F I R MINISTRY Ministry is the international journal of the Seventh-day Adventist Ministerial Association and has been published since 1928.
Association Secretary James A. Cress What matters more: Container Editor Willmore D. Eva Managing Editor Julia W. Norcott or content? Editorial Assistant Sheila Draper The comparative value of what is proclaimed Professional Growth and inter-church Relations versus who proclaims it Nikolaus Sateimajer Contributing Editors: Sharon Cress, Peter Prime, joe! Randall L. Roberts Sarii, Kit Watts International Editors: inter-American Division Felix Cortes Pain South American Division Zinaldo A. Santos The impact of the Cross on human pain and Consulting Editors: Ben Clausen, Raoul Dederen, Teofiio Ferreira, Ron anguish Flowers, John M. Fowler, Michael Hasel, Roland Hegstad, Kathleen Kuntaraf, Ekkehardt Mueiier, Jan Clifford Goldstein Paulsen, Robert Peach, Angei Manuel Rodriguez, Penny Shell, William Shea, Russell Staples, Richard Tibbits, Ted Wilson, Edward Zinke Deciding between dialogue Pastoral Assistant Editors: John C Cress, Fredrick and debate Russell, Maylan Schurch, Loren Seibold International Advisors: Alejandro Bullon, John Alternative approaches to processing the Duroe, Andrews Laurence Ewoo, PaulraJ Isaiah, Anthony Kent, jairyong Lee, Ivan Maniltch, Zacchaeus Mathema, differences that arise between people Gabriel Maurer, Ivan Omana, David Osborne, Peter Roennfeldt, Raymond Zeeman lan Hartley Pastoral Advisors: Leslie Baumgartner, S. Peter Campbell, Miguel A. Cerna, Jeanhe Hartweit, Mitchell Overcoming the Superman Hertson, Creg Nelsqrj, Norma psborn;,Leslie PoSSard, syndrome Dan* Smith, Steve©WiFlsey" ©©." " ©" © " Advertising Editorial Office How the pastor meets human needs without Subscriptions and Circulation jeannette Calbi neglecting his own Cover Illustration Harry Knox Stephen Lim , Resources Cathy Payne
Preaching with power Subscriptions: 12 issues: United States US$29.95; Canada and overseas US$31.75; airmail US$41.75; The role of clarity and simplicity in preaching single copy US$3.00. To order, send name, address, and payment to jeannette Calbi, Ministry Subscriptions, Morris Chalfant 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904 U.S.A. Subscription queries and address changes: The courage to face our fears Emaif: [email protected] Fax:301-680-6502 Pastoral pressure points: Part 3 in a six-part series Phone: 301-680-6503 Archibald D. Hart To Writers; We welcome unsolicited manuscripts. Editorial preference is to receive manuscripts on diskette with name, address, telephone and fax Positive ways to deal with criticism numbers, and Social Security number (if U.S. citizen OF possessing a U.S. Social Security number). Send Understanding and dealing constructively with editorial correspondence to 125Q1 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600. negative criticism Phone: 301-680-6510; fax: 301-680-6502; Email: [email protected] or Teena M. Stewart [email protected] (editorial offices). Writer©s Guidelines available on request. Ordination in the New Testament? Ministry (ISSN 0026-5314), the international, journal of the Seventh-day Adventist Ministerial Association A perceptive view of biblical ordination 2002, is published monthly by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and printed by Nancy Vyhmeister Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1350 N. Kings Road, Nampa, ID 83687-3193. Member Associated Church Press. Standard mail postage paid at Nampa, Idaho. Should we be postmodern to PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. minister to postmoderns? Vol. 74 Number 5 An interpretative reflection on the approach of the Bible credits: Scriptures quotations from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993,1994, 1 995. Used by permission of Nav Press pastor to postmodern people Publishing Group. Verses marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible. Copyright 1971 by Tyndaie House Publishers, Wheaton, ill. Used by Donkor Kwabana permission. Texts credited to NIV are from the Hoiy Bible, New international Version. Copyright 1973,1978,1984 by the International Bibie Society. Used by permission of ©Zondervan Bible Publishers. Bible texts credited to RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bibie. Copyright 1946, © 1952,1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA: Used by permission.
MINISTRY May 2002 T T
Case for creationism devoured as those who are starving." It history and effect of music. Such an arti started as an academic physicist makes me want to study the Bible with cle would deal with changes in music I before ordination, teaching at several a deeper and more absorbing interest. and worship patterns through the ages, United Kingdom universities, and I have Could we think over how people are edifying ministers on the many sides of to say that the many evangelical craving to be enlightened through this the worship debate. Christians with whom I fellowship in the channel approach? If church worship services echoed the science and religion fields will be Estrella Anacleto Jordan, Prilly, Switzerland. traditional, formal style that Oliver appalled by the shoddy and misleading Jacques enjoys, the congregation would scholarship in John Ashton©s "Case for "TThe article "Taps" was frustrating for match older or retired persons. My Creationism" (September 2001) I me as a young adult Seventh-day question is: Do we wish our church to be To argue that evolution is prohibited Adventist Christian. I grow weary with only for the old and retired, or should it by the Second Law of thermodynamics such articles on either extreme of the be one where we, through a variety of shows ignorance of both. A physical or contested worship debate. The extreme musical and worship forms, can attract biological system can move to a state of subject used for "example" was people of all ages and religious upbring increased order as long as it receives described in such slanted phrases as ing to the foot of the cross and a energy from outside (technically, a dissi- "gospel rock" and "a daring mix of relationship with Jesus Christ? pative system) and there are a number swing and ragtime." It seems that this Mark O©Ffill, Orlando, Florida. of examples of this in the physical world. article is based, like so many others, on Ashton is quite right to point out that the emotional attachment older SDA Editorial comment: Please resur we do get some occasional odd dating Christians have to "the way things used rect the September 7 996 issue of Ministry results, but these are trivial compared to be," automatically equating the tra and notice a much more complete discus with the rest of the evidence. The point ditional with the holy, and the new with sion of this question, one which more fully with which Ashton started his article still the unholy. recognizes and embraces the concerns holds in any university. You will not find I especially take issue with his state raised in the above letter. If you have dif (a) professional academic biologists/ ment "Nothing wrong with the songs, ficulty finding this issue of Ministry, email geneticists, etc., who do not treat evolu really . . . though I don©t hear about or call us and we will send you a copy. (We tionary theory as basically sound, and Adventist themes. . . ." Could it be that hope that it will not be long before our (b) an academic cosmologist or geolo the reason that contemporary Christian readers will be able to go to the Internet gist who holds a young-earth theory of music doesn©t have many Adventist to access all such issues.) creation. artists is because of a mindset such as is Mike Parsons, Montpellier, Gloucester, evident in this article, that "new music ""Thanks so much for the January 2002 United Kingdom. styles are not bad music styles," thus I issue. Oliver Jacques©s solid reason discouraging young, gifted, godly ing (as well as interesting writing) in January 2002 issue artists from ever becoming a part of the "Taps" addresses concerns I©ve had for . Grant Swank, Jr.©s article "Preaching contemporary Christian music scene? years, but without the because-it©s-not- J With Certainty Here and Now" gives Instead of simply fueling the fire with traditional-it-must-be-wrong flavor. me a profound vision of how we can emotional articles that do not try to dis Both this article and Jack Van Ens©s ultimately take the gospel. I like the cover the fundamental issues of this "Why Christianity Lite is Less Filling" charge, "God©s menu will give the debate, Ministry should publish articles currently rest in my filing cabinet! might to withstand, but it must be that would educate the readers in the Bill Krick, Clovis, California. IS1
Free Subscription If you©re receiving Ministry bimonthly and haven©t paid fora subscription, it©s not a mistake. Since 1928 Ministry has been published for Seventh-day Adventist ministers. We believe, however, that the time has come for clergy everywhere to experience a resurgence of faith in the authority of Scripture and in the great truths that reveal the gospel of our salvation by grace, through faith alone in lesus Christ. We want to share our aspirations and faith in a way that will provide inspiration and help to you as clergy. We hope you will accept this journal as our outstretched hand to you. Look over our shoulder, take what you want and find helpful, and discard what you can©t use. Bimonthly gift subscriptions are available to all licensed and/or ordained clergy. Requests should be on church letterhead and addressed to the editorial office.
May 2002 MINISTRY EDITORIAL
Making faith and freedom one randy was our female Dachshund. stream, each member, whether of one Baffy, our neighbor©s male Peking opinion or another, was called upon to: B ese. Between our properties was a 4 Freely accept the differences there chain-link fence which among other were in others over these issues things kept Brandy away from the WILL EVA (Rom. 14:1-3). amorous advances of the likes of Baffy. 4 Leave all judgment to God who was The two dogs clearly liked one recognized as entirely able to guide another and spent large portions of one©s fellow Christian (verses 4, 10, their time running up and down the 13). fence, each on opposite sides, trying to 4 Allow each person his or her own find a way through to one another. convictions over these things (verses They would jump and bark and touch 5, 22). noses and paws through the barrier, but 4 Accept that a fellow Christian does much to our relief and their frustration, As much as anything, it was the out what he or she does out of sincere the fence stood firm. ward things, the observable behaviors devotion to God (verses 6-9, 22). Within all of us there is a great long that could be noted and mentally or 4 Concentrate on that which brings ing to be close to someone, to have a verbally "evaluated." Circumcision was harmony and encouragement into sense of relationship, to be in uninter a major one of these (Acts 15:1, 2, etc.). the fellowship (verse 19). rupted touch with some other and What should not be eaten, or which But third, and very significantly, in really with all others. All of us spend holy days ought to be kept were others order to discipline the freedom implied significant portions of our time search (Rom. 14:1,2). in these teachings and to encourage the ing the barriers between us for a way Reading the New Testament shows harmony that was the overall intention, through to more satisfying experiences us graphically that conflict over these the fellowship was reminded: of togetherness. kinds of things challenged the leader 4 That everything done within the Barriers to unity and oneness are very ship of Paul and others as much as community was done "to the Lord" common on every major and minor anything else they faced. and not merely in the light of one©s avenue of life, and the church is by no Each of these matters, along with the own personal preference or pleasure means as exceptional as we might wish. contention that goes with them, has its (verses 7, 8). Many come to our churches hoping to rather obvious parallels in today©s 4 That as a Christian acts, he or she find their need for closeness and rela church. How did Paul and the early must do so with sensitivity and con tionship met, only to find that for them church view and face these matters and sideration toward others, remember what they expected to be an experience the conflicts that seemed to gather ing the weaker (not necessarily the of fellowship and friendship has become around them? more conservative) members of the a source of frustration and painful fric First, in the minds of the leaders community (verses 15, 16, 21-23; tion. these issues were intentionally kept sub 1 Cor. 8:4-13). It is sobering to realize that often the ordinate to that which was genuinely There is no more pressing matter fac very things we have come to believe are essential. They were kept in perspective ing our churches today than that we so important to the validity of our faith in relation to matters that were clearly find constructive ways of dealing with are the things that, given our outlook central. When it comes to these things, these kinds of differences among our and attitudes, are the most divisive Matthew 23:13-30; Acts 15:6-11, 28, selves. Because of the struggles of the within the actual everyday life of the 29; Romans 14:17, 18; and other pas first-century church we possess an church. sages are worthy of our careful study. inspired, tried, true, and practical model What kinds of things caused divisions Second, when dealing with issues for working towards and achieving har amongst the New Testament believers? that were actually tributary to the main mony within and amongst ourselves. HI
MINISTRY May 2002 ministry is not about us, it©s about someone else." This is the reverse of what is commonly the case in professional life. Ministry, there fore, is an odd job, first of all, because it©s an upside-down job. It©s upside down to the way we normally do things. We say, "If you don©t take care of yourself, no one will." Our world is pock marked by shameless self-promotion. In the world we work to advance our own agendas, not those of other people. Throughout his football career, Deion What matters Sanders was a flashy, brassy personality. A while back, Sanders, a Christian, stated that the position he plays on the football field more: Container ought to be renamed. Instead of calling it "cornerback," Deion says that he has so rede fined the way this position is played that it or content? should be called by his name. In other words, when a professional football scout asks a prospective player, "What position do you play?" the player shouldn©t respond, "I play n ministry, what matters most is not the cornerback." No, says Sanders, the player Randall L. Roberts container, but the content. "Remember, should now simply answer, "I play Deion!" our Message is not about ourselves; Maybe this is just part of his act. Most we©re proclaiming Jesus Christ, the would never be so brazen. Yet we all are Master. All we are is messengers, errand tempted to self-promotion. Even our most Irunners from Jesus for you. It started when noble accomplishments come from mixed God said, ©Light up the darkness!© and our motives. But Paul says, "We do not preach lives filled up with light as we saw and under ourselves. We preach Christ." In fact, we©re stood God in the face of Christ, all bright and simply errand runners, delivering messages beautiful. for the King. "If you only look at us, you might well D. M. Canright was a gifted but vacillating miss the brightness. We carry this precious and volatile preacher in early Adventism. Message around in the unadorned clay pots of During the summer and fall of 1880, along our ordinary lives. That©s to prevent anyone with a number of students from Battle Creek from confusing God©s incomparable power College, Canright attended Professor Hamill©s with us. As it is, there©s not much chance of School of Oratory in Chicago. Canright and that. You know for yourselves that we©re not his friends sought to fine-tune their develop much to look at" (2 Cor. 4:5-7, The Message). ing oratorical skills so they could communi As a minister, I have an odd job. Don©t cate the gospel more successfully in the misunderstand I love it. But it is an odd job, pulpit. and that is because of the two realities Paul Each student was assigned a critic. states in the above passage. Canright©s teacher and critic was D.W. Reavis. During the time they spent together, they Not about us became quite well acquainted. The first reality appears in these words: A gifted speaker, Canright was invited to "Our Message is not about ourselves; we©re preach in many Chicago churches. Reavis Randall L. Roberts, proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master" (2 Cor. attended to analyze his application of orator DMin., is senior 4:6, The Message). ical principles. Canright was so accomplished pastor of the Loma Linda University In 2 Corinthians, Paul defends his call to that invitations flowed in, and eventually he Church of Seventh-day apostleship. Some have depreciated his call to accepted invitations only from the largest and Adventists, Loma ministry, questioning his apostolic creden most popular churches. Linda, California. tials, so he addresses the issue. In so doing, he One Sunday night he addressed more than speaks to any called to ministry: "This call to 3,000 people in the largest church on the west
