Monday, April 13, 2009

Michael Horton on the Marks of the Church

I'm currently reading through Michael Horton's People and Place: A Covenant Ecclesiology, and this quote caught my eye:

"The word that is preached, taught, sung, and prayed, along with baptism and Eucharist, not only prepares us for mission; it also is itself the missionary event, as visitors are able to hear and see the gospel that communicates and the communion that it generates. To the extent that the marks define the mission and the mission justifies the marks, the church fulfills its apostolic identity." (p. 256).

1 comment:

Fongster said...

Interesting. Perhaps Horton's observation adds some weight to the idea that as much as the goal of the church is mission, the goal of mission is also the church - God's gathering of His people for confession and proclamation of His Word.