Why Church Matters: Worship, Ministry, and Mission in Practice - Jonathan R. Wilson

In the book Wilson invites us to “practice church” through the formation “of a people whose life together witnesses to God’s redemption of creation” (4). This is vital because the witness of God’s redemptive work “is possible only in a community sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit” (4). As a community chosen by God to bear witness to the gospel, the church possesses a divinely given telos. “Telos is a bit like ‘purpose’ or ‘goal.’ It is that toward which something is oriented, toward which it is moving. Or it is that for which something is made, its purpose” (12). The church does not choose its telos – it is given by God. Wilson has put together a powerful and compelling picture the importance of the church. No matter how much people deny it, no matter how difficult the task to create and sustain it, the church truly matters – to God and to the world. It is our privilege and responsibility to participate with God and one another in embodying redemptive practices that witness to God’s telos. For a complete summary of the many ways Wilson suggests that the church witnesses to God's redemption, check back the first week of July! (I've scheduled it to post during my vacation to keep the site live.)