BOOK REVIEW: THE LOVELIEST PLACE (DUSTIN BENGE)

What comes to mind when you think of the church? A building? A place designed to meet your every need? A corporate organization? Maybe even a breeding ground for division and hurt? In recent years, it’s felt increasingly difficult to see the church rightly—as a beautiful, redeemed, and united body of believers. Instead, we hear about political disagreements, stories of spiritual abuse, and even critiques of a pastor’s wardrobe. We've lost our way—many of us bouncing from one church to the next, hoping the next one over the horizon will finally be the right fit.

So how do we love the church? Not just what she offers through worship, teaching, comfort, or ministry programs—but the church herself?

In The Loveliest Place, Dustin Benge sets out with a single goal: “to set before you a thoroughly biblical portrait of the church that derives its life from the sweet fellowship of the Father, Son, and Spirit, creating a community of love, worship, fellowship, and mission, all animated by the gospel and empowered by the word of God.” He reminds us that the church is beautiful not because of our human perspective, but because “the lens through which Christ regards her is the cross.” We—the church—despite all our imperfections, are a reflection of the Son.

Building on this foundation, Benge walks readers through the role of the Father, Son, and Spirit in equipping the church. He upholds Scripture as the pillar of truth, brings vitality to the call of church leadership, and re-centers our understanding of the sacraments—baptism and communion—as deep sources of meaning and joy. And still he calls us to more. What does it mean to live as saints and walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and reflect the Trinitarian oneness of God?

Because I know that the world will remain imperfect until God restores all in the end, it’s easy for me to let cynicism of the “here and now” take root. So, The Loveliest Place was a refreshing and approachable read—a much-needed course correction for my weary soul, and a reminder of the Lord’s intentionality, creativity, and beauty on display in his people, the church.