Our readings in this series are from the book, The Church Captive. Here is a brief excerpt from page 11:
“The Church is at every moment a creature of its place and time. This is both the good news, and the bad.
“The good news is that, as the light of the world, the salt of the earth, and the leaven of grace and truth, the Church in every age is afforded abundant opportunities to shape its times, to bring righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit – which is the Kingdom of God[1] – to bear on lives, cultures, institutions, events, and creation itself. The Church does not exist outside of time or in an isolated space. The Body of Christ is always dispersed throughout the world, always in touch with the people, things, issues, and events of the world, and thus always in a position to exert the influence of grace and truth in ways that fill the world with Jesus and bring the glory of God to the attention of our age.
“The bad news is that, very often, the exact opposite occurs. Because church leaders and members fail to understand the times they live in, or are not paying careful attention to social and cultural trends, a reverse transformation process can occur, which results in the Church taking on the character of its times, and failing to mature into the character of Jesus.”
We’re happy to let you know that, beginning March 1 and for a limited time, you can order The Church Captive together with the next book in our Read Moore series, Revived!, at no cost. Order copies for yourself and for a study group or companion. Watch this space for additional information and to download a free discussion guide for both books. For The Fellowship of Ailbe, this is T. M. Moore.
[1] Romans 14.17, 18
