Jesus Cropped from the Picture

Chapter 19: Sacred Roots: No Nostalgia, No Antagonists

F OR THE TRADITIONAL, Pragmatic, and Emerging methods, nostalgic eras were formed in conjunction with their common antagonists. Traditionals have the Protestant Reformation, Pragmatics recall a personally fulfilling season of life, and Emergings idealize the early Church before Constantine. However, the People of the Story have no specific nostalgic era. There is no “classic era” where the Church was operating in its fullness. There is no “golden age” to long for or reminisce about. In every era, the Church has made mistakes in representing Christ. Despite her mistakes, the Holy Spirit has continued to be at work in the Church in every era , and the gates of hell have not prevailed against his Kingdom advance. Furthermore, the Church is “catholic” (universal) because it is made up of all believers past, present, and future. This view of the Church allows Christians of all expressions to claim all of the Church’s victories as their own. Billy Graham, Susanna Wesley, Martin Luther, Thomas Aquinas, Patrick, Augustine, Francis of Assisi, John of the Cross, and Paul of Tarsus are all part of the company to which every follower of Jesus belongs. All the saints of God belong to one another . Those who are anchored to Sacred Roots do not long for an idyllic past , but a perfect future . There is no “safety of the Shire” as longed for in Lord of the Rings . Instead, the Church age is a “battle for Middle Earth” and is full of destruction and disharmony. But the battle is worth

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