May 2002 MINISTRY was seeing were her hair rollers. When the official opened the suit case, what did they find but bullets! ~fsx~'~ * !f\'""''""',' **• <#"'^' -'^iiif ^''^nife^Sii^ ^! Then, standing near a wall, she saw f^^i^0^jjigj^^t;f 'itiji^: her suitcase, which looked identical ki^m/^iiif)^}ii^^i^V»^'i'*f^t;t''i.f4 ftl ?t>i**|«yi*ill fBiff i to the one she had accidently carried ^lLf|^ii^ii'lli'Ml§2Pl«f fp«!%IPnl'ft%! ^'bf'^^f'^f^i-ii^illi^iPi^i'^'^/t^ to the customs agent. Moral of the story? Don©t judge by outward appearance but by inner content! dinners or entertaining an w WS^ll(SH|*^SffftJf19lSS4)l??Ht^^3 Double advice imSliilllyeii^l iV^io |» The day I was ordained to the gospel ministry, I wrestled with the competing twin feelings: the grandeur of the task to which I had been called, and my own inadequacies and lack of qualification for it. I remember two significant conversations I had with pastoral colleagues while walking toward the ordination service in the auditorium. These two men, both older than I, ! ¥%J«iiS8l5lii3iiJ»ilSS£Bfc« =Ea«ii«!lSX*rtiSlsiWra«f!Mi§«™i*Si«i jfiii-r• •» «> h~* :'*< P 1*1 offered some advice. They were standing only about 20 feet apart, but I soon realized that a much wider gulf separated their philosophies. The first pastor said to me, "Let me side of Chicago. When he finished, don©t promote ourselves. In fact, the give you a piece of advice, something people mobbed him, thanking, prais whole job is about Someone else. I learned years ago that might also ing, and lauding him. It took some help you in your ministerial career." I time for the crowd to disperse so that Content, not packaging was all ears, eager to hear wisdom Canright and Reavis could leave. Paul adds a second reality about from a more experienced colleague. Finally, at a late hour, they went to the ministry of the gospel that warns He proceeded to carefully show me a park where Reavis could offer his us that it©s an odd job. Not only is it how to wear a paper clip behind my criticisms and suggestions. But he had an upside-down job; it takes place in tie so it would not be noticeable, and been so absorbed in Canright©s pres an inside-out world. He says: "But we yet would hold my tie in place. By entation of Bible truth that he had no have this treasure in jars of clay to doing that I could keep my tie in criticisms to offer, no suggestions to show that this all-surpassing power is place and yet not call attention to extend. They talked for a while, when from God and not from us." This job myself by wearing an ornate tie clip. suddenly Canright sprang to his feet. is not about the package, but about A few paces further a second sea "D.W." he said, "I believe I could what©s in the package. It©s not about soned pastor stopped me and when I become a great man were it not for the jar of clay, but about the treasure said that I felt unworthy of this call our unpopular message." inside the jar. In the world of ministry, ing, he responded, "You©re right. You Reavis replied, "D.M., the message the value of what is done cannot be don©t deserve it. In fact, the only rea made you all you are, and the day judged by what it looks like on the son you©re here today is because He you leave it, you will retrace your outside, because it is what©s on the called you, not because you merit it. steps back to where it found you." inside that counts. But since He called you, He will qual Canright©s wish? "If I could do my My wife was traveling abroad. ify you. You stand there in His own thing, be the source of the missive While passing through customs at righteousness." and not just the errand runner, I could her port of entry, the agent looked at Over the years, those two brief become great!" But Paul steps in and her suitcase through X-ray equip conversations have come to represent says, "We do not preach ourselves. We ment, and then said to her, "You have two directions to take in ministry. preach Christ." We©re delivering mes bullets in your suitcase." She denied The first is the direction of making sages for the King. In this job, we it, of course, claiming that what he certain everything looks OK on the
MINISTRY May 2002 outside. The "do-what-you-do-to- agendas, and in the process become a be tempted to feelgood about our min please-people" approach. Do it to mile wide and an inch deep. That©s istry because of the blessings that avoid conflict. Do it to promote your why what Paul says is so vital. When surround it. People criticized Paul©s self and your programs. Spend time it comes to ministry, what really mat ministry because of the discouraging polishing the otherwise unadorned ters is what©s inside. nature of its container, as they might clay pot of the outward self. The Corinthians were tempted to do with ours. But they might also The second choice is to take care of depreciate Paul©s ministry because of affirm our ministry simply because of the inner life, the spiritual walk, the the often-discouraging circumstances the successful trappings that surround soul©s health. To spend time and that surrounded it. Apparently he was it. Again, what matters most is not effort and energy understanding, tak a small man, had bad vision, wasn©t a the container, but the content. We are ing in, and applying the message of great speaker, and was constantly on still, after all, only errand runners for Christ. On my better days, I have the run. He had enemies galore and the King. We strive to deepen, and let been able to choose the second. On critics aplenty. He was hard-pressed, God broaden. my more ignoble days, I have fallen perplexed, and persecuted. If one©s Just before preaching my first ser prey to the first. focus was on the clay pot of his life, mon in my current assignment, I was many reasons existed to question his feeling quite anxious. I was worried Deepening versus broadening success. about what to say and how to say it. I During my early days of ministry But that leads to a critical conclu shared my anxiety with two friends. someone gave me a motto I adopted: sion about ministry, this upside-down Their words brought me back to the "Deepen your ministry and let God job in an inside-out world: In min core of ministry and the reality of broaden it." When we succumb to istry, what matters most is not the Paul©s passage: "Randy," they said, the temptation of putting the broad container, but the content, not the pack "don©t forget that we are just errand ening of our ministry first, we end up aging, but the filling, not the external boys for the King. Therefore, we have brushing and buffing and burnishing elements, but the heart. only to please Him." a clay pot. We become shallow public We face the same temptation, with It may be an odd job, but what a relations people, broadening our own a different slant. We may more often majestic calling!
NATHAN GREENE
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May 2002 MINISTRY one at a time. However we die, however we suffer, whether alone or in bundles, corporate agony, collective pain, doesn©t actually exist; we are islands of anguish unto ourselves. This privatization of pain, this personaliza tion of anguish, it©s good because it means that no one has ever suffered more than an individual can. Grief remains finite, hedged in by what©s as minuscule as the human. We know no more suffering than our personal metabolism allows, no more pain than our delirious cells can carry. No matter how many miles of nerves are wired through us, what are they but a few frayed and twisted threads in contrast to the light-years of reality that sur round us? Our finitude is our defense, our physical borders our best protection. How for tunate that pain and suffering remain hedged Pain in and limited by the inherent confines of individuality. It©s hard enough, this bearing of our own pain. Can we even imagine carrying others© as well? n the end," wrote Nietzsche, "one expe There©s an exception, however, to this oth Clifford Goldstein riences only one©s self." Nietzsche is erwise pandemic personalization of pain; right. When we grieve with the grieving, only one time when this universal paradigm weep with the weeping, and suffer with of individuated anguish shifted, and that was the suffering we experience only our the Cross. Only as we understand what hap Iown grief, our own cries, and our own pened there, to God Himself in contrast to anguish never anyone else©s. We bleed our anything and everything that happens to us, own blood, spew our own spit, and secrete our can we begin to understand what©s perhaps own sweat never another©s, no matter how the most difficult question that ministers face fused our flesh. Other people©s pain comes to from their parishioners: Why does God allow us filtered, always and only, through our own. human suffering? Our own, then, is all we ever actually know. Only on the cross can we find, if not certain When the Twin Towers crashed, and thou answers, at least some hope amid the pain. sands of mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers perished in a crushing cascade of steel, fire, A clear view and blood each one felt only his or her own To begin, if one could shovel away the fear, only his or her pain, only his or her own debris, climb over the rubble, and wade past suffering; no one else©s. Whether a mother the moral and physical wreckage left in the holding a feverish infant to her breast, or a wake of two thousand years of Christian his father clutching a crumpled wife, neither can tory in order to see the cross, what would splice into the nerves of the other to feel a appear? If one could peel off the cross the cen spasm of their woe, a prick of their pain, or a turies of ecclesiastical riffraff, what would sputter of their sorrow. remain? If one could unravel all presupposi No matter how loud, outrageous, or con tions and prejudices amassed from lifetimes suming, pain remains more private than of lies, myths, and religious illusions, all in thought; thought can always be shared, pain order to have a clear, unadulterated and never really can. Unlike the liver, the heart, or undistorted view of the cross what would Clifford Goldstein is blood suffering is nontransferable, non- they see? the editor of the Adult Bible Study transfusable, and nontransplantable. What©s They would see the Creator of the uni Guide at the General yours is yours alone. verse the Being who spoke the strong force, Conference of When famine descended upon Ethiopia, the weak force, electro-magnetism, and gravi Seventh-day and tons of flesh withered and faded back ty into existence; the Being who sprinkled Adventists. into the earth, they did so, each quivering infinity with the Eagle Nebula and Orion; the
8 MINISTRY May 2002 Being who threaded 100 billion bil Creator of the universe, having taken infinite would assume finitude (while lion superstring loops into every upon Himself our humanity, died still remaining infinite), that©s incred proton they would see the Christ from the evil of that humanity or He ible enough. But that God would, in the shrunk into human flesh and nailed didn©t. There©s no middle ground form of finitude, suffer only as the infi to two pieces of wood, His life here, no compromise. Either Jesus was nite could suffer? Logic and reason crushed out by all the pain, suffering, God Himself, or He was just a good knuckle under the notion; before a and anguish of a world that He with man (and an infinite qualitative dif sketch, or even a rough draft, the His creative syllables had crafted into ference exists between the two), or imagination surrenders. Only the existence. maybe even a bad man, or maybe metaphysics of faith can approach it. Again, though we experience only never a man at all. But if He were But more importantly, if Jesus our own fear, only our own loathing, no one else©s at the Cross, Jesus experienced everyone else©s. The indi ROM THE PAIN OF THE CHILDREN MUTILATED vidual miseries of humanity were, one by one, added up and the grue F AND THEN MURDERED BY MENGELE ... TO THE some sum fell on the Creator. At the Cross, everything noisome and evil that ever rippled through our nerves rippled through His at once. However much blood, sweat, and tears have spilled, dripped, and flowed under anemic moons; despite merely a good man, or a great one, or "tasted death for everyone" (Heb. 2:9, the cancerous color of the soul and even the greatest yet not God too, TLB), if He died "for the sins of the the loathsome fates of so many little then the Cross is a noxious lie. whole world" (1 John 2:2), if upon ones none of them, none of us, suf "Man simply invented God," it has Him was placed the iniquity "of us fered more than a single human can. been said, "in order not to kill him all" (Isa. 53:6) then all of us are Our pain never surpassed our fini- self." If so, then man invented not implicated in the Cross because all of tude. No one ever ached more than only God, but One who suffered infi our evil was there. he or she, individually, could with nitely more than the creature, any Either the Cross is true or it is lie. If stand; the moment the threshold was creature, He created. Belief in a false a lie, then it©s just a black hole into crossed, death cracked it off. god is bad enough; belief in a cruci which so much hope, promise, and In contrast, at the Cross, the evils fied one is even worse, for while the prayer have been poured, with little of the world, and all their doleful belief helps tame the cruel, empty or nothing in return. But, if it©s true, results, honed in on Him at once. spaces of the universe the lie makes then it means that our lies, our greed, From the pain of the children muti them more hellish than ever. our envy, our lust, our pride, our lated and then murdered by Mengele, cheating, our selfishness, our injus to even the Hen Doktor©s personal The infinite divide tice, and all the nasty and dirty little tremors of guilt, from the first However incredible the Cross, things we have thought and done; all swollen belly to the last emphysemic there©s nothing contradictory about the things that by themselves might lung, from abused to abuser, all the it. The Power who uttered into exis not seem so bad but if added up, planet©s finite evils fell on Christ and, tence infinity, eternity, and matter shoved in our face, and exposed for amassed at once, they were enough to and wrapped them together and what they really were would cause us kill Him. draped the result across nothing, cer to claw at our own flesh all of them Putting aside postmodern mum tainly would have the capacity to were there, at the Cross, borne by bling about perspectivalism, rela garb Himself in human flesh and Christ, killing Christ so that when all tivism, pluralism, about Foucalt©s then die in that flesh. The One who the evil moments of our life are tal Interpretative Analysis, or Derrida©s created all of what©s created could lied and weighed, they don©t have to Deconstruction of the text, or Witt become part of what©s created. The ultimately, and forever, kill us. genstein©s language games . . . either issue is not physics (How did He do it?) There©s no justice in this life. But if England is an island near Europe or it but morality (Why did He do it?) God exists, and if He is just, then jus isn©t; either Jonathan Swift wrote A If ascending from zero to one takes tice will be done which means Tale of a Tub or he didn©t; either an infinite step, what©s the moral cal sooner or later we©ll have to answer George Washington was the Prime culus of descending from the infinite for everything; for the dirty secrets Minister of France from 1926-37 or he to the finite? That God Himself that occasionally appear in our wasn©t; and, either at the Cross the would become a human, that the dreams, for the pangs that itch in
