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Transformed: A New Way of Being Christian
What if Christianity were less about doing and more about being? In Transformed , author Caesar Kalinowski shows you that when you became a Christian everything about you changed in an instant. You received a new identity based on who Jesus is, not on who you were. As a believer, you literally become part of God’s family of missionary servants. This is who you are—not what you do. Drawing on stories from Caesar’s own journey and life in community, Transformed looks realistically at the identity you have been given in Christ and how it reshapes everything about you. Set free from performance-driven spirituality and guilt, you will draw closer to God, allowing him to radically change the well-worn rhythms and patterns of your every day life and transform your relationships from the inside out. Transformed is for those who yearn for a deeper, more authentic faith, one that empowers you to live out of the truth of who God now says you are. “Caesar Kalinowski is such a wise teacher. Finally, a book on the Christian experience that actually leads its readers towards a new way of living. Transformed is a book that every skeptic, seeker, and Christian should read.”
—Jen Hatmaker , Author of 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess "If there was ever a legitimate time to offer a new pathway for being a Christ-follower it is now. Thank you Caesar for blowing the dust off of the relics of religious life and opening up the window to a God-breathed life." —Hugh Halter , Author of FLESH , The Tangible Kingdom, & Sacrilege
—Jen Hatmaker , Author of 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess "If there was ever a legitimate time to offer a new pathway for being a Christ-follower it is now. Thank you Caesar for blowing the dust off of the relics of religious life and opening up the window to a God-breathed life." —Hugh Halter , Author of FLESH , The Tangible Kingdom, & Sacrilege
224 pages, Paperback
First published February 4, 2014
21 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Caesar Kalinowski
14 books5 followersCaesar is a church planter, missional strategist and one of founding leaders of Soma Communities. He currently serves as the Director of the GCM Collective, an organization that helps catalyze missional community multiplication across North America. He is a spiritual entrepreneur and an avid storyteller. His background includes communications for Fortune 500 companies, media production, working with youth, and extensive travel in international missions. He has worked in over 17 countries around the world including Sierra Leone, Sudan, Nigeria, Burma, India, Latvia, Romania and the Czech Republic.
He worked as a record producer for 12 years before becoming a full-time missionary. (aren’t we all…?) He owned and operated several businesses in and around the Chicagoland area, then pastored at a mega-church before moving to Tacoma, Washington in 2004 to help launch Soma.
He currently lives in Manhattan and has recently authored The Gospel Primer. His new book, Transformed, was just published by Zondervan in February 2014. Caesar has a Master’s Degree in Ministry in the area of Global Leadership. His is a certified coach and Coach Trainer via CoachNet.
He has been married to Tina, his high school sweetheart, for 30 years; they have three children, Caesar, Christin and Justine.
He worked as a record producer for 12 years before becoming a full-time missionary. (aren’t we all…?) He owned and operated several businesses in and around the Chicagoland area, then pastored at a mega-church before moving to Tacoma, Washington in 2004 to help launch Soma.
He currently lives in Manhattan and has recently authored The Gospel Primer. His new book, Transformed, was just published by Zondervan in February 2014. Caesar has a Master’s Degree in Ministry in the area of Global Leadership. His is a certified coach and Coach Trainer via CoachNet.
He has been married to Tina, his high school sweetheart, for 30 years; they have three children, Caesar, Christin and Justine.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 24, 2014
Some good, some blah.
Good:
We are all missionaries- "The church has always been a 'sent' people. Jesus never intended that we primarily find our Christian life and expression through a one- to two hour service once a week inside a building."
Don't believe that do = be. Our identity is Christ is not based on what we do; it is found in who we are.
God's ongoing goal is not to change us, He already has. HIs goal is to mature us.
Blah:
All that dang lingo of the hip Christian: Caesar Kalinowski can't just be tired because he feels overworked; he is exhausted because of the invitations to "hang out in community." Or, " The Spirit made it clear... she could start blessing Jackie with her washing machine." "Blessing?" Can Hannah just "do" the laundry? Or "Once a week we have a combined get-together of our missional communities..." Please, for the love of God, can you just have a picnic!?
