actually we are not.
The United States of America can better be described as a representative republic... it involves 3 branches of government, one of which consists of two groups of representatives who are supposed to 'represent' their 'people'.
These 'citizen legislators' were never intended to become professionals but, for the most part, that is precisely what we have: professional politicians!
It is in some way akin to the citizen soldier / mercenary relationship... one fights for a Purpose and the other fights for money.
unfortunately, the church buildings which dot our landscape (and the Church they 'house') have inevitably mirrored society around them... and instead of the Church affecting Society, it has indeed worked in reverse: Society has affected the Church - and mightily!
Nowhere is this more obvious to me than in the 'professionalization' of the 'ministry'. We have schools which exist solely to create professional preachers... our churches search for the right men with the correct letters after their names.... and all of that necessarily creates a Clergy / laity system.
...this notion runs counter to Biblical teaching about spreading the Gospel and expanding the Kingdom's borders... and it has created the professional-evangelist-vs-'lay-minister' situation which is, in my opinion, poisoning the Church.
and while many will cite Paul's quoting of Deuteronomy 25 in his Corinthian letter in order to justify the professional preacher, I am not certain the 'preponderance of evidence' from the inspired Bible writings will lead us to believe that professional preachers are THE design for accomplishing our commission. Don't misunderstand: I am NOT against those who preach and mission and travel and teach being supported to do so... I believe we ought to pay them! and we ought to pay them a lot more than we typically do...
but it would seem to this somewhat-semi-serious student of the Bible that His Design tends more toward the roaring lamb than the professional evangelist.
Does that mean people should not aspire to Biblical knowledge? well, I guess that would depend on our motivation, right? I mean if we are pursuing knowledge solely for the sake of knowing... if we are craving Bible intelligence so we can score well on a test or win a debate..... if our reason for endless hours of study is to be the smartest guy in the room or the cleverest preacher... then that pursuit is folly because it so thoroughly misses the point!
If on the other hand we are pursuing knowledge so we can 'more perfectly discern His Will for us' or equip our brothers and sisters to 'go and make disciples', well that's a different story altogether... and in my circle of friends (several of whom are paid, located preachers), THAT's what seems to drive their hunger for knowledge... and that gives me peace. ...and to those who are actually 'training and equipping' their brothers and sisters to complete the mission... KUDOS!!!! that is an excellent and worthy use of your education, intelligence and talent!
But there are, I believe, countless others who miss the mission in their chase for knowledge. and, for my part, I got no respect nor use for smart people who don't grasp their role in the mission.
and, after all, which is a more effective tool for COMPLETING THE MISSION? A brilliantly smart, incredibly well-educated pulpit preacher who, by our clergy/laity design, has no connectivity with his parishioners?
OR
a passionate, compassionate saved sinner who influences his circle of friends to follow Jesus (all the while studying His Word)?
there's no comparison.
Understand this: NOBODY loves to hear a talented, Biblically educated preacher deliver a stem-winder more than me!I'm just not sure that THAT is the BEST method for the mission at hand. and I am QUITE CERTAIN that it is not the only method...
I covet your thoughts, and offer this in as humble a spirit as I have in me.
God Bless!
1 comment:
Tim - I think you and my Dad would have gotten along well. The best preacher I have ever been around(I received many of his sermons privatly) had an 8th grade eduction, no formal preacher training, an avid student of the Book not to prove others wrong but to ensure that what he was teaching was correct(the focus was on "himself": not to humiliate others if they were wrong). Never read scripture from the bible during sermons, but always memorized it and quoted it, rarely preached over 25 minutes; and because of his influence in the community he essentially became the "town preacher", performing duties for members from all the churches. Having now had many conversation with him I appreciate how open minded he is(I did not as a kid see this) I say all that to say that today he would have a near impossible task of getting started in the ministry.
Now I will give you what I perceive to be poison thinking and acting is that the things all christians should be doing are left up to the preacher to do because we pay him to and that somehow relieves us of our duties.
Good thought on your part
Love to see you soon!
Stan
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