Lisa Notes: “Going Deep”

Is your church helping you grow deeper?

The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.
~Richard Foster

Because I love this quote (I’m a Foster fan), I thought I would love this book inspired by it.

The goal of Gordon MacDonald’s book—Going Deep: Becoming a Person of Influence—is wonderful:

“how to develop new generations of deepening people who will rise to positions of influence in and beyond their congregation and do it in ways that fit the changing realities of our time.”

But it falls flat for me.

Written in novel format (that’s fine), the characters are fictitious, the principles real. It’s a follow-up to Who Stole My Church about the same fictitious New England congregation (which I didn’t read, but it didn’t matter.)

What’s missing is deep content. While “cultivation” and “deep” are mentioned a lot, they get lost amidst a multitude of shallow, irrelevant details about too many characters that have too little to do with reaching the goal.

However, it’s not a total waste of time to read this book. If it can inspire a church to aim higher (by going deeper), it’s good.

This thought, asked early in the book, is valuable:

“Name a man and a woman in the Bible who come to your mind when you hear the term deep people.”

And after considering that, I’ll add:
“Who in your church comes to mind as a deep person?”

Thinking of one or two? Seeking out their company would be a great way to deepen your own spirituality. MacDonald would agree: in his book he writes of mentors and mentees to hasten this process.

Through the storyline he shows other ideas, too: Read biographies of great people, have weekly meetings for a year with others also trying to “go deep”, write out your life story, etc.

What do deep people do? MacDonald says,

They know how to hear God speak and how to draw upon his power to do the work Jesus has called us to do.

...Deep people are influential. Wherever they show up, human beings, institutions, and churches are inspired, renewed, even changed.

So should you read this book if you want to grow deeper or help your church grow deeper people?

No, read the Richard Foster book that prompted this one instead (Celebration of Discipline).

In the end, it’s time spent with Jesus that deepens us the most.
Then time spent with others (including great books) sharpens us.
Go for those.

* * *

Who do you know that is deep?
What makes you think so?

THANKS TO THOMAS NELSON FOR THE REVIEW COPY OF THIS BOOK

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Rebecca · 699 weeks ago

Love this: "In the end, it’s time spent with Jesus that deepens us the most.
Then time spent with others (including great books) sharpens us. " I hadn't heard that distinction before, but it certainly has played true in my own life.

The ocean is far deeper than any well. I find very often the people that have the ability to have to delight us with their joy and sense of fun eventually run far deeper than the quieter person whom everyone has labeled "deep". It really boils down to time spent with Christ, not personality, or even intelligence.
My recent post A Home-sewn Christmas

1 reply · active 699 weeks ago

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Lisa notes 103p · 699 weeks ago

Excellent, Rebecca. Deep can come in all personality types. Sometimes we stereotype the deep person as the serious one, but truly deep people know how to fully enjoy Christ, in times of laughter as well as in more sober moments and everything in between. The full range. That's abundant living.
My recent post Sacred or secular?

barbarah 65p · 699 weeks ago

In my experience, when people refer to being "deep" they mean something indefinable and almost mystical, so I tend to be a little suspicious at first until I know what they're talking about. And sometimes they mean intellectual, serious people, as you and Rebecca mentioned. But I like the last couple of quotes you shared -- I'd agree they characterize "deep" people.
My recent post Announcing: A Laura Ingalls Wilder Reading Challenge

So, after voicing some suspicion of the word "deep" (not of you or of the author, just in the way I've heard some use the word), what do I read in my Daily Light this morning:

"Thy thoughts are very deep.(Psalm 92. 5)

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!' (Romans 11:33).

:-)

"Deep" and "depth" would be an interesting Bible study. I guess when I think of someone who is "deep," I think of people who have spent a lot of time with God, in His fellowship and His Word. A former pastor once said something like, "The Bible is shallow enough that a child could wade in it, but deep enough that an elephant could drown in it." No matter how much time we spend there, we could never completely plumb the depths.

I also think of someone who has weathered trials successfully, someone who has found God's grace sufficient experientially. I think that's why words of someone like Joni Eareckson Tada carry such weight -- she's not just theorizing, she's lived what she's talking about.

What rich material, Barbara. Thanks for sharing this here. I agree this topic would make a good Bible study (but sadly I wouldn't recommend "Going Deep" for it).

I probably connect "deep" and "mature" as similar things. Some people get categorized as deep but they're so out of touch with reality that their supposed-depth is irrelevant. But a truly deep Christian to me is one who knows how to use his knowledge.

So yes, Joni E. Tada definitely meets those qualifications. She's proven through years of faithfulness that she is a deep Christian.