Truth be known, I love the pastor of the church I currently attend.
Though we differ in certain areas, theologically, I still love the bird! (Be advised, I am a former Marine and the vocabulary often unconsciously intrudes!)
Why, one might ask? How can you love one with whom you have such significant differences?
Well, Psalm 119:63 and Prov. 17:15 are sufficient admonitions for me.
He loves God.
He has a passion for the people of God and the advance of the kingdom of God.
Aside from that, I am still amazed at his willingness to countenance the contribution of one such as myself within the life of the church. That, alone, to me, testifies to his spiritual maturity.
Truth be known, he reminds me of myself 40 years ago, though he is far more competent than I could ever hope to be!
Then, in terms of the Providence of God, my eyes have been opened to a segment of the Body of Christ for which I had little appreciation, and of which, my theological education had been grossly biased.
But, God, in His infinite goodness, saw fit to prompt me to drop into The Movie Church in Sept. of ’05. Praise the Lord!
Since then, my religious education has been significantly, and might I say, profitably advanced.
But, and this is the reason for today’s post: sometimes my pastor…did I say just that “my pastor?” Is that what might be termed as Freudian Slip".
Well, that is a subject for another post.
Back to my point: sometimes the pastor gets things out of order.
In his passion, he is focused on Christians “doing”!
He is frustrated, and quite naturally, with the proliferation of Evangelical Holy Huddles, read: small groups!
For that, I rise up and call him blessed!
But, at the same time, I would humbly suggest he has things out of order.
Our focus ought to be:
KNOW
BE
DO
Most of what comes to pass in the evangelical community today is a function of screwed up knowing.
Before Jesus sent the twelve or the seventy out to “do”, they had companied with Him!
Even then, they tended to initially screw things up! (It took a persecution to get them on track!)
If we, as believers are to be competent witnesses, whose lives evoke the questions Peter refers to in 1 Peter 3:15, then IMHO, knowing precedes Doing.
But, and more importantly, Being reinforces what is transmitted, propositionally.
I may be way off base, but it seems to me, after 40+ years in personal ministry, the reasonable order is:
Know
Be
Do
And, I still love this pastor!
4 comments:
The problem is, learning ain't as much fun as doing! And learning doesn't win you as much praise as doing does. Doing's gonna win out every time among the general public.
Doing is more politically correct than learning. Saying "I'm going to build a house for a homeless man" makes you look normal to the general public. Saying "I'm going to a bible study class to learn how to put the Bible into proper context" makes you look like a freak to the general public.
And nobody wants to look like a freak today.........
Schmoozanne,
I guess that I have always been kind of a freak. Early on my doing was grossly overcompensate by selfish ambition and reward and much less about God. While on the outside appearance it looked, and could even sound like I was suffering for Jesus. But, thank heavens for the gift of a consience, and good friends I was able to discern my true objectives.
Thus, I agree with the Jar Head, I need to prioritize Knowing, to Be, and follow through with the Do.
What awaits me if I am out doing, and my knowledge is a different Gospel?
Ain't it interssting!
The Lord Jesus insitutes, inaugurates the New Covenant that final eveing with The Twelve, and then leaves a lacuna of umpteen years before he provides data relative to the New Covenant?
In the vernacular, Wassup?
Ryan,
I agree with the Jar Head too. But most aren't going to, because it's not the religiously correct thing to say in this age, unbelievably...
Christians today don't want to seem any different than their neighbors. They want Christianity to look cool and palatable to their friends.
Building houses for homeless people is safe. Safe equals easy. Safe equals normal. All of the things that today's Christian wants to be. Not that there's anything wrong with building houses, mind you....
Not many want to take the hard road and learn to KNOW. You are part of a tiny group, my friend!
Mr. Jar Head himself has been more of a DOer than most. He sure isn't an example of someone who only knows, and doesn't Do. So much so that he spent many a night in jail. Somehow I don't think that's the kind of doing Mr. Brian Jones is talking about....and yet, to me, the higher the price that you have paid while DOing, the more you have DOne....
Press on, fellow freak
Post a Comment