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West Side Presbyterian Church
Seattle,
Washington
I have a Dream of a Living Church
Note: referenced in the June 6, 2010 sermon Life Together by Pastor Dr. Bryon Burton.
| Available for download: I have a Dream of a Living Church (PDF)
John Stott biography John Stott has served the same church, All Souls Langham Place London, ever since he was ordained into the ministry of the Church of England in 1945. He was assistant pastor of All Souls for 5 years, the Rector for 25, and has been Rector Emeritus since 1975. For over twenty five years of his public ministry, he was set free (under the auspices of the Langham Partnership) to travel the world, especially for ministry to pastors and students. In HM the Queen's New Year Honours' List 2006, he was awarded the CBE 'for services to Christian Scholarship and the Christian world.' He has been a Chaplain to the Queen since 1959. He is President of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity. The son of Sir Arnold and Lady Stott, he was born in London in 1921, educated at Rugby School, where he was head boy, and Trinity College Cambridge, where he got a 1st class degree in French and Theology. He has been awarded a Lambeth DD, and has honorary doctorates from British, Canadian and American colleges. John Stott's biography has been written by Timothy Dudley-Smith. Volume 2 was published in 2001. All his life he has been a keen bird watcher and bird photographer, taking his binoculars and camera with him on all his travels. He reckons he has seen about 2,500 of the world's 9000 species of birds. His book, The Birds our Teachers, lavishly illustrated with his own photographs, was published in 1999 in the UK by Candle Books, in the USA by Baker, and also in several other languages. He has written 50 books - the most recent of which, 'The Living Church,' was published in May 2007. His best known, Basic Christianity, has been translated into more than 50 languages. Other titles include The Cross of Christ, The Contemporary Christian, Evangelical Truth and New Issues Facing Christians Today, and eight New Testament expositions (Acts, Romans etc.) in the 'Bible Speaks Today' series published by IVP. |
I have a Dream of a Living Church
(24 November 1974)
From John Stott's
THE LIVING CHURCH: Convictions of a Lifelong Pastor
I have a dream of a church which is a biblical church -
which is loyal in every particular to the revelation of God in Scripture,
whose pastors expound Scripture with integrity and relevance,
and so seek to present every member mature in Christ,
whose people love the word of God,
and adorn it with an obedient and Christ-like life,
which is preserved from all unbiblical emphases,
whose whole life manifests the health and beauty of biblical balance.
I have a dream of a biblical church.
I have a dream of a church which is a worshiping church -
whose people come together to meet God and worship him,
who know God is always in their midst and who bow down before him in great
humility,
who regularly frequent the table of the Lord Jesus,
to celebrate his mighty act of redemption on the cross,
who enrich the worship with their musical skills,
who believe in prayer and lay hold of God in prayer,
whose worship is expressed not in Sunday services and prayer gatherings only but
also in their homes,
their weekday work and the common things of life.
I have a dream of a worshipping church.
I have a dream of a church which is a caring church -
whose congregation is drawn from many races, nations, ages and social
backgrounds,
and exhibits the unity and diversity of the family of God,
whose fellowship is warm and welcoming, and never marred by anger, selfishness,
jealousy or pride,
whose members love one another with pure heart fervently, forbearing one
another, forgiving one another, and bearing one another's burdens,
which offers friendship to the lonely, support to the weak, and acceptance to
those who are despised and rejected by society,
whose love spills over to the world outside, attractive, infectious,
irresistible, the love of God himself.
I have a dream of a caring church.
I have a dream of a church which is a serving church -
which has seen Christ as the Servant and has heard his call to be a servant too,
which is delivered from self-interest, turned inside out, and giving itself
selflessly to the service of others,
whose members obey Christ's command to live in the world, to permeate secular
society, to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world,
whose people share the good news of Jesus simply, naturally and enthusiastically
with their friends,
which diligently serves its own parish, residents and workers, families and
single people, nationals and immigrants, old folk and little children,
which is alert to the changing needs of society, sensitive and flexible enough
to keep adapting its program to serve more usefully, which has a global vision
and is constantly challenging its young people to live their lives in service,
and constantly sending its people out to serve.
I have a dream of a serving church.
I have a dream of a church which is an expectant church -
whose members can never settle down in material affluence or comfort, because
they remember that they are strangers and pilgrims on earth,
which is all the more faithful and active because it is waiting and looking for
its Lord to return,
which keeps the flame of the Christian hope burning brightly in a dark,
despairing world,
which on the day of Christ will not shrink from him in shame, but rise up
joyfully to greet him.
I have a dream of an expectant church.
Such is my dream of a living church.
May all of us share this dream, and under God may the dream come true!