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MINISTRY AS SERVICE:
A THEOLOGY OF MINISTRY
PROVIDE YOUR FEEDBACK!
MINISTRY AS SERVICE byJames S. Vuocolo
Theology of Ministry, submitted
In partial fulfillment of the Master of Divinity Degree.
Th 522 "Field Learning Seminar"
Dr. Stan Menking
Dr. David Graybeal
The Theological School, Drew University
February 1978
CONTENTS:
Top of Page / Bottom of Page / Contents /
Dedication / Introduction
I. THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
II. ECCLESIOLOGY
III. ADDITIONAL DIMENSIONS OF MINISTRY
IV. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ORDAINED MINISTRY
BACKNOTES / BIBLIOGRAPHY
:
To the Reverend Robert Blakeney Murphy, who,
by means of his love for Christ Jesus and his fellow human beings, gives continual expression to the Christian Ministry, and so reflects the image of his Lord to the world ...
INTRODUCTION
The words that follow are the original text of twenty
SPECIAL NOTE:
years ago. A lot has changed in my thinking since then.
A lot has also changed in the lives of others who are mentioned. The Rev. Murphy and Dr. Hamilton have
died in the interim, for example. But, like the core of this paper, their influence in my life and work continues to be reflected in the world each day.
I trust the reading of this manuscript will be of similar benefit to others as we stand at the threshold of a new century!
- James S. Vuocolo,
Redlands, California
May 8, 1998
This paper asserts my current theological understanding of ministry in accordance with the provisions set forth in the "Guidelines" for this project, distributed by the faculty of The Theological School of Drew University. As such, the paper seeks to integrate each aspect of preparation for the Christian ministry which I have engaged since my arrival at the Theological School in September of 1975.
For this reason, the reader will find evidence of academic knowledge acquired in many
hours of classes, readings, papers, and discussions, as well as the influence of informal
and frequent dialogue with numerous professors and peers regarding the performance of
ministry in our age. Among professors., the influence of the following people has been
most deeply appreciated and felt during my experience at Drew: Dr. Neil Q. Hamilton in New
Testament (also my faculty advisor), Dr. David Graybeal in Church and Society Dr. Paul A.
Riemann in Old Testament, Dr. Pieter de Jong in Systematic Theology, Dr. Charles L. Rice
in Homiletics,
and Dr. Bruce D. Barrabee and Dr. Stanley J. Menking in Practical Theology.
Perhaps not as readily discernible to the reader, is the influence of many others, who, to no lesser degree, have contributed much to my preparation for ministry. Among those are many lay people from my field assignments as a Student Assistant Pastor of the Pluckemin Presbyterian Church and currently, as Pastor of the Delaware Presbyterian Church. I have enjoyed a variety of formal and informal experiences of service to Christ and to His Church with these people, and owe them all a tremendous debt of gratitude for their willingness to accept my often awkward attempts at leadership in a spirit of faith and love.
I too, remain indebted to my field supervisors at each Church assignment, who have not only taught me a great deal by means of personal example and in depth sharing, but who have also demonstrated their faith in my abilities by providing me with many more opportunities for conducting ministry than I may have hoped to experience in other settings. To these men, the Rev. Robert B. Murphy (to whom this paper is dedicated) and the Rev. James S. Weaver of the Pluckemin Church, and to the Rev. John Robertson of the Belvidere Presbyterian Church, go my thanks and unending affections, as well as my deep respect for their personal and corporate expertise from which I have greatly benefited.
Due to the limitations which the "Guidelines" have placed upon the length of this project (25 pages), the reader will note that I have confined my remarks to those aspects of theology and culture which most affect ministry in the scenario of the local parish. While I recognize that many other settings for ministry exist, such as hospitals, jails, and the military, lack of both space and expertise prevents me from attempting to deal with them in the context of this paper.
The reader should also be aware of the fact that there are certain aspects of even parish ministry which have been omitted due to the same restriction with regard to space. These include doctrines of the trinity, eschatology, Word of God, etc., which are, for the most part, implied or presupposed throughout the paper. As the Table of Contents suggests, my remarks have primarily sought to address issues regarding ecclesiology, soteriology, the relationship between local communities of faith and ecclesiastical leaders, and practical implications for conducting ministry within the local parish. In doing so, I have asserted Biblical and functional paradigms for ministry which convey my personal bias. I therefore accept full responsibility for the implications which these paradigms entail (should they ever come to be fully implemented in the Church),' and recognize that they often challenge existing models for performing ministry within our society. Nevertheless, these paradigms represent my current understanding of the entire ministerial enterprise, and seek to present viable alternatives to each existing model for ministry with which they presently conflict.
Top of Page / Bottom
of Page / Contents /
Dedication / Introduction
I. THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CHRISTIAN
MINISTRY
II. ECCLESIOLOGY
III. ADDITIONAL DIMENSIONS OF MINISTRY
IV. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ORDAINED MINISTRY
BACKNOTES / BIBLIOGRAPHY
I. THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS
OF CHRISTIAN MINISTRYAccording to the Synoptic gospel tradition, upon being asked what commandment in the law was great, Jesus replied:
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. on these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.'
Several years ago, as a religion major in undergraduate school, I had an opportunity to conduct research in the field of comparative world religions. One of the most enlightening aspects of this stud was to discover that virtually every major religion in the world today teaches its own rendition of the commandment "love your neighbor."
