I wrote this book for a number of reasons but the main was to anchor our motive for mission in the Gospel. It is easy to slide away from the Gospel and make mission into an idol. I know that sounds odd, but I think it is true. In all of our attempts to change the world, or plant churches or reach people it is easy for us to desire the Kingdom but not because of the King.
One of the major paradigm shifts that God’s people need to make is moving from How to–to-Want to. We spend so much time focused on the how question that we never face the underlying questions that run deeper in our soul; do I actually want to? Do I want to love Jesus? Do I want to love my neighbor? Do I want to serve the world? Do I want to follow in the Jesus way? If we never face those deeper questions then we just hide behind the How questions and act like our biggest problem with following Jesus is that we are ignorant of how to do it.
In order to do that it seems to me we will have to confront the obstacles to our deeper desires. I think those are death, duty and dishonesty and I try to tackle those topics because I think they paralyze people at the deepest levels where Jesus does his deepest work. All of that sets the table to be confronted by the love of our risen King. I wanted to help us look inside the life of Jesus from the incarnation to the ascension peering into our own hearts through the lens of desire. I think seeing Jesus from this vantage point is pretty crucial for us, if we are going to be the people of God.
So I wrote this book. I hope it will help us make that shift. To help us move from people who hide behind the How and actually move into desire. Following Jesus and loving the world because we are in love with the King.
“Love Portland.” It’s that catchy little phrase you hear around Imago...mysteriously showing up on t-shirts, bumper-stickers, and events. Some people think it ... 
I'm reading a book called The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel. Heschel who was a practicing Jew wrote the book ... 
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April 6th, 2011at 6:43 am(#)
So looking forward to the rest of the book … fresh wind, blowing in my heart …
April 27th, 2011at 1:49 pm(#)
Desire is the least understood concept within the Christian community – where it comes from and how it controls us. My reading of Rene Girard’s works has helped greatly, especially his theory of mimetic desire. Desire does not arise from within the autonomous self but is absorbed from others. Such is the nature of our skewedness/fallenness.
Desire was made for mimesis with our Source, the Divine as outlined by Yeshua. Only a real rewiring by Holy Breath can reconnect us to a mimetic state with Divinity.
At least that’s my take on it after having absorbed religious desire from many men within Chrisendom who’ve operated out of their own search for identity.
June 7th, 2011at 9:54 pm(#)
[...] next LIVE, free conference call will be on June 29th (Wed.) from 1-2pm CST and will feature Rick McKinley, author of A Kingdom Called Desire and Advent Conspiracy, pastor of Imago Dei Community in [...]
June 15th, 2011at 5:37 am(#)
My husband and I visited your community last Sunday with our son and his fiancee’…..it is an answer to prayer that they are attending church together. His background is an old, staid independent Christian church. We were delighted to experience for the first time a modern Christian church! When we got back to NE Oregon, I said to my husband, “You know what? I remember that message!” I certainly can’t say that about the ones I hear every Sunday. I intend to get a copy of your book; I like where you’re coming from!
October 30th, 2011at 8:07 pm(#)
A great topic – serving out of the freedom of Love, being loved, and being unconstrained by fears and the world’s pressures. Your chapters and questions reminded me of the treadmill of duty I strive under and wonder why I’m living like that, and “when will it ever end”?!