Out of the hundreds of books in my library, there are two that I can identify as having profoundly affected the trajectory of my ministry. The first is the
e subject of this week’s profile, Love, Acceptance & Forgiveness by Jerry Cook. In this slim volume (128 pages) Cook invites us to see beneath the surface of people to the Imago Dei that might be covered by layers of troubles and poor choices. He rebelled against the Church that chooses judgment, choosing instead to lead his church to practice love and forgiveness in all of their interactions.
Of the many vignettes that fill the book, the one that stands out as the most transformative is the story of the former pastor who is seeking a place to worship. He has divorced and remarried and, because of the adultery that led to this new relationship and the destruction of his previous ministry, he has been denied fellowship from other bodies in town. Cook recounts the heartbreaking conversation and the restoration that followed as fellowship was restored. As the Pastor, Jerry could have elected to practice judgment and barred the man and his family from entry into the body in the name of protecting his flock from their influence but instead, the transformation was ignited by the practice of love, acceptance, and forgiveness.
This is but one of the numerous examples that Cook uses the emphasize his belief that the Church was not meant to play God in judging others and condemning them for their mistakes and choices. Rather, he correctly declares that the church is to continue the restorative ministry of Jesus Christ, who wades into the world and its problems and offers the one solution that works every time it is tried; the love of Christ, the acceptance of all by Christ, and the forgiveness gained by Christ.
This book has been in print since 1979 and it reads as well today as it did when first printed. This is a book for the pastor and the folks in the pews. Less a how-to than a polemic against the fortress mentality of many churches, Cook’s words may be just the thing that the Spirit will use to move your heart as well. Add this one to your library, you won’t be sorry.
The title of this blog was obviously borrowed from the title of this book. The tagline also comes from an epithet thrown at Cook’s church because of their habit of welcoming into fellowship all the human refuse cast aside by other congregations who are more interested in keeping the carpets clean, the drapes smoke free, and the sheep free of the influence of the fallen than they are in ministering to them. My consistent prayer for our church is to gain the same title – garbage collectors!
Maybe not. The Rockies’ youth movement and development within the farm system coupled with the overall lack of improvement in the other Western division clubs might make it more promising than what we’ve seen in the past. 
LOVE | ACCEPT | FORGIVE 