Reflections on Discipleship: Ron Anderson

Luke's version of the Great Commission is found in Acts: "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (1:8). The Greek word from which we translate "witness" is martueso, from which we get the English word "martyr." I often wonder how preaching would differ on this passage if our English Bibles read, "You will be my martyrs...to the ends of the earth." Certainly this version of the Great Commission points to its unique, cruciform shape; that is, the work of being a witness to Jesus is cross-shaped, cross-focused, cross-centered and cross-bearing work! This is the life of discipleship in which we are called to live and move and have our being.

            Ronald Anderson, in Losing Control: Becoming a Pastor/Leader with Influence, suggests twelve ministry principles to encourage growth in Christian discipleship (Anderson, 239 ff.). Anderson focuses many of his goals toward fairly traditional definitions of congregational ministry: a focus on nurturing discipleship, on forming our identity in Christ, and on developing spiritual giftedness within the context of community, for example. However, what energizes me about Anderson's list of discipleship forming ministry principles is the way he includes an outward oriented focus as well, thereby connecting to Luke's understanding of the Great Commission:

• Simple Goals: "The church's goals should be simple: that each believer master the spiritual disciplines...and develop the spiritual gifts needed to reach out beyond him- or herself to further the Kingdom in accordance with the direction of the Spirit."
• Unbounded by a Building: "The church is located wherever its people are found...not a set of activities located in a building, it is what goes on in the lives of the members of the congregation, all week long, wherever they find themselves."
• Staff: "All members of the [church] should see themselves as ministers and in a role of ministering to others, both inside and outside the community."
• Budget: "The majority of [a church's] giving should be directed outward, with much of this money ideally directed through ministries in which these believers themselves are actively involved."
• Missional: "The community, individually and collectively, reaches out in love to others...Their sense of mission reflects a concern for all dimensions of human life, including physical, psychological and spiritual."

What strikes me about these ministry principles is that Anderson targets some sacred cows of congregational life. Of necessity a congregation who takes seriously Anderson's call to make staffing, budgetary and programmatic decisions in accordance with the above will embrace the work of being a witness to Jesus as cross-shaped, cross-focused, cross-centered and cross-bearing work!Such work may be difficult, today, to do in our congregations, but it is within each of our grasps, today, to set it before ourselves as the horizon toward which we will journey together. The journey of 1,000 steps begins with a single step. And lest we forget: sacred cows make gourmet burgers.

Grace to you today and always,

Brad Munroe

Reflections on Discipleship: Jeffrey Jones

Mark’s version of the Great Commission calls us to “preach the Good News to all creation (Greek: cosmos, literally all that is seen and unseen)” (Mark 16:15). I love Mark’s emphasis: the Gospel of Jesus Christ applies to wholeness, to the totality of all that we are, all that we are becoming, and all that we will one day be, as well as all that we will never be. This is the life of discipleship in which we are called to live and move and have our being.

            Jeffrey Jones, in Traveling Together: A Guide for Disciple-Forming Congregations, suggests the following marks of the Christian disciple:

·         An abiding desire to grow in relationship to Christ

·         An active trust in the power of God

·         An evident sense of humility

·         A deep yearning to discern and respond to God’s call

·         A willingness to change (yes, this applies even to Presbyterians J )

·         An ability to deal with conflict that change and challenge bring

·         An enduring spirit of gentleness

·         A bold commitment to participate in God’s mission in the world, always in a compassionate way and often in a prophetic one.

Beyond noting the marks of a Christian disciple, Jones, as the title of his book suggests, is concerned with what congregations can do to encourage individuals toward growth in this direction. While he lists many congregational practices worthy of discussion, three in particular draw my attention:

·         Gifts and Call as the Basis for Ministry: FrederichBuechner said vocation is where the world’s great need and our great passion intersect. I would add a third caveat: and where God has gifted us with spiritual gifts. Are we calling people to discover the intersection of these three essential values, or are we just filling committee slots for the good of the organization?

·         Shared Ministry of Laity and Clergy: The recovery of the priesthood of all believers forces us to redefine everything we think about ministry, especially its location! “The laity must become the ministry of the church in the world. It is yours! It is not that you are to pitch in and help out but that you are the only hope we have.” How are we as congregations creating opportunities and training toward making our shared priesthood a living reality among those beyond our church walls?

