With questions of Church and State back in the news cycle, this is a good time to revisit a key passage for the season of Advent, Isaiah 9:6-7.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
Download this important conversation from David Fitch and Aaron Graham. It’s free from 12/11-18.
You can download any of the individual talks from the Future Gospel conference here.
About this Conversation
This passage from Isaiah reminds us that Jesus’ teaching, ministry, life, death, and resurrection were incredibly and irreducibly political in nature.
Such a statement is ripe for misunderstanding and the mere mention of it invites contention, but its truth is inescapable. Far from skirting the issue, for Christians to exhibit faithful witness in mission calls for direct, thoughtful, and sustained dialogue. This was precisely the point of the workshop featured for download.
About David Fitch
David Fitch is B. R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary Chicago, IL. and a Missio Alliance Leading Voice. He’s pastored and participated in many church plants including Life on the Vine Christian Community, a missional church in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago and Peace of Christ Church in Westmont, Illinois. He writes on the issues the local church must face in Mission including cultural engagement, leadership and theology.
He is the author of The End of Evangelicalism? Discerning a New Faithfulness for Mission (Cascade Books, 2011), The Great Giveaway: Reclaiming the Mission of the Church from American Business, Para-Church Organizations, Psychotherapy, Consumer Capitalism and Other Modern Maladies (Baker Books, 2005) and Prodigal Christianity: 10 Signposts into the Missional Frontier (Jossey-Bass 2013) with co-author Geoff Holsclaw. His latest book is entitled Faithful Presence: How God Shapes the Church for the Sake of the World.
About Aaron Graham
Aaron serves as the founder and lead pastor of The District Church. He leads the Columbia Heights parish as well as the whole church organizationally. Aaron has a heart for church planting, leadership development, and urban ministry. He is the co-founder of DC127 and serves as the board chair. Before moving to the District, Aaron started Quincy Street Missional Church in a low-income neighborhood of Boston where he served for five years. He received his bachelor’s from the University of Richmond, master’s at Harvard’s Kennedy School, and his doctorate at Fuller Theological Seminary. Aaron loves to be outdoors, to play basketball, to travel, and to cheer for DC sports teams. He lives in Columbia Heights with his wife Amy and their two children, Elijah and Natalie.