Sublime

churches ought to embrace, rather than avoid, the uncomfortable aspects of Christianity if they are to thrive in the twenty-first century.

enter the culture,

submitting to the authority of community is a key part of the Christian life.

It is the different-ness of the gospel, not its hipness, that changes lives and transforms the world.

Our notion of authenticity should not primarily be about affirming each other in our struggles—patting

then appeal to the culture.

The sufficiency and availability of God’s grace to all people is scandalous, and for many, a pill too hard to swallow.

For a wise articulation of this point, see Michael Horton, Ordinary: Sustainable Faith in a Radical, Restless World (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014).

Second,