The Just Church…. a review

From the beginning chapters where Jim calls us to step out of our insulated worlds and to get ourselves “into trouble” by stepping out into God’s call for Justice,  through the clear steps to accomplish that in the second half of the book;  I was engaged, encouraged and inspired to dig deeper in the fight against injustice.  I walked away with an even deeper conviction that we must take up the call to “Seek Justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow” (Is. 1:17)   And best of all, I came away with a plan and a way to actually accomplish that, not just inspiration that will fuel for a while and then die away.

I’ve been on a journey… Jim Martin just wrote this book about it.   Ok, Jim didn’t write this book about me of course.  But he takes the reader on a journey that has been mirrored in my life over the past several years.   I was called into the fight for justice through a process of Encountering the truth, Exploring how I could help and then Engaging where God called me.

In The Just Church, Jim Martin lays out a foundation for doing this in the local church.  He shows how individual congregations can go through these phases of Encountering the truth of the realities of injustice in our world;  Exploring a church’s resources, your communities needs and the Global opportunities that exist; and finally how to Engage in the areas you have discovered.

Throughout the process Jim highlights the many pitfalls and dangers this road can bring along and gives solid, practical, godly advice for countering then.

For instance, in the Encounter phase it is so easy to become quickly angered at the horrible evil in the world.  Our safe view of reality is shattered as we discover the evidence of atrocity around the world and we have a natural desire to rise up, run out and fight back.  We are fueled by anger, frustration and outrage.   Jim cautions and instructs how to build a more solid foundation than just our “visceral” feelings so we are able withstand the fears, problems and setbacks we are sure to encounter along the way.

I have seen this personally as I present information about trafficking to groups of women every week.   Often someone approaches me with fire in her eyes after I’m done, ready to throw her whole self into the fight, only to fall off the radar quickly afterward.  She didn’t take the time to research, count the cost and build a resolve to continue no matter what.     Jim shows how to keep this from happening to your church.

In the Exploration phase he reminds us to stay humble and move from just belief to trust as we take steps in to unknown territory.     Jim encourages us as churches to look to what is already out there that we can join in on, and for needs not yet being met.   We must take a humble and yet courageous approach as we seek to uplift and support those already in the fight but then take the bold steps in areas still in need.

In the Engage Phase Jim wrestles with the very real sense of fear we each encounter as we step so far beyond our own capacities and capabilities and move into the realm where God uses us for great things.    We must confront fear and come up with actions steps to take so we are not overcome by it.   He also illuminates that we must be willing to step out in faith and fail…  “…when faith is tested and pushed –especially to the failure point- it can recover stronger and more ready for the next challenge.”  (p.9)

 

I highly recommend this book not only for pastors and church leaders, but also for anyone seeking to find God’s deeper call on their lives, and to connect with God in a real and deep way they may never have before.