As my study of Christianity progresses, however, I have come to appreciate more fully the unique character of that love which Jesus refers to in His message of salvation, in that it not only comes to us etymologically from "agape," but too, it finds its proper expression solely as being derived from the primordial commandment to "love the Lord your God." In this respect, the Christian teaching is distinctive throughout the history of religion in the world, for it is the only one I know of which expresses human concern as being uniquely initiated from one's relationship with the Deity. In his attempt to relate this aspect of Christianity, Carl Michalson once stated:
Nothing is dearer in all the Christian faith than this: the life of faith toward God is meant to bear fruit in works of love toward our fellow human beings.
As Michalson then sought to remove any ambiguity from his remarks, he went on to reiterate this thought in asserting that....
The life of faith in God is meant to be expressed in works of love toward our fellow human beings. Ask anyone who a Christian is. Chances are the answer will be that a Christian is a person who loves one's neighbor. 3
What Michalson has referred to as being "the life of faith in God," I choose to identify as being the "life of Christian discipleship," insofar as this life originates in an actively affirmative response of the will toward Jesus the Christ, in whom God has effected our salvation in that through His person we find ourselves being continually reconciled with the Deity.
In similar fashion, it is only insofar as this discipleship actively manifests itself in the world as "works of love toward our fellow human beings," that it becomes
"Christian ministry" in an inclusive sense. As such, it contemporaneously conveys the person and work of Jesus Christ in whom God has decisively displayed the divine will for all of humanity by means of agape love as it is found in these commandments alluded to above.The person of Jesus Christ, then, is that expression of the divine agape which God has revealed to humanity by means of the historical Jesus of Nazareth, that we may continually be reconciled with our Creator through our discipleship to Him.
The work of Jesus Christ is thereby continued by means of His disciples who perform Christian ministry in His name in order that the divine agape might 'continually be made known in the world as those actions which intentionally seek to reconcile human beings to God and to one another through the Holy Spirit who dwells within and among us. Agape is that love which actively seeks to convey both the person and work of Jesus the Christ, Who alone is able to effectively reconcile all of humanity to God and to each other.
Christian ministry is that human manifestation of Christian discipleship which seeks to actively make the divine agape available to all of humanity by works that effect reconciliation in the ongoing relations between God and humanity and within humanity itself. This ministry is decisively Christian in that its genesis and motivation for being, is founded in the Christ event, and because it is dependent upon the Holy Spirit's movement in human lives in order to realize concrete expression in fulfilling its intent in any given situation.
If received in this manner, it may be said of the Christian ministry that it entails those particular works (or actions) which are performed by Christian disciples in the world toward our fellow human beings as a service, which is perceived as being the natural result of our active and ongoing faith in Jesus Christ and in His teachings. Such service has many modes of existence. There are many gifts of the Holy Spirit within Christian disciples, and there are, equally, many needs to receive the benefits which such service provides.
Indeed, the very term "ministry" is etymologically derived from the Greek word for service, "diakovew," which is originally used in the New Testament in the sense of "waiting at table. 4 In his discussion of the Christian ministry as it was conducted in the primitive church, John Knox stated:
The Greek word for "ministry" is "diakonia;" and it is significant that this term was in New Testament times, as it is still, the most favored way of referring inclusively to the church's workers and their work.Knox goes on to assert:
The word (ministry), whether in Greek or English, means simply "service," and although it soon came to stand for a particular ecclesiastical office, the office of the deacon, its original more inclusive sense was never completely lost. 5
Here we do well to keep in mind that, again, as always, the prototype for the Christian ministry is Jesus Himself., for the New Testament paradigm for doing ministry is essentially based upon what our Lord taught His followers regarding His personal work in the world. We therefore note that when James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached Jesus in order to request a special place at His side upon entering into the Kingdom, Jesus utilizes the moment as an opportunity to instruct them regarding His mission in the world as
well as their own, saying:
You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.- For the Son of man-also came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.
By His reference to the Gentiles in His passage, Jesus is illustrating the fact that His followers are to adhere to His personal example in their conduct, and are not to base their actions upon the worldly relationship which exists between the one who serves and the one who is being served. He therefore establishes a new paradigm for human conduct based-upon agape rather than "eros" (in the strictly human sense of the term).
It should here be noted that although the Christian worker in the New Testament is sometimes referred to as being a "slave" (Greek - "doulos";), the inclusive sense of ministry which this paper seeks to establish is not to be seen in this way. The term "slave" implies a certain status or relationship which is absent in our consideration of ministry or service.
Knox puts it well in his assertion that....
...the slave is the property of his master, belongs utterly to him - whereas diakonia denotes not primarily a status (although this may be implied)
but a function the function of useful service. 7.
We might therefore say of Christian ministry that it functions in the world as a useful service of love based upon the commandments and teachings of the One who embodied the divine will and character in His own person and work by becoming the servant of all. His service to all continues by means of His Spirit, which is actively engaged in ministry today throughout the earth, in the lives of those who seek to follow His example and who therefore, both individually and collectively constitute His Body, the Church.
In short, We conduct ministry because we have been contended to do so by our Lord, Whom we seek to follow by means of our active response (faith) in His personal example which equips and empowers us to serve others lovingly through His Holy Spirit which dwells among and within us. We find fulfillment in life by means of such loving service because it effects a salvific relationship in our experience with God and with each other.
