Total Church. Full what.

Yep, these are some of my comments on the book by Chester and Timmis. Not just for the sake of a book review to show off how (un)well-read I am in Christian stuff. More for the sake of sharing how I’ve been corrected and pushed in my thinking about life as part of the local church (word to you, St Andrew’s Roseville).

Easily the biggest attitude in the book is the idea of ‘gospel community.’ Life together around the gospel word.  The bible does not tell its story as that of an individual out of relationship being brought back to God. Instead:

“God made humanity to know him and to rule over his good creation. But humanity rejected God, and ever since we have lived in rebellion against him and in conflict with each other. But God chose Abraham and his family to be the beginning of a new humanity. He rescued this people from slavery and made a covenant through which they could relate to him and display his glory to the world. When they persistently rejected God, he promised a remnant who would continue the promise of a people who know God. He promised a new covenant bringing forgiveness for sin and his Law written on their hearts. Ultimately Jesus was that faithful remnant. He died for his people to redeem God’s new humanity. And he rose as the first among many who would enjoy new life in a new creation. God is now gathering his people through the mission of the church and will present them, drawn from all nations, as the perfected bride of his Son.” (p149)

I have been so hit by the attitude of communal gospel life which underpins all the ideas in this book. Everything is seen through the light of the communal life we share as the redeemed people whom God has chosen as his possession. My approach to my relationship with God is far too removed from my friends’ lives, far too independent and silent and does not stem from an understanding of the gospel as my salvation with and into the body of Christ. The authors even urge prioritising praying together over private and say they pray privately in order to pray more frequently and because, sadly, there are area of our lives we do not feel comfortable exposing to others in prayer. He urges that the implication of this communal gospel life are that our relationship with God is not separate from our relationships with one another. We are a people inter-dependent on each other who will live in relationship with one another for all time.

Hebrews 3:12-13 says, ‘See to it brothers that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.’

By way of commentary on this verse, the authors remind us that “[our] hearts are never far from sin, unbelief, hardening and deception. To persevere we need people who will encourage us, and we need them to encourage us daily (see also Hebrews 10:23-25) [...]  This community spirituality clearly requires a certain level of relationship. We need to be sharing our lives. We need to be with other Christians “daily.” We need friendships that are real, open, and intimate. We need to give one another license to dig into our lives and challenge our hearts.” (p151)

So, how better to conclude than with the words of one Icelandic poet: ‘Go do.’