What is the place of the church in the modern world? This is the question Carmen Joy Imes grapples with in Becoming God’s Family: Why the Church Still Matters (IVP Academic, Oct.). We spoke to the author and biblical scholar about faith, and religion, in the 21st century.
How is this book a natural third in the trilogy that includes Being God’s Image and Bearing God’s Name?
The first two books explored human identity and vocation from a Christian perspective, while Becoming God’s Family leans into the concept of belonging. I realized that many North Americans read the Bible from such an individualist perspective that we miss the communal dimensions of the life that God has invited us into. We are meant to belong to each other.
How do you answer the question, “Why does the church still matter?”
God’s plan for humanity has always been collaborative. None of us has everything we need to thrive. We all offer different gifts and skills and sensibilities. The church is God’s chosen means of carrying out his mission in the world. Together we can accomplish far more than any of us can do alone.
What does the church bring to our faith both individually and as a body of believers?
Ironically, the church reminds us that we are not enough. We gather in recognition of our dependence upon God and one another. We depend on Jesus’ saving work and we continue to need divine intervention to fix what is broken in the world.
Who is the audience for this book? Pastors? Laypeople? All of the above?
I’m writing for those who are disillusioned or apathetic about church as well as for those who love it fiercely and want it to become all it was meant to be. I hope that it helps pastors build a more biblical foundation for our shared life. For those who have one foot out the door and are saying “Give me one good reason to stay,” I hope this book offers many good reasons to stay.
What does the book offer to help pastors who are helping people with church trauma, who are deconstructing, etc.?
Becoming God’s Family takes an unflinching look at places in the Bible where God’s people cause harm or fall short of God’s ideal for us. The honesty of the biblical story about the failures of the faith community encourages me to bring the same degree of honest assessment to the church today. But the Bible goes a step further to offer a hopeful vision of what the church is meant to be—what we can become.
What are a few of the key points the Bible makes about the church?
Meeting together should be our regular rhythm, and our meetings should cut across social divisions based on gender, class, education, and ethnicity. Coming together does not erase our differences but helps us to see one another’s needs so that we can serve one another more effectively. Every single member has something to offer and something to receive.
How does the vision of the church you present challenge our Western individualism?
The Bible offers a challenging message to those of us who assume that self-determination and autonomy are the highest human good. It calls us instead to a life of service and of healthy interdependence. We learn to pray to “Our Father” about “our daily bread” and “our trespasses” because we have become a family.
What are the key benefits of gathering as a church and as a body of believers?
Gathering calibrates the compass of our hearts to point again toward the God who is our everything. A compass gets off kilter when it’s in proximity to magnets or metal objects. Gathering to pray together, sing together, hear the Word preached, and to celebrate communion together reorients our loves and reminds us of what matters most.
What do you hope readers take away from Becoming God’s Family?
Despite all its imperfections, the church is God’s one and only plan for forming us into his likeness. When we gather, the Holy Spirit descends among us and works in unexpected ways. When we give up on gathering, we miss out on some of the best gifts God wants to give us.