Top of Page / Bottom of Page / Contents /
Dedication / Introduction
I. THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CHRISTIAN
MINISTRY
II. ECCLESIOLOGY
III. ADDITIONAL DIMENSIONS OF MINISTRY
IV. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ORDAINED MINISTRY
BACKNOTES / BIBLIOGRAPHY
Traditionally the Church has come to be known as that gathered community (ekklesia) of Christian disciples who are called out in order to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, who have experienced both the rite of baptism upon entering into the life of the community, who have received the gift of God's Holy Spirit, and who unite regularly for common worship and celebration of the Eucharist. 8 Although I have no doubt as to the accuracy of this explanation, regarding the Church experientially, the fact remains that throughout the years, such explanations become theologically ambiguous as -our cultural expectations and perceptions undergo periodic revision in continual attempts to illustrate the relevance of the Church for the world in which we live.
Theologically I choose to refer to the Church as "The Body Of Christ In The World" based upon the Pauline understanding found in the apostle's analogy between the Church and the human organism, saying:
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the 'body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.' For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - Jews or Greeks,-slaves or free - and all were made to drink
of one Spirit....Paul goes on to assert:
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 10
As the "Body of Christ," the Christian Church is unified by means of the resurrected Lord who is in the midst of its life and work through the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, Who effects the ministry of reconciliation among its people, and Who equips and empowers all disciples for service. As it exists in the world, the Body of Christ is composed of human beings who, because of the nature of their willingness to actively give of themselves to one another and to the world in Christian ministry, have experienced the grace of God through Christ Jesus, their Lord and Redeemer.
Such grace can occur when we least expect it. For example, following a Sunday service not long ago, a frequent visitor to our church approached me. She remarked that the "assurance of pardon" was especially meaningful for her that morning. As I expressed my gratitude for her willingness to share the experience with me, I realized that, during the moment which was so meaningful for her, my own thoughts were directed to the 'children's story' which was to follow. In other words, while I was personally wrapped up in the "mechanics" of the service, God used the moment, in spite of my preoccupation, to speak directly to her situation. From her remarks ' it was obvious that she felt reconciled to God that morning, and her willingness to share this experience established a similar situation between our two lives. I felt that, for the moment, any walls which had existed between us were removed, and a sense of 'community' now permeated our relationship with one another and with God. If such occurrences unfold when we least expect them, then surely, they will emerge with certain regularity once we learn to anticipate their arrival in our lives.
Insofar as the people of God, who comprise the Church, experience the grace of God in the realm of their daily existence, they are (in my opinion) reconciled to God and to each other by means of their faith in the Christ event. This is a salvific experience which continually seeks fulfillment in human life by the epiphany of our Lord in the life-situation (Sitz im Leben) of His people. As such, salvation cannot be understood in terms of an event which takes place once-for-all in the life of any disciple, but must be seen as an active process in which the risen Christ continually seeks to convey the divine agape within the experiential realm of His followers that they, in turn, might reflect this love to all of humanity by means of their personal and corporate Christian ministry. To view salvation in this way is to understand the Christian experience as a life-giving process wherein one continually seeks to adhere more fully to the person and work of Jesus Christ, and so experience the fulfillment which takes place when the divine agape is appropriated in human existence. The absence of such an experience throughout life is what I choose to regard as being sin. Because a human being has the capacity to choose between actively responding to God's agape in Jesus Christ by means of faith in the Christ-event, or to prevent such salvific interludes from entering into their personal experience in choosing to refuse this Divine offer of spiritual fulfillment (even if such a decision is reached by means of human lassitude regarding the Divine initiative) the individual assumes responsibility for the manner in which his/her life is to be endured. To actively respond to the Christ-event in a positive way by means of faith, is thereby to choose for a life of grace rather than sin; to actively seek out the divine will for one's life on a moment-to-moment basis, and thus to decide for a life-giving, as opposed to a life negating existence. Such faith can only come about in a person's life once they have chosen to give of themselves completely to a life of Christian discipleship, which entails an active and consistent attempt to appropriate the teachings and commandments of our Lord into each aspect of human existence, as well as to continually seek to give more of themselves to God in obedience to His will and to their fellow human beings in useful service which responds to human need, however that need is perceived to exist.
I readily concur with Carl Michalson in this regard, as he says:
...the most important thing is not to know God's will complete certainty, but to know God's will (to seek it) is the most important thing. People divide not between those who know God's will and those who do not, but between those who seek God's will and those who do not ... This is the way we exist, as people of faith, in the Christian sense ... to know that God is our guardian. 11
Having stated all of the above, it remains to be said that my view of the Church is contingent upon the belief that it is to function in the world as that Divine agency which seeks to enjoin all people to become reconciled to God and to each other by means of experiencing salvific life through Jesus Christ, relying solely upon the movement of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the world as that force which, alone, can effect such an experience in human life. This is the Body of Christ in the world.
As a human institution which exists in the midst of society, and which is influenced by cultural expectations, the Church has evolved as an organized and articulate organism whose order is essential to insure that the function or its service to members and to the world may be performed in a continuous and ongoing fashion. For this reason, the Church has established and maintains certain ecclesiastical offices, and has been ordered according to a polity which seeks to assist the Body in its ongoing ministry as well as to prevent any deviation of its mission in the world from taking place. This is not to assert in any fashion that the ecclesiastical order permits us to view its manifestation in the Church as being distinct from the Body's reconciliatory purpose in the world. Far from it. Regardless of any difference which can be pointed out between the ordering of offices and polity among the Christian Churches in our own cultural situation, I believe we do well to learn from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's assertion as to the manner in which such articulation exists in the Church:
When we speak of the Church as the Body of Christ, we include its articulation and order. These are essential to the Body and are of divine appointment ... An unarticulated body is doomed to perish.