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S|l HOP S T R 1 E S . 1 K CJ 7007 New Caihoun Hwy N 1-800-331-5411 ftnmp fipornia 301 fi1 places we can©t scratch, and even for Themselves accessible as never but wouldn©t share their restrooms all the things that we long ago justi before. To have the eternal and infi with a Black person? Or the folks who fied and then, conveniently, forgot. nite God clothe Himself in human shoved Jews into gas chambers Imagine facing every evil thought, flesh in order to save us from the Monday through Saturday but rested word, and deed at once, with all inevitable doom of our own rotting from their work on Sunday? From the excuses, rationalizations, and justifi wraps and then only to have those Crusades to the Inquisition, from the cations swept away by the peering temporal and rotting wraps purposely Ku Klux Klan to the most orthodox eyes of an all-seeing, all-knowing God reject what He did for us what©s left? fascists, why has Christianity provid who exposes the deepest, most carnal There©s an infinite gap between the ed the vehicle, the incentive, and the motives until there©s nowhere to finite and the infinite; those who rationale for so much of what rots the hide. have rejected what Jesus has done for planet? And why has much of what©s If all the evil we have ever com them have, in a sense, breached that been noxious been nurtured in the mitted or will ever commit fell on gap; it is the ultimate transgression cold, lurid womb of the church, Jesus to spare us from the punish because it is an infinite one. Of all the which served for centuries as the intel ment that justice demands, then the evil of the world at the Cross the lectual, cultural, and moral dungeon Cross has an absolute moral claim on us. of the West? Whether we believe it or not, Though good questions, none are whether we accept it or not, the claim N THE END, good excuses. Jesus Himself warned remains and all other ties, in con about those who would, under the trast, bind us in nothing but pink I NOTHING guise of Christian faith, work iniquity ribbons and bows. No one, nothing (Matt. 7:21-23). Millions of professed else, has such a stake in us because no Christians have, for almost two thou one, nothing else, has done (or could sand years, provided convenient do) so much for us. excuses to reject the Cross; what they If at the Cross Christ paid the haven©t provided are adequate ones, penalty for every wrong thing we because nothing has changed the have ever done, if He bore the brunt Cross, where God died for and from of our evil, if in His flesh He felt at the world©s evil an infinite act that once the painful consequences of our transcends all finite ones, even the foul deeds, and if He did it in order to ones done in the name of the act spare us from having to face divine itself. judgment for all these things we have murders, the rapes, the incest, the In the end, nothing nullifies the done and yet we reject the provision, barbarity the only one not there, Cross. It remains, above and beyond what©s left? the only one not provided for is the everything else, and its claims are so That©s heavy. Whatever else we do only one that©s infinite, the one in universal, so sweeping, and so grand or have done to others, we do or have which the finite rejects the Infinite. that they blow away all excuses, even done to those of the same noisome good ones about human suffering. brew as ourselves. We are finite crea The dilemma No matter what we have suffered, tures who do things, sometimes Of course, belief in this Infinite we have suffered only as individuals. petty, sometimes puerile, sometimes death isn©t in itself productive of lov No more. In contrast, God took on terrible, but always only finite and ing and lovable Christians. On the the form of humanity and died a temporal things, nothing more. The contrary, corporate Christianity often death not only worse than the worst gap between who we are, what we do, produces corporate wretches. It©s one of the best of humanity but suffered a and to whom we do them stays finite, thing to have vile folks walk into a death worse than all of humanity and finite minus finite equals only church that might be expected. But (even the worst of it) combined. finitude. to have them leave worse because And though that amazing death does The Cross, however, presents to their villainy is now absolved by a not answer all the questions about humanity something infinite, some conscience confirmed in the certainty evil and pain, it does put them in a thing eternal. Instead of hovering of terminal truth that cannot be perspective that could help us past our "out there," as concepts merely expected. own anguish and that of others if for sensed or intuited, the Infinite and How does one explain those who no other reason than that, because of Eternal stepped directly into the have murdered, raped, and pillaged in the Cross, the moral hues, the tones, equations of our lives, wrote the name of Jesus? Or what about and the tenor of the cosmos have rad Themselves into the formulas of our those God-fearing, church-going ically changed, and the music of the immediate existence, and made white Protestants who loved the Lord spheres becomes howling praise, m
May 2002 MINISTRY 11 entation may occur in dialogue too. What is unique to debate is the force with which the presentation is made. It is assumed in debate that the most forceful presentation wins the day. This means the presenter with the best logic, eloquence, or power of persua sion has the truth.
Dialogue Deciding Dialogue is about relationship, about understanding other people. Dialogue is at the heart of friendship. It is the language of between intimacy, the language of lovers. Dialogue affirms and empowers, it seeks to build under standing of the other. dialogue and All lasting relationships depend on dia logue for maintenance and extension. Successful families and societies are grounded debate in dialogue. Dialogue adds value to all involved. It creates a win/win situation. In the postscientific or postmodern society, people work with facts all day long at work and seek : are two broad divisions in meaning outside of facts in relationships, in lan Hartley communication style dialogue dialogue. and debate. Radio and television Business people know that dialogue stations often focus on one of the improves customer relationships. They also two. Congregations and cultures know that these relationships are much more alsoT seem to gravitate toward debate or dia important than merely being right. For good logue. The predominant communication style business the customer is always right! in an organization will, to a large extent, There is the classic story of the customer determine the quality of relationships experi who bought a pair of jeans which turned out enced. to be too short and so he shortened them into cutoffs. The customer then decided the cut What is dialogue and debate? offs were not what he wanted and so took the To dialogue is to listen to the other, to draw three pieces of "jeans" back for a refund. The the other out, to try and understand another©s store refunded the full price and won a cus point of view. Dialogue presumes an interest tomer forever. in what the other has to say. It is thus a sensi tive experience in which the listener has the Debate opportunity of walking through an often Debate implies confrontation and is energy unknown forest of ideas. intensive. To debate is at least to question if Of course the word "dialogue" implies the not to insult a position the other has taken, speaker and listener exchange roles from time and we know it takes 7-12 compliments or to time. It is a mutual journey, a cooperative affirmations to negate one insult if the rela venture, a partnership, a marriage of two tionship is to be preserved. minds or souls. In true dialogue, it is as if the Debate is adversarial by nature, an attempt universe is no longer a vast, cold, empty space to separate truth from error. Most judicial sys but a warm, friendly, inviting place to be. tems depend on debate even though it creates lan Hartley is pastor Dialogue is premised on cooperation and a win/lose situation. Many parliamentary sys of the Red Deer Seventh-day mutual respect. tems are grounded on debate, debate between Adventist Church, Debate, on the other hand, is concerned government and opposition. Alberta, Canada. with getting my facts, my point of view, my There are negative outcomes which can way of seeing transferred into your head. It is result from a preoccupation with being right. not just the presentation of these ideas or I know of congregational leaders who have views that occurs in debate because this pres- had heart attacks at church board meetings or
12 MINISTRY May 2002 shortly after a precipitated heated > I communicate to care for you. becomes reality for you. This is the debate. I know of two missionaries > I affirm you and care for you, back power of words in dialogue. Here is who came to blows on Communion and forth, for a long time, so my the reason we must tell the story of Sabbath about an issue none of the love is clear. our relationship with Jesus. witnesses of the confrontation can * I am concerned with your views. In telling our experience of His remember now. In South Africa the Having said all this, we must also presence in our lives we confirm and early evangelists for Adventism used concede that there are some advan extend the reality and the power of to hire the town hall and advertise a tages to debate. Often the energy this divine human relationship. debate over which was the correct mustered for debate overcomes apa There can be no silent Christians any day on which to worship. They won thy and lethargy. However, if no more than there can be silent mar most of the debates, as well as only a dialogue is established in addition or riages or silent families. We are few converts and a town full of ene consequent to the debate, soul com created for communication and we mies. munication is missed and we are left find our meaning and fulfillment in Today, in many quarters, it seems either triumphant or depressed. dialogue. one only has to mention wine and Include debate as part of the dialogue, the Bible, the ordination of women, but only as a part. Jesus in dialogue with a or what constitutes sacred music, and Today and tomorrow we must congregation a good debate is in progress. Debaters communicate with each other. We Here is an example of Jesus in dia seem to believe they will be proved can communicate with purpose and logue with a congregation. He is right when Jesus comes, and the oth we must do so. Life includes the telling His story and also our story. ers will be proved wrong. I remember weather, who is ill and who has a new "He went to Nazareth, where he had debates which I have won, while at baby, but life is really about how we been brought up, and on the Sabbath the same time I have lost what really care for each other and seek to day he went into the synagogue, as mattered, the relationships I needed encourage one another on the jour was his custom. And he stood up to to keep. ney of living. read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah We must debate from time to time, was handed to him. Unrolling it, he truth is as stake, but we need to Debate and dialogue in the found the place where it is written: remember that if we only debate, the Bible The Spirit of the Lord is on me, results are rejection and isolation. Healthy interpersonal relation because he has anointed me to This is the price we must pay for cold ships require at least the desire to preach good news to the poor. He has debate. understand the feelings and experi sent me to proclaim freedom for the The language of debate is: "You ences of the other person. The priests prisoners and recovery of sight for the should . . .," "If you would . . .," "It in the Old Testament had their ears blind, to release the oppressed, to is time you ..." anointed with blood (Exod. 29:20). proclaim the year of the Lord©s favor.© They were to develop listening skills "Then he rolled up the scroll, gave The differences and those skills were to have an inti it back to the attendant and sat down. It is helpful to list the differences mate connection with the blood of The eyes of everyone in the syna between debate and dialogue: Jesus. This was a serious commitment gogue were fastened on him, and he Debate happens when: to understanding those who came to began by saying to them, ©Today this f I focus on facts or truth. speak to them. scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.© + I feel or am responsible for telling Jesus debated with some who All spoke well of him and were amazed truth. would have this way of communica at the gracious words that came from his f I feel it is important to understand tion. Perhaps they knew no other lips. ©Isn©t this Joseph©s son?© they truth. way. In His spellbinding conversation asked" (Luke 4:16-22, NIV, italics sup f I communicate to convince. with Nicodemus there is debate but it plied). f I argue back and forth on the same is only an introduction to the most As a citizen of the kingdom of point trying to make the point profound dialogue ever recorded. God, desire the delight of dialogue clearer. Jesus© favorite way of communicat above debate. In this way the Spirit of f I am concerned with my views. ing was with stories. Stories are just the Lord is upon us too, for His glory Dialogue happens when: that, accounts of how we experience and our joy. M + I focus on relationships and peo life, and they are a way for intimate ple. dialogue. In dialogue I unravel my * I feel or am responsible for loving story for you, but in doing so I also lwww.ministerialassociation.com you. unravel my story for myself. When f I must try to understand you. you tell me your story, your story
May 2002 MINISTRY 13 accepted my humanness. For years I did not recognize the symp toms of the Superman Syndrome as they manifested themselves in my daily life. Also, while my motives sounded noble, I learned that other forces lurked just beneath the sur face. What are the symptoms, consequences, Overcoming and causes of this syndrome? And what can spiritual leaders do to overcome it?
