I read Present Future, listened to numerous leadership podcasts involving Reggie McNeal, and watched various seminars from Leadership Network in which McNeal pleaded with church leaders concerning the necessary comeback of missional church and the kingdom culture. I conclude that Reggie’s passion for the kingdom culture comes in part from many decades of overemphasis on church culture. For him, the realization that the local church is primarily a means to a kingdom end has caused the pendulum to swing hard. So hard in fact that some may misread his tone as something other than speaking truth in love. There is sarcasm in his book, but perhaps is a righteous sarcasm? [1]
McNeal is a man on the Missio Dei (Mission of God) and does not mince words or hold back his frustrations with over-exaltation of the Church by the Church. He speaks prophetically to a world that has elevated church culture over kingdom culture.
About the Author
Although McNeal only refers to “my denomination” in his book, I found a podcast episode in which he calls himself a Baptist. [2] His opening remarks are not only hilarious, but they reveal his posture and attitude toward kingdom collaboration. He said, “It’s absolutely terrifying and intimidating for a Baptist to be in a room full of Pentecostals [laughter]. We’ve learned how to operate our Churches without the Spirit…”[3]
He has extensive formal training and experience but admits that most of that was spent with the wrong focus. “Ministry and the church have been my world. But it is a world that I increasingly find difficult to feel at home in because it lacks spiritual purpose and missional vitality.”[4] He has since joined with several others in the past two decades of advancing the kingdom culture narrative.
Summary
The Present Future is broken down into six “New Realities” that all reiterate the fact that “the present makes clearest sense in light of the future.” [5] The past 500 years have predominantly perpetuated the idea that we are headed toward the future when the reality is the future is headed toward us (the Church).
On repeat, the book alludes to the fact that the Church is primarily a means to an end; that is a kingdom end. In Genesis, there was no Church and when the New Heaven and New Earth are ushered in, the Church does not exist. McNeal appropriately concludes that it must be a means to a kingdom-end. Thus, the kingdom culture is preeminent to the Church.
On repeat, the book alludes to the fact that the Church is primarily a means to an end; that is a kingdom end. In Genesis, there was no Church and when the New Heaven and New Earth are ushered in, the Church does not exist. McNeal appropriately concludes that it must be a means to a kingdom-end. Thus, the kingdom culture is preeminent to the Church.
The books strategic objective serves as a “polemical volume,” which galvanizes church leaders “to action before it’s too late.”[6] McNeal is clear in stating a tactical objective as well: “My goal is to provoke and to frame conversations that lead to action, to risk, to rediscovery of mission.”[7] “Provoke” and “galvanize” are great descriptions of what McNeal does. He gives his readers an “out” at the outset of the book: “me do not read this book if you are looking to bolster your opinion that the way to the future is charted through the past… if you fit any (or all) of these categories, take my advice and don't read this book. It will just agitate you.”[8]
The major themes throughout this book are the overemphasis of Church culture and the comeback of kingdom focus. The first Reformation focused on setting the Church free from (corrupt) people whereas this New Reformation is focused on setting the people free from (what has become) the Church/institution. Basically, out with the old and in with the new. We’ve been building up the Church for 500 years now let’s get with Jesus plan of preaching the good news of the Kingdom!
The gospel of the kingdom is about proclaiming the prison doors have been unlocked. A kingdom culture prevents the church from being competitors with one another. With a kingdom mindset, we become “one team one fight.”
Recommendations
I recommend that the subtitle, “Six tough questions for the Church” be renamed, “The Six New Realities in light of the death of Christian America” to set the stage for books like Gabe Lyon’s Next Christians: The Good News About the Death of Christian America. Although McNeal is clearly on mission to push the missional movement, I believe the “missional moment” (versus attractional) or as some critics call it, “The New Apostolic Reformation” is gaining momentum as it has since The Present Future was originally published in 2003.
Other proponents at the forefront of the missional movement are Alan Hirsch and Michael frost who wrote The Shaping of Things to Come (2003). The theme of this book reiterates (or leads the way?) of McNeal's The Present Future; namely, the rejection of the attractional church paradigm for the missional outward paradigm which leverages the five-fold ministry model found in Ephesians 4:11-12.
Perhaps McNeal's tone need not be so critical and sarcastic. Or maybe not? For this I am sure: People (the Church in particular) are fed up with the setup. Deep down they want more. The attraction model/the “come-to-my-church” mindset and the “do you know for certain that if you died today you would go to heaven” sales pitch lead to frustration and resentment - because those ideas are not only non-biblical, but they fail to cultivate the kingdom culture.
Other proponents at the forefront of the missional movement are Alan Hirsch and Michael frost who wrote The Shaping of Things to Come (2003). The theme of this book reiterates (or leads the way?) of McNeal's The Present Future; namely, the rejection of the attractional church paradigm for the missional outward paradigm which leverages the five-fold ministry model found in Ephesians 4:11-12.
Perhaps McNeal's tone need not be so critical and sarcastic. Or maybe not? For this I am sure: People (the Church in particular) are fed up with the setup. Deep down they want more. The attraction model/the “come-to-my-church” mindset and the “do you know for certain that if you died today you would go to heaven” sales pitch lead to frustration and resentment - because those ideas are not only non-biblical, but they fail to cultivate the kingdom culture.
Application
McNeal states, “This is not a how-to book”[9], but I think it is. It is a how-to-not book. Let’s be clear; the Church does not have a mission, per se, but rather the mission has a Church and we are currently in a time where we cannot overemphasize this. In 2017, we are seeing the death of Western Christendom, the “attractional”/“come-to-our-church” model, and the “join-our-club” approach to ministry just to name a few. Scores of books across various denominations are shifting to transformational, missional, team-driven with kingdom focus model.
My older Brother, who lives in Orange County, CA sends me sermons, podcasts, and updates every week about “movements” that are taking place in his area. He’ll often send me a soundbite or YouTube clip that reiterates something I had shared in my own personal conviction, which also happened to be mentioned in the book I was reading that week. My conclusion is that the Holy Spirit it working (as he always has) in teaching people from various “churches” simple gospel truth. It is a message about freedom and identity in Christ. It is about living for the kingdom. It is about being fully loved by being fully known. It is about the reality that “lone rangers are dead rangers” and none of us (who are created in the Imago Dei) were created to be isolated. We are created for Community. And we look forward to community here on earth as it is in heaven and as we see in the community of the triune God of the universe.
Never in my life have I listened to so many pastors from various denominations and have realized that they are all sharing the same Gospel. And much to my surprise, denominational distinctions, divisions, and dogmatic or systematic theological positions are no longer hills to die on. Hallelujah! We are acting like the body that Christ called us to be. We are promoting the freedom that Christ has created for us to walk in. No Longer Slaves,
In my PodcastAddict playlist is: Matt Chandler, Tim Keller, Passion Podcast, Dan Mohler, Francis Chan, Judah Smith, Carl Lentz, Brant Hansen, John Eldgrege, Tom Rainer, The Art of Manliness, and the RobCast. I’m reading books by Roman Catholic Priests that hit a home run on the Gospel and communal/missional/transformational living (Brennan Manning's Ragamuffin Gospel and various books by Henri Nouwen). On my wish list is Richard Rohr’s Breathing Under Water. Nevermind that these people belong to Bapitst, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Charismatic, and various other denominations. They come together preaching the gospel of the kingdom as is evident in community living, transformational preaching/teaching and promoting a life of transparency and vulnerability.
Innovation
Isn’t it interesting that the Church is not even in charge of the Kingdom - the King is in charge and he does not need the Church’s help in building it. The kingdom life is about freedom and living abundantly. The children of Israel were promised the “land flowing with milk and honey.” My mom calls this the LOMAH. My brother’s lowrider license plate is LOMAH65. I’d love to write a book one day called LOMAH, which would be about the abundant life that Jesus has been promising all along. The life of freedom that he has created us to walk in every moment of every day here on earth as it is in heaven until heaven comes back to earth - or as McNeal puts it, the present future.
McNeal notes that “…deliverance is not just from something but to something.” [10] He is referring to the LOMAH! The Hebrew slaves were completely “free” the moment the left Egypt, but they had a journey to take to enjoy the abundant life of the LOMAH. If two million Hebrews left Egypt and only two made it in (Joshua and Caleb), then the statistic is 1 in a million. I wonder if that is analogous to the Church today. I wonder if 1 in a million is experiencing the abundant life or the Land Flowing with Milk and Honey.
Creation and Restoration are the bookends of God’s story of human history. Redemption and restoration are the means by which God brings us back to reflect his image until the day we live with him in the new heaven and earth. Until the future fully merges with the present, I choose to be an advocate of kingdom culture. The Church is a means to an end. The Bible is a means to an end. Everything here and now is a means to a kingdom end and I choose to no longer elevate church culture over kingdom culture.
I choose to preach the gospel of the kingdom. This is a kingdom of deep relationships; where people are “naked and unashamed,” fully loved and fully known. Confessing sins, giving thanks to God, and “doing life” together here on earth as it is in heaven.
The present makes clear sense in light of the future.
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[1] Reggie McNeal, The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church (San Fransisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2003), 98.
[2] Reggie McNeal, Advancing the Kingdom on the Elim Podcast, April 28th, 2016.
[3] Ibid., :55.
[4] McNeal, The Present Future, XV.
[5] Ibid., XIII.
[6] Ibid., XVII-XVIII.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid., XVI-XVII.
[9] Ibid., XIX.
[10] Ibid., 13.
Tweetable Quotes
“As he hung on the cross Jesus probably never thought the impact of this sacrifice would be reduced two an invitation for people to join and support an institution.” @ReggieMcNeal #ThePresentFuture Page 1.
“The Church needs a mission fix.” @ReggieMcNeal #ThePresentFuture Page 10.
“…deliverance is not just from something but to something.” @ReggieMcNeal #ThePresentFuture Page 13.
“Street Church where people are already hanging out. We need a church in every mall, every Walmart SuperCenter, every Barnes& Noble.” @ReggieMcNeal #ThePresentFuture Page 35.
"The power of the gospel lost on church members who can sign off on doctoral positions but have no story of personal transformation” @ReggieMcNeal #ThePresentFuture Page 36.
“The first Reformation was about freeing Church. The new reformation is about creating gods people from the church (the institution).” @ReggieMcNeal #ThePresentFuture Page 43.
“The test for orthodoxy typically focuses on doctrinal stances, not character in spiritual connectedness to God and others.” @ReggieMcNeal #ThePresentFuture Page 55.
“To live abundantly is To borrow the future into the present.” @ReggieMcNeal #ThePresentFuture Page 73.
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