·         A Commitment to Equipping: Jones points to the decreased effectiveness of the traditional Sunday School as an inevitable consequence of the increased need for shared, missional ministry that calls for people’s spiritual giftedness. One hour a week won’t cut it! Instead, the new reality of discipleship formation requires such practices as holistic small groups, “service-worship” that is framed by reflection on Scripture, prayer and discussion, as well as a commitment to rethink our budget priorities: “In the disciple-forming congregation the ‘equipping budget’ will be a high priority and used primarily by laity who are being equipped for ministry outside the church.”

I better stop here; in suggesting a change in how you do your budget, (as they say in the South), I stopped preachin’ and went to meddlin’. I hope, however, I have offered good grist for the mill of reflection and discussion among us all!

Grace to you today and always,

Brad Munroe

Reflections on Discipleship: Craig Dykstra

Matthew’s version of the Great Commission calls us to “make disciples of all nations…teaching them to observe all I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:16-20). Traditionally, churches kick-off their programs for children, youth and adult in the fall – an interesting blend of sacred religion (devotion to Christ!) with secular religion (football is back!) – and it has become common place to call such ministry “discipleship formation” rather than “education.” I applaud the change in nomenclature, as I believe it is more biblical both in phrasing and as a holistic, full-person description of Christian growth. But even the phrase discipleship formation still begs the question: how do we help form discipleshipwithin people?

            Craig Dykstra, in Growing in the Life of Faith, names fourteen practices that support discipleship growth:

·         Worshipping God together

·         Telling the Christian story to one another

·         Interpreting the Scriptures and history of church’s experience together

·         Praying

·         Confessing sins to one another

·         Tolerating one another’s failures and encouraging one another

·         Carrying out specific acts of service and witness

·         Giving generously

·         Suffering with and for one another and all our neighbors

·         Providing hospitality and care

·         Listening and talking attentively to one another

·         Struggling together to become conscious of and to understand the world in which we live

·         Criticizing and resisting powers and patterns that destroy people and corrode community

·         Working together to maintain and create structures and institutions that sustain life

An interesting spiritual exercise would be to use Dykstra’s list, gathering in groups of two or three to “examen” one’s maturity and the directions needed for growth as a disciple. Or, perhaps, the above list could serve as the template for a Session retreat to discern the areas of ministry in which your congregation is (and is not) empowering folks to move toward mature discipleship:

·         What are the areas of greatest strength and deepest need?

·         What are the Christian practices to which we give lip service but do not immerse ourselves in Christ?

·         What are the vital behaviors that encourage discipleship in each particular area of ministry?

·         What are we doing that (unintentionally) limits growth in each particular area of discipleship?

·         What practice is heard as if coming from a prophet calling in the wilderness?

·         What one practice calls to us to seek the mind of Christ today, as we “kick-off” this new “season” of making disciples?

Grace to you today and always,

Brad Munroe

Rediscovering the Gospel Part 3: Conversations with Joe Small- Sacramental Living

n this last installment on our wonderful experience at the Synod Kaleidoscope with Joe Small, retired director of General Assembly's Theology and Worship Unit, I want to describe one of the other key responses he gave to the question, "How can we proclaim the Gospel to a world (and a church) that thinks it knows it already?"

            After reviewing the profoundly secular culture in which we live, move and have our community in Christ Jesus, and after proposing to us the seemingly more radical vision for church renewal of rediscovering the Nicene Creed, Joe pointed our community of teaching elders and commissioned ruling elders toward immersing our congregations in the sacraments.

            At first blush, Joe's "Back to the Future" embrace of our theological heritage seems counterproductive: in a culture that idolizes the new, Joe seems to call for the old; in a world of glitz and glammer, shock and awe, Joe seems to call for the tired traditionalism. Or does he?

            I say "Joe seems to call..." because it is only a seeming, an appearing to be old and tired. Not so! Joe contends, and with him I whole-heartedly concur, that what is called for is not pejorative but rooted, grounded and foundational; it is the deep, immersive stream of transformation through participation in God's grace through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirt. These words and the realities to which they point - rooted, grounded and foundational, deep and immersive, grace and Spirit - are longings of (even) the post-modern heart!

            Of course, the above sentence is only true to the extent that we embody these words, incarnate them, live into their fullness with lives being transformed by the renewing of our minds, with hearts ablaze for God's peace and God's justice to reign on earth as it is in heaven, with words spoken in kindness, humility and generosity toward all. It is this kind of Church the world longs to experience, though they know it not. It is these kind of Christians that intrigue those who do not (yet) belong to Jesus. It is this kind of community, Joe contends, that might be renewed through a robust recovery of sacramental practice.