Symptoms the Superman A basic symptom is the desire to make every one happy. We want to live up to people©s images and expectations, however unrealistic. syndrome So we strive to meet all of their needs and find it hard to say No to any requests. Meeting needs while In our own minds we may create and strive to maintain an image of ourselves as heroic prob lem solvers. We see ourselves as the extraordi ignoring our own nary person, maybe even a little "messianic," who is less vulnerable to personal needs than other people are. Rescuing others from their s the wheels of my car jumped plight makes us feel good about ourselves. Stephen Lim the curb, the jolt awakened me, In our compulsion to meet every need in and I saw a palm tree looming in the church, our time is progressively squeezed my path. I slammed the brakes until there is none left for anything but "the as my car smashed into the tree. work." Gradually we discard the needs that AEmerging from the wreck, I thanked God that every normal human being has. We can sim He had protected me from injury. ply do without. We repress our needs for The schedule I had created for myself led to adequate rest, play, spiritual renewal, and per this accident. For years I had set my alarm sonal growth. Taking time to enjoy the clock for 4:50 a.m., when I had dragged myself scenery is a luxury rarely indulged. We out of bed and dressed. By 5:00 a.m., I was sit deceive ourselves into thinking that we don©t ting at my desk for devotions, and then I need nurturing. In denying our humanness worked for a few hours. Often my mind failed we live behind the mask of self-sufficiency. to engage and the time passed unproductively. Furthermore, we hide our true selves, fear I had convinced myself that I could func ing that our weaknesses and struggles will be tion adequately on no more than six hours of discovered. One writer observes, "We try to sleep. After all, as a pastor with many impor disguise ourselves as Superman, but beneath tant responsibilities, couldn©t I accomplish the surface, we are really only Clark Kent. Is more by sleeping less? Often during the day I it any wonder that we won©t pull open the felt sluggish, drowsy. Rarely did I work effec buttons on our shirt to let people see who we tively. And occasionally as I drove, my eyes really are?"1 would momentarily close. Also, frustration takes residence. For no Now I realize that much of this was symp matter how hard we try, we will disappoint tomatic of the "Superman Syndrome." This some people. We simply cannot meet every common affliction of ministers consists of the one©s expectations especially when they failure to recognize our human needs and conflict. Nor can we be the perfect person we limitations, while seeking to meet the needs strive to be. Despite our best efforts, a sense of of others. I believed, "It©s up to me to meet the hypocrisy and guilt intrudes. Our sense of Stephen Lim, D.Min., is associate professor needs of the members and the church. unmet needs only adds to our frustration. of Leadership at Furthermore, the world is perishing, and I©ve Assemblies of God got to do everything possible to save as many Consequences Theological Seminary, as possible. So I©ve got to keep pushing." What consequences result from the Springfield, Missouri. Ironically, I accomplished less than if I had Superman Syndrome? As expectations and
14 MINISTRY May 2002 demands increase, fatigue builds. most important ministry, but in prac an acute need for approval, so I That©s why I crashed into a tree. On tice, we fail to live this out. In trying craved acceptance and appreciation another occasion I experienced severe to meet the needs and expectations of by others, and liked to think of nausea and weakness for days as my others, we don©t have adequate time myself as the hero who rescued them. body rebelled against the demands I for them. "They©ll understand," we This sense of inferiority drove me to placed on it. repeatedly rationalize, "and one day strive for success in order to prove to In our weariness and frustration, when my schedule is less hectic I©ll myself that I had value as a person. we begin to resent those we help. As make it up to them." This can eventu Unfortunately, the anesthetic of they become a burden we grimly ally lead to their alienation from us, achievement only temporarily bear, joy ebbs from our hearts, and it©s and even from God. My problem con numbed the pain, before I needed often replaced by anger. tributed to my older daughter©s another dose. In reality, then, my Buried in human demands and enduring a rocky adolescence before desire to be Superman stemmed from needs, we fail to maintain spiritual her life turned around. feeling like "sub-par man." health through intimacy with God. Second, we may possess an erro Gradually we lose a keen sense of Why we want to be Superman neous theology that causes us to divine calling and the spiritual energy While the importance and urgency believe that God©s servants are not to it inspires. Though outwardly we may of God-given tasks served as my consider their own needs and still appear to be effective, spiritually rational, conscious motivation, I wants or at least put them too far we dry and wither. gradually came to realize that four down on the list of priorities. To Emotional burnout results from unconscious forces formed a powerful attend to these, we think, would be spending our inner reserves without undercurrent shaping my behavior selfish. In this kind of theology, the replenishing ourselves spiritually just as powerfully. If strong enough, beautiful reality of "dying to self" and personally. It also arises from just one of these can trigger the becomes a matter of killing ourselves. our frustrating inability to live up to Superman Syndrome. Compounding the syndrome is our our Superman image. First, the low self-esteem, which I legitimate desire for significance Finally, we neglect our families. In had suffered since youth, generated wrongly pursued. God created us to love theory we know they are our first and two unhealthy dynamics: It created and obey Him, and to serve Him
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May 2002 MINISTRY 15 ness to others. By doing so, we make it harder to pretend to ourselves or oth ers. Bill Hybels, as the pastor of a megachurch, has consistently tried to be open with his staff and congrega tion, eliminating any pretense of perfection. Because this enables oth ers to identify with him, it actually gives him more credibility and enhances the effectiveness of his min istry. Fourth, we need to consciously do our best and leave the results to God. One of my professors at seminary shared his experience in counseling a suicidal woman for hours late into the ATosseaStXedofTales evening. Around midnight he told about Parsonage Pandemonium her, "I©m going home and going to and Ministerial Mayhem bed. If you©re still alive in the morn ing, we©ll talk some more." Was he callous? No. He realized that he had done all he could to help, and that it was not up to him to solve everyone©s problems. The woman survived.2 While emergencies arise which demand exhausting hours, this should not become the standard practice in ministry. In getting enough rest I actually find myself far according to our individual gifts, How can we resign the role of more productive and creative in my opportunities, and calling. In this we Superman (or Superwoman) to live a ministry. I can do more, do it better, find our own highest purpose and ful more balanced and God-honoring and do it much more joyfully. fillment, especially as we do our best life? With God©s help, we can take the Fifth, we need to practice what we and leave the results in God©s hands. following steps to remove our capes. preach that God is in control of our As in my case, the problem arises First, we need to recognize our lives. We are to serve faithfully, believ when we equate significance with human needs. Like everyone else we ing that it is not up to us but God to outward achievement. I mistakenly get tired, frustrated, and wounded. We prosper our ministries in the ways He thought that the more I worked and need refreshing and renewing of chooses (1 Cor. 3:6-8). accomplished for God, the more valu mind, body, and spirit. As leaders Finally, we need to make ourselves able my life would be. under special stress, we much need accountable to trusted individuals, Finally, in some cases of the the love, support, and encouragement who know us well enough to discour Superman Syndrome a more subtle of family and friends. If we have diffi age us whenever the urge arises to force is the fear of dependence, which culty seeking and accepting these, we leap tall buildings in a single bound. results from several childhood condi need to discover why. Jesus reminds those who find tions. Some have had overly control Second, we must place a priority Superman©s cape heavy, "My yoke is ling or protective parents which I on nurturing our relationship with God. easy, and my burden is light" (Matt. experienced. As adults we fear that Not only is He the source of our joy 11:30). We need to hear God say to us, depending on others will lead to the and strength, but our only means of "Lighten up! You don©t have to save further smothering of our spirits. So bearing lasting spiritual fruit. "©I am the world. Only my Son can do that. we decide that we do not need the the vine,©" Jesus said, "©you are the You©re not the Savior; you©re not even nurture of others. branches. If a man remains in me and Superman. Take off your cape!" H I in him, he will bear much fruit. Taking off our capes Apart from me you can do nothing©" 1 Jack Kuhatschek, Superman Syndrome (Grand Trying to be more than we are (John 15:5, NIV). Rapids, Mien.: Zondeivan Pub. House, 1995), 159. results in being less than we could be. Third, we need to reveal our human- 2 Ray Anderson, Fuller Theological Seminary.
16 MINISTRY May 2002 Preaching with power
t was no doubt an accident, but it did plain, much to the point, and deeply in carry a message. In printing the earnest. Some preachers have the I preacher's sermon, the local newspa instinct of aviators—they announce a per carried an interesting mistake in the text, taxi for a short distance, then take introductory verse: "Though I speak MORRIS CHALFANT off from the earth and disappear in the with the tongues of men and of angels, cloud. After that only the din of explod and have not clarity, I am become as ing gas is heard, signifying that they are sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal" flying high, very high above the heads (1 Cor. 13:1). of their hearers. It could be said of them Inadvertently placing an "I" in the in the language of an ancient event, place of the "h" in the word "charity" "While their hearers beheld, they were and thus making the word "clarity," taken up; and a cloud received them suggested to my mind a deeper truth: out of their sight." The miracle of the without clarity, the message we seek to help people live in a difficult and com Ascension is still manifested in some of convey in our preaching may well cause plicated world. our pulpits. A sermon, rightly, is not a our proclamation to come across as a Augustine once said, "A wooden key meteor but a sun. Its true test is, can it sounding brass or clanging cymbal. is not so beautiful as a golden one, but make something grow? Clarity calls for simplicity, but sim if it can open the door when the golden The Lord did not drop golden tablets plicity in preaching does not mean one cannot, it is far more useful." Luther which could not be deciphered. He shallow or superficial preaching. What is added, "No one can be a good preach spoke and still speaks through the needed is clarity of thought and expres er to the people who is not willing to prophets, the apostles, and through His sion—the ability to tell others what one preach in a manner that seems childish Son. If He has committed to us the min has seen and felt until they see and feel and coarse to some." John Wesley wrote istry of reconciliation, He also expects us it for themselves. all his sermons in full, and read them to to preach to people, not over their Fog is good for lima beans; they the maid. All the words she couldn't heads. We must study for ourselves the prosper in its clammy dampness. But understand, he eliminated. concepts and motives which change fog has little to offer people. Scientific An 11 -year-old girl, after hearing a lives. Then our task begins anew; we experiments have indicated that a bank new minister for the first time, said, have got to study for the sake of others of fog three feet thick, six feet high, and "Daddy, that preacher is not so smart. I the ways of describing those ideas so one hundred feet long contains less understood every word he said." That that they can see them as clearly as we than one seventh of a glassful of water! preacher was not only brilliant but also do. "He preaches over our heads" is no One cannot quench thirst with fog. wise, for he had followed the example compliment. SB There is only one thing to do with fog, of Jesus. He preached in a language and that is to keep out of it. There was that all could understand. He preached no fog about the gospel when Christ with power. Morris Chalfant is a pastor in Kankakee, and Paul presented it. A sermon should In all our preaching, let us be simple, Illinois.