Bonhoeffer goes on:
Church order is divine both in origin and character, though of course it is meant to serve and not to rule. The offices of the Church are 'ministries'. They are appointed in the Church of God by Christ and by the Holy Spirit. They are not appointed by the Church. Even where the Church makes itself responsible for distributing offices, it does so only under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Both ministry and Church spring from the triune God. The offices exist to serve the Church, and their spiritual rights only originate from this service. That is why the Church has to adapt its offices to the varying needs of time and place.
Viewed in this way, Church organization is given the theological significance which it deserves, for its officers
and members recognize that such articulation exists in order to enhance Christian ministry and discipleship and not merely to 'conform' with those operative models which other human institutions employ in order to function. Officers and members alike, come to appreciate the fact that regardless
of the outward forms and internal polity which the Church maintains, all those concerned remain accountable to their faith, and so, to their Lord in matters of conduct and discipline within the Body of Christ in the world. It is therefore essential, in my opinion, for each local community of faith to possess the freedom necessary to design and implement the forms and policies which prove to be most conducive for conducting the ministry of service to Christ and to each other in their particular situations.Although reference was made at the outset of this section regarding the Traditional forms which the gathered community of faith has taken along its historical path, I feel as though this portion of my work would remain incomplete without additional reflection regarding these forms. For example, while I understand that the traditional form of worship is regarded as involving acts of liturgical celebration, prayer, and thanksgiving 'Within the local Church sanctuary, I have chosen to view this aspect of the Church's life as being a time for personal and corporate renewal of spirituality and purpose of ministry. I have thereby come to refer to such weekly gatherings as "Services for Renewal" in preparation for doing worship throughout the week, out in the world. While the familiar ingredients of proclaiming the Gospel, administering the Sacraments, and prayer remain, they take on new and vital significance when seen as being a time of fellowship (koinonia) in communion with God and each other through Jesus Christ. Worship then becomes those acts of celebration and thanksgiving which take place in the everydayness of life between human beings who seek to discover the will of God in their relations with one another.
It is my belief that while such changes are experienced as subtle in the life of the Church, they do a great deal to enhance the corporate sense of ministry which a Church must seek to establish in the lives of its people if they are to experience and reflect the divine agape in the midst of daily existence. For this reason, I personally feel as though the sometimes deliberate distinction between the 'sacred' and the 'secular' realms of human existence which are drawn as the Church seeks to convey its sense of purpose to the world, are in fact, arbitrary. The more I study the New Testament, the more arbitrary and even false this distinction seems, for it appears to negate the wholeness of the Christian life which the earliest followers of Jesus experienced.
I feel as though this integration of life is essential to
Christian discipleship, and that the responsibility for such
an understanding lies with the Church as that witness to the Incarnation which can effect a real change in the ways which people view their life-situation. While Bonhoeffer speaks extensively to this point in his volume, Life Together, he also gives a succinct account regarding this wholeness as it was experienced by the first Disciples in his work, The Cost of Discipleship:
The fellowship between Jesus and his disciples covered every aspect of their daily life. Within the fellowship of Christ's disciples the life of each individual was part of the life of the brotherhood. This common life bears living testimony to the concrete humanity of the Son of God. The bodily presence of God demands that for him and with him man should stake his own life in his daily existence. With all the concreteness of his bodily existence, man belongs to him who for his sake took upon him the human body. In the Christian life the individual disciple and the body of Jesus belong inseparably together. 14
Personal wholeness in the Biblical sense can once again
find a place of integrity within our society if the Church both individually and collectively is willing to incorporate it into its faith and practice as it once had done for all people. Liturgically, I can conceive of a faith and practice which uniquely draws from the life-situation of its people in order
to find concrete Expression and form. This may take the form of celebration with regard to the birth of a child who has, in coming, given a source of blessing to a family, a Church, and potentially to all people of the world. Such celebrations could serve as the genesis for renewed edification regarding the meaning of baptism and initiation into the community of faith.Perhaps liturgies could be devised annually which would seek to offer thanks to God for vocational advancement and/or meritorious service. These are merely small thoughts regarding ways in which the Church might begin to establish wholeness among its people once again. The need for such wholeness in our society seems acute, for without it, false distinctions between the sacred' and 'secular' realms of life will continue to flourish.
Top of Page / Bottom of Page / Contents /
Dedication / Introduction
I. THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CHRISTIAN
MINISTRY
II. ECCLESIOLOGY
III. ADDITIONAL DIMENSIONS OF MINISTRY
IV. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ORDAINED MINISTRY
BACKNOTES / BIBLIOGRAPHY
III. ADDITIONAL DIMENSIONS
OF MINISTRYUnless one has been asleep for 100 years as the well known children's tale asserts, one cannot help realizing that our society is increasingly one which allows for a plurality of basic world views to emerge and flourish. While I do not feel personally equipped to evaluate this phenomenon fully, it does seem to be of central significance to the work of Christian ministry and the person of the Christian minister in our-Western culture, for as such division of thought enters our lives, the task of existing with a sense of purpose and direction grows more difficult each year.
