Book Review: A Fellowship of Differents by Scot McKnight

The church is made up of people who are not like you. It is hard for some to admit that but it is true. Many look for a church made up of people who are like them. I am not talking about beliefs, I am talking about preferences. When we look for a church that has people like us, we miss out on the fellowship we have in Christ and miss what the church is suppose to look like.

Scot McKnight talks about the church made up of different people in his latest book, A Fellowship of Differents. He wrote that the church is like a salad bowl meaning that it is made of people with different tastes. McKnight explains, "The earliest Christian churches were made up of folks from all over the social map, but they formed a fellowship of 'different tastes,' a mixed salad of the best kind." He goes on to say that God designed the church to be "fellowship of difference and differents," which I do agree that the church is made of people who different from one another. Yes, our common faith is in Jesus but we are all different. We all come from different backgrounds and have different upbringings as well.

McKnight goes on to say the church is God's social experiment to the world bringing people with differences together so they can show the world a new kind of family. While I agree to a point, I have a problem with the words, "social experiment." It is almost like saying God has this great idea and wanted to see if it would work which kind of downplays His sovereignty. I do agree that the church is a demonstration of God bringing in a people who are not similar to one another to show His glory and grace in a new family. When each one of us come to Christ, we become a new creation in Him.

Throughout the book, McKnight gives a lot of good teaching regarding how the church is a fellowship with people who are different and talks about the church can also be representing the Kingdom of God in the here and now. We can show the world how we love each other differently and how we pursue holiness.

I must admit that I have read only one book by McKnight and did not care for it. I have read some of his blog posts and find myself not reading after two or three paragraphs. This book is probably the best, in my opinion, he has written. I don't think it is an in-depth doctrinal book on the church, but it is one to have as a reference.

Thanks BookLook Bloggers for letting me review this book.