A Wednesday Watch Message

from Pastor Ken

What's in a Book?

We are: Christianity is a teaching movement. We are people of a Book — and what’s in the Book? Teaching. Content to be learned, welcomed, and taught. Which means that, as we’re called to teach others in whatever forms, we’re called together to a kind of patience — the patience that doesn’t hear someone say one wrong or suspect word and give up on them. Rather, we take a deep breath, pray for patience, and begin the hard work of teaching. We cite verses. We make our case. Without being patronizing, we teach. And keep teaching. The time for settled judgment will come, but we need not snap to it before the time.

In the confusion of these world-shaking days, well-meaning brothers and sisters are making all sorts of missteps, on all sides. Here I’m mainly speaking to our local church contexts, not public teaching, though note that even for Apollos, a celebrated public teacher, Aquilla and Priscilla patiently took him aside and taught him, instead of lambasting him in public. Let’s take a deep breath and ask God for the patience we need for these days. Patience not to write someone off too quickly because they used a certain phrase or retweeted someone we’re fearful of — or didn’t disavow our latest boogeyman term we want everyone to renounce to be orthodox.

 

 

Let’s cultivate the heart and approach of a teacher — and all the more for pastors, who are to do their vital work of preaching “with complete patience and teaching.” Let’s give the space, and provide the gracious teaching, that patience makes possible. Let’s hope for change, and pray for change. And under God, let’s seek to change people through careful, patient teaching.  +P Ken