Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel Hardcover – August 1, 2015

This truly is the right time for this discussion.The thoughtful approach of the author reminds me of who I am, not only as a Southern Baptist, but as a devout Christian. Most of us have heard enough empty rhetoric. The author gives us solid doctrine, a message backed up by facts, referenced in recent and ancient history, and demonstrated by actions.This book comes to me personally just at the right time, as I struggle with the answers to some questions about practical application of doctrine. The author addresses all of the issues that concern me. The longer, more personal review of how I enjoyed the book follows, but the short review is, get it---read it—put it to work. It’s worth your time, money, and effort.Recently I met a Southern Baptist pastor on a long flight. I was impressed at how he worked throughout the flight, obviously passionate about his calling. We briefly introduced ourselves and I said, “I’m Southern Baptist…mostly.” That started me thinking about that ‘mostly’ part. Was it because I don’t see ‘politics’ the way many of my brothers and sisters in Christ do? Is it because I detest labels such as liberals and conservatives among others? Is it what I consider to be the politicization of spiritual beliefs? Is it because I have a different attitude about those who are poor and needy or different from me? I’ve wondered for years if maybe I just am not cut out to be a Southern Baptist…not the typical evangelical…and yet here I am, and I’m not going anywhere.A few days after that long flight I was watching CNN and saw an interview Anderson Cooper did with Pastor Russell Moore. He represented everything I love about being a Southern Baptist: solid doctrine, common sense, empathy, and a no-nonsense attitude. He was ‘all-in’ – nothing ‘mostly’ or ‘almost’ about him. He wasn't afraid to speak out about what is right. He mentioned at one time in the interview that while others have gone another way over recent years, he hasn't moved. He talked about how we have to be embarrassed at the words in that first debate and protect our children from it. He mentioned the problem of deriving our identity from politics, a transcendent value. He said that we serve a different reign and we don't adopt a religious mascot. I wanted to know more, so I went to Amazon and bought several of the books he has authored.He talks about politics, anger, outrage, the Moral Majority—that we are no longer a majority and maybe never were, and the Bible Belt---why it’s disappearing and why that’s a good thing.The book was written BEFORE our election 2016 process started, but it was summed up on the back cover: “The signs of the times tell us we are in for days our parents and grandparents never knew. But that’s no call for panic or surrender or outrage. Jesus is alive. Let’s act like it. Let’s follow him, onward to the future.”I’m not looking for a ‘religious hero’ and I’m certainly not looking for a political one. This comment summed it up for me: “We seek the kingdom of God, before everything else. We connect that kingdom agenda to the culture around us, both by speaking it to the world and by showing it in our churches. As we do so, we remember our mission to oppose demons, not to demonize opponents. As we advocate for human dignity, for religious liberty, for family stability, let’s do so as those with a prophetic word that turns everything upside down.”

Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel by Russell Moore is an impassioned, challenging "call to arms" for the soldiers of the Christian kingdom. Onward is a challenging read, not because it isn't written well; it most definitely is. On the contrary, the paragraphs require reading and sometimes re-reading to fully comprehend the totality of this very important message, which is the authentic advancement of the Kingdom of God, not for political or social gain, but purely for the mission of spreading the true, authentic, non-watered down message of Jesus Christ. Moore encourages the reader to rejoice in the fact that we, as Christians, are no longer considered the moral majority and to embrace the call of the counterculture. Wear the emblem of "Jesus Freak" or "Rebel" with pride, but pride that is bathed in the merciful truth that we are nothing without the grace of God.Moore also encourages the reader to remember who the true enemy is. Oftentimes, as believers, we get this wrong. We find ourselves screaming at the top of our lungs at the WRONG combatant, wasting a lot of time and energy in the process. The song, "Onward Christian Soldiers", is mentioned in the Conclusion of the book. I, too, went to Vacation Bible School and marched in behind the flags and partook of the watered down kool-aid and stale cookies as Moore so eloquently describes.One of my favorite passages from the book is as follows:​"Let's work together for something new, and for something old: the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven, gathered in churches of transformed people, reconciled to one another, on mission with one another, holding together the authentic gospel of Jesus Christ."I recommend this book to anyone in church leadership, but also to those who want to dig deep into something relevant, those who want a great launch for authentic discussion about the true state of the church today. As the mother of two tweens I appreciated the message of hope, as opposed to the all too prevalent "doomsday" message of the future. Our children can start putting on the armor NOW to prepare for what God only knows lay ahead, but not the armor made of "Politically Correct Bullet-Proof" rubbermaid; instead the true armor made of the real stuff, the indestructable gospel of Jesus Christ.This book is 240 pages and contains 10 chapters with a conclusion included at the end of each one, which is very helpful from a summary standpoint. The eloquent wrapping up ennables the reader to mentally review and summarize the dynamic message of each chapter.