In addition, the minister's function increasingly revolves around the hermeneutical task regarding the actual appropriateness for those services which he/she has been trained to perform. As such vital concerns continue to manifest themselves, the minister is compelled to devote more and more time and energy toward the study of various human world views and come to terms with the place and role which his/her particular gifts may have in the midst ;f an ever-changing scenario. (Such decisions must, of course, involve the position of the divine agape within the world in terms of service, and it is herein that I believe we find the appropriate function for doing ministry in our current situation. Regardless of humanity's fluidity of thought, the need for people to experience the ministry of reconciliation continues.)
This is not to say that more traditional aspects of ministry will not be with us for long. I indeed feel as though they will continue to play an important part in the community of faith, even if they are perceived in new and somewhat different ways.
Admittedly, I cannot know with any degree of certainty what changes in ministry will take place at any given period ahead. However, I am able to speak to those areas which I perceive to be in the greatest need of change at the present time.
Speaking out of my personal experience, I feel as though
one of the greatest concerns for the Christian ministry is
for the ecclesiastical hierarchy to become much more accountable to those local congregations which it exists to serve. As mentioned previously, while there is a recognizable need for order and articulation within the Church, its leaders and officers exist in order to serve the Body and not to rule it. As I currently perceive the traditional mainline Protestant denominations, and as I have experienced ministry in the context of the United Presbyterian Church, I cannot feel as though the hierarchy views its role as being one of service to the Body of Christ. Although their dogma and theological rhetoric remains intact, time and again, their actions do little to manifest the divine agape in the lives of the saints who have been entrusted to their care.Perhaps this lack of service can be most readily seen in
the artificial divisions which have been so imposed upon
the relations between individual congregations, that they have indeed become real sources of division over the years. I am specifically speaking to the unhealthy and totally inaccurate understanding of what constitutes a 'successful' ministry and a 'successful' Church situation.In an age which is seemingly preoccupied with seeking to create a legitimate basis for doing anything by means of social status, political power, economic worth and size of constituency, it has become all too easy for the ecclesiastical hierarchy to create within itself a false sense of what is of real importance. While such generalizations cannot and should not apply to every aspect of each ecclesiastical order, the manifestation of such attitudes have, by and large, come to be realized throughout the mainline Protestant Church in recent years.
As I have not yet had the opportunity to fully engage in the higher Judicatories of the Church, I feel it is appropriate to restrict my remarks to the local Church level, where increasingly, such attitudes have been hard felt. This can
take place, and in fact does, in a variety of ways, especially with regard to congregations which are composed of less than 200 members. Regarding this misplacement of priorities, Arthur C. Tennies states:
Large churches have been perceived as better
and more desirable than smaller ones, especially small, rural congregations. Large churches can afford to pay their pastors more and are usually more willing to do so. Large churches are likely to have a pool of trained leaders. Large churches are more likely to have a significant number of professional people and executives whose life-styles and experiences are closer to those
of educated ministers ... In short, the large church approximates society's definition of success
better than the small one. 15
Having experienced ministry in both kinds of Church settings during my experience in theological school, has made me aware of the real problem this has become in the life and work of the small congregation. Many such churches feel as though they have been abandoned by their leaders in favor of larger settings with which they could not possibly hope to compete. As a result, small Churches have come to adopt an inferiority syndrome which is difficult at best to overcome. My personal feeling is that since there are so many of these small congregations scattered throughout every major denomination, leaders could do a great deal more in seeking to develop relevant resources for these people. The Church which relies upon a four to six member staff of untrained teachers could not possibly utilize a curriculum which presupposes all of the grade-level divisions normally found in the larger Church. This is but one small example of the type of change which will have to take place in order for the entire Body of Christ to fulfill its potential. Of course, the irony of this situation is that while the larger Churches have to spend thousands of dollars and hours each year in order to provide their members with the type of small group interaction which is conducive for-spiritual growth, the small Church has usually, to a great extent, already achieved such a posture by the very nature of its setting.
Tennies goes on to assert:
In a variety of ways, small and large churches are different. Each has its peculiar role to play in the ministry and mission of Christ's body in the world. Since each is faced with differing challenges and social settings, no church is to be judged on the basis of its resemblance to another. It is to be judged on the fulfillment of its calling in light of its resources and setting. Each church, regardless of size, contributes to the life of the whole body of Christ. 'Neither the large nor the small church need be ashamed of itself or judge itself or the other to be inferior. "This is a sound theological and sociological basis for evaluating churches of all sizes and for constructing our images of them. 16
I categorically agree with Tennies, and while I imagine that most ecclesiastical officials would verbally assent to his remarks as well, the real test of that affirmation will be in the manifestation of new and innovative means of resourcing
all of the Churches charged to their care, and an equal demonstration of a basic shift in their own collective world-view which will serve to insure that the situation does not arise at some future date in similar fashion. In short, if officials of the church truly believe that the power to govern is derived from the consent of the governed, then they must continually earn this consent by making themselves more accountable to those being governed. I believe this can be accomplished by intentionally opening new channels of communication between ecclesiastical leaders at all levels, and the individual communities of faith which they exist in order to serve. Once this has been done, leaders must then remain responsive to the 'new voices' being heard, regardless of the number of constituents each voice represents. If such accountability necessitates a fundamental change in the existing policy of any particular church's hierarchy -- so be it!