C% ©T© &Aaring olessinas ana testimonials + Worlaaiiae news of events andactivities Contactyour focal conference office fo inquire a£ouf a conference^sponsoreo suoscripiior. May 2002 MINISTRY 17 PASTORAL PRESSURE POINTS The courage to face our fears t is the early hours of the morning. A point for a pastor to keep in mind, we loud bang outside your bedroom have effective medication to control I window jolts you out of a snooze. anxiety when it gets out of control, but Clunk, dunk, again. You are now bolt no medication can directly help us deal upright, uncertain about whether you ARCHIBALD D. HART with fear. should wake your wife who is still sound Fear involves a "hit and run" process asleep. Then outside the window a in the brain. Survival is its sole purpose. shadow passes, cast by the street light. Anxiety, however, stirs a slower reaction Is it a burglar? Perhaps even a serial that lasts a while. In fact, anxiety, as killer, the one you heard about on the we've previously established, can take TV news the night before. Your imagi over and entrench itself in such a way nation is running wild. Your heart is that it appears to be there all the time. beating hard and you are bursting to at what the future holds, grappling with The take-home point I want to com least tell someone else that there's the downturn in the economy with loss municate to Christian leaders here is someone outside with evil intent. of jobs and a general increase in feelings that it is extremely important that we A small, almond-shaped area of your of vulnerability, are taking their toll. help people bring their fear responses brain called the "amygdala" is doing Even though for some non-North- under control as soon as possible. what Cod created it to do. It is receiving American readers it might feel that the Failure to do so will result in an escalation, signals of a potential danger, and it is United States is a long way away, the even entrenchment, of some form of letting off a series of alarms throughout impact of terrorism is being felt severe anxiety disorder. your body to prepare you to protect throughout the world with a conse Unresolved fear is a powerful stressor yourself. After all, this may be a threat quent increase in everyone's fear level. I that turns even a healthy fear into an on your very existence! was in Australia on September 11 and ugly fretfulness. It's the form of stress Clunk, clunk. There it is again. Now experienced firsthand the dramatic that is designed to be short lived. You you know that you are not imagining it. effect it had there. On the other hand, can prevent prolonged fear from It certainly is not a bad dream. But then we are slowly unraveling the fear becoming damaging through informed the amygdala begins to get additional response and finding new and effective counseling and by preaching a healthy messages. In the bright moonlight you ways of dealing with it when it gets out acceptance of fear. Pastors, especially can make out the wavering images of a of control. preaching pastors, can play a very sig branch of the tree close to your window As in the previous two articles, my nificant role in these frightening days in and a strong wind blowing. No need to goal is to help Christian leaders under helping people avoid becoming trau bolt or scream out. Your fear is firmly stand as best they can all that we matized by prolonged fear. snuffed out and all the alarm systems currently know about important emo are reset. Calm returns, though you tional problems people face today. By Kinds of fear may still feel super-alert and vigilant for understanding the "fear circuit" it is Psychologists study many kinds of a while. Now you're glad you didn't hoped that we will develop more effec fear. Not all fears are of the dramatic, wake your wife. You would have paid tive treatments for fear-related disorders life-threatening sort. So, while fears per for it in untold tales told at ladies' gath such as phobias where fears are taken to sist about terrorist attacks we should erings about just how "scaredy-cat" extreme. not ignore the more common variety of some men are! In a previous article I made a distinc fearful reactions that are very much tion between fear and anxiety. The two more commonplace. Unraveling the fear response become so entangled that sometimes There are "lesser" forms of fear that We live in remarkable times. On one we cannot tell the one from the other. can be just as debilitating as the major hand, since September 11, Americans Clearly, fear will give rise to anxiety forms. Take for instance, someone with and others have experienced a dramatic when imagination takes over and exag an extreme fear of germs. They intel upward shift in our general level of fear gerates the fear. But anxiety, we now lectually know that germs don't inhabit arousal. The sudden loss of security, our know, uses different brain mechanisms. every piece of furniture or doorknob. scared psyches, the uncertainty about For instance, and this is an important But intellectual reasoning has nothing 18 MINISTRY May 2002 to do with obsessive-compulsive disor given an opportunity to talk about their effect many are now experiencing der, which is what I am describing feelings surrounding such trauma. given the time that has elapsed since here. Such people will incessantly wash Externalizing one's feelings is part of September 11 of last year. their hands after touching something how the brain is designed to heal them. People need to be helped to "let go" like a doorknob, often to the point of I say this because I believe that spiritual of fears that are no longer imminent causing lesions and bleeding. All this is resources, especially having a healthy and to embrace a more positive outlook because they fear that germs are invad faith, can help to heal these memories toward the future. Reassurance of so ing their skin. The fear of germs leads by robbing them of their sting. much that has and is being done to them to try and eradicate the imag make our world safer, needs to be ined, invading microbes. Understanding the fear embraced in the context of our faith in Another very common group of fears response a God who does control our world, are phobias. Phobias are irrational fears: It is vital that all "people helpers" even though the way He is doing it may While the feared object has some reason understand the fear response, if only to not always be obvious. for creating fear, the sufferer cannot avoid perpetuating damaging beliefs control the fear through reason. A fear that could reinforce unhealthy fears. Bringing fear under control of flying, high buildings, snakes, and spi Although a reaction to some fearful The first and one of the most impor ders are all quite natural in that these event is perfectly natural, it can be quite tant ways for dealing with fear is help can harm you. But a normal person can unpleasant. As mentioned earlier, it all the person find out where the fear is keep the fear in check by understanding starts in the amygdala that is weighing coming from. Is this fear a carry-over the limits of the threat. If a snake is the evidence coming from all the body's from some bad childhood event? For behind a glass wall it cannot bite you. sensors and searching for a possible many, bad childhood experiences have For someone with a phobia, a glass wall threat. If a threat is sensed, it immedi inculcated a conditioned response in makes no difference to the fear. ately sends out signals to the adrenal which any similarity between some One particular fear related anxiety dis glands, which in turn cause the heart to thing in the present (that might be order, called Generalized Anxiety Disorder pump more blood to the brain and quite harmless) with something in the (abbreviated CAD), is quite common. muscles. Breathing quickens, pupils past (that was terrifying) triggers a fear While it is referred to as an "anxiety" widen, saliva dries up, and the hands response that really doesn't belong in disorder it is more akin to fear than anx become cold and clammy—all very nec the present. iety. Affecting at least four million essary for survival and part of how God This is illustrated in the experience of people in the U.S. alone, it afflicts twice has created us. One of the conse a couple I once counseled, who were as many women as men. quences of this inbuilt alarm system is having marital difficulties. The husband People with CAD have an exaggerat that fear weakens the ability to concen happened to be a pastor who was a lit ed and persistent fear sensitivity and it trate. You are easily distracted and tle impatient and reactive. Whenever he can cause an enormous amount of cannot focus on much besides what is raised his voice at his wife she would go stress. While there is some strong evi causing your fear. into a catatonic state and start to trem dence that a small genetic factor may While this is healthy in an extraordi ble from fear. He couldn't understand play a role in its development in that nary fear-provoking situation like the this extreme reaction and so he became identical twins have a high rate of con clunks mentioned earlier, when the angry with her when she reacted in this cordance in developing GAD, the actual danger is less acute and prolonged, this way. Of course, this only made matters mechanism is the tagging of fear with response can be debilitating. This is the worse. certain memories that do not fade like other memories. Such a person, then, has a brain that is tagged and a fear structure is put in place. This is why trauma needs to be dealt with as early as possible. Seeing a friend killed or facing a severe risk to one's own life can, in people who are vulnerable, permanently fire up their fear response. Helping people deal with the memo ry of some tragedy or fear as soon after the event has occurred is, therefore, an extremely important aspect of ministry. In particular, victims of trauma must be May 2002 MINISTRY 19 for pastors to consider in helping them selves and others: 4- Reassure people that they are not crazy to continuously feel bothered by current events and threats. It is normal to be afraid, even for months after wards. As concentration-camp survivor Viktor Frankel remarked: "An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is nor mal behavior." 4- Reactions to fear that may be expected include preoccupation with recent events, some sleep disturbances, resurgence of previously frightening Please begin/continue my subscription to Elder©s Digest memories, limited ability to attend to Q One year; payment of us$9.95 enclosed normal routines, and increased emo Q Three years; payment of us$24.95 enclosed tionality such as depression and crying. Please type or print: 4- To prevent these reactions from becoming excessive, limit attention to media coverage (turn off the news if it Name bothers you), focus on distracting tasks or hobbies, and carry on your life as you Mailing Address normally would. Do what you would City normally enjoy. 4- Look for a positive perspective on State/Province Zip/Postal Code Country negative events. Find ways to help oth ers and engage in constructive To subscribe, send a check/international money order or credit card number with expiration date to: discussion only with those who have a Elder©s Digest Subscriptions 4 Ministerial Association Resource Center positive outlook. 12501 Old Columbia Pike -f Silver Spring, MD 20904 4- Take extra time to rest; exercise Phone: 888.771.0738 (toll-free) or 301.680.6508 Fax: 301.680.6502 -f- Email: [email protected] and eat healthfully, and avoid taking on Web: www.ministerialassociation.com too many outside activities. 4- Spend time with God—in praise, meditation, and prayer. After all, As we explored her reaction (and his need to be challenged, not left to do Scripture still has the most powerful temper) it emerged that her father, also their damage. Cod designed us to deal antidote for fear: "Do not be anxious a pastor, would lose his temper and with real fears only. about anything, but in everything, by physically slap her. So, even though her Third, the imminence of the fear prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, husband would never do this, just a should be examined. For instance, we present your requests to God. And the slight anger reaction in him would all fear death. But most of us don't peace of God, which transcends all bring out all the fear that was connect expect to die in the foreseeable future. If understanding, will guard your hearts ed to her father. we have just received traumatic news of and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4: We worked at helping her "discon some terminal illness then it is appropri 6, 7, NIV). m nect" her fear for her father from her ate to be fearful and then to take steps husband's reactivity, and, obviously, to deal with the certainty of that fear. helped the husband to stop his behav For those who fear death a long way off, Archibald D. Hart, Ph.D., F.P.P.R., is professor of ior, which now he knew was traumatiz inevitable as it is for all, they need to be psychology at the Graduate School of ing to his wife. enabled to put that fear aside and get Psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary, in Second, the person should also be on with the business of living. Pasadena, California. helped to explore whether the fear is Lastly, because it is not possible to imagined or not. Not all fears are based eliminate all threats and therefore all Editorial note: This is the third in a in reality. Sometimes we create fears in fear (we'd be creating a monster if we six-part series entitled "Pastoral Pressure our imagination or by reading or hear did), we need to facilitate ways in Points," by Dr. Man. The remaining three ing about something that happened to which a person can better tolerate rea articles will appear in our July, September, someone else. Such improbable fears sonable fear. Here are some suggestions and November issues. 