Here are some resources I’ve found helpful in recovering a biblical understanding and practice of the Church as a community.
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If you’ve followed my previous blog, Church Planting Novice, then you’ll know that I “planted” a church a couple of years ago by the name of Austin City Life. One of the things we’re continually coming back to is a church as a community.
But What Kind Community?
In a culture so driven by convenience, church has become optional not essential. It can be difficult to extract ourselves from this way of viewing church, as it were some kind of product that access only when we want it. The biblical description of church, however, is altogether different. Over and over biblical metaphors and instructions revolve around community and family. Paul’s letters open and close by addressing not friends, partners, or disciples but “brothers and sisters.” The household of faith calls us to communities of grace, not communities of convenience.
How We Treat Our Family
The family metaphor is the strongest in Scripture. Church is essential to our identity, not optional like an elective because God is a divine family not a spiritual option. Church is a family. You don’t ignore your family. You don’t refuse to feed your kids. You don’t reject responsibility to provide food, shelter, and clothing. You don’t make light of your family’s suffering or joy, you join them in it. Similarly, the church is to live together as a family, not as though we are an elective to interact with only when it is convenient. How are you treating your family?
Mark Driscoll’s newest and largest book drops soon. It’s called Doctrine: what Christians Should Believe, a kind of systematic theology for the 21st century.
From the Introduction:
Doctrine seeks to trace the big theological themes of Scripture along the storyline of the Bible. This book is packed with truth without many stories for illustration and entertainment.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 – Trinity: God Is
Chapter 2 – Revelation: God Speaks
Chapter 3 – Creation: God Makes
Chapter 4 – Image: God Loves
Chapter 5 – Fall: God Judges
Chapter 6 – Covenant: God Pursues
Chapter 7 – Incarnation: God Comes
Chapter 8 – Cross: God Dies
Chapter 9 – Resurrection: God Saves
Chapter 10 – Church: God Sends
Chapter 11 – Worship: God Transforms
Chapter 12 – Stewardship: God Gives
Chapter 13 – Kingdom: God Reigns
Endorsements:
“I like Doctrine very much. It is a relatively short, clear, and accurate topical summary of biblical teachings, focused on the practical application of doctrine. There is much here to aid readers who have thought in the past that theology was too complicated, uninteresting, or irrelevant. This book is none of those things. It takes off on wings of eagles. It is so important today that believers understand and become committed to all that God’s Word says. This book is a wonderful tool to help them do that.”
—John M. Frame, Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary
“Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears have written a remarkably insightful treatment of central biblical teachings, with a few surprising but welcome choices. Doctrine is meaty, well-researched, clearly written, interesting, and refreshing—a rare combination. Those who know that truth matters will relish this book. If you don’t know that truth matters you should read it anyway, and enjoy watching your mind and heart change.”
—Randy Alcorn, Author of Heaven, Safely Home, and Deception
Joel Kotkin, author of the excellent book The City: a global history, recently wrote an article on the world’s “smartest cities.” He notes that: “today’s “smart” cities tend to be smaller, compact and more efficient: places like Amsterdam; Seattle; Singapore; Curitiba, Brazil; and Monterrey, Mexico.”
Kotkin adds “economic fundamentals” to the typically green measurement of smart cities. Singapore, featured left, ranks as #1. Houston, Texas comes in at #7. This research generates an important profile of cities that will have significant influence in the next 40 years.
