While everyone has a family tree, not everyone knows their family’s history. As Christians, however, we have the distinct privilege of claiming the shared narrative of Christ’s Church, our very own family of faith that spans two thousand years. How can we begin to trace the fragments of a story that has coursed through twenty centuries, branching north and south, east and west, into the whole of our modern world?
A new book written by Dr. Sinclair Ferguson called In the Year of Our Lord offers guidance. Dr. Ferguson suggests that learning from the examples and missteps of those who’ve gone before us in the faith is one of the greatest delights of walking the Christian way:
We possess a vast multitude of brothers and sisters in Christ from whose lives we can learn, through whose stories we can be challenged and encouraged, by whose writings we can be instructed, and by whose hymns we can be inspired to worship and live with greater devotion to our Lord.
Thoughtfully, Dr. Ferguson introduces readers to members of the Christian family, beginning with first-century Jerusalem and continuing to the present day. Each chapter covers one hundred years and opens with a thought-provoking quotation followed by a brief account of individuals and key events within the given period. Drawing from classic writings and featured primary sources, Dr. Ferguson employs the stories, words, and songs of professing believers from throughout history to lift our eyes off today’s horizon and help us marvel at all God has done—and continues to do—in the building of Christ’s covenant community.
Gain a sense of your own place in God’s kingdom and benefit from Dr. Ferguson’s timely—and timeless—reminder that nothing can prevail against Christ’s Church. Order a copy of In the Year of Our Lord today.