Truth/Story/Miracle

Dr. Larry Hart is a genius.  Lecturer.  Teacher.  Theologian.  Guitarist.  Singer.  Tall.  Preacher.  Pastor.  Author of Truth Aflame.  He, among other professors, taught me the 'ologies: Theology, Ecclessiology, Pneumatology, and probably several others as well.  I mostly paid attention in his classes and I hope that he'll be glad to know that a lot of what he said has stuck with me over the years. 

Most of the wisdoms that I credit Dr. Hart for relate more to the complicated life of a pastor than the complex depths of theological truth, but one thing he said about Jesus really stuck.  Jesus, he said, came preaching, teaching, and healing.

It wasn't just a statement that Dr. Hart made in passing.  Those three biblical action verbs -- preaching, teaching, and healing -- formed the foundation of an entire required course at Oral Roberts School of Theology and Missions -- The Preaching & Healing Ministry.  They come directly from Matthew's description of Jesus' early ministry -- Matt. 4:23: Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. (The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996 (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.)

I've spent the last ten years or so debating the significance and depth of those three terms.  Initially I found the idea of condensing Jesus's ministry into one six word sentence just too simplistic.  This is, after all, the savior of the world here that we're talking about.  Surely there was more to what he did than 6 words... and really only three of those were descriptive.  (We can discuss the significance of "and" in that sentence in another blog...)  Surely I could come up with something better.

So far, I've failed in those attempts.  Jesus came.  Jesus preached.  Jesus taught.  Jesus healed.  That sums it all up pretty nicely.

So, while that basic statement remains, I have decided to change the nature of those terms to make them more acceptable to the way my mind works.  After all action verbs -- which are all the rage in some preaching styles and on resumes -- are only truly worthwhile when they're attached to an object.  Preaching and teaching what?  Healing who and how?  Yes, Jesus did that.  Yes, we as pastors should as well.  Why?  How?  What?  When?  Where?  When you answer those questions as well, then you're really onto something.

I've landed this past year on another simple concept, Dr. Larry Hart inspired if not yet approved, that to me captures how I understand Jesus's ministry (and therein, how I expect to perform ministry).

Truth, Story, and Miracle.

Jesus preached Truth.  Jesus taught in Story.  Jesus healed through Miracles.

This Easter at CapeNaz we're going to explore those topics.  What is the truth?  What is the story?  What is the miracle?  We'll preach it.  We'll teach it.  We'll miracle it up all over the place!

We'll explore those questions.  It might get a bit philosophical at times.  It might have a decided lack of those ever popular action verbs.  It will, though, give us a profound and complete view of who Jesus really is, what Jesus really did, and why that really matters for us.


P.S. -- In addition to giving credit in this blog to Dr. Larry Hart, I would be remiss not to mention a few of the other seminary professors who contributed greatly to my spiritual and pastoral formation.  Dr. James Tollett.  Dr. James Barber.  Dr. Charles Snow.  Dr. James Breckenridge.  Dr. Mark Appold, who was rivaled as a scholar only by the late Dr. Howard Ervin.

Vision & Membership

Family Church has a vision. I hope that you all know that. I hope even more than you can tell me what that vision statement is. Can you? I say it every Sunday that I give the announcements. It's printed on all of our publications. It's all over the website.

Family Church. Helping people find their place in God's family.

This past Sunday night I taught the membership class called Starting Point. It was a great honor to be able to teach that course. For the past 8 years Pastor Brett had taught it as a way to connect to new attenders and potential members and share in detail and from the heart the vision, mission, and direction of Family Church. Inheriting that mantle, at least temporarily, is not something that I take lightly. Membership is very important to me.

I think that inherent in the term membership is the concept of ownership. In this season as much or more than any other, we have to realize that church isn't about one person. It's not about Pastor Brett's vision. It's not about Dr. Frisbie's or mine. It's not about the board's vision.

This is our church. It's your church. It is what we members, the staff, and the leaders make of it.

So, in the coming weeks we're going to start asking more of our members. We'll be praying more. We'll be fasting. We'll be reading and studying the Bible together more. We're all going to take ownership, at least I hope, of the spiritual health and direction of Family Church. Watch for ways that you can be involved. Listen to that small still voice in your head encouraging you to take a step forward and to embrace a new mantle of responsibility and depth of spiritual awareness.

We're on the verge of good things. I believe it. I'm excited about it. Together we can do great things. We can help a whole new group of people who walk through the doors of our church find their place in God's family just as we've found ours. That's a high calling. Perhaps the highest calling. How will you help fulfill it? Think about it!