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A review by revtbrum
The Church of Us vs. Them: Freedom from a Faith That Feeds on Making Enemies by David E. Fitch
5.0
"The question for Christians everywhere, as we gather in church services amid the tumult of our times, is this: is my church more like a political rally or the table of the Lord?" "Can we, by the power and presence of the living Christ, be that space in the world that is beyond enemies?" (p. 164)
The antagonisms that Fitch addresses in this book are nothing new: debates about the authority of Scripture, the nature of conversion, and the role of the church in politics. However, I never realized the extent of the "enemy-making machine." These debates thrive on making enemies. Fitch dares to ask what it would look like to DISCERN the work of the Holy Spirit in our local communities rather than continually debate and rally behind empty ideologies.
While the book is more of an "eye-opener" than anything else, I did come away with some practical suggestions on how to live "beyond enemies." I plan to lean on the appendix in the back of the book (Appendix 2) the next time a confict or antagonism arises in a church leadership meeting
We've got a lot of work to do if we hope to move beyond the enemy-making machine. It's everywhere in our culture. Fitch's book and the stories he shares has encouraged me. It is possible. Christ has made it possible! Unfortunately, the very folks claiming to be the church oftentimes thrive on making enemies. But it doesn't have to be that way. If you want to know and follow Christ more fully, if you want to live as an agent of His peace, I highly encourage you to check out this book.
The antagonisms that Fitch addresses in this book are nothing new: debates about the authority of Scripture, the nature of conversion, and the role of the church in politics. However, I never realized the extent of the "enemy-making machine." These debates thrive on making enemies. Fitch dares to ask what it would look like to DISCERN the work of the Holy Spirit in our local communities rather than continually debate and rally behind empty ideologies.
While the book is more of an "eye-opener" than anything else, I did come away with some practical suggestions on how to live "beyond enemies." I plan to lean on the appendix in the back of the book (Appendix 2) the next time a confict or antagonism arises in a church leadership meeting
We've got a lot of work to do if we hope to move beyond the enemy-making machine. It's everywhere in our culture. Fitch's book and the stories he shares has encouraged me. It is possible. Christ has made it possible! Unfortunately, the very folks claiming to be the church oftentimes thrive on making enemies. But it doesn't have to be that way. If you want to know and follow Christ more fully, if you want to live as an agent of His peace, I highly encourage you to check out this book.