Top of Page / Bottom of Page / Contents /
Dedication / Introduction
I. THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CHRISTIAN
MINISTRY
II. ECCLESIOLOGY
III. ADDITIONAL DIMENSIONS OF MINISTRY
IV. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ORDAINED MINISTRY
BACKNOTES / BIBLIOGRAPHY
IV. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ORDAINED MINISTRY
As alluded to above, the ecclesiastical office came into being in order to serve the people of faith. This is, in basic terms, my current understanding of the ordained ministry. Difficulty arises only in the attempt to articulate the manner and method which such service should take in order to fulfill its Christian responsibilities regarding the provision of a framework in which the Christ-event may be individually and collectively experienced by people of faith in the realm of the Church and in their everyday experience.
The Apostle Paul gives insight into this consideration, at least for my personal edification, in saying:
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us All, who is above all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 17
The implications of this passage for Christian ministry, in my opinion, deal with the Christocentric unity of the Church in that the gift of God through Jesus Christ has been given to all of humanity. While this affirmation has been no stranger to the Church's confessional statements in the past, the fact remains that we are still confronted with the unhealthy posture of exclusivity among many of our brothers and sisters in that the joy of serving one another has ended wherever doctrinal distinction begins. This reference is not made with regard to such hierarchical courtesy as participation in the National and World Councils, but rather is being made due to the absence of cooperative efforts at the local community levels between existing congregations, who could do a great deal more to experience a genuinely shared approach to ministry which would enhance the performance of service within towns and cities as well as to deepen the expression of Christian unity among those persona who participate in such an undertaking.
To be sure, there are congregations in each denomination which do currently engage in such cooperative efforts with nearby communities of faith, however, it is my feeling that similar arrangements must be actively sought out in the future with a high degree of intentionally if the Christian ministry is to continue to be perceived as a viable service to members of a given municipality.
Perhaps an even greater implication for doing ministry as regards the grace of God given to all, has to do with the internal affairs of the local congregation and the role of the ordained cleric. Herein I am referring specifically to the doctrine of the "priesthood of all believers" which has been proclaimed time and again within the Church with regard to the member's responsibility to financially support the Church's program and maintenance needs, yet which rarely comes to include the individual's responsibility to directly participate in the ongoing ministry of the church in the world on an individual basis. I feel as though it is important for Churches to seek out new ways in which to involve their members in service to their local and nearby towns, as well as to provide opportunities for financial contributions toward mission projects which are removed from the local setting. It is one thing for a person to take three minutes in order to write out a check which will go towards feeding the hungry overseas, and indeed, a much needed activity. Yet it is of equal importance for that person to be offered opportunities to spend time with others in service to their local community, readying parks and playgrounds for the summer months, giving time to disadvantaged children, and the like. The cleric can play an important part in this process by actively seeking out such opportunities, and also by actively participating in them as they arise.
In like fashion, it is my opinion that the ordained ministry exists in order to enable others to minister. This is of primary importance to this theological enterprise, for, if nothing else, the ordained ministry must continually be that office which is staffed with men and women who are not personally threatened by the prospect of having individuals in their congregations who, given an opportunity to do so, can minister equally well in a given situation. In fact, I see the role of the local pastor as being primarily one of teaching and administration, insofar as that individual's expertise in the areas of ministry are imparted to the members of the Church and then effectively mobilized in order to meet the needs of people by serving them. 18 To be sure, the traditional functions of the pastorate such as preaching and administering the Sacraments will continue far into the future. Yet I cannot help but believe that there is a great deal to be said in favor of the laity going on to perform a more active role in these areas as well as in others. If we are all ministers then perhaps the time has come for allowing the people of God to perform ministry within the Body of. Christ according to their own gifts and abilities.
I see no reason for the clergy to continually exclude lay persons from performing those functions to which they have been called as disciples of Christ Jesus. In fact, when it comes to the "priesthood of all believers," I virtually see no reason for the ordained ministry at all! In other words, since all have been called by Christ to perform the ministry of service to others, all are divinely ordained to do so. While the integrity of Church Tradition should be maintained, I feel it could be equally so without a rite of ordination for the clergy alone.
All of this is not to say that what has come to be experienced as the pastoral office should be eliminated. Not at all. What I do assert is that one's preparation for ministry as a pastor takes place in one's formal theological training in conjunction with an accredited seminary which provides that academic and field learning appropriate for the development of ministerial skills, and not solely with the laying on of hands. If ordination continues as that area of Christian tradition which recognizes, in a formal capacity, those who have been called out by God as Ministers, then by all means let us extend the laying on of our hands to all of God's Ministers, and not merely to a few.
The pastoral office must continue to be held by those who have been divinely called to it, and who are able to demonstrate that they possess the necessary gifts and have developed the appropriate skills in order to serve the Body of Christ in this manner. Yet I do not feel as though the one who is called to the Christian pastorate necessarily requires a ceremony which sets him/her apart from those saints who have an equal share in the ministerial enterprise. For this reason I cannot help feeling as though Ordination, as we currently experience it in the Church, is divisive in the Body of Christ in that it serves to negate the "priesthood of all believers" in our common experience of ministry. If offices exist within the Church in order to serve, rather than rule, then perhaps we would do well to revise our current practice regarding the rite of ordination so as to include the laity in this liturgical experience.
