How being priests was always God's plan for each of us, why we should be really grumpy when that dignity is so widely denied, and a bit about how the SBC is missing it on more than just women pastors.
As always, appreciate your thoughts, Matt. This especially caught my attention and any discerning reader will stop to consider how to make the necessary structural changes to address these concerns. I wonder, are there any biblical examples (perhaps in Acts) that actually show the better way you speak to? Maybe a subsequent post will provide some? "I think it’s safe to say that most churches fail to effectively leverage the potential in the sisters and brothers in our Christ-centered communities who are empowered and called by the Spirit. I also think that most pastors genuinely want the task of ministry to be shared by others. But maybe they don’t realize that the structures they uphold take that very possibility out of the hands of the brothers and sisters who make up the church. Just about everything about the way pastors are expected (and expect) to function screams, “I don’t need you!” They are trained, paid, called, and empowered to lead, preach, cast vision, oversee, pray, discern, and perform nearly every spiritual task that matters in the church. It wasn’t meant to all fall on the shoulders of pastors."
Hi Paul. Always appreciate your engagement and dialogue. What I always have to remember is that, where people are present, there’s going to be some dysfunction. This was certainly true for the early church, and it was clear they were trying to find their way in this Spirit-enabled, class-shattering, upside-down kingdom way. The short answer is I think there are examples of how this worked.
I quickly think of the Bereans and their corporate examination of the Scriptures being highlighted. I also think of the Philippians and the amount of partnership and maturity language we see Paul use. Contrasted with other churches (ie, Corinth), we can glean some hope that this was working in spaces.
But, I think what this actually looks like can be very different from place to place. Contexts of local communities, cultural dynamics, and the individuals in Christ-centered communities provides a lot of unique variables that impact expression of the gospel in that space.
I’ll be sure to include more of that in future posts. Appreciate your committed reading!
As always, appreciate your thoughts, Matt. This especially caught my attention and any discerning reader will stop to consider how to make the necessary structural changes to address these concerns. I wonder, are there any biblical examples (perhaps in Acts) that actually show the better way you speak to? Maybe a subsequent post will provide some? "I think it’s safe to say that most churches fail to effectively leverage the potential in the sisters and brothers in our Christ-centered communities who are empowered and called by the Spirit. I also think that most pastors genuinely want the task of ministry to be shared by others. But maybe they don’t realize that the structures they uphold take that very possibility out of the hands of the brothers and sisters who make up the church. Just about everything about the way pastors are expected (and expect) to function screams, “I don’t need you!” They are trained, paid, called, and empowered to lead, preach, cast vision, oversee, pray, discern, and perform nearly every spiritual task that matters in the church. It wasn’t meant to all fall on the shoulders of pastors."
Hi Paul. Always appreciate your engagement and dialogue. What I always have to remember is that, where people are present, there’s going to be some dysfunction. This was certainly true for the early church, and it was clear they were trying to find their way in this Spirit-enabled, class-shattering, upside-down kingdom way. The short answer is I think there are examples of how this worked.
I quickly think of the Bereans and their corporate examination of the Scriptures being highlighted. I also think of the Philippians and the amount of partnership and maturity language we see Paul use. Contrasted with other churches (ie, Corinth), we can glean some hope that this was working in spaces.
But, I think what this actually looks like can be very different from place to place. Contexts of local communities, cultural dynamics, and the individuals in Christ-centered communities provides a lot of unique variables that impact expression of the gospel in that space.
I’ll be sure to include more of that in future posts. Appreciate your committed reading!