Theological Reflection

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). For the last four days, I have been on the great Half Dome Adventure. I was accompanied by two backpacking companions, who stepped up to the challenge when my husband had to bow out due to an injury. One fellow hiker wanted to use our trail time to talk about faith, and in particular how I could be “so certain” about “my position” on the issues that were tested in the PCUSA ecclesiastical trial and appeal last month. These questions were intended to

Today I simply offer two different methods for equipping the saints with discernment skills:  Hot Off the Press—A Sunday School Class for Adults The idea is to engage in discussion of world and national events from a faith perspective.  The agenda is to model and teach “ordinary” Christians how to think, in a world that often values feelings more than rationality.  Each week the facilitator brings a current news story that begs for a Christian response.  We read it together and brainstorm the issues it raises.  • What are the facts of the situation?—We try to distinguish between information and

The ability to discern God’s will amid the clamor of the world, the flesh, and the devil is something that can be cultivated through spiritual disciplines. In an earlier post (http://wordtolife.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/the-spiritual-gift-of-discernment/) I observed that “the discerning of spirits” is a spiritual gift, and it is given by the Holy Spirit as God wills. But the Church as a whole relies not only on the particularly gifted, who are much needed, but also on the entire Body learning discernment as a discipline of its life together. This corporate practice emerges out of the faithful submission of its individuals to the knowledge

Since switching lanes from the pastorate to academia (albeit teaching ministry skills in a seminary) four years ago, I have had occasion to answer the question, “What do you miss about serving a congregation as pastor?” Believe it or not, I miss the meetings. Meetings are those gatherings of “two or three in Christ’s name” to address the work we have been assigned, to translate vision into intent and means, to consider mid-course corrections, and otherwise to lead the people of God in faithful worship and mission. My office was arranged with the conversation area front and center, to illustrate