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My Kingdom Journeys book
When we started the World Race in 2006, we sensed that we were onto something. As the three vans left Matamoros for Chiapas and ports south, who knew what adventures lay ahead?
Five years later, it’s become a phenomenon. We expect to take close to 600 racers around the world in 2012. A gen…
By Seth Barnes
When we started the World Race in 2006, we sensed that we were onto something. As the three vans left Matamoros for Chiapas and ports south, who knew what adventures lay ahead?
Five years later, it’s become a phenomenon. We expect to take close to 600 racers around the world in 2012. A generation needs initiation and they know it.
Yes, they’re attracted to the adventures they know they’ll have along the way, but something else profound happens on the race:
They begin to see the world and themselves in it as God does. They begin to walk in community. They begin to grapple with issues of identity, purpose and kingdom in ways that change their lives.
When I saw this, I realized that it was unlike any ministry I’d ever seen before. I realized that, in fact, what racers were experiencing was like what I’d experienced, what had changed my life. It was an Aha! moment. We’d stumbled upon a pattern that Jesus himself established that almost always changed people.
Kingdom journeys are a kind of spiritual discipline that Jesus gave to his disciples and that the church has known about but forgotten. It’s a discipline insofar as it takes us to places we need to, but don’t want to go.
So I decided to write a book called Kingdom Journeys: The Lost Spiritual Discipline. It’s taken me four years to understand and describe what happens on kingdom journeys, but this past week I finished. I sent an advance ebook version to the 40 blog readers who signed up to give me feedback on it.
Last night I sent it to a coworker. I was gratified to hear back from her this morning:
“I read your book tonight. I meant to look it over and catch the essence, but found myself on each page slowed down by the stories and the truths- caught and pulled in. It is beautiful in the way that stainless steel counter-tops are beautiful-in necessity and simplicity and absoluteness.”
So many times in the writing process I realized that I didn’t understand enough about what journeys do to people to go any further in my writing. As I observed them require people to abandon everything as Jesus had his disciples do in Luke 9 and 10, I saw those journeying colliding with their own brokenness.
But then, almost without fail, I saw them move on to a place God wanted them all along – dependence on him. And the growth that followed was astounding.
It’s a thrill to have finished. It about wore me out (as it did the people like Joe Bunting, Jeff Goins and Robert Sutherland who helped me). I think the book could help a lot of people, so I’d like to ask for your help in getting the word out about it.
We hope to have it printed by February.
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Very interested as well.
Im interested!
Count me in! Can I buy 20 copies to give as Christmas gifts to women in the college/early career Bible study group I lead? (One of our young ladies will be serving on a 2012 World Race team.)
i’m interested!
definitely interested.
I CAN’T WAIT! Please let me know when the hard copies are published. And you KNOW i will get the word out 🙂
Congratulations, Seth! I know this is like a Christmas present for you…
I would love a copy!
Hi Seth….Thanks for this…The journey is the destination. Most performance and society oriented “followers of Jesus” don’t know that. You do. And that is why I love you and your family…I’m still on the journey refusing to sell Jesus for some extra drink from the hateful bar of largesse…I hope that is your journey too…Shalom…
I’m definitely interested. I would love a copy and would love to spread the word. thanks seth
I think I’m already on the list of readers, but I really want to get the word out!
very interested
you know I am interested. the whole world of missionary “kids” need to read this. I would love to see the book go out to all missionary agencies and mk/tck schools.
I will help get the word out!
I’m looking forward to reading the book Seth! May it bless many lives.
I’m definately going to be suggesting this. Let us know if there is a way to pre-order so I can pass that info on. Being the out-of-sight out-of-mind type myself, I like to give people the options right up front so they don’t just forget about it.
I have a granddaughter that is on World Race. Please reserve a copy of your book. I will send some money when you want it.
Seth, I love your inspiration.
“Holy Spirit, please use this book to ignite passions in teen agers, twenty-somethings and those with young hearts. Oh God, please give us just a portion of what empassions you…”
Thanks, Marc and Kenny. Hope your Christmas was great.
Can’t wait to purchase?? I know a lot of young/old minds who would love to read this.
Hey ya. Never got the advanced copy though I was one of those earlier blog readers who signed up and you said you’d be sending it to me. I’ve been crazy busy, so not complaining, but just letting you know. So yeah, send me a free copy and I’ll get the word out! Thanks for persevering with this project.
I’d love to help spread the word!!