The Rambling Disciple

I think that it is relatively safe to say that in many of our churches there is no real difference between the act of teaching and preaching. Sure, we tend to regard teaching as more interactive and preaching as less so, but otherwise they are pretty much the same. Whether someone is teaching or preaching they are typically trying to impart knowledge and encouragement. In essence what we have is just teaching in slightly different modes. Biblically speaking teaching and preaching are actually two different things. They are translated from two different Greek words that aren't even related to each other. Teaching comes from the word didasko  and preaching from the word kerygma . This tidbit of Greek should help us think about these two activities as different, even though in our culture preaching and teaching have become synonymous. So what's the difference between preaching and teaching? Well, teaching is about instruction and building up the knowledge of a student. This is whe...

I think that most of the time we all hate being uncertain. We like stability and the comfort of being sure that we want, believe, or profess to know is true and good. We want our relationships with our friends, family, and other loved ones to be well defined. It's uncomfortable to not know where you stand with someone you care about.  The same is true in matters of religion and faith. We like certainty, of being sure that we are on the right path or believing in the right thing. It makes us feel safe, secure, and stable when we are certain about the particulars of our faith. This is the great draw of fundamentalism and is the reason so many of the churches and Christian communities in our country could be identified as such. There is, however, a problem with certainty. Actually, there are multiple problems with it. The first is that when a community is absolutely certain about their particular interpretations, understandings, and practices it shuts down honest questioning and seeki...

As most people who read this probably know, I am currently back in school full time. No, they didn't find out that I secretly flunked the 6th grade and sent me back to junior high (though I'd still probably struggle with 6th grade math). I'm currently taking classes as prep to begin a PhD program next year at the Oblate School of Theology. My focus is on spirituality. Don't worry, this isn't some weird, hippy type of program. I'm studying spirituality in its academic sense, the experiences people have of God and how they relate to theology, the Bible, and living a Christian life. Every single one of us has had experiences of a religious sort, be they positive or negative. My goal is to understand how our experiences of God, both good and bad, impact our ability to do theology and be disciples.  For many people it is their experiences that are the primary governing factor in how they view life and faith. You can study the Bible on a particular point with someone ...

There is an ongoing discussion raging in many Christian circles concerning what to do with ministers, pastors, and other leaders who are accused of abuse, assault, and other harmful activities. The discussion is not about whether or not these individuals should be disciplined, everyone agrees that they should be, but rather what comes next. At what point does a leader who has been abusive in the past become eligible to lead again?  Some believe that those who have been proven to be predatory and abusive as leaders should be disqualified from church leadership for the rest of their lives. They should be forgiven, but what they did should not be forgotten. Others feel uncomfortable with this. They believe that Christianity is a religion of forgiveness and that it would be wrong to permanently bar someone from leadership if they have reformed. These leaders should be forgiven and their past sins blotted out. The tricky thing here is that both sides of this advocate for forgiveness tow...

How many Bible studies have you attended in your life? I can say that I've attended my fair share, both as teacher and as participant. There are few things in life that I love more than gathering together with a group and working through Scripture together. In particular I love it when there is a good, robust discussion about God or Christ or something that challenges us. Having primarily been the discussion leader the past several years, I can tell you that it can be tricky to come up with good questions that stimulate conversation. It's something that I've gotten significantly better at over the years, but it can still be a challenge. There is one question that I hear a lot of teachers or discussion leaders ask that for a long time I used to absolutely hate.  "What does this verse/passage mean to you?" My dislike of this question began while studying Bible at Harding. I was learning all about context, hermeneutical methods, and exegesis. We had it drilled into o...

Something I've noticed is that people will often assume what you believe about many things based solely upon what you believe about one thing. This is true about politics, entertainment, religion, and pretty much everything else. For example, I really enjoy Star Trek and therefore I've had family members and friends just assume I like other shows just because I like this one franchise. That's an example where it really doesn't matter, but this sort of thing happens a lot. If you indicate you agree with Democrats or Republicans on one, singular issue many people automatically jump the conclusion that you must buy into their whole platform. Instead of being willing to examine each and every issue separately we instead package our beliefs into bundles. We assume that if you agree with A then you must also agree with B and C while disagreeing with Y and Z. The same is true for matters of faith and theology. Part of what it means to be a Christian is the content of our belie...

Earlier today I stood in line at an office of the Texas Department of Public Safety to get a Texas driver's license. This particular office is actually a converted grocery store that they have turned into a facility that specifically deals with driver's licenses and the like. Unfortunately, while there I discovered that the birth certificate that I had was actually a copy and only the original would do.  Let's just say that I was incredibly annoyed by this. I had scheduled the appointment a week in advance, had gathered up all sorts of documents to prove my identity, I showed up early just like one is supposed to, and I find out that because one document isn't right I can't go ahead and take care of things. It was frustrating and a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy because I always dread dealing with government bureaucracy.  After I got home and stewed for a bit I realized that it wasn't that big of a deal. After all, I can just go to the courthouse and get anoth...