The concept of ministry as service for the person of the cleric (pastor) requires both a Scriptural and a functional paradigm in order to become a viable alternative for the Church. I believe that Paul has provided the former in stating:
And his (Christ's) gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood., to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. 19
Similarly, Henri Nouwen has provided the latter:
Since it is his (the minister's) task to make visible the first vestiges of liberation for others, he must bind his own wounds carefully in anticipation of the moment when he will be needed. He is called to be the wounded healer, the one who must look after his own wounds but at the same time be prepared to heal the wounds of others. 20
It is my belief that ministry as service can be clearly articulated by means of the wounded healer paradigm, and that, in this way, the saints can best be equipped for the work of ministry and the Body of Christ will, in turn, be built up so as to attain the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Such leadership is dynamic, and is literally bursting with new possibilities for the Church in our day.
Regarding such leadership, Nouwen states:
A Christian leader is not a leader because he announces a new idea and tries to convince others of its worth; he is a leader because he faces the world with eyes full of expectation, with the expertise to take away the veil that covers its hidden potential. Christian leadership is called ministry precisely to express that in the service of others new life can be brought about. It is this service which gives eyes to see the flower breaking through the cracks in the street, ears to hear a word of forgiveness muted by hatred and hostility, and hands to feel new life under the cover of death and destruction. 21
For the person of the minister, ministry as service-in the form of a wounded healer is my notion of what is necessary in the Church today in order for one to be an effective pastor. Such a model has implications for every function of the Minister; as a teacher, pastoral counselor, administrator, preacher, prophet, priest and as a community leader.
In my mind, the minister as wounded healer is one who has deliberately chosen to 'march to the beat of a different drummer' in that he/she has experienced a "Vision" which promises to provide an abundant life for all who seek to live according to that "Vision" in the everydayness of their existence. This "Vision" is none other than the person and work of Jesus the Christ, who
offers the possibility of completeness to those who are willing to responsibly follow His example, which includes being wounded as well as being healed. And so, the minister who serves others in the name of Jesus is one who reveals his/ her personal wounds to others, as well as being one who bears witness to the possibility of having those wounds healed, in every function which he/she performs.
As a teacher, the wounded healer is one who continually seeks to move beyond the realm of simply imparting an external body of knowledge to others. One who is purposefully following the example of Jesus, is one who does not become threatened at the prospect of his/her true self emerging in the midst of the teaching process. In this way, the wounded healer recognized that it is only in becoming vulnerable, that one is able to truly learn from others and appreciate their worth. This enables new insight to emerge in the life of each participant, and so, both permits and encourages real learning to take place as it did between those first disciples and their Teacher.
As a pastoral caller/counselor, the wounded healer cares for the wounds of others in making his/her own wounds visible as well. In this way, the "demons" of our age, such as loneliness, alienation and despair (to name a few) are identified as being those life experiences which prevent one from enjoying the abundant life which has been promised. Once identified, these 'demons' can be 'exorcised' as they become accepted, understood, and shared by others. When this takes place, the need to deny our wounds no longer exists, and so we experience new possibilities for healing to emerge. In many cases, the wounded healer must also be one who recognizes his/her own limitations, and so is able to act responsibly by referring people to other types of 'healers' who are perhaps better equipped to care for the particular kinds of wounds which these people experience.
As an administrator, the wounded healer lives in a creative tension between the organizational skills necessary for his/her community of faith to effectively function, and the spiritual dimensions which his/her vision provides. This tension enables the pastor to maintain an appropriate posture which continually seeks to serve the Body of Christ and the world. Such an individual is able to provide leadership in a creative and effective way. By utilizing his/her resources and abilities from all other functions, the pastor is able to identify the wounds of his/her organization, and so, promote healing in order to "build up the body of Christ." In similar fashion, the type of administrator this paradigm suggests is one who serves to "equip the saints for the work of ministry" by developing and encouraging the leadership skills of his/her people, and then by orchestrating the implementation of these additional resources, that the community of faith may function most effectively.
As a preacher, the wounded healer is one who goes beyond simple rhetoric in order to personally engage the community of faith dialogically. The task of such dynamic preaching is to articulate wounds experienced personally and by the community of faith, as well as to-express the possibilities for healing which such experiences provide. In doing so, the preacher proclaims the fullness of the Gospel which projects his/her vision of the Christ-event, relying upon the Holy Spirit to enable his/her hearers to appropriate this good news in their lives, and so, to move from the 'death' of sin towards salvific interludes of abundant life which lie ahead in responsible acts of discipleship. The preaching-event therefore remains utterly dependent upon the grace of God in order to manifest itself as a transforming power in the lives of those who hear the good news being proclaimed.
As a prophet, the wounded healer actively engages in the hermeneutical task alluded to above, wherein-he/she seeks to discover the place and role which his/her vision of the Christ-event can and should have in the life-situation of the particular community of faith being served. This paradigm presupposes that this prophet is one who has personally engaged the community of faith-.and their municipality in dialogical fashion, both physically and spiritually. The struggles and conclusions experienced in the prophetic function find articulation in the other functions of preaching, teaching, pastoral care, and especially in various forms of community service.
As a priest, the wounded healer provides the community of faith with spiritual leadership. This he/she does in the form of a celebrant who guides the liturgical expressions of the community of faith, so as to enable each participant to truly celebrate every aspect of human existence. As expressed by Nouwen:
The Christian minister is the one whose vocation is to make it possible for man not only to fully face his human situation, but also to celebrate it in all its awesome reality. 22
Thus the liturgy of each particular community of faith must continually seek to reflect the common life situations of community members, so as to provide each participant with a personal and corporate vision of the Christ-event for their own lives. Such a vision must be relevant to each aspect of human experience in order for the manifestation of Christ to be discernible by persons of faith in moments of grief and sorrow, as well as in times of joy. The benedictory formula which I personally set forth during weekly "services for renewal' states:
May the grace of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you all; in your going out and in your coming in, in your lying down and in your rising up, in your labor and in your leisure, in your laughter as well as in your tears, until that day when you too, come to stand before Jesus in His glorious Kingdom wherein the sun neither rises, nor sets. Amen.
