Jon Tysonis a widely respected church planter and leader in New York City. Originally from Adelaide, Australia, Jon moved to the United States almost twenty years ago with a passion to seek and cultivate renewal in the Western Church. Jon has spoken at Q Conference, Catalyst, Verge Network, The New Wine Conference, and other key venues around the world. He is often sought out for his insights on how culture and faith intersect, and is known for his preaching, which is a rare combination of passion and depth. Jon lives in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan with his wife and two children.
"Reading The Burden Is Light felt like laying down a heavy,
crippling weight and slowly breathing out a deep sigh of relief. It
exposed the untrue narratives of our culture around success, the
lies that, if we live into them over a lifetime, tragically become
all too true. I can't think of a more important task for our
cultural moment than redefining success around the easy yoke of
Jesus. This book does exactly that. Jon Tyson, one of the most
important voices of our time, does some of his best work yet. From
the moment I read the subtitle, I was hooked. I can't wait for you
to have the same experience."
-John Mark Comer, pastor for vision and teaching at Bridgetown
Church and author of God Has a Name
"At some point we all must decide how we will invest this one life
we've been given. Some will pursue self-exalting ends, such as
power, riches, recognition, and control. Others will pursue God-
and other- centered ends, such as the sharing of power, giving
generously, pouring ourselves out in lives of service, and trusting
God to direct our affairs. In this simultaneously convicting and
liberating book, Jon gives us fresh eyes to see the folly of the
former and the wisdom of the latter. I pray that The Burden Is
Light will have an impact on you in the way that it did me, as it
presses us to revisit the wise words penned by C. S. Lewis: 'Aim at
Heaven and you will get Earth "thrown in": Aim at Earth and you
will get neither.'"
-Scott Sauls, senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in
Nashville and author of Jesus Outside the Lines and From Weakness
to Strength
"We live in a world that esteems and promotes values counter to the
kingdom of God. Unknowingly, many believers have embraced the
world's values and are therefore not experiencing the fullness of
God made available to those who embrace the ways of the kingdom. I
am so grateful that God has raised up Jon Tyson as a voice to the
church, calling us to a better way of living. His latest book, The
Burden Is Light, has a brilliant and profound message that will
free you from the pressure of performance-based living, which is
ultimately fueled by a wrong definition of success. There is no one
better to write on this issue than Jon, who has lived out this
message in a city that relentlessly pursues endeavors that will
never satisfy the deep longing of the heart. This book is a
necessary manifesto on choosing to live a different way and
experiencing the freedom and deep satisfaction only found in
God."
-Banning Liebscher, founder and pastor of Jesus Culture, author of
Rooted: The Hidden Places Where God Develops You
"I have always appreciated Jon's thoughtful approach to faith,
culture, and spiritual formation. I am excited that he is willing
to share some of the most important insights he has learned
pastoring in New York over the last decade."
-Gabe Lyons, founder of Q and author of unChristian, The Next
Christians, and Good Faith
"Despite living in such comfortable times with historically
unparalleled levels of freedom, many of us live with a stifling
blanket of anxiety, comparison, and failure weighing us down. With
candor, curiosity, and Christlikeness, Jon Tyson shows us a better
way, pointing us toward the abundant life Jesus promised us."
-Mark Sayers, senior leader of Red Church, Melbourne, Australia,
and author of Disappearing Church and Strange Days
"Jon Tyson is the real deal. He has worked out his understanding of
discipleship, mission, and spirituality in the rough and tumble of
New York, a city infamous for its sheer busyness and drivenness.
The result of his personal integrity in wrestling with the issues
is that he has bequeathed to us a book that is as profound as it is
practical. A worthy read!"
-Alan Hirsch, author and activist
"Our culture drives us to do more, achieve more and accumulate
more. In this world, our worth depends on it. Culture appeals to
our natural instincts, like the Manhattan mother Jon Tyson and his
wife encountered who informed them their son would be left behind
forever if they didn't put him into the right kindergarten. Who
wants their child left behind-forever? The pressure's on. And so,
we give in, thinking we are being prudent, not thinking we are
chaining ourselves to the demands of a remorseless culture. Tyson
examines our cultural drives against eight opposite biblical
qualities. The result is like an elaborated version of Galatians
5:19-26, which contrasts 'acts of the flesh' with 'fruit of the
Spirit,' though Tyson's list includes compassion, surrender, mercy,
humility, being present and remembering one's calling. One reason
Tyson gives for placing trust in God's ways over our culture's is
that God predetermined the timing and course of our lives (p. 75).
A Calvinist interpretation of God's sovereignty is not necessary
for a Christian to trust in God's benevolence, however. Tyson's
personal stories of failure are some of the gold in the book,
creating a direct connection between the Christian ideal and the
struggle to combat the cultural pressure to anchor worth and
identity in comparison, competition, striving for control,
judgment, pride and busyness.
In place of simply doing more, achieving more and accumulating
more, Tyson encourages us to be more-more connected to Christ. In
that connection is true freedom and rest."
-Eric Black, Baptist Standard
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
