Matthew C Clarke

The transformative potential of mercyWhat might mercy look like if, rather than being a naive approach to letting people off the hook, it radically infused our approach to justice? What if mercy was not merely kindness, nor a display of power by a superior to a needy inferior, but something disruptive and transformative?Filled with biblical analysis, personal stories, and applications to the author's work in human trafficking research, this book both disrupts the normal ideas about mercy and proposes a new conception that is itself radically disruptive. Part of that disruption to transactional thinking is scandalous commitment to mercy being free and unconditional. If this is a book you need but can't afford, read the publisher's website for other options.

What might church look like if, rather than being a controlled, institutional garden, it was a radically decentralized weed? Scattering Church explains why the traditional church structure is increasingly viewed as irrelevant not only by society at large but even by many people of faith. In a world that is socially mobile, digital, postmodern and increasingly post-institutional, we cannot expect the traditional model of the gathered church be effective.If you are enamored by Jesus but disillusioned with the rigidity and control of institutions, Scattering Church describes an alternative: a church that consciously forsakes control in order to build a kingdom that enables human flourishing. This book weaves together seven core features of a non-institutional church that takes seriously the Biblical metaphor of scattering, and describes numerous examples of what that would look like in practice.To connect with other readers please visit www.turningteardropsintojoy.com/books.