by John W. Stewart
William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Mich. 236 pages
REVIEWED BY ALLEN D. TIMM
This book provides a paradigm for the congregation that practices an essential and expansive gospel, lived out by the people of God. These faith-filled practices identify God’s people and lead them to change the world around them.
As a former professor and pastor, Stewart calls for mainline congregations to hear again the words of Jesus and then do them (like the parable of the house built on rock in Matthew 7), and to make and send disciples to show Christ’s love to the world.
An insightful diagnosis of what is going on in mainline congregations begins the book. Contemporary American society has changed. There are new cultural values: “the quest for homogeneity, the commitment to individualism, the seduction of consumerism, the reality of religious pluralism, the thirst for spirituality and the dominance of deism.” Stewart shows that if we are to show the gospel to the world and influence it, we must address these issues.
Stewart envisions congregations that will address these cultural shifts. They reach out to a world content with a distant God by sharing the good news of Christ. In a culture that seeks only to be with its own kind of people, they show a gospel full of radical hospitality. Where people are fiercely independent, the gospel demonstrates the difference made by life in community. In a pluralistic world where people want to honor all religions as having the truth, they witness with grace how Christ has changed lives. In a culture swamped with consumerism, congregations act with justice and compassion for the poor of the earth. Disciples lead change that generates justice. They join together in worship to share hope, lift each other and listen for Christ’s mission for the church and for the world.
A missional congregation is called to practices that strengthen and form disciples, modeled after the first apostles. The Holy Spirit gave them a ministry centered in five spiritual practices, which faithful congregations follow today. Stewart describes the practices used by the early church: koinonia (belonging), mathetes (discipling), martyria (witnessing), diaconia (serving) and leitourgia (worshipping).
This book takes a solid look at the culture today and how the congregation can make an impact. As the early church demonstrated, focusing on one of these practices to the exclusion of the others leaves the congregation short. Putting all these practices together leads to acts of creative compassion. These congregations advocate for change in their communities, cross cultural boundaries to bring together the people of their communities and world and serve as the sent ones of God (misseo dei). Daniel Migliore of Princeton Theological Seminary said this about the author’s work: “You have made creative use of the best social science studies of congregational life today in the service of a solidly biblical and theological vision of new community in Christ living out the gospel in distinctive practices.“
A session could use this book by referring to each practice of Christian community and having conversations about how to engage each practice. They could lead their congregation to go beyond itself and into the community to ask where its neighbors would like to join them in building the kingdom of God in their corner of the world.
ALLEN D. TIMM is executive presbyter of the Presbytery of Detroit.
