United Methodist Polity

5 03 2007

This is part of a series of posts on my understanding of faith, ministry and the church. I would enjoy feedback and your response to my answers to these questions.

Question – Discuss your understanding of the primary characteristics of United Methodist polity.

Response – My response begins:

My understanding of the primary characteristics of United Methodist polity is primarily formed by the Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church. These characteristics include: itinerancy, conferences, superintendency, and connectionalism.

Ordained elders of The United Methodist Church are committed to an itinerant ministry. “They offer themselves without reserve to be appointed and to serve, after consultation as the appointive authority may determine” (The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2004, ¶333.1.). “Appointments to charges may be made at any time deemed advisable by the bishop and cabinet. Appointments are made with the expectation that the length of pastorates shall respond to the long-term pastoral needs of charges, communities, and pastors” (The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2004, ¶434). Pastoral appointments are set at Annual Conference “Appointments are to be made with consideration of the gifts and evidence of God’s grace of those appointed, to the needs, characteristics, and opportunities of congregations and institutions, and with faithfulness to the commitment to an open itineracy” (The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2004, ¶430).

Discussion

  • How would you respond to this question?
  • Where do you agree with my response?
  • Where do you disagree with my response?

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Nature and Mission of the Church

1 03 2007

This is part of a series of posts on my understanding of faith, ministry and the church. I would enjoy feedback and your response to my answers to these questions.

Question – Describe the nature and mission of the Church. What are its primary tasks today?

Response – My response begins:

Although the Holy Spirit is at work in the world with or without the church, I believe that the church is the place in the world where God can be found most fully revealed. The church is the gathering of persons who believe in the good news of Jesus Christ and seek to live in a way that witnesses to the world this belief and the reality of the kingdom of God. In this way, the church fulfills its mission “to make disciples of Jesus Christ” (The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church. Nashville: The United Methodist Publishing House, 2004. par 120). The church is a group of persons that are called by God, but also sent by God into the world. I believe that the church does not exist without being sent to spread the good news.

The nature of the church is also that of a worshiping community where the sacraments are given and received and the Word of God is spoken and heard. Also, perhaps more importantly, the nature of the church is to be missional people. The church is a part of the good news being sent to the world. This is a story that has continued for thousands of years and continues to this day. Without knowing the story of being a missional people, the church devises all kinds of other functional identities for itself. (Logan, James. “Evangelism in the Contemporary Church and World.” Wesley Theological Seminary. 17 September 2004).

Discussion

  • How would you respond to this question?
  • Where do you agree with my response?
  • Where do you disagree with my response?

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Scripture, Tradition, Reason, Experience

28 02 2007

This is part of a series of posts on my understanding of faith, ministry and the church. I would enjoy feedback and your response to my answers to these questions.

Question – The United Methodist Church holds that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason. What is your understanding of this theological position of the Church?

Response – My response begins:

This theological position begins with the living core of the Christian faith. As defined by Donald McKim, Christian faith is “belief, trust and obedience to God as revealed in Jesus Christ. It is the means of salvation or eternal life. Faith affects all dimensions of one’s existence: intellect emotions, and will” (McKim, Donald K. Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996. pg 100). Christian faith can be informed and enlightened by many sources including: Scripture, tradition, reason and experience. My understanding of Christian faith is that each of these elements is important because they all reveal different aspects of Christianity. These four sources need to be weighed against each other when considering the truth of Christian faith. I believe Scripture has primacy among these sources of faith.

Discussion

  • How would you respond to this question?
  • Where do you agree with my response?
  • Where do you disagree with my response?

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Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task

27 02 2007

 

This is part of a series of posts on my understanding of faith, ministry and the church. I would enjoy feedback and your response to my answers to these questions.

Question – How do you intend to affirm, teach and apply Part II of the Discipline (Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task) in your work in the ministry to which you have been called?

Response – My response begins:

I intend to apply Part II of the Discipline in “the testing, renewal, elaboration, and application of our doctrinal perspectives in carrying out our call ‘to spread scriptural holiness over these lands’” (The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church 2004, par. 104). This theological task is carried out in different ways at different times. I intend to affirm teach and apply Part II of the Discipline to communicate the good news of Jesus Christ through preaching, teaching, and personal discipline in a way that invites individuals to respond.

The Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task contain basic Christian affirmations and the heritage and theological emphases that are distinctive to the Methodist. As a clergy person of The United Methodist Church, I believe that it is important to both proclaim and live tenets outlined in this section. Understanding one’s self as a Christian and as a United Methodist leads to particular commitments and patterns of behavior (i.e. extending grace, forgiveness, concern for the poor, etc.) that affect the way a person lives and interacts with others. The goal is to offer God’s invitation of relationship to all people in a way that is faithful and relevant. All persons need to be able to hear the story of Jesus in such a way they will be able to understand their life as a part of Jesus’ story.

