John Mark Hicks has been a brother, mentor, and one-time travel companion of mine since my time at Lipscomb University. Few academics impress me as much as John Mark in their ability to retain so much information, recollect it without aid, and express it in a way that is fitting for any given audience. (In the loving words of a fellow professor, “We hate him because we all know he can teach all of our classes and probably do it better.”) His website, johnmarkhicks.com, hosts a wealth of information, and I’m not sure where he finds the time to blog as much as he does!
Enter the Water, Come to the Table: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper in Scripture’s Story of New Creation is indicative of John Mark Hicks’ ability to unify differing perspectives by way of addressing their preferred semantics and expressing them in a more cohesive and understandable manner. Some themes and terms specific to this book that fall into this practice are baptism, communion (the Lord’s Supper), sacraments, and eschatology. No matter where you fall on the Christian theological spectrum, there is something to be gained by reading Hicks’ perspective; you may even discover similarities with others that were once thought to be differences over which separation was worth the fight!
In his latest book, Hicks aptly pulls his readers into the biblical narrative and shows them how both baptism and the Lord’s Supper have been and are expressed from the beginning of creation to the renewal of all things in the new creation (the new heavens and the new earth), demonstrating their far reaching influence and importance in and on the lives of God’s people. Rather than summarize or provide bullet points that may be found therein, I simply encourage you to get a copy and read without any preconceived notions as to that with which you may or may not agree.
For readers of this blog in my more immediate geographical location, what Hicks extensively describes as “bringing back the table” has been demonstrated in our house church (Durough House Communion), with fewer specific formalities, since January 2012. For those interested in learning and experiencing more about bringing back the table in communion, feel free to contact us!
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from ACU Press/Leafwood Publishers as part of their ACU Press Bookclub Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”