How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place: Why I Love the Church
A Book Released on Substack Chapter by Chapter
I am thankful to invite you for a unique serialized reading of our latest work, How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place: Why I Love the Church (Psalm 84), exclusively on this “channel:” “Faith for Living with” yours truly. A new chapter will be unveiled each week, offering a personal reflection on the Church as both the glorious body of Christ, the Church Triumphant, and a living community of transformed lives under construction. This book is not your typical theological discourse. I wrote it to invite others with me on a voyage through biblical doctrine expressed in a way that is accessible to all.
With each chapter, I will provide (hopefully) thought-provoking questions for reflection. These questions enhance your study or stimulate discussion within small groups. They offer an opportunity to consider the theological and practical dimensions of the Church’s identity and mission and to apply these truths to your life in the company of others.
A new chapter will be unveiled each week, offering a personal reflection on the Church as both the glorious body of Christ, the Church Triumphant, and a living community of transformed lives under construction.
We will provide all our subscribers with a complimentary digital copy of the book upon completion of the series. The book will be available in either ePub or PDF format. This gift awaits you whether you join us at the onset or during the series. By the study’s conclusion, the hard copies will be published (Lord willing). At that time, we will provide our subscribers with a deeply discounted edition (through an agreement with a bookseller). As with all resources we provide, if a subscriber wanted a hard copy and couldn’t afford the discounted edition, then a Faith for Living supporter or supporters will make sure all who wish to access the resource receive it. As they say, that is “how we roll around here.”
In “How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place: Why I Love the Church,” Dr. Michael A. Milton invites readers to explore the Church as a divine institution and a living community. Drawing from Scripture, Reformed theology, and decades of pastoral experience, Milton portrays the Church in its dual nature: the triumphant, eternal Body of Christ and the earth’ earthly, striving community. Through theological insight and personal reflections, this book delves into the spiritual tensions and historical continuities that define the Church. Milton challenges and comforts believers by unveiling the Church’s true glory amidst its human struggles. A must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of their faith and the pivotal role of the Church in God’s plan.—Apple Books
As we embark on this excursion and release the sails throughout the weekly installments with questions for discussion and reflection, I pray that the winds of God’s grace will push us forward, farther out into love and fresh appreciation for the gift of the Church (despite its earthly struggles). The Body of Christ, visible and invisible, is a testament to “God with us” through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Subscriptions to this Faith for Living Substack edition are entirely free of charge. While you might encounter Substack ads mentioning a paid subscription, this does not apply to us. Our 501c3 non-profit, Faith for Living, is making this newsletter available to you. So, don’t hesitate to subscribe today and join us for “How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place.”
Chapters (each chapter is a weekly installment, every Tuesday for nine weeks, starting Tuesday, April 30, 2024):
1. The Rhetoric of Time - Exploring the Eternal and Immediate
2. Restless Beauty - The Church’s Imperfect Perfection
3. The Deal - Covenant and Community in Christ
4. The Robe - Clothed in Righteousness and Division
5. The Cross - Suffering, Redemption, and Church Unity
6. Home Again - Returning to the Heart of Worship
7. Your Home Has a Name - Identity and Belonging in the Church
8. Wrong Addresses - Misunderstandings and Misdirections in Faith
9. Finding Your Way Home - The Journey Towards Church as Refuge (the e-book is released to all subscribers)
So, we welcome you. Our humble vessel launches from the shore of this very site next Tuesday: Chapter One with Study Notes on “The Rhetoric of Time.”
