Good morning God,
The walk to Jerusalem is nearly over, the 'business' of Easter is about to begin.
From Sunday onwards the Church worldwide will engage in an orgy of meditation, commemoration and celebration of the events of Holy Week.
From Palm Waving to foot washing to three hour vigils and dawn break services the Church will try and engage others with your story using reading and prayers, litanies, laments, hymns, songs, marches, parades and of course easter eggs, gardens, palm crosses, oratorios, works of art, drama, dance and...
in the middle of all this:
You.
No wonder you paused before entering Jerusalem,
No wonder you wept.
What a performance.
Yet, this was the way you chose when you created us to be a story loving people and gave us a never-ending story of life and death and resurrection to share.
You made our story - your story, and made certain we would have pictures to point to as well as words to underline in the sharing of it. Like the children that we are, we sit with you and clamor for the story to be told again and again, turning each page with practiced ease and pointing to each well known character. We delight in the great parade of Palm Sunday and shiver with anticipation in the Garden of Gethsemane, we shout out at the trial before Pilate before falling silent at the drawing of the Crucifixion.. and the tomb. We wait in eager expectation for the final page to be turned so that we can rejoice - and know that the story has a happy ending.
But that is then
and this is now.
We are three days before the storybook story starts, so there is still time to sit with you and hear the story through properly, to pay attention to your words and resist the temptation to just point to the pictures the Church has drawn for us. To remember that although, by your grace, this is our story, it is still your story and you are not a character in a fairy-tale.
Three days to listen, read and reflect on what you are still trying to tell us and to rehearse again the opening line..
For God so loved the world...
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Church Swap
Good Morning God,
I've been thinking about a three way kidney swap operation that happened recently, when the partners of three separate people needing a kidney transplant each gave a kidney to someone that they did not know so that their loved one could receive what they needed.
Its one thing to give one of your kidneys to your partner, it's another thing altogether to swap it for someone else's kidney - it costs the same in the long run, but there seems something more commercial and less altruistic about it somehow.. more of a business deal and less of a gift..
Yet what changed?
The three people who needed kidneys got them, the three people who were prepared to donate kidney's donated them - its was just who got whose that was mixed up!
It was, in many ways, a wonderful example of what can be achieved when we are prepared to redraw the box of me and mine to include thee and thine as part of the same problem and hence the same solution.
Which is what makes it such an important lesson for the Church and ministers today..
There is something profound, remarkable and awe-inspiring about the bond that can form between a minister and 'their' Church which is very similar to what can happen in a good marriage. It provokes a longing to see the Church flourish, for the Word to be heard, for the joy of your presence and the wonder of your grace to fill the building and the minds and hearts of your people there. And the grief when this is prevented is just as deep, with most ministers being willing to give up almost anything, to sacrifice whatever is necessary to prevent 'their' Church from dying or to save it from being so 'sick'.
But what if the minister and the Church are not well matched to solve a particular problem?
What if the particular needs of a Church are not compatible with the gifts and graces of the minister?
Is the minister willing to swap time and effort? To donate their gifts and graces to save another Church instead whilst allowing some other, better matched minister, to do what needs to be done for 'their' Church?
Could they care enough to let go for a while.. to do whatever is needed?
Or is this thinking too far outside the box?
I don't think so, but I am increasingly saddened by the way in which 'ownership' of Churches in Methodism stifles Circuit ministry and prevents the sort of exchange of gifts and graces that really could enable all the Churches in a Circuit to flourish rather than die.
It takes a leap of faith to engage in a life-swap such as the three way Kidney Transplant, or maybe a three-way Church swap..
But such bold leaps of faith are what you call us to.
I suspect that one of the first real signs we will have of hope for the future is increasing collaboration in ministry, a determination of all ministers to go not only where we are sent, but where we are needed most out of love for the whole Church rather than 'our own' Churches.
Until that time comes, it is possible that a fear of failure and misplaced personal or denominational loyalty could kill us - simply because we will not think outside of the me and mine box - and allow ourselves to be reminded that the Church is YOUR body, and not ours to order anyway!
I've been thinking about a three way kidney swap operation that happened recently, when the partners of three separate people needing a kidney transplant each gave a kidney to someone that they did not know so that their loved one could receive what they needed.
Its one thing to give one of your kidneys to your partner, it's another thing altogether to swap it for someone else's kidney - it costs the same in the long run, but there seems something more commercial and less altruistic about it somehow.. more of a business deal and less of a gift..
