Against the Tide, Towards the Kingdom
Overview
Against the Tide, Towards the Kingdom is the story of the Urban Vision community in New Zealand. This book recounts the story of a group of young Christian adults who, over the last 15 years, have relocated to the colorful ends of their city to share life with those who are struggling, homeless, sick, poor, neglected, or otherwise marginalized. Over time, the community has grown to seven neighborhoods, where on any given day, you may find “Urban Visionites” growing vegetables amidst the concrete, teaching English to refugees, offering alternative education programs to out-of-school teenagers, fostering children, doing church with the homeless, offering friendship to the mentally ill, roasting fair trade coffee, running kids clubs, moms groups, tenant meetings, or just sharing yet another cup of tea with their neighbors. In fact, sharing is a good summary of the whole shape of this exciting movement. They share homes, food, money, vehicles, jobs, prayers, dreams, conversations, fun, tears, pain, hope, healing, transformation . . . they share the whole of life with each other and with their neighbors. They live the gospel—this good news of Jesus.
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- Examines the fruits as well as the importance of serving where you have been placed
- Focuses on the future of the church and monasticism as a means to renewal
- Emphasizes the importance of living an intentional Christian life
- Part I: Throwing It Overboard
- Going Deep: Throwing out the “Next” and the “New”
- Staying Faithful: Throwing out Experience Seeking
- Living the Dream: Throwing out Entertainment
- Finding Our Vocation: Throwing out Career
- Trusting God: Throwing out Financial Security
- Nurturing Healthy Relationships: Throwing out the Hollywood Romance
- Opening our Homes: Throwing out the Picket Fence
- Paddling against the Current: Throwing out Respectability
- Part II: Taking It On
- The Shared Life: Taking on All God Sends Us
- The Rhythmic Life: Taking on Discipline and Balance
- The Simple Life: Taking on Justice, Grace, and Generosity
- The Transformed Life: Taking on Hope for Change
- The Reconciled Life: Taking on the Work of Mending
- The Kingdom Life: Taking on Kingdom Moments
- Part III: Launching
- Preparing to Journey: Gathering a Crew, Knowing Your Destination, Charting a Course
- The Shape: Building a Boat
- The Wider Church: Paddling in Synch
- The Provisions: Sustaining the Journey
- On the Waka in the Wake of Jesus
It is a call to break free from all that suffocates us and to live with the recklessness and innocence of the lilies and sparrows. Justin and Jenny not only invite you to reject the counterfeit splendor and empty promises but they point you towards new rhythms and holy habits that move the world a little closer to God’s dream for it.
—Shane Claiborne, founding member, The Simple Way
Honest and deeply reflective, Jenny and Justin Duckworth have granted us a window on the beauty, the mess, the joy, and the pain of missional community. What they have discovered is that we can live fuller, more gracious lives in community, mission, and contemplation than we can by living in our nuclear family fortresses. This journey against the tide of a consumption-oriented culture will require us to put to death our tiresome and lonely lives of delicious self-absorption, but the promise of discovery and adventure in our voyage to a more sustainable and simplified life of shalom is painted for us with such striking honesty and beauty that we are compelled to set out on the waka. This is not a book, it is an invitation. I urge you not just to read it, but to accept it.
—Scott Bessenecker, associate director of missions, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, USA
- Title: Against the Tide, Towards the Kingdom
- Author: Jenny Duckworth and Justin Duckworth
- Series: New Monastic Library: Resources for Radical Discipleship
- Publisher: Wipf & Stock
- Publication Date: 2011
- Pages: 130
- Christian Group: Evangelical
- Resource Type: Topical
- Topic: Christian Living
Jenny Duckworth is a cofounder of the Urban Vision movement.
Justin Duckworth is a cofounder of the Urban Vision movement.