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hiimmallory's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
chattynattyreads's review
4.0
A very needed read for the current times. I’m always amazed with author’s bravery in being totally open and honest. I fear if not only the church, but communities as we know it don’t move towards loving and caring as Jesus did/does we are a sinking humanity.
Favorite lines...
Pg18 We need justice to be the heart of our work and life, not just something we do for “God’s Work Our Hands Sunday”.
Pg 35 Diversity is not assimilation in the same way grace is not the law.
Pg 78 People are deciding not to come to our churches because we have allowed them to be country clubs where we pantomime discipleship to be German/Swedish cultural centers, not because we finally got the courage to live God’s own children.
Pg 125 Our churches are emptying because we have become navel-gazing social clubs that are more concerned with the fund to keep the organ alive than funds for refugees.
Favorite lines...
Pg18 We need justice to be the heart of our work and life, not just something we do for “God’s Work Our Hands Sunday”.
Pg 35 Diversity is not assimilation in the same way grace is not the law.
Pg 78 People are deciding not to come to our churches because we have allowed them to be country clubs where we pantomime discipleship to be German/Swedish cultural centers, not because we finally got the courage to live God’s own children.
Pg 125 Our churches are emptying because we have become navel-gazing social clubs that are more concerned with the fund to keep the organ alive than funds for refugees.
ktbaugh's review
“Dear Church, we are the ones we have been waiting for. No one else is coming. You are the generation that has been chosen for this time, this place, this moment in human history. Stop waiting for some sort of transformative leader to arise from the body politic or the body of Christ. It is you.”
“Church, somewhere along the way, we started to believe that the world was saying about us. That we no longer have a useful message to give the world. That we aren’t enough...That we are irrelevant in the fight for freedom in this country. That we don’t have a word to speak over this country’s politics or movements. That we aren’t in position to speak truth to power.”
A challenge. Be better church.
“Church, somewhere along the way, we started to believe that the world was saying about us. That we no longer have a useful message to give the world. That we aren’t enough...That we are irrelevant in the fight for freedom in this country. That we don’t have a word to speak over this country’s politics or movements. That we aren’t in position to speak truth to power.”
A challenge. Be better church.
kathy_ruth's review
5.0
This is a difficult but very important critique of the ELCA, though I suspect it would be helpful for many denominations. There is a lot here that challenged me and I am so glad I read it.
cretzlaff's review
4.0
Very important critique of Lutheranism/mainline Protestantism. We need to think about these things.
jlightwells's review
5.0
If you haven't yet had the chance to read this, now is the time. Lenny Duncan is a voice in the church that we all need to hear: a black, queer man ordained to ministry in the ELCA, the whitest progressive Christian denomination in the country. Not only is Duncan's story incredibly compelling, but also it issues a call to action to do something about the ideologies that are killing Christianity. Namely racism, but also homophobia, patriarchy, and colonization. Writing each chapter as a love letter to the church, Duncan weaves together stories of care and compassion with pictures of where the church has deeply hurt and harmed people. He desperately wants the church to divorce itself from white supremacy, and models his own confession as he calls for repentance. I particularly appreciated Duncan's complete and utter honesty, and his willingness to call out the pitfalls of rushing toward reconciliation and healing. We are a wounded body, and these wounds will not be mended quickly or easily. This is an absolute must-read for all who care about the church and its witness in the world.
grandrevans's review
4.0
First and foremost, I am glad that Lenny Duncan wrote this book and am grateful for his ministry of speaking truth. This book is a must read for leaders on every level in the ELCA (and would probably translate well to other denominations as well, though I can’t speak to that experience).
Rev. Duncan does a solid job tracing the overt and subtle acts of racism in the Lutheran Church from the 1800s to today. He raises up the voices of forgotten black leaders in the church (Pastor Jehu Jones in particular—the first black pastor in the American Lutheran denomination). Duncan explores the uncomfortable truth that both Dylan Roof, the man who murdered a group of black Christians at a bible study in Charleston, NC, on June 15, 2015, and Duncan himself are Lutherans, and he asks the church to do some soul searching on what type of environment exists in the Lutheran Church that could allow Roof’s white supremacist views to take root. Duncan also offers some concrete examples for how the church can, on both a congregational and synod level, address some of the wrongs of the past and offer reparations (in the sense of “to repair”, not strictly in financial terms) to its black and brown brothers and sisters. He even puts forth the call to the church to take on the mantle of radical hospitality: to welcome the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, and all others as part of God’s family, because the Gospel is clear that God’s Love is for all people. All of these truths are essential and need to be said.
