The Lavish Hospitality of God is the compelling journey of a pastor who enters the church "through the side door," from a legalistic childhood church into a more biblical vision of the kingdom of God. The author recounts the blessings of his heritage along with his struggle in allowing God to reshape his understanding of water baptism, the role of the Holy Spirit and the Lord's Supper in a way that reflects the apostolic church's teachings. Through a careful study of how the early disciples ate together, the book dispels the way the evangelical church has turned the love feasts and common meal into a "Jesus-and-me" moment of silence. This is a call to rethink the Lord's Supper and other church ordinances as an expression of the "outrageous and sometimes scandalous hospitality of God" and a sign of His kingdom presence. Jim Reynolds holds a bachelor's and a master of divinity degree from Abilene Christian University (1964, 1967), a doctorate from the Graduate Theological University, Berkeley, Calif. (1974), and a law degree from SMU (1981). He has been a licensed marriage and family counselor, and has published numerous articles and books, including Secrets of Eden, God and Human Sexuality (1974) and The Lepers Among Us (2007). Jim has taught religion, theology, philosophy and biblical studies at Pepperdine University and the University of Texas, and presently is an adjunct professor at Dallas Christian College. He also does mediation for Dale O'Neall and Associates in Fort Worth, Texas. >From 1981 to 2007, Jim was a family lawyer and partner with the Whitaker Chalk law firm in Fort Worth, Texas. Since 1984, he has been pastor of Lake Highlands Church in Dallas, Texas. Jim and his wife, Donna, have two children and eight grandchildren.