            Here is your homework: Look up the following passages in the postscript and list all the rich, variegated imagery associated with the sacraments of Baptism and The Lord's Supper. What kind of spiritual life do they describe? How do these images call to you as an individual, or call to your congregation as a faith community? What would it look like to lean into these ways of being in Christ?

            Finally, it's not too late to sign-up for the next Synod Kaleidoscope in Tempe, October 19-21, with Andy Dearman from Fuller (Houston), who will present on preaching Old Testament stories. Registrations can be found at synodsw.org.

Grace and peace,

Brad Munroe

P.S. Baptismal Scriptures: Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 2:37- 42; Acts 10:44-48; Rom 6:1-11; 1 Corinthians 10:1-4; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Galatians 3:36-29; Colossians 2:11-15; 1 Peter 3:18-22.Communion Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34; Mark 14:22-25; Matthew 26:26-29; Luke 22:14-23; John 6:25-51; Mark 6:30-44 and 8:1-10; John 6:1-14; Luke 9:10-17; Luke 24:13-35; John 22:4-19; Acts 2:43-47; Revelation 19:1-9 

P.P.S. Parade of the Infant in the French Reformed Church: "For you, little one, God sent his Son. For you... Someday you will learn of this and be joyful to share for someday you, little one, will love God because He first loved us."Food for Thought from Joe: "When I invite people to the Table, I am inviting them to Christ."

 

Rediscovering the Gospel: Part 2-Conversations with Joe Small: The Nicene Creed

Last month I was privileged to participate with other pastors and CREs in the Synod Kaleidoscope at Ghost Ranch Retreat Center. Joe Small, retired director of General Assembly’s Theology and Worship Unit, was the keynote presenter: a beautiful soul in an inspiring setting with delightful fellowship. Our conversations with Joe throughout the week asked the question, “What is the Gospel?” and “How can we proclaim the Gospel to a world (and a church) that thinks it knows it already?”

            After reviewing the profoundly secular culture in which we live, move and have our community in Christ Jesus, Joe proposed to us a radical vision for church renewal: rediscover the Nicene Creed! While some of you reading this may rejoice at Joe’s suggestion while others may roll their eyes, I think both reactions need to hear the context from which Joe’s admonition arises. For the earliest Christians, “doctrine” was less a set of proscribed items for mental assent and more a way to be guided toward a living, immersive experience of life with Jesus Christ.

            For example, while the Nicene Creed may seem at once both familiar and odd to the postmodern, Christian ear, Nicene grew out of controversy when a pastor named Arius sought to accommodate the Gospel for the sake of evangelizing pagans. In response to pagan confusion related to polytheism versus monotheism as these relate to Christ, Arius highlighted the Oneness of God by making Jesus created and something less than God. The Church responded quickly: if Jesus is not God, then God is unknowable, above and beyond, which means believers cannot be certain of salvation. Bishop Alexander felt that Arius threatened the assurance that Jesus announces God's good will. Further, if the Holy Spirit is not God, how can we be confident that our spirituality is of God? The debate was not about doctrinal lines of thought but about the spiritual dynamics of faith and the need for theology to express and guide Christian living.

            Dr. Small went on to make two salient points: “We see creeds as matters of assent but the early Christians saw them as guides intended to be a proclamation of the Gospel we must hear, a proclamation shared by all and responded to in faith and with faithful living…Our first obligation in responding to a creed is not to question or ignore but to ask why our forbearers felt the need to confess this faith? Why was this faith so important, and how can we receive their offering with gratitude rather than scorn?” Great questions! So here is your homework: Look up the Nicene Creed and put it into your own words as an expression of what it means to live as a follower of Jesus – “the only begotten Son of God…God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God.” How might these words shape, guide and give focus to your living in Christ Jesus?

            Finally, let me point the teaching elders and commissioned ruling elders toward the next Synod Kaleidoscope, which will be led by Andy Dearman, professor of Old Testament at Fuller Seminary’s Houston campus, and formerly of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Andy will be teaching on proclaiming stories from the Old Testament as well as looking at some of the ways our methods of biblical interpretation lead to different results with the text. A good time is sure to be had by all in Tempe, October 19-21. Registrations can be found at synodsw.org.

