Becoming a "Living Exegesis"

For a little background- This paper is dealing with the Gorman text as we are called to become a living exegesis. Essentially Gorman here is talking about living out the revelations that God gives us through exegesis (close reading) of the Bible. Enjoy!

Nathan Goldbloom

Seattle Pacific University

Theo 6010

October 20, 2010

What is a living exegesis?

Gorman calls for congregations to become “living exegesis”.[1] As living exegesis the community would embody the sacred text in their lives, becoming transformed. Understanding this call raises the question what practices help to form a living exegesis? The foundation of becoming a living exegesis rests on communal and individual discernment accomplished in conjunction with the Holy Spirit that leads to discipleship. Leaders will model these practices through their own discipleship, servant leadership, incarnational living, and vision.

The most crucial practice in a living exegesis is discernment. In practicing discernment the community listens to the Spirit by asking critical questions and ruminating on the sacred text. Brothers and sisters in Christ are required for this as we can often mistake God’s word.[2] The spiritual practice of prayer is crucial in discerning God’s message for a community. By starting with a practice of discernment we allow for the Holy Spirit to work.

For true discernment to take place a community needs to cultivate their faith through intentional faith development. This may be cultivated through Bible studies, prayer groups, “class meetings”, worship services, serving others/poor, or simply living life together in Christian community. The community no longer stays content in a static faith, but starts a pilgrimage together towards God’s kingdom.[3] This cultivation allows God to penetrate our biases and hardened hearts.

When the community has discerned what it is that God is saying through a passage then comes the task of bringing life to the interpretation. What good would it be to discern what it is God is calling only to do the opposite? Even when we know what it is that God is calling us to we still fail to follow through. Many denominations have a confessional prayer in worship services to help remind us of this difficulty.[4] These confessional prayers remind us that we are not alone in living out God’s word. Support of others is necessary to make it possible. As a result the practice of discipleship is essential to becoming a living exegesis.

Discipleship is about accepting and following God’s will with obedience, discipline, and accountability. When we follow God’s word we must be obedient to this call, responding with a “yes” as the faithful in the Bible did.[5] It takes conviction to live out God’s revelations from the Bible. This discipline to stay true to the discerned exegesis amidst strife, persecution, or apathy becomes essential to embodying the Word. Accountability, having support and reminders of purpose from others, helps all to persevere even though the pilgrimage becomes difficult. Communal practices invite the Spirits continual guidance and discernment.

If this is what it takes for a church to become living exegesis then what does leadership look like in cultivating a living exegesis? The leadership will need to model four key attributes: discipleship, servant, incarnational, and vision. Modeling discipleship is done humbly in daily incarnational living. Leaders will teach discipleship practices through relationships and through formal teaching. By becoming servants, leaders teach through modeling faithful exegetical living. Vision is then communicated at all opportunities through the guidance of the Spirit in formal settings and in everyday life.

The Seattle FFMC job description presented many leadership qualities, but failed to promote several key practices. The church recognizes that the pastor is on a spiritual journey. “Pervasive immersion in scripture” is cited which helps provide vision and the Spirit’s discernment. Finally, the congregation already demonstrated discernment by prayerfully considering what it was that they needed in a head pastor.

The job description goes on to hint that the congregation desires a lead pastor to step in and take away their responsibility in the process of becoming a living exegesis. This is made evident by the passive language statements like wanting someone who “wins others involvement.” A church needs to be engaged the discernment and discipleship associated with being a living exegesis.

These practices and qualities help a community to become a living exegesis. As a living exegesis we then can become transformed into Christ’s Body and participate in the Missio Dei.

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[1] Michael J. Gorman. Elements of Biblical Exegesis: A Basic Guide for Students and Ministers. (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2009), 163.

[2] 1 Samuel 3:1-9

[3] Darrell L. Guder, Editor. Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eedmans Publishing Company, 1998), 206.

[4] Our Catholic Faith. “Penitential Rite.” http://www.ourcatholicfaith.org/mass/penitentialrite.html (accessed October 25, 2010).

[5] Examples of Biblical saints to say yes: Abraham- Genesis 12, Jeremiah 1, Simon, Andrew, James and John- Mark 1:14-20.

