This is a book about the parish, written from the heart of parish life. Its heart is an edited collection of Lutheran Forum articles, with other published work and new material adding dimension to some of the themes explored in these pages. This collection provides diverse soundings of parish life in the Gospel and suggests a Lutheran theology of the parish, but one that is accessible and relevant across the ecumenical diversity of the One Body of Christ. For pastors and lay readers, this book seeks to support the ministry of congregations, as well as inspiring and provoking dialogue in local parishes.