Grace and peace,

Brad Munroe

Conversations with Joe Small

Last month I was privileged to participate with other pastors and CREs in the Synod Kaleidoscope at Ghost Ranch Retreat Center. Joe Small, retired director of General Assembly’s Theology and Worship Unit, was the keynote presenter: a beautiful soul in an inspiring setting with delightful fellowship. Our conversations with Joe throughout the week asked the question, “What is the Gospel?” and “How can we proclaim the Gospel to a world (and a church) that thinks it knows it already?”

In an early lecture, Joe outlined the new secularity in which we try to communicate Jesus Christ:

• An absence of God from our public spaces both in terms of reference and relevance - (with the exception of politicians’ token prayer of “God bless America),
• The emptying of meaning in religious belief and practice, - (no more Blue Laws in the South or meatless Fridays for Catholics),
• The shift from a culture in which one’s highest moral and spiritual aspirations were to seek God to a culture in which God is subordinate or even unnecessary to support one’s highest moral goals - (the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a great charity without God talk),
• The decline of corporate and community life and the rise of individualistic and interior practices - (“spiritual but not religious”).

How can we proclaim the Gospel to this world and in these kind of communities? For Joe, the answer seemed to be: Move Forward to the Past!

Joe’s prescription for church renewal is for us to rediscover the rich tradition of our theological heritage, not for the sake of “subscriptionism” (the list of beliefs to which one must give cognitive assent in order to be “in” the club) but for the sake of being able to enter more deeply into a dynamic relationship with God in Jesus Christ. What do we mean by what we say? Why is confessing the faith in a certain way vital for our life together? How do our beliefs connect with our real, actual, lived experience of being in Christ Jesus?In the coming weeks, I am going to review a few of Joe’s thoughts on theology, baptism and communion, but I invite you to reflect upon what is central to your faith. So often we argue the periphery and neglect to celebrate the tremendous centrality we share together in Jesus.

Finally, let me point the teaching elders and commissioned ruling elders toward the next Synod Kaleidoscope, which will be led by Andy Dearman, professor of Old Testament at Fuller Seminary’s Houston campus, and formerly of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Andy will be teaching on proclaiming stories from the Old Testament as well as looking at some of the ways our methods of biblical interpretation lead to different results with the text. A good time is sure to be had by all in Tempe, October 19-21. Registrations can be found at synodsw.org.

Sexual Misconduct Prevention

Sexual misconduct prevention and child, youth and adult protection are both the work of communities. Each individual must learn and grow in the ways of safety and prevention, but the entire community is also responsible to ensure that its ethos is directed toward protecting our most vulnerable. Therefore, I am pleased to announce that both Grand Canyon and de Cristo presbyteries have available to them online training courses.

            These courses are offered through the two presbyteries' primary insurance carrier but are offered to ALL members. To clarify things from last week: all candidates, all active teaching elders (whether honorably retired or, more likely, still working stiffs, the key word is “active”), and all active CREs will be required to take one training course on an annual basis, pending approval of said policy from the respective presbyteries. However, any member can ask to take the online training courses by emailing Carolyn McBurney in the presbytery office. Your particular church is covered for training through the presbyteries regardless of its insurance carrier.

            The first course, “Meet Sam,” took me 20 minutes to complete. I was dismayed to discover that I did not know all the material already! My wife is a therapist who has worked in programs treating both victims and perpetrators of sexual abuse, and in my hubris I thought I knew all the course would cover. So imagine my shock when in a pre-test early in the training I got only six of seven questions correct.

            In Meet Sam I learned the difference between preferential, situational and indiscriminate molesters and how they relate to children, youth and the social environments constructed by the adults trying to create safe space. Can you describe these differences to another person? If not, it is a helpful distinction to learn. I learned also about the three keys a perpetrator needs in order to abuse. Can you say what those three things are? If you cannot, this course would be a great place for you to start deepening your awareness of the issues. (Hint: the three things needed are access, privacy and control, and the course explains them in detail.) I learned about the importance of physcial, emotional, behavioral, and community boundaries: to set clear limits for each and to be aware of anyone who violates them either intentionally or unintentionally. Finally, I learned the percentages of abuse perpetrated by family, friends and strangers. Can you name which category of relationships perpetrate the most abuse? This is the question I got wrong in the pre-test. I answered “friends” but the correct answer is family (60%), then friends (30%), and then strangers (10%).

            As a final observation, let me share a personal note: I felt sick throughout these 20 minutes. I resisted going in-depth into the material. I realized I prefer to remain ignorant. The thought of sexual abuse is repulsive to virtually all of us, which is why denial is so easy. And this is why these online training courses are so important: denial is not an option.

Grace and peace,

Brad Munroe