And every example is like a Disney movie- you just know it will all end "happily ever after," always. The drug addict? Ta da, cleaned up, with a job and a baby on the way; wayfarer off the street? Quickly cleaned and transformed because we fed them a meal; Fourth of July "missional barbecue" makes everyone, EVERYONE, happy and intent on returning all summer.
Kalinowski keeps writing about what will be discussed further on in the book instead of just getting to it, telling what he needs to tell us:
page 38- "This book will not be theoretical, propositional, and without practical outworking..."
page 46- "As we move on, we will look closely- and more specifically- at..."
page 108- "As we continue, I'll share with you six rhythms..."
Community by Brad House might serve you better.
Good:
We are all missionaries- "The church has always been a 'sent' people. Jesus never intended that we primarily find our Christian life and expression through a one- to two hour service once a week inside a building."
Don't believe that do = be. Our identity is Christ is not based on what we do; it is found in who we are.
God's ongoing goal is not to change us, He already has. HIs goal is to mature us.
Blah:
All that dang lingo of the hip Christian: Caesar Kalinowski can't just be tired because he feels overworked; he is exhausted because of the invitations to "hang out in community." Or, " The Spirit made it clear... she could start blessing Jackie with her washing machine." "Blessing?" Can Hannah just "do" the laundry? Or "Once a week we have a combined get-together of our missional communities..." Please, for the love of God, can you just have a picnic!?
And every example is like a Disney movie- you just know it will all end "happily ever after," always. The drug addict? Ta da, cleaned up, with a job and a baby on the way; wayfarer off the street? Quickly cleaned and transformed because we fed them a meal; Fourth of July "missional barbecue" makes everyone, EVERYONE, happy and intent on returning all summer.
Kalinowski keeps writing about what will be discussed further on in the book instead of just getting to it, telling what he needs to tell us:
page 38- "This book will not be theoretical, propositional, and without practical outworking..."
page 46- "As we move on, we will look closely- and more specifically- at..."
page 108- "As we continue, I'll share with you six rhythms..."
Community by Brad House might serve you better.
February 9, 2014
Living Missionally (Without Becoming Obnoxious) in the Modern World.
When I requested this book, I expected to receive a fairly standard, traditional discipleship fare. By that I mean more exhortations to obedience to God's ways and developing the fruit (or far too often, mistakenly, fruits - plural) of the Spirit so that I, as a Christian individual, could have impact in the world while not falling to its traps. I was expecting more exhortations to introspection and corresponding guilt that accompanies it. (Oh, none of the discipleship works ever say that's their intention, but really, that's what is usually the result from my experience.) Let's just say I've had too many negative experiences with so-called discipleship books and courses and seminars.
I was very pleasantly surprised to discover Transformed: A New Way of Being Christian by Caesar Kalinowski is quite unlike that. Caesar desire to motivate Christians to get away from the hyper-individualistic mindsets and into missional communities. He wants to get Christians to stop seeing the world as a place that is utterly fallen and evil and the church as a fortress of protection from the world. He wants Christians to exit the fortress (my metaphor) and make church communities happen among the world. He wants Christians to live their lives in the world.
The first part of the book deals with who we are when we enter the family of God and call ourselves Christians. Too often Christianity is presented in a fortress mindset where the church is an escape from the world and a place to hang on until we "arrive in heaven." Whatever evangelism happens is a raid into the world to bring back "captives" for God.
One of the difficult questions that I've been hearing in the church group I'm with is how does one live a Christian life that is modeled after Jesus and the apostles? Is that kind of lifestyle only applicable to people of that time? How can we realistically live in a way where we share things, work for the common good, and reject the idolatry of individualism that is so prevalent, even in the church? Transformed goes a long way to providing a set of positive responses to these questions.
For Caesar, the answer is not found in church, but in Jesus. Christians become a part of "a family of missionary servants, sent as disciples who make disciples." He writes that this is our new identity. Along with a number of other writers that I've read, Caesar makes the point that Christians are no longer "sinners," and not even "saved sinners" in identity. Christians are saints who are part of God's family. Christians still sin, but identity is no longer "sinner." This makes all the difference in how Christians see themselves and their brothers and sisters.
The Christian's identity is not found in what "we do." Her identity is based on what Jesus Christ has already done. His identity is based on his relationship to others as a member of a family, as a missionary, as servants, and as disciples. This is part two of the book.
