Bob Lupton is an Atlantan, introduced to me by Angie Allen. When I was at CCF we worked with his organization, FCS Urban Ministries. Bob also happens to be a great writer of gritty substance when it comes to the mission of the church. Theirs is the Kingdom is one of my earliest reads on theology, a collection of stories that leave you to resolve within yourself. Here is Lupton's list:
Compassion, Justice and the Christian Life: Rethinking Ministry to the Poor (2007)
Renewing the City: Reflections on Community Development and Urban Renewal (2005)
Return Flight: Community Development through Reneighboring Our Cities (1997)
Theirs is the Kingdom: Celebrating the Gospel in Urban America (1989)
A friend once taught me that the goal of ministry is to comfort the uncomfortable, but also to discomfort the comfortable. A 2008 Lupton article is particularly discomforting for the international missionary, his comments are bold, and you'll not want to read it unless willing to be humble and challenged. As a disclaimer, the intensity of Lupton's argument does not reflect the cooperative attitude and optimistic spirit of my organization or me personally, but his admonitions serve as a warning of the unintended consequences of benevolent intentions.
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