my life and my doctrine

I know it’s not on my reading list, but I’ve recently finished reading Kent and Barbara Hughes’ book Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome. Though I’m only in my first year of full time paid ministry, I think this is a helpful book to warn and encourage me about how to approach a life of ministry. It’s a book that stems from ‘a dark night of the soul’ twenty years into their ministry which cause them to reflect on what success in ministry is all about.

They helpfully outline seven definitions of what success in ministry should look like: faithfulness, serving, loving, believing, prayer, holiness and attitude. While most of these are obvious things, it was helpful to consider each of them individually and assess my life and attitude. A realisation I came to, which I’d arrived at previously in my life, is that what God wants me to be is a godly mature Christian. This must be my first and foremost goal. It has the following implications:

1. My identity is not to be found in my ministry. I needed to remind myself that who I am is a child of God, not an evening church minister.
2. My worth is not to be found in my ministry. Being in ministry is not some kind of boost to self-esteem. On the contrary, the more I watch and hear from faithful, long term servants of the gospel is that this is an incredibly naive thought to have. Yet it is easy to feel better about myself in response to how people react and respond to my ministry. This shouldn’t be the case.
3. My maturity is not to be found in my ministry. Well, this is sort of true and sort of not. If I grow in maturity, this will hopefully be reflected in the people I minister to. Yet others may grow more mature as the Holy Spirit works in them and this be no reflection on me. To look for maturity in others and then assume personal maturity is putting the cart before the horse. However, I do suspect that over time, the more I mature, the more I learn, the more others will learn from me. I certainly know this is the case in preaching. If I’ve been particularly challenged in preparing a sermon, not only will this come through in the content of what I preach, it will come through in my manner as I preach.

They continue with five areas where we can gain encouragement: from God, the call, the ordinary, fellow workers and reward. I intend to post again about my thoughts and reflections of my call to ministry. It certainly prompted much discussion with my wife.

So, please pray for me, and others you know involved in ministry, that we may be faithful, holy  servants who love, trust and pray for those under our care.

Today I read Thomas Cranmer’s homily entitled, ‘A Fruitful Exhortation to the Reading and Knowledge of Holy Scripture’. It’s an incredibly inspiring read! I’ve been considering the importance of preaching in a particular pastoral context, and yet here’s a homily, a sermon to be read out in the 17th century which still inspires to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest the Bible.

Cranmer has such confidence in Holy Scripture as containing the Word of God, as sufficient for all knowledge to live a godly life and as scalpel to judge the human condition of those who read it.

‘In these books we may learn to know ourselves, how vile and miserable we be; and also to know God, how good he is of himself, and how he maketh us and all creatures partakers of his goodness.’

Three things in particular struck me as I read it.

Firstly, Cranmer uses such figurative language as he wrote this homily. It doesn’t seek to appeal purely to those academically inclined. Rather, his communication style includes painting a lot of visual images for the hearers. For example,

as drink is pleasant to them that be dry, and meat to them that be hungry; so is the reading, hearing, searching, and studying of Holy Scripture, to them that be desirous to know God, or themselves, and to do his will.

This is a challenge to me as I’m still working my way out of four years in theological college, which can often result in my sermons being considered heady or academic. It’s not that I want to lose theological rigour or depth, but rather, I want to work harder at communicating.

Secondly, Cranmer also speaks negatively against those who would choose not to read and know Holy Scriptures. At the start he refers to those who are ‘so drowned in worldly vanities’ and ‘desire such vanities, rather than the true knowledge of God.’ He concludes his first section saying,

‘nothing more darkeneth Christ and the glory of God, nor bringeth in more blindness and all kinds of vices, than doth the ignorance of God’s word.’

This is confronting as I find it easy to play down the harsh reality of judgment on those who aren’t yet Christian. Yet in big, bold, black and white, I’m reminded that, but by the grace of God, I have been brought from the kingdom of darkness into his wonderful light. This awareness of what I’ve been saved from should inspire me to boldly continue preaching the reality of life without Christ.

Thirdly, Cranmer exhorts the hearers of the homily to not just read their Bibles, but seek to understand it. I’ve made a few comments about my desire to spend more time reading my Bible than other books or listening to mp3 sermons or on Facebook etc. This homily has rebuked me to not think about it in terms of time spent, nor chapters read, nor obligation or legalism. Rather, reading the Bible ought to lead to knowledge of God. If it doesn’t, not much is going in.

Furthermore, reading the Bible ought to be part and parcel of what it means to be a Christian.

‘If we profess Christ, why be we not ashamed to be ignorant in his doctrine, seeing that every man is ashamed to be ignorant in that learning which be professeth? That man is ashamed to be called a Philosopher which readeth not the books of philosophy; and to be called a Lawyer, an Astronomer, or a Physician, that is ignorant in the books of law, astronomy, and physic. How can any man, then, say that he professeth Christ and his religion, if he will not apply himself, as far forth as he can or may conveniently, to read and hear, and so to know, the books of Christ’s Gospel and doctrine?’

I’ll let Cranmer have the last word,

‘Let us therefore apply ourselves, as far forth as we can have time and leisure, to know God’s word, by diligent hearing and reading thereof, as many as profess God, and have faith and trust in him.’

PS. A more complete set of homilies, though with ye olde style spelling can be found here.