Tim Keller has a new article out in The Movement on ministry in the new global culture of major city-centers. It's classic Keller, and worth the read for gems like this:

"Some conservative Christians think of the story of salvation like this: Fall, Redemption, Heaven. In this narrative, only saved people have anything of value (people in the world are simply blind and bad), and the purpose of redemption is escape from this world. But if the story of salvation is Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration, then things look different. Non-Christians, created in the image of God, have much wisdom and greatness within them, even though the image is defaced and fallen. Moreover, the purpose of redemption is not to escape the world but to renew it." (italics mine)

Think about that. Redemption is not just for individuals, it is also for creation, for systems, for cultures. It is not just about securing your personal fire insurance plan, it is also about securing neighborhoods, and communities, and families. It's about renewal, not escape.

[ HT - Steve McCoy ]

technorati tags: missional+church, missional, cities, church+planting, justice, social+renewal

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