Yet what changed?
The three people who needed kidneys got them, the three people who were prepared to donate kidney's donated them - its was just who got whose that was mixed up!
It was, in many ways, a wonderful example of what can be achieved when we are prepared to redraw the box of me and mine to include thee and thine as part of the same problem and hence the same solution.
Which is what makes it such an important lesson for the Church and ministers today..
There is something profound, remarkable and awe-inspiring about the bond that can form between a minister and 'their' Church which is very similar to what can happen in a good marriage. It provokes a longing to see the Church flourish, for the Word to be heard, for the joy of your presence and the wonder of your grace to fill the building and the minds and hearts of your people there. And the grief when this is prevented is just as deep, with most ministers being willing to give up almost anything, to sacrifice whatever is necessary to prevent 'their' Church from dying or to save it from being so 'sick'.
But what if the minister and the Church are not well matched to solve a particular problem?
What if the particular needs of a Church are not compatible with the gifts and graces of the minister?
Is the minister willing to swap time and effort? To donate their gifts and graces to save another Church instead whilst allowing some other, better matched minister, to do what needs to be done for 'their' Church?
Could they care enough to let go for a while.. to do whatever is needed?
Or is this thinking too far outside the box?
I don't think so, but I am increasingly saddened by the way in which 'ownership' of Churches in Methodism stifles Circuit ministry and prevents the sort of exchange of gifts and graces that really could enable all the Churches in a Circuit to flourish rather than die.
It takes a leap of faith to engage in a life-swap such as the three way Kidney Transplant, or maybe a three-way Church swap..
But such bold leaps of faith are what you call us to.
I suspect that one of the first real signs we will have of hope for the future is increasing collaboration in ministry, a determination of all ministers to go not only where we are sent, but where we are needed most out of love for the whole Church rather than 'our own' Churches.
Until that time comes, it is possible that a fear of failure and misplaced personal or denominational loyalty could kill us - simply because we will not think outside of the me and mine box - and allow ourselves to be reminded that the Church is YOUR body, and not ours to order anyway!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Blame Culture
Good morning God,
I have been listening to the testimony of Gordon Brown at the Chilcote enquiry and to the BBC's question time last night and I can't help but notice that as faith decreases so blame increases in modern society. It's particularly noticeable around election time of course, but its not restricted to politics - it is fast becoming endemic in our culture. We blame the police for failing to eradicate crime, catch murders, burglars or car thieves.. We blame politicians and the media, scientists and teachers, doctors, bureaucrats and ministers for the state of the world, our health, our eduction, our quality of life and even the state of our souls.. Oh, and of course we blame you for anything bigger that we can't understand but is spectacularly nasty, or unpleasant or disastrous.
To what end? What advantage is there is blame? How does it help to point a finger in this way?
I could understand if it were in order to offer forgiveness, but that's not why its done. There is little evidence of any desire to forgive in the intention to blame, there is only evidence of a desire to prove that whatever caused/is causing the hurt was someone else's fault.
To blame someone/something else is another way of divesting personal responsibility, of standing outside the situation and distancing oneself from it.
We know the harm that blame causes, we even tell people - you mustn't blame yourself..
But perhaps we should blame ourselves, at least until we can get rid of blame altogether, and replace it with the Gospel message of intra-dependence instead of independence, of grace and mercy instead of judgement and damnation and most of all, of growth in grace and holiness through the gift of forgiveness.
Christians especially have this responsibility to recognize 'there but for the grace of God go I' and to offer the support, forgiveness, love and peace that they themselves would want. The know to 'carry one another's burdens in love', and how important it is to 'love your neighbour as you love yourself' - and that by neighbour we mean all of humanity.
So how has the blame culture crept so insidiously into our churches?
Ministers, priests, deacons and officers are often blamed for things that the membership think is wrong with the Church, as though members have nothing to do with the leadership in either electing or appointing them, and hence nothing to do with decisions that they make. Perhaps they really feel they haven't - perhaps they do no think their prayer about such matters counts, nor do they value the effort that they make to share in the process of discerning your will.
And of course the same is true the other way around - members are often blamed for things that the leadership think is wrong - as though the leadership is not a part of the membership!