Faith In Action

Right now I am writing a workshop for High School teens called "Faith In Action." As with all things in faith I so often think I know where to go and what needs to be said and then God swoops in and lets me know other wise.

Today I continued doing some research on some aspects and tenets that change service into Christian service (or faith in action). I have looked at key pieces like love, solidarity, and justice. I have quotes from many famous leaders from Mother Teresa to Gandhi about these aspects. Today I started reading more of Henri Nouwen and it opened my eyes.

The perspective I had going into this was how do we "do" faith in action. What do we need to have as apart of it. Nouwen writes in "In the Name of Jesus," a book about Christian leadership, about allowing God to heal us. He is referencing the loneliness and despair that come in ministry, but the principle rings true.

The first step, that I was missing, is not that we have love, vision, great ideals, but a humbled heart ready to be served. If I am not ready to be served and loved then how am I supposed to show others? This first step becomes acknowledging the needs, spiritually dry spots, and desperate cries in our own life. When we deny this we are trying to stay in control. We are faking who we are and denying our desperate need for God.

If we can not open up our own needs and cries to God then how are we to obey. The only one we are willing to obey there is ourselves and that keeps us in Service and away from Christian service. When we serve ourselves and our own needs there is no Christ in what we do.

Faith in and of itself is taking a leap to where we have no proof, we go beyond the easily observable and trust. It is that open trust that is necessary when serving so that we do not end up serving our self. I have been with teens that have articulated that they serve because it gives them fuzzy feelings. The service is not about God and a response to Christs love and sacrifice, but an altar to our own ego. When we take the Holy Spirit into our lives we start to give up our own control is when we can finally put our faith into action.

Thank you God for helping me remember that for my faith to be in action I must first trust and obey your Spirit's leading in my life.

Holy Spirit

Lately, I have been reading a book by Frances Chan called "Forgotten God." This book revolves around the Holy Spirit and how we often forget about this crucial part of our Triune God. While I have been touched about how often I do forget about the Spirit, last night two things stuck out to me while reading.

The first is this perception in Christianity that if I am not lead where I do not want to go then I am not really doing God's work. I found this often while on campus at Azusa Pacific. There was this feeling as though we were all being judged of if we gave up everything and went some place to serve. Not just this but it had to be a place we did not want to go.

This became a dominant Christian narrative on campus, just like having a single moment where you became a follower of Jesus, or you went on coffee dates. The feel began to be this have and have-nots of followers. I realize most of this is just perceived, but it became very frustrating.

I found myself torn as I wanted to do that also. I wanted to go abroad and give up time in my life just to serve and nothing else. The problem is that is not who God created me to be. Now I imagine people responding back, "How do you know that?" It has been confirmed to me again and again. I contract just about every illness I come into contact with. Every trip to a poverty stricken area I end up coming down with a serious illness. I had a 102 temperature from another mission to Mexico, where I also contracted Tuberculosis. And on another Mexico mission I ended up puking for days. Once, is just a chance, multiple times and I believe something is trying to be communicated.

In the end the perspective that we all MUST go aboard to serve God is just false. Some are called to go, and others to stay. The important part is serving with all your heart.

The second thing that we often forget that the Spirit is right there to walk with every day. Jesus told us the spirit would be better than having Him around. Personally, I do not act like that. I yearn to have Jesus with me. I forget about the gift that we have been given.

The saddest thing for me is to realize how little I include God, or more specifically in this life. I have tested God's promise of being given the Spirit when we ask. I have felt fully that I was no longer in control of myself and the Spirit had taken over. The things that came from that were beautiful and more fruitful that I could ever accomplish. So why do I now forget?

It is time for me to wake up and remember the Spirit. Allow the Spirit into me and to take over. I miss teachable moments. I say the wrong things, stumble on testimony, become tempted by things and sin, and fail to honor God with the things I do and fail to do. When I have included the Spirit in my life none of this has happened. I know that I often get in the way and I want to no longer do that. I want to let go and let the Holy Spirit take over.

By doing this I know that true Joy, true Beauty, and true Faith shall come. Enter Spirit, I am ready to be convicted, redeemed, and counseled.