Too often Christianity is defined through beliefs and doctrines, by what he does in church, and by whether or not she has personally accepted Jesus into her life. Caesar describes how a Christian cannot be one unless he is in relationship to other human beings as well. Far too often this relationship is defined as something that is primarily found through church - attendance at services and participation in programs. Caesar challenges his readers to think of church as happening primarily outside of the walls of a fixed building and outside fixed schedules of worship.
Caesar suggests that Christians have misunderstood what "discipleship" means. He writes that it is usually understood as taking a series of courses, going through a book, listening to lectures (sermons), etc. on topics that are supposed to be essential and helpful to grow an individual's spirituality toward maturity. Traditional discipleship postulates that once a person has the right information, he will live a better life.
Caesar takes a look at John 8:31-32 and suggests that it is in fact the other way around. People learn a better way to live by modeling what they see as a better life. And through modeling, they begin to understand, accept, and believe the principles (truth and doctrines) underlying the better way.
It is upon this premise that the rest of the book is written. Caesar describes how he has practiced this in his Christian community (church) called Soma. He uses stories and examples from his life to illustrate and explain what he terms the "rhythms" of how Christians can live missionally in today's world. These rhythms are: telling and listening to stories; listening to God through scripture and prayer; eating together; offering blessings through words, actions, and gifts; throwing parties and celebrating with one another; and taking time to rest and re-create.
Towards the end of each chapter Caesar has a section where he acknowledges that the principles in that chapter are not always easy to live out, that there may be questions and areas that are not black or white, and provides ways of thinking through the difficulties. The end of each chapter includes questions for discussion. In the spirit of the book, I suspect it would be best to gather a group together to discuss them together.
One of the things I liked best in Transformed is toward the end of the chapter "Celebrate" where Caesar writes that if we have been redeemed, if our lives have been redeemed, instead of running away from culture and its abuses, we ought to go in there and put in the effort to redeem them. Just as Paul engaged with the culture around him wherever he went, we ought to be doing the same. When we retreat from culture and its sins (retreating into the church fortress) we are inadvertently sending the message that there are things in the world that even God cannot redeem because it has been so perverted beyond redemption - we send the message that the gospel is not big enough. And if the gospel isn't big enough, is it really big enough for the issues that I'm facing personally?
The kind of community Caesar describes is one that is very fluid and open. This is the one area where I personally had difficulties, not because I disagreed with the ideas and principles, but because I am an extreme introvert who needs a lot of alone time. I could see how Caesar's model could work for outgoing, extroverted people. I looked but didn't find discussion on good ways on how to adapt and fit the model to introverted personalities. I'm pretty sure he doesn't expect introverts to become extroverts, but I wish there was more discussion on this question.
Overall I found the contents of the Transformed to be excellent. It changes the way a Christian sees herself. It changes how a Christian approaches discipleship. It changes how he defines and practices church. In a very real way it transforms the ways of the "apostolic church" into something that can work out in 21st century Western societies. I did not find (from my perspective) anything that would be a major theological roadblock. I think it will appeal to a broad Christian audience, whatever their theological or denominational persuasion.
(This review is based on an ARC supplied by the publisher through NetGalley.)
When I requested this book, I expected to receive a fairly standard, traditional discipleship fare. By that I mean more exhortations to obedience to God's ways and developing the fruit (or far too often, mistakenly, fruits - plural) of the Spirit so that I, as a Christian individual, could have impact in the world while not falling to its traps. I was expecting more exhortations to introspection and corresponding guilt that accompanies it. (Oh, none of the discipleship works ever say that's their intention, but really, that's what is usually the result from my experience.) Let's just say I've had too many negative experiences with so-called discipleship books and courses and seminars.
I was very pleasantly surprised to discover Transformed: A New Way of Being Christian by Caesar Kalinowski is quite unlike that. Caesar desire to motivate Christians to get away from the hyper-individualistic mindsets and into missional communities. He wants to get Christians to stop seeing the world as a place that is utterly fallen and evil and the church as a fortress of protection from the world. He wants Christians to exit the fortress (my metaphor) and make church communities happen among the world. He wants Christians to live their lives in the world.
