REVIEWS: 3 books to change your church
Todd Hallman, Drew Zahn, and John E. Lee
January 1, 2004
The Transforming Community: The Practice of the Gospel in Church Discipline
Mark Lauterbach (Christian Focus, 2003) Mention church discipline, and people either duck under the pews or leave the church. But Mark Lauterbach aims to resurrect this forgotten element of Christian community. Lauterbach's purpose "is not that we create perfect churches, but that we have in place the right metrics for assessing where problems are and the right principles for addressing them." If the church is to be the redemptive body God intended her to be, then discipline must be present. "In every case [of church discipline], Paul applies the Gospel to the life of the church. He does not speak of morality only. … He works out the meaning of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ as it speaks to every issue. We must keep the Gospel in the center. If we lose the Gospel, we lose everything." In a world of high divorce rates, murder, suicide, drug abuse, domestic violence, premarital sex, etc., the church must be a place where sins are dealt with redemptively and in love. Tolerating sin is not dealing with it. Tolerating sin corrupts not just the individual sinner alone, but the entire Body of Christ. "Is church discipline really worth the cost? After all, people may get their feelings hurt, or they may stop attending church altogether." Lauterbach apparently believes so. Without it, the church fails her scriptural mandate. Lauterbach's analysis is exceptional, but breaking down the theory and putting it into practice is the challenge. I would have appreciated more instruction on implementing church discipline in an effective and positive manner. Overall, however, Lauterbach's book is an excellent resource to understand the purpose of church discipline. ...
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