Blame goes hand in hand with distancing - but we are called to be a reconciling people. You teach us that it is never to late to be reconciled one to another, that no matter the sin - it is past, no matter the offense - it is is wiped away - because we are all one in Christ. It seems to me that only by recovering the unity we claim in Christ, can we end the blame culture that defeats our ultimate purpose of working with you to build a reconciled world.
I have long believed that ministers have nothing to do but to love their people - 'just as I have loved you, so you also must love one another', and that a Church which loves its leadership cannot help but work wonders for the gospel. But that love is not possible without prayer, without grace and without forgiveness - ie without your gospel in our hearts and minds.
Standing against the blame culture is never easy - but its time that the Church took a lead and practiced what it proclaims in your name. I cannot blame those I help to elect, those I help to appoint, those I pay to serve for my own failure to be involved in the work of this world, in its peace and struggle to the perfection which you desire for it. I cannot distance myself from the wars, the violence, the sickness or sin, for those involved are my brothers and sisters in Christ. So I will look to align myself with their grief and their sorrow, and stand beside them, as best I can, whilst you redeem and restore the right relationships between us.
Otherwise, surely I would deserve to be called hypocrite by a world that believes that all that the Church does is the same as everyone else and pass blame and judgement without grace or favour.
I have been listening to the testimony of Gordon Brown at the Chilcote enquiry and to the BBC's question time last night and I can't help but notice that as faith decreases so blame increases in modern society. It's particularly noticeable around election time of course, but its not restricted to politics - it is fast becoming endemic in our culture. We blame the police for failing to eradicate crime, catch murders, burglars or car thieves.. We blame politicians and the media, scientists and teachers, doctors, bureaucrats and ministers for the state of the world, our health, our eduction, our quality of life and even the state of our souls.. Oh, and of course we blame you for anything bigger that we can't understand but is spectacularly nasty, or unpleasant or disastrous.
To what end? What advantage is there is blame? How does it help to point a finger in this way?
I could understand if it were in order to offer forgiveness, but that's not why its done. There is little evidence of any desire to forgive in the intention to blame, there is only evidence of a desire to prove that whatever caused/is causing the hurt was someone else's fault.
To blame someone/something else is another way of divesting personal responsibility, of standing outside the situation and distancing oneself from it.
We know the harm that blame causes, we even tell people - you mustn't blame yourself..
But perhaps we should blame ourselves, at least until we can get rid of blame altogether, and replace it with the Gospel message of intra-dependence instead of independence, of grace and mercy instead of judgement and damnation and most of all, of growth in grace and holiness through the gift of forgiveness.
Christians especially have this responsibility to recognize 'there but for the grace of God go I' and to offer the support, forgiveness, love and peace that they themselves would want. The know to 'carry one another's burdens in love', and how important it is to 'love your neighbour as you love yourself' - and that by neighbour we mean all of humanity.
So how has the blame culture crept so insidiously into our churches?
Ministers, priests, deacons and officers are often blamed for things that the membership think is wrong with the Church, as though members have nothing to do with the leadership in either electing or appointing them, and hence nothing to do with decisions that they make. Perhaps they really feel they haven't - perhaps they do no think their prayer about such matters counts, nor do they value the effort that they make to share in the process of discerning your will.
And of course the same is true the other way around - members are often blamed for things that the leadership think is wrong - as though the leadership is not a part of the membership!
Blame goes hand in hand with distancing - but we are called to be a reconciling people. You teach us that it is never to late to be reconciled one to another, that no matter the sin - it is past, no matter the offense - it is is wiped away - because we are all one in Christ. It seems to me that only by recovering the unity we claim in Christ, can we end the blame culture that defeats our ultimate purpose of working with you to build a reconciled world.
Standing against the blame culture is never easy - but its time that the Church took a lead and practiced what it proclaims in your name. I cannot blame those I help to elect, those I help to appoint, those I pay to serve for my own failure to be involved in the work of this world, in its peace and struggle to the perfection which you desire for it. I cannot distance myself from the wars, the violence, the sickness or sin, for those involved are my brothers and sisters in Christ. So I will look to align myself with their grief and their sorrow, and stand beside them, as best I can, whilst you redeem and restore the right relationships between us.
Otherwise, surely I would deserve to be called hypocrite by a world that believes that all that the Church does is the same as everyone else and pass blame and judgement without grace or favour.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
When Jesus came to our Church...
Good morning God,
It was a strange but telling dream last night - thank you - I think!
