Theology in Aisle 7

One of the joys of teaching others is that we do theology in the real world and our answers must apply to real situations. This is often messier than many of us are comfortable with. I just read an interesting piece about our attempts to understand theology and explain it to others.

I've been searching for frameworks, outlines, contexts; ways to more thoroughly understand what I believe. The studies I've chosen emphasize systematic theology. The very word systematic gives me that Aisle 7 rush. I can hardly wait to be organized!

But there are people—wise, godly people—who grin at me like my husband did at my organizer. "Do you think," asked my friend Barbara, who happens to be a theology professor, "that part of you is looking for control?" I stared at her blankly. No, part of me isn't looking for control. All of me is looking for control. I hate chaos and uncertainty. I am deeply bothered by doctrinal divisions within even the small confines of my own church tradition.

And honestly, I really don't like it when God behaves unpredictably, when he seems to be as much about mystery as he is about revelation, and when he refuses to fit into the slots I have labeled for him.

If these thoughts resonate with you, I encourage you to click on the original article below and contemplate the tension between organization and mystery.

Theology in Aisle 7 | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Is God to Blame for Natural Disasters?

Due to all the media coverage of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, if you haven't been asked, you can be pretty confident that your students/participants are wondering about the role of God in Natural Disasters.

I did a quick survey in my own mind and was able to identify rain storms as a significant event in many Biblical stories. Noah's flood was just the beginning. Jonah was thrown overboard because a storm threatened the lives of the crew. Jesus' disciples feared for their lives because of a storm at sea. Paul was shipwrecked in Acts 27 due to a storm. It is clear that storms can be used to accomplish the will of God.

Hear me clearly! I am NOT saying storms are always God judgment on evil and I am NOT saying that all the outcomes of a disaster are "good"! I AM saying that God can use storms and "natural" disasters to accomplish things that cannot be accomplished by other means. For example, the Tsunami in Indonesia a few years ago and more recently in Myanmar opened the doors for Christians to demonstrate godly compassion in ways that their governments and other religions were unable to accomplish.

For more thoughts about the reasons for disasters and ways you can use these discussions in your class/small group to build faith check out the link below.

We would be interested to hear your comments. How have you been able to see God at work in events that first appeared to be a disaster?

Is God to Blame for Natural Disasters? | Building Small Groups

Who will be left in the church?

About 2 years ago David Morrow released a book entitled "Why Men Hate Going to Church" which quickly gained popularity among the Evangelical Men's Movement. Men were claiming that many churches had become too feminine for their liking.

Last week I read a blog posting that says women are leaving churches because male-dominated hierarchies are irrelevant to their values.

Could it be that both of the authors are speaking for individuals who wish to be served because they dislike the Christian message of "take up your cross and follow Christ"?

Yes, RELIGION can be described as both feminine and male-dominated when God's perspective is ignored. However a RELATIONSHIP with the living God, in whose image we are created, can honor both genders.

Consider the two quotes below...

The ideology of masculinity has replaced Christianity as the true religion of men. We live in a society with a female religion and a male religion: Christianity, of various sorts, for women and non-masculine men; and masculinity . . . for men.

"Young women tend to express egalitarian values and dislike the traditionalism and hierarchies they imagine are integral to the church"

For more on each perspective, check out the sources below.

Why Men Hate Church

'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Inspires Women to Leave Churches

Defining Success

It has been over 30 years since I took a Hunter Safety Course, but one of the lessons I remember is "always be sure of your target" and "consider what you might hit if you miss your target." As Christian leaders we must also be careful about what we pursue.

Below are some thoughts from a ministry colleague.

Most of us would agree that measuring success is critical. If we don't know what we are after we won't know if we were successful. The trick is knowing what we ought to measure.

Take the local church for instance. It is common to measure the number of people who attend weekly. The higher our attendance, the higher our success. How often do we ask, "How many people attend your church?"

If numbers are our definition of success we are driven to increase the numbers and with a little marketing moxie one can do that. No problem.

Except - the New Testament definition of success for the church is not numbers but spiritual maturity - becoming like Jesus (Ephesians 4).

For the rest of the post click here - Leading From the Sandbox: Measuring Success: What counts?

Ski Boat or Cruise Ship

Are you captain of a ski boat or a Cruise ship? A ski boat makes a lot of noise, has a burst of sudden energy and 1-2 people get out of the water. A cruise ship slowly pulls out of the dock and gradually builds momentum with a result that hundreds of people are taken to a new place.

The last few weeks we have put a lot of emphasis on training leaders, publicizing groups/classes, and recruiting participants. Some may be tired and thinking “Whew! I’m glad that is behind me. Now I can get down to the business of leading.” But is it behind you?

Multiplying leaders of OPEN groups are continuously (yes, some seasons are more intense than others) looking for new leaders to coach and new participants to assimilate. I am not saying that you should be discontent with those whom God has compelled already, but that Heaven’s economy always has room for more. (Remember the parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14:15-23)

Ask the Lord to reveal ways your group/class can increase in significance and influence to move as many people as possible to the place God wants them to go.

4 levels of Learner

Not all students are created equal. While I agree with the mantra of public education that "every student can learn" The readiness (ability & willingness) of students varies. Have you seen the following students in your class or small group?

Circumstantial Guests – These are the kids who may get stuck in a class because their family is visiting Grandma’s church and the parents are in the sanctuary. You may never see them again but you have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to impress upon on them God’s love.

Curious Observers – These are the students who have heard all the promotion about classes starting and they will try it 3 or 4 weeks, if they perceive there is value they will continue. If you don’t capture their hearts in that time frame, it will simply go into the archives as an opportunity missed.

Consistent Participants – These are the students who perceive there is value to the group, but they don’t feel like they have anything of value to contribute. You will do well to cautiously draw them out by asking non-threatening questions directly of them or assigning them tasks that have low-risk. (For kids this could mean handing out the Bibles or delivering the attendance sheet to the office or collecting the crayons after the project. For adults it could be providing refreshments or arriving 10 minutes early to run the vacuum or arrange chairs or prepare a sign-up sheet). Extra caution must be used when you ask these individuals to pray or read out loud or you could lose them altogether!

Committed Core – These are the students who make your group a priority—their week just doesn’t seem complete if they miss your group. Often they will be eager to accelerate the group by suggesting meeting more frequently or asking for extra assignments between sessions. One key to leading this type of student is in establishing a manageable pace. Yes, they must be challenged but you must guard that the person does not exchange spiritual passion for legalistic performance. Some will appear committed to your class/group but their first motivation is meeting their emotional need for attention. Your goal is to keep them focused on the Savior.

What have you found to be effective methods of moving people from one level to the next?