The first part of the book deals with who we are when we enter the family of God and call ourselves Christians. Too often Christianity is presented in a fortress mindset where the church is an escape from the world and a place to hang on until we "arrive in heaven." Whatever evangelism happens is a raid into the world to bring back "captives" for God.
One of the difficult questions that I've been hearing in the church group I'm with is how does one live a Christian life that is modeled after Jesus and the apostles? Is that kind of lifestyle only applicable to people of that time? How can we realistically live in a way where we share things, work for the common good, and reject the idolatry of individualism that is so prevalent, even in the church? Transformed goes a long way to providing a set of positive responses to these questions.
For Caesar, the answer is not found in church, but in Jesus. Christians become a part of "a family of missionary servants, sent as disciples who make disciples." He writes that this is our new identity. Along with a number of other writers that I've read, Caesar makes the point that Christians are no longer "sinners," and not even "saved sinners" in identity. Christians are saints who are part of God's family. Christians still sin, but identity is no longer "sinner." This makes all the difference in how Christians see themselves and their brothers and sisters.
The Christian's identity is not found in what "we do." Her identity is based on what Jesus Christ has already done. His identity is based on his relationship to others as a member of a family, as a missionary, as servants, and as disciples. This is part two of the book.
Too often Christianity is defined through beliefs and doctrines, by what he does in church, and by whether or not she has personally accepted Jesus into her life. Caesar describes how a Christian cannot be one unless he is in relationship to other human beings as well. Far too often this relationship is defined as something that is primarily found through church - attendance at services and participation in programs. Caesar challenges his readers to think of church as happening primarily outside of the walls of a fixed building and outside fixed schedules of worship.
Caesar suggests that Christians have misunderstood what "discipleship" means. He writes that it is usually understood as taking a series of courses, going through a book, listening to lectures (sermons), etc. on topics that are supposed to be essential and helpful to grow an individual's spirituality toward maturity. Traditional discipleship postulates that once a person has the right information, he will live a better life.
Caesar takes a look at John 8:31-32 and suggests that it is in fact the other way around. People learn a better way to live by modeling what they see as a better life. And through modeling, they begin to understand, accept, and believe the principles (truth and doctrines) underlying the better way.
It is upon this premise that the rest of the book is written. Caesar describes how he has practiced this in his Christian community (church) called Soma. He uses stories and examples from his life to illustrate and explain what he terms the "rhythms" of how Christians can live missionally in today's world. These rhythms are: telling and listening to stories; listening to God through scripture and prayer; eating together; offering blessings through words, actions, and gifts; throwing parties and celebrating with one another; and taking time to rest and re-create.
Towards the end of each chapter Caesar has a section where he acknowledges that the principles in that chapter are not always easy to live out, that there may be questions and areas that are not black or white, and provides ways of thinking through the difficulties. The end of each chapter includes questions for discussion. In the spirit of the book, I suspect it would be best to gather a group together to discuss them together.
One of the things I liked best in Transformed is toward the end of the chapter "Celebrate" where Caesar writes that if we have been redeemed, if our lives have been redeemed, instead of running away from culture and its abuses, we ought to go in there and put in the effort to redeem them. Just as Paul engaged with the culture around him wherever he went, we ought to be doing the same. When we retreat from culture and its sins (retreating into the church fortress) we are inadvertently sending the message that there are things in the world that even God cannot redeem because it has been so perverted beyond redemption - we send the message that the gospel is not big enough. And if the gospel isn't big enough, is it really big enough for the issues that I'm facing personally?
The kind of community Caesar describes is one that is very fluid and open. This is the one area where I personally had difficulties, not because I disagreed with the ideas and principles, but because I am an extreme introvert who needs a lot of alone time. I could see how Caesar's model could work for outgoing, extroverted people. I looked but didn't find discussion on good ways on how to adapt and fit the model to introverted personalities. I'm pretty sure he doesn't expect introverts to become extroverts, but I wish there was more discussion on this question.
Overall I found the contents of the Transformed to be excellent. It changes the way a Christian sees herself. It changes how a Christian approaches discipleship. It changes how he defines and practices church. In a very real way it transforms the ways of the "apostolic church" into something that can work out in 21st century Western societies. I did not find (from my perspective) anything that would be a major theological roadblock. I think it will appeal to a broad Christian audience, whatever their theological or denominational persuasion.
