"Amen!" he said.

This morning I had an exhilarating time. I taught the Faith-Works adult fellowship class at First Baptist Church Wheaton on the subject of "Worship and Community." In limited time, I ranged over some of the ways in which we can diminish the big claims of Rom. 12:1,2 and 1 Pet. 2: 4-12. Using the white board we identified many issues including: individualism, cultural naivety, liturgical amnesia and failing to live in God's story.

Of course, my passion about this has grown over the past five years of writing on exactly this subject. This was a wonderful opportunity to share with twenty-five people (including several church leaders) and to see heads nodding as well as some frowns!

At the end one class member said she was unsure how to respond: "In raising these issues was not I (the speaker!) calling for a major review of nearly everything the church does? Doesn't this demand a radical look at our life together?" To which, one of the leaders said loudly: "Amen!" Now it's easy as a teacher to raise questions and stir the pot. But how I hope it won't stay there.

My main prayer as my book inches towards publication (in September) is that it will help us to look at our life together RADICALLY. My thanks to my friends in this class.