I will need to reflect on it further, but the essence of the dream was simple enough..
Jesus came to our Church and invited me, as its minister, to show it to him.
There was no warning, I wasn't able to prepare in advance, Jesus told me he wanted to see the Church as it is, not the Church as it might be 'presented'..
Ok, so it doesn't take much to trace the origin of the dream, previous conversations with you here God are witness to my increasing concern and heartache over the nature of Church and my calling to serve as an ordained minister within it. No doubt psychiatrists and psychologists would advise that the dream was nothing more than my subconscious trying to respond to the situation, helping me work through the questions.. But that doesn't detract from it being a gift from you - after all - who was it who designed humans with an unconscious mind?
So Jesus came to our Church and invited me, as its minister, to show it to him.. In effect,turning my question around and asking me what I think the Raison d'être of the Church is - nice one God!
Jesus came to our Church and invited me, as its minister, to show it to him, as it is, as a beacon of hope, a force for change, a source of love, and a place of salvation and transformation - a voice for the voiceless and a mouthpiece for the Gospel where YOU are named without reservation and shame as the motive and purpose of all that we are and all that we do.
We spent a considerable amount of time together, and although parts of the dream have faded, the colour and feel of that time remains. I have no image of his face, but I can still feel the quality of his presence.
His visit left me with more questions than answers (what a surprise God!) but it also left me in no doubt about the root source of my unease.
Thank you God
It was a strange but telling dream last night - thank you - I think!
I will need to reflect on it further, but the essence of the dream was simple enough..
Jesus came to our Church and invited me, as its minister, to show it to him.
There was no warning, I wasn't able to prepare in advance, Jesus told me he wanted to see the Church as it is, not the Church as it might be 'presented'..
Ok, so it doesn't take much to trace the origin of the dream, previous conversations with you here God are witness to my increasing concern and heartache over the nature of Church and my calling to serve as an ordained minister within it. No doubt psychiatrists and psychologists would advise that the dream was nothing more than my subconscious trying to respond to the situation, helping me work through the questions.. But that doesn't detract from it being a gift from you - after all - who was it who designed humans with an unconscious mind?
So Jesus came to our Church and invited me, as its minister, to show it to him.. In effect,turning my question around and asking me what I think the Raison d'être of the Church is - nice one God!
Jesus came to our Church and invited me, as its minister, to show it to him, as it is, as a beacon of hope, a force for change, a source of love, and a place of salvation and transformation - a voice for the voiceless and a mouthpiece for the Gospel where YOU are named without reservation and shame as the motive and purpose of all that we are and all that we do.
We spent a considerable amount of time together, and although parts of the dream have faded, the colour and feel of that time remains. I have no image of his face, but I can still feel the quality of his presence.
His visit left me with more questions than answers (what a surprise God!) but it also left me in no doubt about the root source of my unease.
Thank you God
Sunday, February 28, 2010
The raison d'etre of Church
Good afternoon God,
There are times when I feel as though I am on a different planet from most people, and today is one of those days. It's like living in a parallel universe where things look vaguely like they should, the buildings haven't changed, the people are all the same, but the raison d'etre has changed and I no longer know what it is.
Please, tell me. what is the raison d'etre of Church?
I once believed that Church was the body of Christ, called out to proclaim in word and deed the good news of Jesus Christ that by your grace, people might have life in all its fullness.. Church was where people came to worship you and to share in the spiritual nurture and growth of your people in order that together we could grow in grace and holiness, striving for that perfection which you set before us. It was where we first heard the call to work with you in building a different sort of world, a place of justice, righteousness and peace, hopefully without false piety or petty dogmas to disturb it. In Church you frequently surprised people with the gifts and graces that you had given them, and delighted them by providing them with the support that they needed to grow to be all that they could be. Church was the one place that a child could expect to be nurtured in the faith, an adult challenged to respond and a senior Christian invited to take a lead role as a Spiritual leader - because of their knowledge and depth of faith.
It was these things that made Church so dynamic, so compelling a place (or rather an activity) that wild horses couldn't keep us away from it.
At least, that is what I believed it was and could be - and it was out of that belief that I felt called to serve.
So tell me God why does it feel like I'm living on a different planet?
I don't believe that the Good News has changed, neither do I believe that it is no longer relevant to the world. I remain convinced that we need Christians who believe the good news to take leading roles in politics, community welfare and education so that the world really is changed by the influence of the Holy Spirit and that these Christians need supporting by the body of Christ through prayer and worship.