(This review is based on an ARC supplied by the publisher through NetGalley.)
January 14, 2024
This wasn't all bad but it just wasn't adding up to me and some of it was I thought strange and then it hit me in the ending parts when he talked about reading the Bible -
1. What is god saying to me?
2. What am I going to do about it?
It misses two vital steps -
1. What is this saying to the original readers (Context)
2. How can we read this through Jesus.
3. How can I then apply this to my life.
Without the first two steps you can get strange theology and I think some of this is leading us towards things I wasn't really comfortable with.
Not all bad, but not one I could recommend with ease.
1. What is god saying to me?
2. What am I going to do about it?
It misses two vital steps -
1. What is this saying to the original readers (Context)
2. How can we read this through Jesus.
3. How can I then apply this to my life.
Without the first two steps you can get strange theology and I think some of this is leading us towards things I wasn't really comfortable with.
Not all bad, but not one I could recommend with ease.
July 25, 2018
A great read once I found out it's not what it says on the cover. This is mainly autobiographical and anecdotal with a good focus on gospel, not a guidebook for living or interpreting the Bible. Read it for the story of Caesar and his community living out the gospel, not a book that spells out "A new way of being Christian".
Also, his references to the Bible seemed to be heavily paraphrased or something and without specific references (Isaiah 1:4). So that was a little disconcerting. But's a great story, well worth the read know it for what it is: a story.
Also, his references to the Bible seemed to be heavily paraphrased or something and without specific references (Isaiah 1:4). So that was a little disconcerting. But's a great story, well worth the read know it for what it is: a story.
December 22, 2021
I waste so much time thinking I know God.
The reality is until I read Transformed, I did not understand my true identity in Christ. Instead, I lived by the identity the world labeled me—a list of my accomplishments, strengths, and falsehood. Now fully grasping Scripture and living as a new creation, I am radically free from my human frailty and focused on living on mission rather than on self.
The reality is until I read Transformed, I did not understand my true identity in Christ. Instead, I lived by the identity the world labeled me—a list of my accomplishments, strengths, and falsehood. Now fully grasping Scripture and living as a new creation, I am radically free from my human frailty and focused on living on mission rather than on self.
June 19, 2014
This being the first time I had heard about Caesar Kalinowski I didn't know what to expect going into the book. I had no expectations for the book since I had won it in some Twitter contest.
With that said I really liked the book. Caesar was super practical the whole way through the book in each of the 3 main sections. First He begins by sharing who we are, then moves into sharing what that means, and lastly he goes into how we get to live because of who we are. Each chapter does a great job of staying focused and sharing examples of other people doing the same and how you can too.
This book is also really good for anyone who is just trying to figure out what it means to be a Christians because it starts from the ground floor and works from there. So if you have been reading different books about living missionally some of this might be old stuff rehashed. It is also a great book to read through with someone else because each chapter ends with great discussion questions or at least questions to think through on your own.
This book more than most books I read can be easily summed up by it's table of contents:
Part 1: A New Identity
1. Who Are You?
2. A New Way of Being
Part 2: Identity: Who We Are
3. Family
4. Missionaries
5. Servants
6. Disciples
Part 3: Rhythms: How We Live
7. Story-Formed
8. Listen
9. Eat
10. Bless
11. Celebrate
12. Re-Create (Resting)
13. One Life to Live (All the rhythms lived out together)
With that said I really liked the book. Caesar was super practical the whole way through the book in each of the 3 main sections. First He begins by sharing who we are, then moves into sharing what that means, and lastly he goes into how we get to live because of who we are. Each chapter does a great job of staying focused and sharing examples of other people doing the same and how you can too.
This book is also really good for anyone who is just trying to figure out what it means to be a Christians because it starts from the ground floor and works from there. So if you have been reading different books about living missionally some of this might be old stuff rehashed. It is also a great book to read through with someone else because each chapter ends with great discussion questions or at least questions to think through on your own.
