Ancient Future Faith: A Journey Through the Pages of History

In his book 'Common Roots: The Original Call to an Ancient-Future Faith', Robert Webber takes readers on a journey through the pages of history, exploring the ways in which Christianity's rich heritage can inform our faith and practice today. For Webber, ancient-future faith is not about clinging to outdated traditions or practices, but rather about drawing wisdom from the past and translating insights from historic Christianity into the present and future life of the church.

At the heart of this approach is a deep understanding of Christian spirituality as an ordering of our lives into the pattern of dying to sin and being raised to new life in Christ. This is not just a theoretical concept, but a lived experience that shapes every aspect of our faith, from worship to ministry to personal relationships.

One of the key insights Webber offers is the importance of confession and forgiveness in our spiritual journey. When we meet God and confess our sin, God forgives us and restores us, allowing us to live in the pattern of his death and resurrection. This is not just a one-time event, but an ongoing process that requires us to continually surrender our lives to Christ.

In this sense, Christian-year spirituality is nothing less than the calling to enter by faith into the incarnation, life and ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus. It's about living in the reality of God's presence with us, even in the midst of darkness and uncertainty.

Advent, the season leading up to Christmas, is a particularly important time for this kind of spiritual reflection. As Isaiah reminds us, God can stir up the waters of our dead spirituality and refresh us with a new spring of clear and lively water of life. It's a time when we're called to turn away from our own ways and ask God not to leave us alone, pleading with him to guide us back to himself.

In conclusion, Ancient Future Faith is about more than just a historical approach to Christianity - it's about living out the implications of our faith in every area of life. By embracing this approach, we can experience the transformative power of God's presence and live in the hope and promise of new life in Christ.

Ancient future faith by robert webber