I know that you are still calling young people to be open to ministry, to leading worship, to building community and to growing in grace, but these too need to be nurtured and supported by the Church, not discouraged or ignored. I am persuaded that there has never been a more opportune time to reach out in love to those who have not yet heard, to work to save the lost, while some of us can still remember the way! But I am also persuaded that if we do not get the raison d'etre right then it will not happen.
SO, please, tell me. what is the raison d'etre of the Church today?
I really need to know.
There are times when I feel as though I am on a different planet from most people, and today is one of those days. It's like living in a parallel universe where things look vaguely like they should, the buildings haven't changed, the people are all the same, but the raison d'etre has changed and I no longer know what it is.
Please, tell me. what is the raison d'etre of Church?
I once believed that Church was the body of Christ, called out to proclaim in word and deed the good news of Jesus Christ that by your grace, people might have life in all its fullness.. Church was where people came to worship you and to share in the spiritual nurture and growth of your people in order that together we could grow in grace and holiness, striving for that perfection which you set before us. It was where we first heard the call to work with you in building a different sort of world, a place of justice, righteousness and peace, hopefully without false piety or petty dogmas to disturb it. In Church you frequently surprised people with the gifts and graces that you had given them, and delighted them by providing them with the support that they needed to grow to be all that they could be. Church was the one place that a child could expect to be nurtured in the faith, an adult challenged to respond and a senior Christian invited to take a lead role as a Spiritual leader - because of their knowledge and depth of faith.
It was these things that made Church so dynamic, so compelling a place (or rather an activity) that wild horses couldn't keep us away from it.
At least, that is what I believed it was and could be - and it was out of that belief that I felt called to serve.
So tell me God why does it feel like I'm living on a different planet?
I don't believe that the Good News has changed, neither do I believe that it is no longer relevant to the world. I remain convinced that we need Christians who believe the good news to take leading roles in politics, community welfare and education so that the world really is changed by the influence of the Holy Spirit and that these Christians need supporting by the body of Christ through prayer and worship.
I know that you are still calling young people to be open to ministry, to leading worship, to building community and to growing in grace, but these too need to be nurtured and supported by the Church, not discouraged or ignored. I am persuaded that there has never been a more opportune time to reach out in love to those who have not yet heard, to work to save the lost, while some of us can still remember the way! But I am also persuaded that if we do not get the raison d'etre right then it will not happen.
SO, please, tell me. what is the raison d'etre of the Church today?
I really need to know.
Discipleship
Good morning God,
There have been several blogs recently about discipleship which have made me think about my own involvement in the disciple making process and, in particular, the relationship between ministry and discipleship.
Ministers often use the get-out clause that their task is to build up the people of God through the ministry of the Word and Sacrament, but in Methodism, these are believed to be converting as well as confirming ordinances. This means that it is beholden on us to ensure that we always preach for conversion as well as for confirmation or formation in discipleship. I'm not sure I always do that God - sorry. I sometimes lose sight of the fact that even though I have seen these faces week in and week out - these same people may not yet have seen your face, or know your grace.
Worse, there is a very real danger of the service of Holy Communion being conducted as a service for those in the 'know' rather than for those who need to know - even if they don't know why! So sorry God - I have missed so many opportunities to minister your prevenient grace in this way.
Discipleship is more than conversion to a belief in you, discipleship is the choice to make that belief definitive of the rest of our lives. It entails change challenge and choice - which is not easy.
Change requires us to rearrange the various parts of our lives in order to accommodate a new top priority - YOU. It's the sort of change of life that is normally only associated with marriage or childbirth or death because it impacts every relationship we have. This is just one of the reasons that discipleship is challenging. It may well be that family and friends resent the fact that You have become such a priority and that as a result certain other things seem less important. Disciples make choices about what is and isn't important and a good use of their time, resources and life, and not all of those choices will be approved of by others.
All of which makes discipleship sound difficult and 'religious' and a bit of an anachronism.
But it's not like that at all..
Being invited to discipleship is about being invited to discover what it is to be more fully who we were created to be.. We are changed, yes, but for the better (and no - I dont mean that we become 'good' or 'pious') We discover abilities we never knew we had and are challenged to use them as we work with you in building a world worth living in. We are freed and empowered to make choices we never knew we could before, about ourselves and the way in which we live and die. We discover that we have far more power than we knew to change the world for the better - that we really can make a difference, regardless of what our parents, or our partners, or teachers, or politicians might say. Every life counts when lived to the full in the power of the Spirit to your praise and glory.
