“The Christian community ‘has its roots in the future and its branches in the present.,’ writes John D. Zizioulas. The ecclesia (church, community) of Jesus finds its origins in the future. And that future is bright, certain and unshakeable because of Jesus and his finished work. Hope is the bridge from the future into the the present, and the branches of that hope are faith and love.

“N. T. Wright says that ‘a mission-shaped church must have its mission shaped by hope; that the genuine Christian hope, rooted in Jesus’ resurrection, is the hope for God’s renewal of all things, for his overcoming of corruption, decay, and death, for his filling of the whole cosmos with his love and grace, his power and glory.’ Roots in the future, roots in the resurrection, roots in the eternal victory of Jesus, roots that are firmly planted in eternal life, roots that nourish the trunk and branches, and ultimately produce the fruit that draws others into the story. Wright concludes, ‘To be truly effective in this kind of mission, one must be genuinely and cheerfully rooted in God’s renewal.’ We have a real reason to cheer. The more we know the story, the more we rejoice.’”

From “The Good and Beautiful Community,” (2010) James Bryan Smith by way of NextReformation.com