on June 8th, 2007 4:27 pm

Hallelujah!
James Petticrew on June 8th, 2007 7:08 pm

Alan, the Wesley quote is significant because for Wesley love equated with holiness (oh that the Holiness movement would have held on to that fact) He believed that only when a burning, passionate love for Christ becomes the centre of who we are is authentic holiness possible. This emphasis on llove moved sin and holiness from legal categories for Wesley to relational ones. We resist sin not because it means breaking a moral law but because we love Christ so much we do not want to bring hurt to him.
Here are a couple of my favourite quotes from him on the subject
`Let your soul be filled with so entire a love to Him that you may love nothing but for his sake.’

“It were well you should be thoroughly sensible of this, — ‘the heaven of heavens is love.’ There is nothing higher in religion; there is, in effect, nothing else; if you look for anything but more love, you are looking wide of the mark, you are getting out of the royal way. And when you are asking others, ‘Have you received this or that blessing?’ if you mean anything but more love, you mean wrong; you are leading them out of the way, and putting them upon a false scent. Settle it then in your heart, that from the moment God has saved you from all sin, you are to aim at nothing more, but more of that love described in the thirteenth of the Corinthians. [1 Cor. 13 ] You can go no higher than this, till you are carried into Abraham’s bosom.”
Alan Hirsch on June 8th, 2007 7:45 pm

I am already more Wesleyan than I ought to be. Don’t make me more so James.:-) Who cannot love this man?
Micky on June 8th, 2007 8:02 pm

About 3 years ago I dropped into a black hole – four months of absolute terror. I wanted to end my life, but somehow [Holy Spirit], I reached out to a friend who took me to hospital. I had three visits [hospital] in four months – I actually thought I was in hell. I imagine I was going through some sort of metamorphosis [mental, physical & spiritual]. I had been seeing a therapist [1994] on a regular basis, up until this point in time. I actually thought I would be locked away – but the hospital staff was very supportive [I had no control over my process]. I was released from hospital 16th September 1994, but my fear, pain & shame had only subsided a little. I remember this particular morning waking up [home] & my process would start up again [fear, pain, & shame]. No one could help me, not even my therapist [I was terrified]. I asked Jesus Christ to have mercy on me & forgive me my sins. Slowly, all my fear has dissipated & I believe Jesus delivered me from my “psychological prison.” I am a practicing Catholic & the Holy Spirit is my friend & strength; every day since then has been a joy & blessing. I deserve to go to hell for the life I have led, but Jesus through His sacrifice on the cross, delivered me from my inequities. John 3 : 8, John 15 : 26, are verses I can relate to, organically. He’s a real person who is with me all the time. I have so much joy & peace in my life, today, after a childhood spent in orphanages [England & Australia]. God LOVES me so much. Fear, pain, & shame, are no longer my constant companions. I just wanted to share my experience with you [Luke 8 : 16 – 17].

Peace Be With You
Micky
Janet on June 8th, 2007 8:43 pm

God bless you Micky… thank you for sharing.
Webb on June 8th, 2007 11:53 pm

I’ve been on this subject myself recently. My concern is that we have drifted far away from the model for relationships that Jesus exemplified in his own life. We have adopted more to the increasingly narcissistic tendencies of our culture than to the selfless, unconditional love exhibited by the Lord. It’s troubling.
James Petticrew on June 9th, 2007 6:32 am

ALan when in the States you should find about Francis Asbury, now there is a Wesleyan who knew about apostolic DNA!
I don’t know if you noticed in Wilmore that the statue of Asbury on horse back was leaving town, a less than subtle hint to students at the seminary and college that we live to be sent into the world not exist in a Christian enclave.
Celtic Son on June 12th, 2007 9:41 pm

Like Janet I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to Micky for bringing me back to the reality of what this is all about. It is not an intellectual journey primarily, but a holistic application of Jesus’ calling to set captives free, restore sight to the blind, bind up the broken-hearted…

There is a greater need for people who genuinely follow Jesus than for greater comprehension of academic knowledge… That does not mean we are excused from accurate understanding, but that Mickky’s experience reminds me that understanding comes holistically through engagement body, soul and spirit… not simply in the pursuit of intellectual knowledge.

Thanks Micky… may God inject in His people, particularly in me, a greater compassion and desire to get alongside and serve those who struggle as you have done.

Slainte mhor agus a h-uile beannachd duibh
meaning: good health and every good blessing to you

A Celtic Son
Drummer Chris on June 14th, 2007 2:36 am

Recovering our primary love is probable the central roadblock for the “Rich Man” to reach heaven and why Jesus said that “..the meek shall inherit the earth..”.

Trouble is, in our capitalist society consumerism/greed is not looked upon as sin anymore so most feel there is nothing to turn away from and seek Jesus as their Savior and sacrificial substitute and return to His love. Once we have been conditioned to believe that something is no longer a sin (gluttony, homosexuality, promiscuity, greed, etc.) the less we feel there is a need to repent.

Hence, the “Meek Sub-Culture” or those poor in spirit that still have the ability to humble themselves is growing smaller everyday.
Espen on June 14th, 2007 3:44 am

For a long time as I decided to follow Jesus I thought myself quite righteous (terribly wrong of course). My solution was not to repent of a sin that I was not aware of, but instead turn to Jesus, to decide to follow him in good and bad days, and trust him that he is right in saying that I am sinful and to reveal it in my life. And that he has done, progressively–there has alvays been work to do

So I am not sure that the blindness to what is sin is the reason for that people do not follow Jesus, though that might be a reson for a lack of discipleship with those who say that they do. I believe it is because of a lack in the church of much of what Alan describes in TFW (including discipleship)–that it is the church who is hindering people to come to Jesus. Interesting that the gospel didn’t start to multiply in China (and in Vietnam also) before the western missionaries had been chased away.
Lucas Parry on June 20th, 2007 1:47 am

Awesome, I cant wait to read the book!
~Lucas~