Speaking Church: A New Vision for the Sub/Urban Congregation - Paperback

by Ross Bartlett (Author)

Language is the gift by which we shape our understanding and tell our story. But if we cannot see ourselves and our context in our language, our lives can be confused and our witness weakened through a kind of cognitive dissonance created when the only vocabulary available to us fails to match our lived situation. Urban and suburban congregations live this disconnect when the language and imagery often employed in hymns, prayers, imagery, and liturgies reflect a rural ideal far from the experience of believers. The irony is revealed when we recognize that the Bible is a book deeply and profoundly urban in nature. Christianity's earliest history gives both authorization and resources for helping urban and suburban congregations find their unique voice.

Author Biography

After more than thirty-five years of congregational ministry, Ross Bartlett was recently appointed as director of United Church Formation at the Atlantic School of Theology, Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is the author of On Holy Ground (2017).