This book more than most books I read can be easily summed up by it's table of contents:
Part 1: A New Identity
1. Who Are You?
2. A New Way of Being
Part 2: Identity: Who We Are
3. Family
4. Missionaries
5. Servants
6. Disciples
Part 3: Rhythms: How We Live
7. Story-Formed
8. Listen
9. Eat
10. Bless
11. Celebrate
12. Re-Create (Resting)
13. One Life to Live (All the rhythms lived out together)
May 7, 2014
For the full review, check out my blog.
Transformed does a great job of capturing what a transformed life and community looks like. The rest of the book describes the rhythms that the Soma community have embraced. They live as a story-formed people, they listen, they eat, they bless, they celebrate, and they take time to re-create.
One thing I appreciated the most was how transparent he was about the struggles of doing this. Every chapter was very encouraging and inspiring to do live the transformed life, but he was also honest about how each of the pieces of this life can be difficult. I think so often we read books about Christian life and how wonderful it is and the books aren’t honest about how hard or difficult this life is. It’s a good life, but it’s hard, risky, dangerous, and frustrating. Kalinowski is honest about these struggles and realistic about what happens in life.
I think if you were to read it with your community you would be inspired to live out this new life together. In short, I hope that you read this book and catch the vision for what a transformed life and community looks like.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Zondervan through netgalley.com.
Transformed does a great job of capturing what a transformed life and community looks like. The rest of the book describes the rhythms that the Soma community have embraced. They live as a story-formed people, they listen, they eat, they bless, they celebrate, and they take time to re-create.
One thing I appreciated the most was how transparent he was about the struggles of doing this. Every chapter was very encouraging and inspiring to do live the transformed life, but he was also honest about how each of the pieces of this life can be difficult. I think so often we read books about Christian life and how wonderful it is and the books aren’t honest about how hard or difficult this life is. It’s a good life, but it’s hard, risky, dangerous, and frustrating. Kalinowski is honest about these struggles and realistic about what happens in life.
I think if you were to read it with your community you would be inspired to live out this new life together. In short, I hope that you read this book and catch the vision for what a transformed life and community looks like.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Zondervan through netgalley.com.
April 16, 2014
Caesar Kalinowski lays out the missional community approach to living clearly and simply. He is sometimes a bit simplistic (early on) but is very complete. Caesar asks, and answers, all of the usual questions, dispelling the most common concerns of those seeking more from their Christian walk. He is open about the commitment it takes as well as the anxieties that come with stepping out where God leads. Kalinowski does not present a step-by-step guide but, instead, shares the practices he (and others) have used while constantly directing the reader to seek God's leading in how they should live within their communities. Transformed is definitely a must-read for anyone looking to live out their Christian faith in meaningful and tangible ways.
January 12, 2015
This has been for me a most challenging book as I look at my life and see the ways I am not in true community. It makes me stop to think how I can live out this missional community in my life. The book clearly expresses the need of others to be brought into the family of Christ in practical ways. I don't always agree with Caesar's view on select scriptures, but this missional community and moving from performance driven christianity to simply being a person who loves and lives for Jesus, this is exactly what we need today.
April 9, 2014
This is a great book in leading people towards thinking about our lives outside the church walls. It's a call to living as a missionary in your neighborhood, workplace, or wherever you gather with others. As a disciple our call is to be in community with others whether they believe in Jesus Christ or not. Through community and relationships the glory of Christ can be shown and this book helps in thinking through that.
February 15, 2015
Really good information and spot on with the message. If this isn't in your mindset already, then do read! Unless you're from outside of North America - then you might get caught up in all the Americanisms. There is a lot of talk these days about discipleship. I appreciated Kalinowski's approach and his examples because he is doing it and not just talking about it. It gives food for thought as to how this can actually look.
June 20, 2014
Great 'primer' for missional communities. What I love about Caesar is that he is writing as a practitioner. Having met him, I realized that he really is living the life that he is talking about in this book and I have tremendous respect for him. If your church is thinking about missional community or thinking about what it really means to live as Christians today, this is a great book.
May 23, 2014
A great summary of what I've learned from Soma Communities in Tacoma, WA. It's great entry level stuff for Christians who are looking for tangible, accessible ways to live out Jesus' mission in the every day.
September 9, 2014
great concepts and ideas. but honestly, nothing new that i hadn't already heard from Kalinowski. I really like his plan and the immunity he is a part of - but this book made it seem all too easy.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews