Prototype book review

About 9 months ago I stumbled upon a Pastor via Twitter.  As lame as it sounds, I was following the Church of God General Assembly hashtag and with me living in Southeast Asia, that’s the best I could do.  Don’t make fun.

He peaked my interest based on several things he was “tweeting” and then I stumbled upon his blog… and then his podcasts.

Jonathan Martin is a pastor in Charlotte, NC, who comes from the same roots as my own.  After I listened to his first podcast, which was during election season and he addressed many political questions, I was absolutely floored at A-how sound his teachings were, B-how I found myself jumping for joy with some of the thoughts he shared (especially when you are living in the Bible belt), and C-how perfectly smooth his educated, Southern accent is!  ha!

All of that led me to request to receive his first book, “Prototype” early from Tyndale House to submit a review. 

So I sent a ridiculously, helpless email to Tyndale making sure they delivered it electronically because I was about to hop on a plane back to Cambodia and I feared it would just be sitting in my PO box all year.  They complied with my request, and I flew through almost the whole book on the plane ride back in March. 

Martin is a solid storyteller and you can see that throughout his book.   Whether it’s his own stories, or Jesus stories, he shares them in a way where you can either A-understand the concept better or B-allow you to look at it in a different way. 

The whole message of his book surrounds the idea that Jesus was the prototype for the new way of being human. 

“The reason He was such a threat was that He showed us a new way to be human.  That’s why He ultimately had to be crucified-He was calling others into this new humanity, and it was dangerous for the social order of the day.  And not just His day, but ours as well.”

I must say, I was raised on campgrounds just like he mentions in the book and have heard the same Gospel songs and seen the same altar calls and it warmed my heart so to hear his stories.  I even grew up in church with one of the guys mentioned in the book.  So with that being said, the good the bad and the ugly that happen to come with the territory is so real and tangible and must be faced.  I appreciate his boldness in attempting to describe the pros and cons of all that we were raised in, but most importantly, focusing on the Truth that we can find within those realms of culture: Pentecostal culture. 

My most favorite quote from the book that apparently was what I needed to hear at the time was when he talked about David.

“Alone in the field, far removed in both space and time from the overwhelming voices we contend with every day, David came to a remarkable revelation:  He was loved simply because he existed.”

“It turns out that knowing how loved we are by God makes all the difference in the kind of people we will become.”

And that phrase alone has changed my life!  When you are a “doer” like me, checking things off the checklist is often what makes us feel approval from others and this was rather liberating to be reminded of!  There are so many moments of just straight, amazement throughout the book that I probably need to go back and re-read it! 

He also addresses being wounded and carrying those scars.

“For Satan, the wilderness is a place for attack.  Away from the good gifts of friendship and community, it seems to be an opportunity to exploit our weaknesses and prey on our greatest fears.  But more important, the wilderness is the place where God courts His beloved.  When we step away from the noise and distraction, we find God has been wooing us all along.”

“I can’t get quite as excited as I once did by people’s affirmation of me.  I love to be encouraged and appreciated as much as anybody, but I know that nothing kind you might say about me would change the reality of what I’ve seen in myself in the wilderness.  I am both more loved and more broken than you could possibly know.” 

AMEN!  AND AMEN!

I realize my review here is somewhat sporadic, but I was surprised with how much he covered in the book and how many topics he chose to address.  So much of it was personal while still sharing the Word through a different lense.  His chapter on the Sacraments was enlightening as well.

I encourage you to purchase the book and seek out his Podcasts at Renovatus Church.  I want to support any brotha or sista keepin’ the true Pentecostal roots alive in a real way!