20 MINISTRY May 2002 making a difference with the number of vol unteers we had, but no one seemed to notice the good stuff. They were focused on every thing they saw wrong. I couldn©t help but think that if they were personally expected to bring about the changes they wanted they would quickly give up. To them it was a church leadership problem and they were quick to find fault. I am married to an ordained minister, and we have served in numerous churches. Criticism comes with the territory. Lay con Positive ways stituency frequently holds staff members to a higher standard. First Timothy 3:1-13 explains how overseers and deacons must be to deal with beyond reproach. When you couple this expectation with the fact that people are pay ing a leader©s salary, the standard for excellent criticism performance is higher. Although we are called to be exemplary leaders, we are still works in process, saved by grace just like other believers. Unfortunately, o avoid criticism do nothing, say members occasionally forget this little detail, Teena M. Stewart nothing, be nothing" (Elbert developing a higher set of expectations for Hubbard). While serving as their leaders than for themselves. Ministry Empowerment Director The cold hard fact is, we will never please of a church, I worked rather close all of the people all of the time. Under Tly with some church members. This meant standing why people criticize and learning having to deal directly with criticisms and how to handle those criticisms, helps me, as a complaints. As a people pleaser who wants to leader, equip and fortify myself to withstand keep everyone happy, I have discovered how the waves of criticism. difficult it is to please everyone. Our church offered regular gift-discovery Reasons people criticize classes. I oversaw the follow-up placement Those with poor self-esteem are often the process connecting volunteers with lay min quickest to find the "speck" in their brother©s istry opportunities. My responsibilities eye because tearing someone down seems to included supervising a group of ministry con lessen the scrutiny of their own faults. sultants. We made progress with our Administrators often operate under the volunteer placements and were excited to be unspoken premise, "I wouldn©t manage putting people in positions they felt passion things that way," assuming alternative meth ately about. Despite the positive results of ods would make things work more smoothly. ministry mobilization, after one recent place Still others are perfectionists and cannot ment session every consultant voiced a tolerate imperfection. Someone has said, different complaint. They proceeded to criti "Criticism is the disapproval of people, not cize everything they saw wrong, and each for having faults, but having faults different seemed to have a separate agenda for how he from your own." Criticism stems from a per or she wanted things to work. sonality clash and sometimes it happens I walked away from the meeting deflated. because people don©t have a clear under Didn©t anyone see how far we had come? Just standing of the church©s internal mode of two years earlier we had no placement process operating. in place and people were virtually clueless A pastor friend told the following story: Teera M. Stewart is a when it came to knowing how to get con "Stress factors from my pastorate were caus freelance writer from nected with volunteer ministry. I had worked ing my wife, Esther, and I to have enormous Benicia, California. hard to set the wheels in motion and it was marital and family difficulties. At times it was working. The lay mobilization process was nearly beyond our ability to cope. After one May 2002 MINISTRY 21 particular bad day of criticism, I left doing this soon makes itself known, ance were instrumental in his trans work terribly angry. I drove home and since everyone wants something dif formation and restoration. parked my van in a vacant lot next to ferent. People pleasers are more likely St. Francis de Sales once wrote, my home. Still fuming, and alone, I to listen to complaints. "When you encounter difficulties got out of the van, slammed the door, At my ministry consultant meet and contradictions, do not try to and huffed and puffed my way into ings I was setting myself up to receive break them, but bend them with gen the house. complaints by allowing consultants tleness and time." Pray. Have people pray for your F I PUT ON AN IRREPROACHABLE AIR leadership on a regular basis. Likewise, pray for those who criticize you. The pastor who was struggling under the I QE PERFECTION I SET MYSELEUP AS A burden of his parishioner©s criticisms was encouraged and uplifted when he learned that someone was praying for him. God can work in the hearts of "Unknown to me, a friend and to get off track and chase rabbits. our critics (even the chronic ones). neighbor, whom my wife had just led Sticking to a set agenda and bringing Ask Him to uncover the truth and the to Christ, watched from her two-story consultants back to task reduces the root cause of the criticism. window. If I©d known, I certainly opportunity for criticism. Keeping Consider the source. "Let a righteous would have hidden my anger. God©s purpose and will at the fore man strike me it is a kindness; let "A day later, Esther happened to front puts everything in its proper him rebuke me it is oil on my head" meet with our neighbor. The neighbor place. (Ps. 141:5, NIV). Some people are just brought up the incident. ©Your hus Drop the act. People can spot a natural faultfinders but within our band must have been having a bad phony a mile away. If I put on an irre congregations there are certain mem day,© she said. ©When I saw him, I proachable air of perfection I set bers we respect because of their began praying for him. Is he all right?© myself up as a target for criticism. If I wisdom and godly ways. A reproof "I was much better after hearing admit I am capable of error, those from one of these members carries a her response! Such a response from a around me will be more likely to for lot of weight and I am more likely to parishioner after seeing her pastor give me when I make a mistake, or receive it as truth. being so human, was not only when I take a course of action they Look for the grain of truth. If one per encouraging for us, but is unfortu don©t like. son corrects me I may or may not take nately rare!" Attitudes toward critics. Use gentle their words to heart, but if two or A church regularly encouraged ness and compassion. "A gentle more people are raising the same members and visitors to complete answer turns away wrath" (Prov. 15:1, issue, their words carry more weight. communication cards in order to give NIV). If the criticism seems totally out of feedback and updates on addresses Pastor Dan©s eyes filled with tears line with no true merit, cast it aside. If and prayer needs. One Monday as he read a scathing letter from one there is a grain of truth, then adjust morning staff members sifted of his core leaders. The man gave a ment of my actions and/or behavior is through the cards. On one card a blow-by-blow account of everything probably in order. member had written, "The pastor©s wrong with Dan©s leadership and Responding to criticism. If you want sermon was good but it©s too long. It teaching style. The leader-critic was to really tick off a critic then just give needs to be about ten minutes short so displeased he resigned from his a pat answer. They©ll see right er." Another card in the same pile position and left the church. through you. I don©t want to come read, "The sermons are too short." Dan felt betrayed and deeply hurt, across as flippant and uncaring but I Trying to please everyone is like but rather than respond with bitter have developed some ready-made walking a tightrope. If we try to per ness he "retaliated" by continuing to responses that have proven helpful. form so that we don©t ruffle any send the leader birthday cards, letters, Sincerely saying, "Oh, I can see why feathers we lose our effectiveness and even invitations to breakfast. All that might bother you," or "Thanks totally. So, what©s the answer? his efforts, however, were rebuffed. for bringing that to my attention," Two years passed. Then one day are ways I show I care. Answers to criticism the leader returned and stood before a When someone corrects me I lis Reducing criticism. If you are a peo gathering of Dan and other church ten attentively, then make the ple pleaser, your first inclination is to leaders where he asked forgiveness for judgment call. If I immediately see do everything in your power to please his poor judgment and wrong atti the criticism is on target, I tell the your critics, but the impossibility of tude. Dan©s gentleness and persever giver what action I will take to correct 22 MINISTRY May 2002 it. If I feel the criticism isn©t merited, dle it well. I already had scheduled a a meeting with the pastor in charge of I tell them gently but firmly. meeting with the pastor who admin those areas. If a particular church member con istrated in that particular area, so People pleasers carry invisible tinually criticizes it helps to pinpoint when I met with him I raised the backpacks. As we go along and hear the cause. I©ve discovered that the issue and explained the lay worker©s criticisms, we add a stone to the pack. most critical members are often not complaints. Before long the weight of the bulging serving in any capacity and have too The pastor patiently listened and pack is unbearable. Now, when some much time on their hands. I can help explained why things stood as they one criticizes another coworker, alleviate some of the friction by find did, giving me an entirely new per instead of placing the stone in my ing an area where they are gifted to spective on the situation. He gently backpack, I hand it back to the initia serve. pointed out that I should not have tor and suggest they address the shouldered these issues because they leader directly. When others are being were really out of my realm of respon Don©t dodge. Criticism can be so criticized sibility. unbearable that sometimes we are But what about when criticism is At the time I was annoyed that he tempted to hide from the situation. leveled at someone else? On several seemed to brush the issues aside, but Usually, however, dodging the prob occasions I have been approached by later, after mulling over what he said, lem makes the situation and the critic individuals who level criticism at a I realized he had handled it well. more hostile. Meet the criticism head fellow staff member or lay leader When I got back to my office I con on. Even Christ, when confronted, because they see me as being on the tacted the lay worker and gently dealt with His critics. inner circle of leadership. shared the new information I had When we follow His example we Recently a lay worker "dumped a gleaned. Then people-pleaser me did sharpen our problem-solving skills load," regarding some issues she was something I was really proud of, I put and grow in the process. The better we having with how prayer requests and the responsibility back on the lay become at dealing with painful cir church notices were being handled. worker©s shoulders and suggested if cumstances and individuals, the more The people pleaser in me didn©t han she still had issues, she should set up resilient we become as leaders. H MINISTRY S U B S G R I B k US E R V 1C I S D Please send me a one-year subscription (12 issues) of Ministry, (United States: os$29.95; Canada and overseas: " If you recently moved, enter previous address: My Name ______Name______;______i :© ; ©. :© Current Mailing Address Mailing Address ______: © ______City ______City ______. _____ State/Province Postal Code State/Province Postal Code Credit card orders please complete the following: D MasterCard D Visa Card Number _____ - _____ - ____ - _____ Exp Date Cardholder's Signature PLEASE ENCLOSE PAYMENT WITH YOUR ORDER. MAIL TO: Ministry Subscriptions + c/o Jeannette Calbi + 12501 Old Columbia Pike -f Silver Spring, MD 20904 Email: [email protected] 4- Fax: 301.680.6502 + Phone: 301.680.6503 MINISTRY with which they are marked."1 While the English verb "ordain" can mean to "issue an order," its ecclesiastical meaning is "to invest with ministerial or priestly authority." Such a meaning is not present in the New Testament. Biblical terminology for induction into office, especially in the Old Testament, includes anointing and laying on of hands. For commissioning or induction into office, the New Testament uses additional words, none of them associated with "ordination" in the ecclesiastical sense. Anointing Ordination in the In the Old Testament, things, places, and persons are anointed to make them holy, to set them apart for a holy use. For example, New Testament? Jacob anointed a memorial stone at Bethel (Gen. 28:18) and the Levites anointed the tab ernacle and its contents (Exod. 40:9) in order to "consecrate" them. ^^" "^ he elders were kneeling in a circle At the beginning of their priestly service, Nancy Vyhmeister I around George, who was about to Aaron and his descendants were anointed I become a deacon. The pastor was with fragrant oil (Exod. 30:30-32). While I praying for George, for his family, there is no specific mention of the ordination ^^L for his ministry to the church. As of each of the kings of Israel and Judah, there laying on of hands was mentioned, each elder is evidence that anointing the king at the reached out to touch George. beginning of his reign was habitual. This was Was this the way ordination took place in done either by a priest, such as Jehoiada who the times of Peter and Paul? I went home and anointed Joash (2 Chron. 23:11) or by a turned to my Bible that afternoon. prophet, such as Elijah who anointed Jehu Unfortunately, the New Testament gives (1 Kings 19:16). The verb used is mashach, to little specific information about services such smear, to anoint with oil. The king thus as the one I saw that morning. Twelve pas became a mashiach, an "anointed one." This sages speak of some kind of appointment or Hebrew term was equivalent to "Messiah." commissioning, but none uses the word In the New Testament, two different Greek "ordination." To understand the topic, let©s verbs are used to convey the meaning briefly review the biblical terminology for "anoint." One is aleipho,2 which appears eight commissioning, followed by an analysis of times. Four refer to the anointing (with per these 12 passages. fume) of Jesus by a woman (Luke 7:38, 46; John 11:2; 12:3), two to the use of oil in the Terminology healing of illness (Mark 6:13; James 5:14), one The term "ordination" comes from the to the burial of Jesus (Mark 16:1), and one to Latin ordinare, "to put in ordo," with ordo cosmetic anointing (Matt. 6:17). None of meaning "row, rank, or order." In ancient these examples has any connection to cere Rome, ordo referred to a category of people, as monial anointing for induction into office. in the "order of senators," distinguished from The second verb is chrio, "to anoint," from Nancy Vyhmeister, the plebe. which comes the title Christos, "the anointed Ph.D., is professor emerita of Andrews In ecclesiastical Latin, ordo refers to the one," corresponding to the Hebrew mashiach. University, Berrien "holy orders" and ordinare to the ceremony The verb itself is used only five times, always Springs, Michigan. of induction into holy orders. According to referring to anointing by God. In four cases, Canon Law, the "sacrament of holy orders" God anoints Jesus (Luke 4:18; Acts 4:27; constitutes some faithful Christians as "sacred 10:38; Heb. 1:9). In the other, God gives spir ministers by means of the indelible character itual anointing to believers (2 Cor. 1:21). A 24 MINISTRY May 2002 related verb, egchrio, appears in the hands" is one of the basics of of Jesus© calling or choosing (kaleo) invitation to Laodicea to anoint their Christianity, along with baptism and twelve of His disciples after a night eyes to regain sight (Rev. 3:18). resurrection, suggesting that this cer spent in prayer. He thus made them emony may have been part of the into apostles (Luke 6:13-16).3 Laying on of hands initiation rites of new believers. Jesus also appointed the Seventy Laying on of hands can refer to Laying on of hands is mentioned (or seventy-two) to ministry. giving a blessing (Gen. 48:8-20). It three times in relation to appoint According to Luke 10:1-9, He "point also appears in two Old Testament ment to office. The apostles ed them out" (anadeiknumi), gave examples of induction into office. At commissioned the Seven by the lay- them power, and sent them before the beginning of their ministry the Levites were purified by washing and shaving; then they received the lay T A THILE THE ENGLISH VERB "ORDAIN" CAN ing on of hands by the whole congregation. V V MEAN TO "ISSUE AN ORDER" ITS Their induction ceremony was completed by their laying hands on ECCLESIASTICAL MEANING IS "TO INVEST WITH the bulls to be sacrificed (Num. 8:5- 26). According to Numbers 27:12-23, Moses appointed Joshua as his succes sor by laying his hands on him. Even though Joshua had authority and was endowed with the Spirit of God, he was to receive divine instruction ing on of hands (Acts 6:6). The Him to preach and to heal. Their through Eleazar the priest. teachers and prophets at Antioch laid appointment is similar to that of the The Greek phrase equivalent to hands on Paul and Barnabas at their Twelve. "laying on of hands" occurs 26 times commissioning for ministry to the After Jesus© ascension, the eleven in the New Testament. In the largest Gentiles (Acts 13:3). Paul instructs decided to