Why Church Matters: Worship, Ministry, and Mission in Practice

Millions of Americans gather in churches for worship every week. We sing, pray, confess our sins, give money, listen to a sermon, eat bread, and drink wine together. But why do we do those things as the church? In Why Church Matters, Jonathan Wilson offers compelling insight into that question by examining how Christian practices are centered on gathered worship. He discusses how worship is work, witness, and warfare; how it grounds us in the good and the true and the beautiful; and how it teaches and shapes us in the language of faith. He then fleshes out his vision for the church by looking in depth at three practices-baptism, communion, and foot-washing. Wilson further explores how confession and the formative power of prayer and suffering shape the body of Christ.

Ultimately, Wilson's reflections equip us to be more faithful as the church and to seek God's forgiveness when we are unfaithful to the church's calling.

Why Church Matters will be valuable to everyone involved in churches today--clergy and laypeople, seminary professors and students, and church leaders.