Politics. Identity. Ideologies. Economics. There is plenty to disagree about in our day-to-day lives. As Christians, we are sometimes characterized by what we’re against rather than what we’re for. In his new book, How the Light Shines Through: Resilient Witness in Dark Times, author Chad Lakies explores challenges Christians today face as we navigate and engage with a culture frequently defined by fracture and division, reminding us that “our witness is never not on display.”
“As we gather together regularly as God’s people, we are shaped by those who shine the light of the Gospel into the darkness of the world,” writes Lakies. “Our lives are watched by outsiders. We are always, whether intentionally or not, Christ’s witness.”
“This reality of Jesus in our lives here and now changes how we act, and Lakies offers suggestions for how the church can live out that present-tense reality,” writes Dr. Dale A. Meyer, president emeritus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. “We followers of Jesus have an unprecedented opportunity in our lifetimes to offer a resilient witness to the light that shines in today’s darkness.”
Throughout his new work, Lakies first acknowledges the reality of culture today and the ways in which the church has reacted thus far. Then, he explores the challenges Christians face in today’s world and how they can navigate these experiences. Finally, he asks readers to turn back in time to the practices of the early church in order to find better ways to interact with the world today.
“The challenges of discipleship in the twenty-first century seem overwhelming to many Christians,” says Robert Kolb, professor emeritus of systematic theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. “Affirming the relational nature of God’s reality, Lakies turns our attention to the person of Jesus, demonstrating how His assumption of a self-sacrificing identity shines His light into our lives and through us into the lives of those whom He has made our neighbors.”
Visit cph.org for more information. Contact Erica Sontag to schedule an interview with the author.
Praise for How the Light Shines Through
The challenges of discipleship in the twenty-first century seem overwhelming to many Christians. Lakies explores our underlying sense of bewilderment and fear as society changes around the church. Affirming the relational nature of God’s reality, Lakies turns our attention to the person of Jesus, demonstrating how His assumption of a self-sacrificing identity shines His light into our lives and through us into the lives of those whom He has made our neighbors. Readers are equipped to embrace those who can only confront and refute in the spirit of acceptance, patience, and humility displayed by the Lord Himself.
—Robert Kolb, professor emeritus of systematic theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis
What do drums, tar pits, elephants, and a doctor who becomes a patient teach Christians about outreach? Chad Lakies wields these and other storied images to help a post-Christendom church mend her nets. He offers ways to share Jesus in word and deed, especially as our secular neighbors are gripped by their mortality, stirred by a sense of purpose, or roused by the light creeping in through joy and pain. People-fishing is still our calling. Lakies tunes our ears to our risen Lord. Perhaps the time is ripe to cast on the other side of the boat?
—Michael Zeigler, speaker of The Lutheran Hour, Lutheran Hour Ministries
People are deeply hurting in this current age, when the convergence of individualism and the unending quest for personal meaning has paradoxically led to widespread loneliness and despair. The Christian Church, when embodying Christ’s mission of forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration, offers a potent remedy. Dr. Lakies rightly calls the church to lean into this challenge and bring the Gospel to bear, for a relationship with Christ and His church provides what the culture cannot: identity, restoration, hope, and belonging.
—Michael A. Thomas, PhD, president, Concordia University Irvine
Dr. Chad Lakies calls Christians back to bold and resilient faith. Exposing flawed responses to a confused and chaotic culture, Lakies helps believers see and articulate the saving voice, wisdom, and ways of Jesus. This book guides readers through the storm of societal upheaval and provides resources for the church to bring Jesus, the friend of sinners, to the world.
—Rev. Michael W. Newman, president, LCMS Texas District; author of Hope When Your Heart Breaks: Navigating Grief and Loss
Reading How the Light Shines Through was a timely reset for untangling complex topics in the work of the church in uncharted territory. Chad Lakies tackles issues of identity, hospitality, authenticity, and resilience in the framework of loving others. Chad gives clear direction for how my own winsome witness can reflect a discipleship path following Jesus. Using this model, now my complicated life task is to never let an issue prevent a relationship.
—Connie Denninger, cofounder of Visual Faith® Ministry
Chad Lakies invites readers into a stimulating theological conversation about Christian living and faithful witness in our pluralistic here and now, offering insight into both the way things are and how we may engage with confidence, humility, and love. Never does he lose sight of the ultimate—proclaiming Jesus Christ, the light of the world—and never is his tone less than hopeful.
—Rev. Jacob A. Scott, LCMS; chaplain, Oregon National Guard
Beyond tired outreach programs and scripted evangelism conversations, this book is exactly what the church needs in the here and now into which God has placed us. Lakies diagnoses the hostile culture that surrounds us without calling for a war against it. Instead, his insight into the culture, blended with some of the best practices of the early church, gives Christians a way to talk about the faith authentically with the people in their lives.
—Rev. Grant A. Knepper, pastor, Grace Lutheran Church, Modesto, California
Dr. Lakies has written to the church’s heart with this book, speaking to our fears and frustrations as well as to our loves and our very identity as Christians. Through his deep reading of Scripture, theology, and the best of sociology, he has collected critically important insights for anyone who serves our Lord in the contentious present age. Pastors and lay leaders will find herein both keen insight into what we are feeling and helpful advice to guide us in these turbulent times.
—Phillip Brandt, PhD, pastor, St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, Portland, Oregon; campus pastor, Concordia St. Paul Global’s ABSN nursing program in Portland; author of Sunday-Sermon.com
If all the swift changes in culture have you feeling back on your heels, you owe yourself the chance to calmly think alongside Chad Lakies before reacting out of fear or frustration or even zeal. In his new book, Lakies helps us understand these dark times in nuanced and important ways, and he points out hopeful steps we can take toward embodying a resilient witness.
—Rev. Don Everts, author of The Reluctant Witness: Discovering the Delight of Spiritual Conversations
About the Author
Chad Lakies (MDiv, PhD) is Vice President for Ministry Engagement within the United States at Lutheran Hour Ministries. His former life as a nonbeliever provides exceedingly relevant experience for thinking about how to engage with friends and neighbors outside the kingdom of God. He and his wife, Bethany, have two daughters, Anabel and Daphne.
About Concordia Publishing House
Concordia Publishing House (CPH) is the publishing arm of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. For more than 150 years, CPH has been providing individuals, churches, and schools with products that are faithful to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions. From books and Bibles to church supplies, curriculum, and software, CPH offers more than 10,000 products to support the proclamation of the Gospel worldwide. Visit CPH online at cph.org.