replace Judas. Following number of times (12) the phrase is Timothy to be cautious in commis prayer they cast lots for Matthias. He used in the context of the laying on of sioning local church leaders by the was chosen (eklego), then "enrolled" hands to bring about healing. Of laying on of hands (1 Tim. 5:22). or added to the eleven (Acts 1:21-26). these occurrences, eight have to do In the New Testament, inductions His task thus became the same as that with Jesus: He lays hands on a person into office or commissioning for mis originally entrusted to the Twelve by who then receives healing (Matt. 9:18; sion involve four distinct groups of Jesus. Mark 5:23; 6:5; 7:32; 8:23; 8:25; Luke people: (1) the disciples who become Although they do not report any 4:40; 13:13). Once the disciples are apostles, (2) the Seven of Acts 6, (3) specific ceremony, these passages promised the gift of healing through Paul and Barnabas, and (4) local show a transition. The disciples laying on of hands (Mark 16:18). In church elders. become apostles; they form the inner Acts, three verses speak about healing Several different Greek verbs are circle of Christ©s followers; they brought about by the laying on of used in passages that describe these receive power to heal and preach, as hands (Acts 9:12, 17; 28:8). ceremonies. In the analysis that fol they further Christ©s mission. Closely related to the idea of heal lows, specific Greek words are given ing is the reception of blessing for each instance. The Seven through the laying on of hands Acts 6:2-6 tells of the excessive (Matt. 19:13, 15; Mark 10:16). The Disciples to apostles work load for the Twelve and the eth reception of the Holy Spirit and of the Three texts refer to Jesus© appoint nic disputes that led to the selection gifts of the Spirit is linked to the lay ment of the twelve disciples. In of seven wise and Spirit-filled men to ing on of hands (four times each). In Matthew 10:1-5, Jesus calls (kaleo) the "serve tables" and care for the wid Acts, new converts were filled with Twelve to Himself and gives them ows. Thus the Twelve would be free to the Spirit when the apostles laid their power over disease and evil spirits. dedicate their time to prayer and hands on them (Acts 8:17-19; 19:6). While in verse 1 they are "disciples," preaching. Paul speaks of the spiritual gifts in verse 2 they are "apostles." In Mark These men were chosen (eklegomai) Timothy received with the laying on (3:14-19), Jesus "makes [poieo] by the church; the appointment cere of his own hands (2 Tim. 1:6) and the twelve" and "names" them apostles. mony included prayer and the laying laying on of the elders© hands (1 Tim. He does this so that they may be with on of hands. While their first task was 4:14). In Hebrews 6:1-2, "laying on of Him and go out to preach. Luke tells to "serve tables," two who figure in May 2002 MINISTRY 25 later events are noted for tasks other ceremony marked the beginning of is not specified. We can assume that than the care of the physical needs of Paul©s apostleship.5 at some point Timothy was made an church members: Stephen was a great elder, but no details are given. preacher, martyred for his Lord (Acts Church elders Information about the work of eld 7); Philip was an evangelist (Acts Three passages speak about the ers, especially concerning their 8:5-40). appointment of church elders, all in commissioning, is scarce. We know This ceremony approaches the relation to Paul©s ministry. As Paul that these were church leaders, whose ones we see today in Seventh-day concludes his first missionary jour task was spiritual. They were called Adventist and other churches. It ney, he and Barnabas revisit the elders or presbyters because older per marked the commissioning of seven places they had evangelized. Among sons were traditional leaders. Some men to a specific church appoint other activities destined to "strength kind of ceremony installed them in ment. Interestingly, these Seven are en" the "disciples," they appoint their church office. This installation not called "deacons." In the Pastoral (cheirotoneo) elders in the churches, seems to have included laying on of Epistles, deacons appear as church after fasting and prayer (Acts 14:23). hands. leaders (1 Tim. 3:8, 12), ones who The verb used for "appointing" is serve the church (diakonos). There is used only this once in the New So what did I learn? no mention of their ordination.4 Testament. In classical Greek usage, You have just read the results of my this word meant raising the hand as study only partly completed that Paul and Barnabas to vote. Whether it meant anything Sabbath afternoon. The information I Acts 13:1-3 narrates the appoint different, such as laying on of hands, gathered was not as much as I would ment of Paul and Barnabas to in Paul©s Christian ecclesiastical have liked. There was practically ministry for the Gentiles. While the usage, we have no idea. In any case, nothing on the organization of the prophets and teachers in the church the appointment of local church eld church. Yes, there were apostles, of Antioch were worshiping God and ers as part of church organization elder/bishops, and deacons. But how fasting, the Holy Spirit told them to seems to be clearly in view. did they relate to each other? Apostles "separate" (aphorizo) Barnabas and In 1 Timothy 3, Paul delineates the and elders were commissioned; noth Saul for the work to which they had spiritual qualifications for church ing is said about deacons. Was there a been called. officers bishops, deacons, and ceremony for them? Verse 3 says that they fasted and "women." But he gives no instruc Yet, I found enough information prayed and layed their hands on tions on any induction ceremony on New Testament appointments to them but fails to specify who "they" until a passing mention in 1 Timothy ministry to be reasonably sure of the were. This commissioning includes 5:22. Here he warns Timothy not to following: more elements than any other "lay hands" (cheir epitithemi) prema (1) Qualified believers were recorded in the New Testament. The turely on anyone as by doing this he appointed to specific ministries or Holy Spirit takes an active part; the might "share responsibility for the tasks. local church leaders do the commis sins of others." Evidently he is plead (2) Some kind of empowering took sioning. Prayer, fasting, and the lay ing for mature Christians to be place: The ones invested became ing on of hands are included. church leaders. what they had not been until then. In his later years, Paul writes Paul left Titus in Crete to set the (3) The appointments had distinct Timothy about his own appointment church in order. Among others, the spiritual overtones: the Spirit led, to service. He claims that he was matters he was to "put in place" Jesus called; there was prayer and fast "placed" (tithemi) as a preacher, apos (kathistemi) was the function of elders ing; thus the commissioning was not tle, and teacher of Gentiles in witness in the different cities. This Titus entirely human. to Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom should do "as I have directed you" (4) The appointments were made for all (1 Tim. 2:7). He repeats the (Titus 1:5). Unfortunately, Paul©s spe by the church for the benefit of the same assertion in 2 Timothy 1:11, cific directives on this issue have not church. noting that he was "put" (tithemi) or come down to us in Scripture. (5) Certain qualifications had to be appointed as preacher, apostle, and To these three cases might be met by those appointed. teacher for the sake of the gospel. No added Timothy©s experience. Paul (6) The ultimate object of appoint additional details are given, but one reminds this young minister of the ment was mission the spreading of may rightly suppose he was thinking gift he received with the laying on of the gospel. of the appointment described in Acts hands by the presbytery or elders What I did not find was any 13. (1 Tim. 4:14). Whether this was notion of hierarchy or power. Having Ellen White calls this appointment induction into office, a healing serv hands laid on them prepared apostles an ordination. She indicates that this ice, or the reception of the Holy Spirit and elders to do more work, to be bet- 26 MINISTRY May 2002 ter servants, to be more responsible should we insist that current soulsaving."7 To fulfill this commis for their actions. This responsibility Seventh-day Adventist Church sion all not merely the priests and seems to have been to the congrega organization and ceremony are mod kings of Israel may be qualified by tion rather than to a central church eled directly after the pattern of the the anointing of the Holy Spirit. After authority, which of course did not New Testament. all, we are, says Peter, a royal priest exist as it does today. Finally, I cannot help but consider hood (1 Peter 2:9). H Instructions on how, when, where, the gospel commission (Matt. and even why believers were commis 28:18-20), "Go and make disciples," 1 Canon 1008, Canon Law of 1983. sioned to specific tasks or offices may as the ultimate commission, given to 2 To facilitate typesetting, no distinction is made between long and short Greek vowels. not be clear. However, it is evident every Christian. This appointment 3 At the beginning of chapter 30 of The Desire of Ages, that ecclesiastical appointment was parallels that received in ordination. Ellen White quotes the KJV of Mark 3:13, 14: "He ordained twelve" (290). Although she does call this and is part of the church©s It makes believers what they were not their "ordination" (293), she says nothing about any legitimate activity. It seems to be one before (as Ellen White so poignantly ceremony. of those items which the church notes: "Every true disciple is born 4 Ellen White uses the term "ordain" to refer to what happened in Acts 6 (Acts of the Apostles, 90). In Acts of "binds on earth" (Matt. 16:19). into the kingdom as a missionary"6), the Apostles the Seven are called "deacons" (90). In the The church is empowered to make and empowers them for ministry. Spirit of Prophecy (3:293) and The Story of Redemption (260), they are "chosen men," not identified as dea decisions and carry out appointments This appointment takes place at cons. in order to fulfill its mission. George©s baptism and includes those "upon 5 Ellen G. White, Acts of the Apostles (Nampa, Idaho: ordination was appropriate, yet we whom human hands have never Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1911), 164. 6 , The Desire of Ages (Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press cannot affirm that it was done "exact been laid in ordination, [who] are Pub. Assn., 1898), 195. ly as in the New Testament." Neither called to act an important part in 7 , Acts of the Apostles, 355. New Testament Appointments Appointment of Text Greek word Purpose Appointer Additional elements The 12 Matt. 10:1-5 Give power to heal and [Jesus] Power cast out demons The 12 Mark 6:1 4-1 9 poleo; make Be with him; send to [Jesus] Power preach and have power over demons The 12 Luke 6:13-16 kaleo; call Be apostles [Jesus] All-night onomazo; name prayer The 70 Luke 10: 1-9 anadeiknumi; appoint Go before him, preach The Lord and heal Ananias Acts 1:21 -26 eklego; choose Replace Judas in ministry Peter & the brethren Lots Prayer The Seven Acts 6:2-6 eklegomai; choose Serve tables The apostles Prayer Laying on of hands Paul & Barnabas Acts 13:1 -3 aphorize; set apart Go to Gentiles The Holy Spirit Prayer Laying on Fasting of hands Paul 1 Tim. 2:7 tithemi; place Be a herald and apostle Christ Jesus (verse 6) Paul 2 Tim. 1:11 tithemi; place Be herald, apostle, teacher Christ Jesus (verse 10) Church elders Acts 14:23 cheirotoneo; vote Be church elders [Paul & Barnabas] Prayer Fasting by stretching out the hand Church elders 1 Tim. 5:22 cheir epitithemi; Be elders (verse 17) [Timothy] Laying on lay on hands of hands Church elders Titus 1:5 kathistemi; put in Be elders [Titus] place i May 2002 MINISTRY 27 shifts we need to make to increase our under standing, respect, and compassion for postmodern people."2 The author discusses these three shifts as: from triumphalism to humility, from ration alism to mystery, and from objectivism to other ways of knowing. As we consider minis tering to postmoderns in the context of these recommended conceptual shifts, a few ques Should we be tions come to mind: Where would these conceptual shifts, if we were to make them "really," leave us theologically? Should we postmodern become postmodern to minister to postmod erns? Are these shifts being recommended only as adjustments of expediency, simply for to minister to the convenience of ministry? Or are we to make them to really reflect our frame of mind? These articles did not leave me with an postmoderns? unequivocal answer to these questions, yet the necessary connection between ministry and theology requires that we explore this question, because our ministry ought to be here is no question that contem informed by our theology. Though I believe Kwabena Donkor porary western culture is changing that a clear understanding of the postmodern in its philosophical outlook. situation is a necessary prerequisite to a suc Today, western culture is challeng cessful ministry to postmoderns, I do not ing the modern way of thinking, think that Seventh-day Adventists should be Twhich emphasized objectivity and absolute postmodern ourselves in order to minister certainty. Modernity©s distinctions between successfully to this group. subject and object, knowledge and opinion, and science and superstition, are being blurred Postmodernism and modernism©s in the contemporary postmodern climate. triumphalism Ministry in times like these calls for reflection, In what sense did modernism represent tri and Samir Selmanovic©s two-part article titled umphalism? Modernism©s triumphalism is "Pastoring on the Postmodern Frontline" (see said to consist in its striving for what has been Ministry, July and September 2001) begins an described as the "grand narrative." Post important discussion on this vital issue. modernists use the term "narrative" to Indeed, it raised the crucial question: How do describe a system of beliefs and values that we minister in a postmodern milieu? legitimize a society by acting as a force that These articles raise a larger question about binds that society together. A narrative (i.e., the crucial connection between ministry and the belief system that holds the society theology or, stated differently, between praxis together) is "grand" when it is comprehensive and theory. The author correctly perceives the in explaining and providing meaning to connection between praxis and theory as whatever the society does and believes. Such unavoidable. In two places in the first part of a belief system, which holds true always, and the articles he alludes to this connection. In not only for a particular historic period, advocating the need for change in ministry as underlies and permeates every aspect of the we confront the postmodern "hurricane," the society©s life. On the other hand, a belief sys Kwabena Donkor, author writes, "We must change not only our tem may sustain only a segment of people for Ph.D., Senior Pastor, a particular historic period. Such is a "local" Toronto-Ghanaian methods but also our understanding of how Seventh-day people think and feel and thus how we are to narrative. Adventist Church, think as we seek to meet their minds and Modernism sought to explain and provide Toronto, Canada. hearts."1 Again, we are admonished that in meaning to all reality on the foundation of preparing to deal with practical ministry reason. In other words, the world was what adjustments, "... there are three conceptual reason claimed it to be, and this was to be 28 MINISTRY May 2002 taken as universally true and for all