My only complaints with the book are that 1) it uses a fair amount of jargon from the progressive church without stopping to define terms, which could make it a bit alienating for newcomers to the ideas presented in the book; and 2) there are some points in the book that I read and went, “OK, yes, I agree with this, but I want the book to dig deeper on this topic”—which isn’t strictly a bad thing: this book is more of a survey (in the academic sense) of the ways the church has failed to live up to its promises than a deep dive into each of the oppressions listed in the book. That said, if you’re already well versed in progressive Christian spaces, you might find yourself nodding in agreement (or maybe pushing back to engage in a deeper dialogue on some topics depending on where you’re at; I can’t speak for anyone else) more often than you find yourself engaging a new concept (though you’ll likely encounter some of those as well).
In my reviews, I tend to reserve the fifth star for books that have changed my life in some way or that have connected with me on a deeply personal level. So the four stars on this review mean “This is a book I would very much recommend, particularly to its intended audience.”
With that said, DEAR CHURCH is must read for Lutherans in the ELCA, and I would recommend it even stronger to churches, church leaders, and laypeople who are just beginning to recognize the need to do more anti-racism work in their community but who aren’t quite sure where to start.
Rev. Duncan does a solid job tracing the overt and subtle acts of racism in the Lutheran Church from the 1800s to today. He raises up the voices of forgotten black leaders in the church (Pastor Jehu Jones in particular—the first black pastor in the American Lutheran denomination). Duncan explores the uncomfortable truth that both Dylan Roof, the man who murdered a group of black Christians at a bible study in Charleston, NC, on June 15, 2015, and Duncan himself are Lutherans, and he asks the church to do some soul searching on what type of environment exists in the Lutheran Church that could allow Roof’s white supremacist views to take root. Duncan also offers some concrete examples for how the church can, on both a congregational and synod level, address some of the wrongs of the past and offer reparations (in the sense of “to repair”, not strictly in financial terms) to its black and brown brothers and sisters. He even puts forth the call to the church to take on the mantle of radical hospitality: to welcome the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, and all others as part of God’s family, because the Gospel is clear that God’s Love is for all people. All of these truths are essential and need to be said.
My only complaints with the book are that 1) it uses a fair amount of jargon from the progressive church without stopping to define terms, which could make it a bit alienating for newcomers to the ideas presented in the book; and 2) there are some points in the book that I read and went, “OK, yes, I agree with this, but I want the book to dig deeper on this topic”—which isn’t strictly a bad thing: this book is more of a survey (in the academic sense) of the ways the church has failed to live up to its promises than a deep dive into each of the oppressions listed in the book. That said, if you’re already well versed in progressive Christian spaces, you might find yourself nodding in agreement (or maybe pushing back to engage in a deeper dialogue on some topics depending on where you’re at; I can’t speak for anyone else) more often than you find yourself engaging a new concept (though you’ll likely encounter some of those as well).
In my reviews, I tend to reserve the fifth star for books that have changed my life in some way or that have connected with me on a deeply personal level. So the four stars on this review mean “This is a book I would very much recommend, particularly to its intended audience.”
With that said, DEAR CHURCH is must read for Lutherans in the ELCA, and I would recommend it even stronger to churches, church leaders, and laypeople who are just beginning to recognize the need to do more anti-racism work in their community but who aren’t quite sure where to start.
cynthiameyer's review
5.0
Powerful! Honest and true. I encourage all white pastors and church leaders to read this book. Keep reading when it makes you uncomfortable. Read those parts again. Reverend Duncan is telling us real truth that we need to receive and believe. It's not just for Lutherans! And it's not just for those who are overtly and intentionally racist. It speaks to those of us who consider ourselves to be progressive and strive to become anti-racist. May we read, reflect, and change!
mjk4053's review
Dear Church... my church, listen to the words of Pastor Lenny Duncan. We need to have a conversation about being Christ's church. Pastor Lenny's perspective is honest, vulnerable, and speaks truth. A story to be shared!