It's important to not equate discipleship with holding office in the Church - that's what membership is all about! Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is about learning how to discover and release the divine potential in the human, being a member of the Methodist Church is about being willing to work for the kingdom of God in a particular place with a particular group of people who subscribe to a particular set of beliefs and practices! The one might assist in the other but they are not the same.
But, you are right to challenge me God: What am I doing to make new disciples, and to build up those that you have asked me to minister to?
There have been several blogs recently about discipleship which have made me think about my own involvement in the disciple making process and, in particular, the relationship between ministry and discipleship.
Ministers often use the get-out clause that their task is to build up the people of God through the ministry of the Word and Sacrament, but in Methodism, these are believed to be converting as well as confirming ordinances. This means that it is beholden on us to ensure that we always preach for conversion as well as for confirmation or formation in discipleship. I'm not sure I always do that God - sorry. I sometimes lose sight of the fact that even though I have seen these faces week in and week out - these same people may not yet have seen your face, or know your grace.
Worse, there is a very real danger of the service of Holy Communion being conducted as a service for those in the 'know' rather than for those who need to know - even if they don't know why! So sorry God - I have missed so many opportunities to minister your prevenient grace in this way.
Discipleship is more than conversion to a belief in you, discipleship is the choice to make that belief definitive of the rest of our lives. It entails change challenge and choice - which is not easy.
Change requires us to rearrange the various parts of our lives in order to accommodate a new top priority - YOU. It's the sort of change of life that is normally only associated with marriage or childbirth or death because it impacts every relationship we have. This is just one of the reasons that discipleship is challenging. It may well be that family and friends resent the fact that You have become such a priority and that as a result certain other things seem less important. Disciples make choices about what is and isn't important and a good use of their time, resources and life, and not all of those choices will be approved of by others.
All of which makes discipleship sound difficult and 'religious' and a bit of an anachronism.
But it's not like that at all..
Being invited to discipleship is about being invited to discover what it is to be more fully who we were created to be.. We are changed, yes, but for the better (and no - I dont mean that we become 'good' or 'pious') We discover abilities we never knew we had and are challenged to use them as we work with you in building a world worth living in. We are freed and empowered to make choices we never knew we could before, about ourselves and the way in which we live and die. We discover that we have far more power than we knew to change the world for the better - that we really can make a difference, regardless of what our parents, or our partners, or teachers, or politicians might say. Every life counts when lived to the full in the power of the Spirit to your praise and glory.
It's important to not equate discipleship with holding office in the Church - that's what membership is all about! Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is about learning how to discover and release the divine potential in the human, being a member of the Methodist Church is about being willing to work for the kingdom of God in a particular place with a particular group of people who subscribe to a particular set of beliefs and practices! The one might assist in the other but they are not the same.
But, you are right to challenge me God: What am I doing to make new disciples, and to build up those that you have asked me to minister to?
Friday, February 26, 2010
Bad Theology
Good morning God,
I've been thinking about bad theology and the damage that it does, and trying to think of a way in which we are better able to identify it and stop doing it!
The trouble is that many people dont even know what theology is these days, they think its the 'hard stuff' that people have to do at seminary or university. It never seems to dawn on them that the really telling theology, the theology that changes and transforms most people's lives is actually done by the rank and file membership of the Church by what they do (or dont do) day in and day out as Christians and by what they say (or dont day) in response to what is happening in the world and in their lives.
The first theology that most people encounter comes out of the mouths of their friends when they are invited to attend Church or house-group or something similar.
Theology is nothing more or less than our conversation with, for, and about you - and like all conversation it can suffer from some very obvious problems:
It can be boring when people simply repeat the same old thing time and time again as though it gains meaning in the retelling. This sort of one sided conversation very quickly puts some people off as it presents you as effectively dead or deaf, or perhaps just as boring as you never seem to respond or react to the retelling... On the other hand, some people take comfort from the fact that they know exactly what is going to be said - it means they don't have to listen too hard, and they can feel a part of things because they know the lingo..