It is quite significant to note that bib ness of the individual phenomena of time. Postmodernism claims that the lical grand narratives appear to pre our experience. In this way, reality is very idea of a belief system that is date modernism. brought under the grip of reason to always and universally true (i.e., a serve as its principle and to explain its grand narrative) is no longer credible. Postmodernism and origin. Especially in the modem peri It is argued that the very fact of our rationality od reason took the form of scientific situatedness in particular historical We indulge in questions about reason, and only that which was sci contexts forces us to experience the rationality when we raise issues about entific in nature counted for reality. world through our individual and the nature, place, and competence of Postmodernism properly criticizes unique perspectives ("local" narra human reason. It has been character this form of rationality as arrogant. tives). To claim that one©s viewpoint is istic of philosophy from the early There are thinkers such as Foucault always and universally true is to Greek thinkers to the modern period who wish to dispense with the whole demonstrate lack of humility a mark to use reason to explain reality in a notion of rationality as a western tra of arrogance and triumphalism. This way that brings coherence and unity dition that has turned out to be a was the hallmark of modernism©s rationality. However, to be postmod ern is to denounce grand narratives of HIS CHALLENGE TO MODERN RATIONALITY any sort; the postmodern outlook "demands an attack on any claim to TAPPEARS TO MARE ROOM FOR THE NOTION OF universality."3 Postmodernism©s insistence that all belief systems are unique view points, contextual and, therefore, provincial has significant implica tions for Christian ministry in general, and for Adventist ministry in particular. What should Christian to all reality. For example, Plato©s doc repressive myth.4 Others, such as ministry do with such "grand narra trine of Forms or Ideas is regarded as Habermas, wish to replace modern tives" as, "For there is one God, and one of his significant contributions to rationality with a procedural rational one mediator between God and men, philosophy. In Plato©s system, the ity. Procedural rationality is when the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:5)? Forms represent eternal and unchang reason is denied the ability to Or, "And there is salvation in no one ing patterns of which the objects we describe what reality is, only the else, for there is no other name under actually see are shadowy copies. But capacity to evaluate knowledge and heaven given among men by which Plato comes up with this doctrine as a moral claims in the context of a set of we must be saved (Acts 4:12, RSV)? means to explain the nature of exis procedures.5 Do distinctive Adventist doctrines tence. Plato reasoned that when we Obviously, this challenge to mod still have a place in evangelism in a say, for example, that a thing is beau ern rationality appears to make room postmodern context? tiful or that an act is good, we imply for the notion of mystery. But will the It is true that throughout Christen that a standard of beauty or good shift from rationalism to mystery be a dom we are urged to show respect for exists somewhere which is distinct safe retreat? There may be questions world religions and be accommoda from that thing which we say is beau that we cannot answer, and we should tive to faiths other than our own. tiful or that act which we say is good. not lose our faith if we were to admit Obviously, ecumenism thrives in such Furthermore, while the particular that we do not have all the answers. a pluralistic postmodern context. It thing that is described as beautiful Nevertheless, Adventist theology and may be that the shift from triumphal- may perish with time, the very idea of ministry is built on a concept of reve ism to humility in a postmodern con beautiful itself is timeless. For Plato, lation-inspiration that should enable text represents a "politically correct" then, the idea Beautiful inhabits a us, indeed force us, to employ a pro move. But a real question remains: world that is more real than the cedural notion of rationality within Should Christian ministry, and for world, which the particular thing that the confines of revelation-inspiration. that matter Adventist ministry, intend is beautiful inhabits. Plato concluded While postmodern critique of modern to bring postmoderns to an accept that the real world must lie beyond rationality is a welcome development, ance of biblical grand narratives, or the visible world. In this way, Plato I do not think that ambiguity and should we not advocate them because employs reason not only to explain mystery represent the necessary alter they tend to paint our ministry in col the origins of reality, but also to show native. We should not lose sight of the ors that reflect control and conquest? the internal relations and connected- fact that postmodern epistemology May 2002 MINISTRY 29 (theory of knowledge), denies us the struct, based in historical communi "high view" of inspiration for exam right to state any position with ties and comprising of a web of ple, the answer to the postmodern absolute certainty. If we were to build beliefs.7 challenge that all belief systems repre ministry on such a foundation, to Given the supposition that min sent particular viewpoints may be not what spiritual certainties would our istry (praxis) ought to be based on a simply to state that one©s "faith com postmodern friends be called? Or sound theology (theory), a more fun mitment is grounded in history, should their spirituality consist in ever damental choice faces us other than embodied in the community of my developing spiritual beliefs? Or in the one between the modernist con Church ... ,"10 a supremely postmod sympathy with postmodern non- ception of building beliefs on a ern answer, but to state as well the foundationalism, should ministry not foundation and the postmodernist basis of the belief in inspiration. This be built on certain sure foundational notion of a web of beliefs. This is the means that we may not minister to beliefs? The present statement of our choice between the belief in the exis postmoderns on the basis of beliefs theology would seem to deny a prac tence of an objective world and the that are grounded simply in the his tice of ministry that is based on existence of a reality that is the cre toric faith community, but pre ambiguity and mystery. ation of our language. Our choice will eminently on the basis of an inspired profoundly impact our approach to Bible. Postmodernism and ministry. Does this mean that in ministry we modernity©s objectivism should not approach postmoderns Since in philosophy reason tries to Assumptions and from where they are coming? Not at construct and explain all reality in a consequences all: We should understand the think unified and orderly fashion, modern Postmodernism©s critique of ing and experiencing processes of philosophy tried to conceive of our modernity centers on its concept of postmodern persons in order to min world as eminently objective. By this, rationality, which supports an objec ister to them. Yet a sympathetic modernists wanted to say that the tive view of reality as explained above. understanding of postmodernism world of our senses exists really apart Although postmodernity finds it does not necessarily require the epis- from us and should be the proper sub objectionable to be defined as a temological shifts discussed here. In ject of our study. Furthermore, mod worldview, it is precisely that, as fact a shift from rationalism and ern rationality brought unity to all Selmanovic rightly observes. 8 This objectivism to mystery and other reality by assuming that everything means that postmodernism, like mod forms of knowing respectively, repre consists of bodies in motion, and ernism, employs reason to construct a sent a shift from one form of rational therefore everything conforms to a view of reality, albeit different from ity to another. Who knows what mechanical model. Being objectively that of modernity. Reality, according epistemological approach may be in real, modernism could easily say that to postmodernism, is progressive and the offing? Compassion, respect, feel the world could be known objectively relative. In other words, there is not ings, emotions, and intuition may all through observation and induction. one view of reality that is true for all. be elucidated from the biblical per In the modernist system, such objec Reality is as one conceives it from spective if we patiently and conscien tive knowledge is universally and one©s particular viewpoint, hence the tiously articulate them as we seek to absolutely true. Postmodernism notion that "every point of view is a minister meaningfully to postmodern rejects the notion of an objective view from a point.©"Therefore, the persons, m world, and consequently the possibil point is inescapable that in the con ity of objective knowledge. In adopt text of belief, whether we approach Editorial note: We definitely ing this position, postmodernism ministry on the basis of modernity©s appreciate the quality of this response depends in part on twentieth-century foundationalism or postmodernity©s to the Selmanovic articles. We do not linguistic theory. According to this web of beliefs, we function on the believe the Selmanovic or Donkor arti view, what we generally assume to be basis of reality as constructed by rea cles advocate becoming postmodern in an objective world is in reality a cre son. order to reach postmoderns. ation of ours through our use of lan Is it possible to find an objective guage. It is in this sense that language world that is not the creation of rea 1 Samir Selmanovic, "Pastormg on the Postmodern Frontline (part 1)," in is said to be our access to the world. By son but in which the parts of all of its MirtLrtry, July 2001, 10 2 Ibid, 11. this they "contend that what we call experience are meaningfully related? 3 Stanley J. Grenz, A Primer on Postmodernism (Grand Rapids: Lerdmans Pub. Co., 1996), 45 the real world is actually an everchang- The Bible presents us with such a 4 Anton A Van Niekerk, "Postmetaphysical Versus Postmodern Thmkrng" Philosophy TodayZ9 (19951. 177. ing social creation."6 Therefore, there world not on the basis of reason but 5 Ibid., 175. 6 Grenz, 42. are no certain foundations to our on the basis of inspiration. One©s 7 See Mark I Wallace, "The New Yale Theology," Christian Scholar©s RenfW 17 (1988): 154-170 knowledge of reality. Meaning, like stand on inspiration becomes opera S Selmanovic, part 2, 20 9 Selmanovrc, part 1, 13 reality is an ever-changing social con tive here. From the perspective of a 10 Selmanovic, part 2, 21 30 MINISTRY May 2002 PASTOR©s PASTOR Traveling mercies nyone who equates work- baggage. At first, Chek Yat thought this related travel with fun has yet to not all that unusual since he had A endure their third trip. Mind observed me groping for documents at you, I love my work—especially when I other stops, but after about ten minutes arrive and can interact with pastors and JAMES A. CRESS of fruitless searching, his tolerance level their spouses, local elders, and ministe was reduced to the point that he rial secretaries. But the process of grabbed my roll-aboard and began his "getting to work" is often a frenetic, own personal search through all my fatiguing, frustrating foray. belongings. A few recent incidents demonstrate No boarding pass. No passport. the old song's veracity—"all day, all Stuck in Viet Nam. Who to call? And if night, angels watching over me." We you thought the denominational don't just believe in miracles, we rely on restroom and secure a bottle of water bureaucracy was complicated, try them! before exiting the airport customs area. explaining your predicament to some Russell Burrill, of Andrews University Then there was the Sabbath which one whose only word of English is Seminary, and I boarded a flight out of began at 6:00 a.m. and concluded 15 "No!" Egypt in the deep-night hours of hours later with my hosts' bewilder By this time the chief representative September 10. In bemused observa ment that I was unwilling to experience of Singapore Airlines had been sum tion, we commented about the lax the treat of dinner at a restaurant fea moned. She graciously but firmly security which allowed us to depart turing local delicacies. Sometimes the instructed me to search again for the Cairo without a serious check of either phrase, "killing with kindness" becomes missing documents which she knew I our baggage or passports. By the next reality. had possessed when she checked me in flight, we welcomed three-hour waits Other times we bring our troubles and which I would have had to produce and multiple security checks in the upon ourselves. Chek Yat Phoon, to pass through security and customs to aftermath of September 11. Southeast Asia Union Ministerial this transit area. Enduring longer waiting lines in Secretary, will not forget how we After holding the flight for 20 min exchange for enhanced security seems arrived at the Ho Chi Minh City utes—and this from an airline known to fair. Having an agent explain that either (Saigon) airport three hours early, the be the world's most efficient—the Sharon or I must endure a 14-hour flight first passengers to check in for our agent sent me onto the plane with stern cramped into a middle seat because the flight. After proceeding through immi admonition to keep searching because I airline's policy does not permit two pas gration to the transit area, we looked surely would not be allowed ongoing sengers of the same family to occupy an around a bit and then I settled in for a transit or entry into Singapore. As we aisle and window seat—or even two two-hour working session of paperwork boarded, I was praying and grumbling aisle seats—is unreasonable punish while we waited. aloud that heaven would have to find ment, especially when standby fliers are As I completed each item, I tore the my passport since it was more logical boarded at the last moment and seated paper in half to separate "keepers" from that I had thrown it away as it was like in exit-row aisles and windows. trash and rejoiced in the amount of ly to be found in my carefully-searched Well-meaning friends also contribute work I was accomplishing as evidenced briefcase. Both God and Chek Yat must to travel stresses. I vividly remember my by the growing stack of discarded have heard my prayer because he keen frustration (hopefully it was con paper that piled up beside me. turned back and requested security to cealed but Sharon doubts my ability to When the time arrived to head for check the trash bin where, sure enough, disguise my feelings) after an exhaust the gate, I tossed all the scrap which they found my castoff passport and ing 30-hour, much-delayed flight had accumulated into a nearby trash ticket in with my discarded paperwork. itinerary when, rather than being taken bin and casually approached the board The angels worked overtime, and I directly to the hotel for a shower and ing agent who asked to inspect my am certain they deserve—and I need— rest, 1 was "shown the sights" of tourist passport and ticket. a vacation! So, watch your passport and interest and new church projects. At Checking my pockets and finding say a prayer of thanks with me for prov least I have learned to always use the neither, I began to search my carry-on idential blessings, n May 2002 MINISTRY 31 gunning GENERAL CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS Nonprofit Organization MINISTRY U.S. Postage 1350 N.KINGS ROAD PAID NAMPA, ID 83687-3193 Nampa, ID Permit No. 147 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED