Results 1 - 3 of 3
|
|
|||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | How to sharpen service skills? | Mark 9:35 | charis | 29637 | ||
Dear Emmaus, Greetings in Jesus' name! I'm sorry if my post came off as cryptic. I guess I was 'fishing' with the wrong bait! :-) I was trying to find practical ways to express and improve our service to one another in the context of the local church. Many church 'services' are institutionalized into 'dead works,' with little heart, just programs intended to make people feel good. I have seen that many shepherds are 'professional' hirelings that do not have a sense of commitment to the flock other than as a 'step to the next rung.' Likewise, many sheep treat their shepherd as a 'public servant' with little commitment to him other than as required by social propriety. Some even treat paid ministers as an intrusion upon their little community fiefdom. As I see it, the Bible encourages us to have a strong sense of family among the brethren, not just a Sunday morning 'hello.' It is this thing that I inquire about. What does the Bible say about shepherd/sheep and sheep/sheep fellowship? Does that clarify my question, or just muddy things further? :-) In Christ Jesus, charis |
||||||
2 | How to sharpen service skills? | Mark 9:35 | Emmaus | 29784 | ||
Dear Charis, You have certainly chosen a thorny subject and a problem that is universal, varying in degree and particular circumstances with every congregation I suspect. I think you also place it in the proper context which is the congregation as family. Some are more functional or dysfunctional than others. Some may may happy and holy and others downright ugly and hateful to one another. i think the answers even if culled from the scripture vary with the particular congregation and circumstances. But it would seem to me that the main thing needed and often lacking is a truly prayerful, humble and charitable community spirit, focused on Christ that puts needs of the whole congregation ahead of the needs of any faction or individual in a community. On that base eveything else is built or crumbles for lack of a solid base. I don't know that I could be more specific in a general conversation. Is you experience of these issues the same in Japanese congregations as in the States or is there a different cultural component or slant? It sounds like based on your question there is not much difference. Am I wrong or correct? Emmaus |
||||||
3 | How to sharpen service skills? | Mark 9:35 | charis | 29792 | ||
Dear Emmaus, Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus! Sadly, you are correct, at least in my estimation of the situation here in Japan. Even more sad is that it appears that churches 'idolize' and import American 'Contemporary Christian' fads, attitudes and even 'super-ministers.' I might add that this seems to be the situation in much of the Orient, as I have contacts in Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, the Philippines and China. I hear from others that the same can be said of much of Africa, and Eastern Europe. It seems that many 'modern' missionaries are more (short-term) ambassadors for American Contemporary Christian Culture than they are (life-term) ambassadors for Christ, committed to the people God has sent them to. :-( Happily, we do not have (a lot of) this kind of problem in my own fellowship! We are a lay church, and our focus is on mutual commitment, healthy family, outreach and fellowship with our neighborhood, and have a church school (all parents are 'volunteered' :-)) to nurture (evangelize) our own children to Christ. We chose to be 'out of touch' with the latest 'foreign' fads. :-) Blessings in Christ Jesus, charis |
||||||