Drawing from the experience of a church on Chicago's south side, Released Outward addresses the situation of congregations that have turned inward and become isolated from the needs of the world around them. It addresses the question of how churches, addicted to their cultural and ecclesial traditions, are set free to engage the world with God's justice, mercy, and faithfulness. The journey outward is a spiritual one. Like all who are in bondage to false dependencies, congregations must come out of denial, realize that the mission God has given them has become unmanageable, and surrender life and mission to God. This book is about congregations being liberated from false attachments and from theologies that do not support radical change. And it is about liberated people becoming witnesses to God's liberation in its many forms. The way forward is through seeing ourselves in the mirror of Jesus's witness, having Christ formed in us, and being empowered and guided by the Spirit. At the heart of this change is God's governance made concrete and specific. ""Released Outward is a powerful plea to nurture holistic congregations that live and share the whole Gospel. Drawing on decades of experience as a white pastor pastoring a black congregation in South Chicago, Lowry offers great wisdom on how to deal with all the brokenness of our world-addiction, racism, economic injustice, and much more. Highly recommended."" --Ronald Sider, President, Palmer Seminary at Eastern University David Lowry served as pastor of St. Thomas Lutheran Church in Chicago for over twenty-eight years, a church with a strong outreach to children and a ministry to recovering addicts. He currently trains deacons for ministry in local congregations. He is the author of The Prophetic Element in the Church: As Conceived in the Theology of Karl Rahner (1990), which focuses on the timely word of God.
