The JustMissional Church: Pursuing God's Path for Justice

From the Foreword by Michael T. Cooper: All along the journey of the past several decades the church has moved from an inward focus and soul saving to an outward focus on both the material and spiritual needs of people. I believe it has been a positive journey; one that is bearing fruit as people are learning that the church is concerned not only with one's personal salvation, but for the entire person. That is what The JustMissional Church is about. Dr. Hesselgrave has written what is no doubt an important volume for those who want to continue the journey. The JustMissional Church is about the church rediscovering its call to justice. As Ron explains, justice is a far more rich concept than simply reducing it to the social gospel. It is at the core of God's character and should therefore characterize the church. As he says, the worship of God cannot be separated from acts of justice. Here is the challenge: "If our lives fail to reflect God's heart for justice and mercy our songs of praise are only noise in his ears, our offerings and religious observances are meaningless, and our most eloquent prayers are an affront to him." This is a must read for anyone concerned about the future of the church.