Noteworthy #1
Because of seminary and the impending birth of our son (Nov. 7th, woo-hoo!) I've got very limited time to invest in reading and writing blog material. And yet, staying in touch with some of my favorite ministry-oriented blogs is an important way I stay connected to the outside world as it pertains to ministry, while immersed in academia. Here are a couple blog conversations I have been engaged in that I want to point you to:
Dave Fitch discusses bivocational ministry as the frontier of the vocation of the missional pastor, and links to his full article in Leadership Journal. (You faithful Incarnate readers know I've been chewing on this for some months now.)
Scot McKnight discusses the pastoral responsibility of forming "the love of God of the mind" (i.e., biblical-theological literacy, Christian worldview) and pleads for a robust "educational" methodology that goes above and beyond the primary congregational worship gathering. (The comments there are chock full of outstanding questions and insights, so I commend them to you.) He recommends Maryellen Weimer's book, Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice, as a guide that will revolutionize pastors' view of educational ministry in the church.
Blessings to all,
Matt
If I were to write a book about ministry it would go something like this;
ReplyDeleteChapter1 Find a town
Chapter2 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, set captives free.
Chaper3 Find a big place to share the good news now that you have their attention. The end
Man, sounds like I've been missing out all this time! My experience of God and church have been pretty typical of Protestant North American Christianity... no healings, no dead people raised (physically, of course), never encountered a demon possessed person, seen lots and lots of people enslaved to sinful habits even after being Christians. Too bad I'm wary of Pentecostalism... I doubt most of the miracles they tout. I'll probably never have enough "faith" according to their definition.
ReplyDeleteIf Pentecostals had said this, Id be wary too... Do you suppose those instructions were for the disciples, but not for us today? Does the same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwell in our mortal bodies???...and if it does, why is it there? Never say never my friend.
ReplyDeleteThe only warrant I have for believing those instructions were for the original disciples is the fact that, to my knowledge, no Christian has raised someone from the dead since the events recorded in Scripture. I would probably spiritualize the command as a call to proclaim the gospel, referring to spiritual rather than physical death. Either that or a hyperbole. Yet the disciples seemed to heal and exorcise, and many in the global South today seem to experience the same. I don't doubt that some, if not many, of these are genuine. But I wonder if the USAmerica and Western Europe, with their widespread skepticism, make them like Jesus' hometown in which he could do no "mighty works" (Matt 13:58).
ReplyDeleteBut hey, these are all conjectures. The real answer to your questions is, "I don't know." What I do know is that I've never experienced what you're suggesting as the model paradigm of church, and that the church absolutely can and must be a healing, freeing, life-giving presence wherever it is.
Matt, I hope you understand my heart in this, that I'm not trying to convince you...Im just saying maybe there is more to look at on this subject. Maybe there are all these books out on creative ministry because the church is impotent in western society. It seems faith was tied directly to results...and maybe the church as we know it has misplaced its faith. Paul did not come with eloquent words but with power...id say we have reversed that today... so I wonder, can we reverse it again? Just something to consider... blessings on you.
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