A boring conversation can often slide into a shouting match - this is where it is still the same old thing being said, but now the bore is concerned that they are not actually being heard anymore so they start shouting it - as though they can make up in volume what the conversation lacks in substance.. This conversation is often a crowd puller at first, people come to see what all the noise is about, but they seldom stay to listen for too long - its hard on the ears as well as on the soul!
Or the conversation could be rude with people just interrupting what is already taking place, without bothering to take into account the subject matter of what is being talked about. The mistaken assumption that their interruption is either pertinent or welcomed is based on the idea that any conversation with you can be improved by a few stock phrases, or quotations (which you must have heard a million times before). This conversation often begins by being quite interesting, it looks initially as though there is an opportunity for wider dialogue, but it soon becomes apparent that the stock phrases are just another way of forcing the conversation back to being boring..
It is also possible to have an ignorant conversation, this is when people interrupt an important conversation and hold forth without stock phrases, but also without any real knowledge of what is being talked about, what has already been said or even why the conversation is taking place. This conversation can be interesting if not informative. It's always good to hear people's opinion, and there is a real opportunity to engage.. but a lack of the most basic knowledge of the earlier parts of the conversation tends to limit the potential of the conversation and often silences it just as it begins to get really interesting.
But the most damaging sort of bad theology occurs as a result of insensitive conversations, when people just dont think before they speak.. worse, they presume that they already know what you will say and so attempt to speak for you rather than engaging with what you are currently saying or doing. In so doing, they effectively discount you from the conversation altogether... making it a conversation about you rather than a conversation with you, and it is this that allows them an insensitivity that I suspect you would simply not tolerate.
There are of course, good conversations to be had with you, but I was asked about bad theology..
I've been thinking about bad theology and the damage that it does, and trying to think of a way in which we are better able to identify it and stop doing it!
The trouble is that many people dont even know what theology is these days, they think its the 'hard stuff' that people have to do at seminary or university. It never seems to dawn on them that the really telling theology, the theology that changes and transforms most people's lives is actually done by the rank and file membership of the Church by what they do (or dont do) day in and day out as Christians and by what they say (or dont day) in response to what is happening in the world and in their lives.
The first theology that most people encounter comes out of the mouths of their friends when they are invited to attend Church or house-group or something similar.
Theology is nothing more or less than our conversation with, for, and about you - and like all conversation it can suffer from some very obvious problems:
It can be boring when people simply repeat the same old thing time and time again as though it gains meaning in the retelling. This sort of one sided conversation very quickly puts some people off as it presents you as effectively dead or deaf, or perhaps just as boring as you never seem to respond or react to the retelling... On the other hand, some people take comfort from the fact that they know exactly what is going to be said - it means they don't have to listen too hard, and they can feel a part of things because they know the lingo..
A boring conversation can often slide into a shouting match - this is where it is still the same old thing being said, but now the bore is concerned that they are not actually being heard anymore so they start shouting it - as though they can make up in volume what the conversation lacks in substance.. This conversation is often a crowd puller at first, people come to see what all the noise is about, but they seldom stay to listen for too long - its hard on the ears as well as on the soul!
Or the conversation could be rude with people just interrupting what is already taking place, without bothering to take into account the subject matter of what is being talked about. The mistaken assumption that their interruption is either pertinent or welcomed is based on the idea that any conversation with you can be improved by a few stock phrases, or quotations (which you must have heard a million times before). This conversation often begins by being quite interesting, it looks initially as though there is an opportunity for wider dialogue, but it soon becomes apparent that the stock phrases are just another way of forcing the conversation back to being boring..
It is also possible to have an ignorant conversation, this is when people interrupt an important conversation and hold forth without stock phrases, but also without any real knowledge of what is being talked about, what has already been said or even why the conversation is taking place. This conversation can be interesting if not informative. It's always good to hear people's opinion, and there is a real opportunity to engage.. but a lack of the most basic knowledge of the earlier parts of the conversation tends to limit the potential of the conversation and often silences it just as it begins to get really interesting.
But the most damaging sort of bad theology occurs as a result of insensitive conversations, when people just dont think before they speak.. worse, they presume that they already know what you will say and so attempt to speak for you rather than engaging with what you are currently saying or doing. In so doing, they effectively discount you from the conversation altogether... making it a conversation about you rather than a conversation with you, and it is this that allows them an insensitivity that I suspect you would simply not tolerate.
There are of course, good conversations to be had with you, but I was asked about bad theology..
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)