The Difficult But Indispensable Church

Why is it so difficult to be church today? Of course Christian community is marked by ennobling worship mutual care and joyful celebration. But just as often it is marred by staid routine insularity and disagreement over leadership budgets ethical stances or even the shape of congregational prayer itself. Alienation blame and power struggles ensue. Is church worth it?In this volume of fresh thinking about life in Christian community twenty-one theologians from Wartburg Seminary strongly attest to Christ-centered community offering new views of church as the indispensable site of radical Christian commitment and an essential healer for a hurting world.Reflective churchgoers will find here a virtual theological guide to church renewal. In part 1 the authors show how church can model an alternative vision of community helping people achieve well-being and health even as their differences are affirmed. Part 2 gets to the heart of Christian practice through creative discussions of belief fellowship encounters with Scripture preaching and moral deliberation. Part 3 finds the church in motion in new ways of understanding discipleship and mission near and far. Part 4 shows how a Christ-inspired openness can reveal new perspectives on tough issues of public policy race and class and ordination of gays and lesbians. Modeling what they espouse the authors find unanimity in affirming the strengths of diversity the unsuspected key to church renewal.Contributors include: James L. Bailey Karen L. Bloomquist Norma Cook Everist Roger W. Fjeld Ann L. Fritschel Paul Hill Peter L. Kjeseth L. Shannon Jung Duane H. Larson Elizabeth A. Leeper David J. Lull Craig L. Nessan James R. Nieman Daniel L. Olson Winston Persaud Duane A. Priebe Ralph W. Quere David A. Ramse Gwen B. Sayler Thomas H. Schattauer and H. S. Wilson.