LONGWOOD, FL-Scores of people are rethinking what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ in the twenty-first century. Steven L. Rogers, author of Quit "Going" to ChurchÉAnd Other Musings of a Former Institutional Man (paperback, 978-1-60266-142-4), has issued a call for all believers to abandon excluding traditions and attitudes that have created a destructive "us vs. them" dichotomy. These traditions and attitudes cause many Christians to huddle in enclaves of institutional Christianity and cultural irrelevance, he claims. Instead, Rogers invites us to enter through the narrow gate into the kingdom of God that is, by living one's life to feed the hungry, help the poor, clothe the naked, liberate the oppressed, love your neighbors, and be peacemakers. Readers are challenged to stop going through the motions by attending church and rather concentrate on being the church in their day-to-day lives.
As a child, Rogers was "raised in a church pew," a preacherÕs kid in a conservative Pentecostal denomination. A life-changing experience with people involved in the Jesus Movement and a little bit of soul-searching while on sabbatical from his pastorate caused him to re-examine what it means to be a follower of Christ. "It is my opinion that we have lost sight of what Jesus commissioned His followers to do, and I hope readers will gain some landmarks that will help us find our way back to telling and living 'the old, old story of Jesus and His love,'" says Rogers. "Within my self-revealing style are hard questions Christians must face if we are to have any impact in the twenty-first century and rediscover the easy 'yoke' and light 'burden' Jesus offered."
Steven L. Rogers and his wife, Sally, served in a Pentecostal denomination as pastors, missionaries, church planters, and denominational position holders for 34 years. They have a son and daughter and three grandchildren.
Xulon Press, a part of Salem Communications Corporation, is the world's largest Christian publisher, with more than 3,900 titles published to date. Retailers may order Quit "Going" to Church through Ingram Book Company and/or Spring Arbor Book Distributors. Salem Communications is the country's leading Christian communications company with interests in radio, Internet, and magazine publishing.
|
2007