Discussion

  • How would you respond to this question?
  • Where do you agree with my response?
  • Where do you disagree with my response?

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Kingdom of God, the Resurrection, Eternal Life

26 02 2007

This is part of a series of posts on my understanding of faith, ministry and the church. I would enjoy feedback and your response to my answers to these questions.

Question – What is your understanding of the kingdom of God; the Resurrection; eternal life?

Response – My response begins:

I currently understand the kingdom of God to be the reality that was initiated in Jesus Christ and is present and growing through the work of the Holy Spirit. The full realization of the kingdom of God will be found in a new heaven and a new earth at the eschaton. I believe that glimpses of the Kingdom of God can be seen in our every day lives – when a hungry person is fed or reconciliation changes the life of a community. The kingdom of God is a reality in which Christians are called to live and a reality for which Christians are called to hope. The kingdom is not static. It is open to all persons and open to the future.

Discussion

  1. How would you respond to this question?
  2. Where do you agree with my response?
  3. Where do you disagree with my response?

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Activity of the Holy Spirit

24 02 2007

This is part of a series of posts on my understanding of faith, ministry and the church. I would enjoy feedback and your response to my answers to these questions.

Question – What is your conception of the activity of the Holy Spirit in personal faith, in the community of believers, and in responsible living in the world?

Response – My response begins:

I believe it is important to recognize the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Trinity. Because the one God as expressed in Christian faith is Triune, worship of the Holy Spirit should never be separated from worship of the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is the active presence of the Father and Son in personal faith, in the community of believers and in responsible living in the world.

I envision the Holy Spirit to be active in personal faith both before and after an individual recognizes that activity. This is part of Wesley’s understanding of God’s divine grace that is at work before one is aware of it. The Holy Spirit is active in drawing people toward a relationship with God in Jesus Christ. This is made manifest in personal faith that is a response to God’s love and grace.

Discussion

  • How would you respond to this question?
  • Where do you agree with my response?
  • Where do you disagree with my response?

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Interpretation of Jesus Christ is Lord

22 02 2007

This is part of a series of posts on my understanding of faith, ministry and the church. I would enjoy feedback and your response to my answers to these questions.

Question – How do you interpret the statement Jesus Christ is Lord?

Response – My response begins:

I believe that the statement Jesus Christ is Lord is best interpreted through an examination of three words: Jesus, Christ, and Lord.

Jesus is a personal name that refers to an individual that lived in first century Palestine. The personal name of Jesus reinforces his humanity and points toward his unique identity among humanity. The meaning of the name Jesus also implies salvation. Christ is a title that points to the role of savior or messiah. This title has particular significance considering the Jewish expectations for the coming Messiah at the time of Jesus’ life on earth. Jesus Christ as Lord means that he is someone that has power, influence and authority.

Discussion

  • How would you respond to this question?
  • Where do you agree with my response?
  • Where do you disagree with my response?

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Categories : faith, united methodist church

Humanity and the Need for Divine Grace

21 02 2007

This is part of a series of posts on my understanding of faith, ministry and the church. I would enjoy feedback and your response to my answers to these questions.

Question – What is your understanding of humanity, and the human need for divine grace?

Response – My response begins:

I understand humanity to be a part of God’s good creation. The book of Genesis provides a description of this creation:

“Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. … God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day” (Genesis 1:26-27, 31, TNIV).

Discussion

  • How would you respond to this question?
  • Where do you agree with my response?
  • Where do you disagree with my response?

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Understanding of Evil

20 02 2007

This is part of a series of posts on my understanding of faith, ministry and the church. I would enjoy feedback and your response to my answers to these questions.

Question – What is your understanding of evil as it exists in the world?

Response – My response begins:

I understand evil to exist in the world made manifest in sin and death. Evil is conquered in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul writes about this in his letter to the Corinthians:

“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54-56, TNIV).

Discussion

  • How would you respond to this question?
  • Where do you agree with my response?
  • Where do you disagree with my response?

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Personal Experience and Understanding of God

19 02 2007

This is part of a series of posts on my understanding of faith, ministry and the church. I would enjoy feedback and your response to my answers to these questions.

Question – Describe your personal experience of God and the understanding of God you derive from biblical, theological, and historical sources.

Response – My response begins:

While describing what I understand about God, it is important that I remember that it is impossible to circumscribe God. One can identify God, but never get one’s mind around God in entirety. Identifying and naming God does not control or define God. God reveals God’s self to the world and to individuals, but in that revealing there remains a mystery.

My best understanding of God in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ is God as Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The primary source for my understanding of a Triune God is the good news of Jesus Christ according to the writers of the New Testament.

Discussion

  • How would you respond to this question?
  • Where do you agree with my response?
  • Where do you disagree with my response?

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