The Good and Beautiful Community: Following the Spirit, Extending Grace, Demonstrating Love (The Good and Beautiful Series) - Hardcover

Smith, James Bryan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0830835334 ISBN 13: 9780830835331

Publisher: IVP, 2010

Synopsis

In this third book in the Apprentice Series, James Bryan Smith helps us know how to live in relationship with others as apprentices of Jesus. "Apprentices of Jesus are not part-time do-gooders," he writes. "They live in continuous contact with the kingdom of God, and are constantly men and women in whom Christ dwells. They do not sometimes tell the truth, sometimes live sacrificially or sometimes forgive. There are myriad opportunities for us to impact the world in which we live." Yet many times we've gotten it wrong, tending to emphasize personal faith over social justice or vice versa. In these pages Jim Smith shows us how to bring spiritual formation and community engagement together, and then once again offers spiritual practices that root new, true narratives about God and the world in our souls. His insight and humility as a fellow learner with us will lead us to live in authentic ways as a good and beautiful community of Christ-followers, shining the light of the Spirit into every relationship.

About this title

About the Author

James Bryan Smith is a theology professor at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, as well as the director of the Christian Spiritual Formation Institute there. A writer and speaker in the area of Christian spiritual formation, Jim Smith is a founding board member of Renovaré. Smith is an ordained United Methodist Church minister and has served in various capacities in local churches. He is also the author of A Spiritual Formation Workbook, Devotional Classics (with Richard Foster), Embracing the Love of God, Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven and Room of Marvels.

Review

"The Good and Beautiful Community is very readable, relatable, and practical. Recommend it to pastors, adult Sunday school teachers, small-group leaders, fans of Dallas Willard and Richard Foster, and customers interested in spiritual formation and disciplines." (Daniel Johnson, CBA Retailers Resources, September 2010)

"The Apprentice Series is the best practice I have seen in Christian spiritual formation." (Dallas Willard, author of The Divine Conspiracy)

"Jim Smith is the most articulate, accurate and helpful writer of spiritual formation of my generation. I give this series my highest recommendation." (Todd Hunter, author of Giving Church Another Chance)

"The Apprentice Series is a treasure. Dr. Smith has thought long and hard about the process of human transformation into the likeness of Jesus. I urge you to buy these books immediately! Read them and apply them. Then live them out in the context of a loving community. You will not regret doing so." (Richard J. Foster, author of Celebration of Discipline and coauthor of Longing for God)

About this edition

• Publisher: IVP
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0830835334
• ISBN 13: 9780830835331
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240