The Living Church – Introduction
The Living Church – Introduction
In the next few weeks I’ll be posting on John Stott’s excellent new book: The Living Church. Stott is a writer, pastor, and teacher who is well worth reading.
Stott begins his account with a Preface entitled ‘Emerging Churches.’ In spite of all the books today about church, Stott thinks we are in a time of crisis and that the church may be way out of step with the culture in unhelpful ways. He finely balances the need for Christians to be attuned to culture and to also be counter-cultural. ‘Scripture is unchangeable,’ Stott writes, ‘culture is not.’ We are to conserve Scriptural teaching, yet be radicals. Traditional and emerging churches need to be open to dialogue and learning from each other. Persitent practices of both types of churches are to identify with Jesus, avoid the sacred-secular divide, and be authentic communities.
Dr. Gregory J. Laughery