It remains to be said that, as alluded to in the above discussion regarding ordination, I see no reason for the pastor as priest to prevent other members of the community from actively participating in liturgical expressions as celebrants according to their own gifts and abilities. The same is being asserted regarding each function of ministry, if that ministry is truly to be one of service for all.
Finally, as a community leader, the wounded healer is one who must be able to integrate his/her skill and ability from every other function of ministry. In this way, he/she is able to provide leadership in guiding the community of faith towards the direction which best enables its members to bear witness to the Christ-event by means of benevolent acts in their own municipality and in the world. Such missionary efforts enable people of faith to project the divine Agape throughout the earth, and therefore to heal the wounds of many. This missionary function of the ministry is perhaps the most acutely needed in the world today. The paradigm for such service remains the person and work of the Christ, which can continue through us.
Such a model for ministry insures the accountability and responsiveness of the pastor to his/her people as well as serving as a catalyst for the divine agape to be perceived in the everydayness of people's lives by means of the grace of God through Jesus Christ, who dwells among and within us. Such leadership provides renewed vision and hope in the midst of despair based upon real possibilities for experiencing salvation and reconciliation on a moment to moment basis.
While the wounded healer serves the community of faith by hermeneutically articulating the wounds which are caused in a pluralistic society, he/she too, serves as a catalyst for healing in possessing the ability, to point beyond the wounds, toward the
One Who says:
Behold, I make all things new. 24
And He does! Not sometime in the future, but now. Not once our pain has passed away, but in the midst of it!
Do it, Lord!
Top of Page / Bottom of Page / Contents /
Dedication / Introduction
I. THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CHRISTIAN
MINISTRY
II. ECCLESIOLOGY
III. ADDITIONAL DIMENSIONS OF MINISTRY
IV. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ORDAINED MINISTRY
BACKNOTES / BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Matthew 22:37-40
2. Michalson, Carl The Witness of Radical Faith,
p. 95. Nashville, Tenn. Tidings, 1974.3. Ibid., p. 96.
4. Kittel, G. Theological Dictionary of the Greek New Testament. L Vol.II, p. 84.
5. Knox, John "The Ministry in the Primitive Church", p. 1. The Ministry In Historical Perspectives, Niebuhr & Williams, eds. New York, N.Y. Harper & Brothers, 1956.
6. Mark 10:42-45
7. Knox, p.2.
8. Harvey, Van "Church" A Handbook of Theological Terms, p. 51. New York, N.Y. The Macmillan Company, 1964.
9. I Corinthians 12:12-13
10. I Corinthians 12:27
11. Michalson, p.22.
12. Bonhoeffer, D. The Cost of Discipleship, p.226.
New York, N.Y. The Macmillan Company, 1972.13. Ibid., p. 227.
14. Ibid., pp. 228-229.
15. Tennies, A. "The Real and the Unreal: Social and Theological Images of the Small Church", Small Churches Are Beautiful. J. Carroll, ed., p. 68. San Francisco, California. Harper & Row, Publishers, 1977.
16. Ibid., p. 69.
17. Ephesians 4:4-7
18. In this context, perhaps pastoral care is best performed in the pastor's ability to enable the local community of faith to care for itself (although, no doubt, individual counseling will still be performed as well.)
19. Ephesians 4:11-13
20. Nouwen, H. The Wounded Healer, p. 84.
Garden City, N.Y. Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1972.21. Ibid., p. 75.
22. Nouwen, H. Creative Ministry P. 94.
Garden City, N.Y. Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1978.
23. Including the administration of the sacraments in
the
belief that grace is conveyed to each participant
regardless of the celebrant's station in life.
24. Revelation 21:5
1. Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Life Together.
New York, N.Y. Harper & Row, Publishers, 1954.2. Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship.
New York, N.Y. The Macmillan Company, 1972.3. Carroll, Jackson W., Ed. Small Churches Are Beautiful. San Francisco, California. Harper & Row, Publishers, 1977.
4. Harvey, Van. A Handbook of Theological Terms.
New York, N.Y. The Macmillan Company, 1964.5. Knox, John. "The Ministry In the Primitive Church",
pp. 1-26. The Ministry In Historical Perspectives.6. Kittel, G.,-Ed- "diakonia", Vol. II, pp. 81-93.
"ekklesia'', Vol. III, pp. 502-536.
Theological dictionary of the Greek New Testament.7. Michalson, Carl. The Witness of Radical Faith.
Nashville, Tenn. Tidings, 1974.
8. Nouwen, Henri. Creative Ministry
Garden City, N.Y. Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1978.9. Nouwen, Henri. The Wounded Healer.
Garden City, N.Y. Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1972.
Top of Page / Bottom of Page / Contents /All Scriptural passages have been quoted from the
Revised Standard Version of The Holy Bible.
Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zondervan Publishing House, 1946.
Dedication / Introduction
I. THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
II. ECCLESIOLOGY
III. ADDITIONAL DIMENSIONS OF MINISTRY
IV. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ORDAINED MINISTRY
BACKNOTES / BIBLIOGRAPHY
© 1998, 1999 by J.S. Vuocolo. All rights reserved.