A Helluva Time
You should come visit my lectures on Christian Theology in the seminary if you ever have the time to do so. Not because the lecturer is good. But because the students will give you one helluva time when it's their turn to do so.
Each student is given a practical issue to work on; it's related to the ministerial life. An example of the questions is, "A young couple from your church has just informed you that they have decided to leave your church and start attending the one down the street. When asked why, their answer is that the other church's activities seem to better cater for their needs and match their expectations. Respond."
Another one: "Why might the study of ecclesiology be important for your ministerial life? How may ecclesiology inform your decisions on certain issues? Give concrete examples."
And so each of these students tackles such a question through a presentation before his/her fellow students. Whilst having to apply their ecclesiological wisdom in as apt a way as possible, they're encouraged to present their case in the most creative ways possible. And many of them never fail to blow my mind - they have drawings, video recordings, interactive games, even fabricated "ancient scrolls"!
What strikes me is that the weightage given for these presentations is not high. Besides, they know that I'm very generous with my marks on such presentations anyway, whether or not they do that well. And yet, they still decide to give me and the rest of their fellow learners a blast of a time with fascinating, captivating, creative, amazing presentations anyway. Just so we all can enjoy the learning process.
It's amazing how people rise up to the occasion when you help them to see that they should strive to be their best all the time, not because of what they can get in return, but simply because they can. Really, I've never seen presentations like these before. In fact, I've never delivered presentations like these before! These presentations render all the other presentations I've ever delivered as a university student juvenile.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm learning.
Comments (8)
handsome .. use some authentic pictures of you teaching -lah!
and then we can have some students with black hair-also!
:-)
Posted by Sivin | July 9, 2007 9:24 AM
i agree with sivin! ;)
Posted by mei | July 9, 2007 10:35 AM
I wish I have time to take your classes. I am sure I will enjoy it very much. Who knows, God willing, you may see me one day in your class :)
shalom
Posted by Alex Tang | July 9, 2007 1:14 PM
aisei!! I could have some answers on whether the young couple should go to other churches which could meet their needs. I got young adults who don't attend my church service as they felt the service din meet their needs and so, they went to other church. However, they attend my cg. Some of church leaders said as long as they attend church, that is okay. Just wonder and about that issue, hai!! Wish I could attend the class and discuss. Ur article really made me watery....
Posted by CK Lee | July 9, 2007 2:01 PM
I am curious over the answers, or rather reponses to the first question too, about attending church to meet needs. Could you share?
Posted by pearlie | July 10, 2007 9:14 AM
A thousand apologies for the delay in my reply. I know I look jobless, so it's quite a wonder that I'm kept so busy!
I think that the issue of being a church which "meets our needs" is first, an urban one, and secondly, and individualistic one. Both the two factors are connected, as you can readily see.
At one level, it's true that being in any legitimately Christian church is not a "sin" per se. But at another level, we need to acknowledge that all of us are each "born again" into one local community or another. Just like we cannot choose which biological family we're born into, we cannot choose which spiritual family we're "born again" into. And just like we cannot simply choose to leave a biological family and be adopted into another one just because our biological family is dysfunctional, we cannot do the same thing with our spiritual family.
In my mind, the only two occasions that warrant leaving a church for another are:
1) If I relocate to another town/city - and even so, there is no reason for hopping to another denomination just because it's more appealing. There must be legitimate reason for doing so. I've been guilty of this in the past, not once, but several times... Lord, have mercy.
2) If my church drifts so far away from the one, holy, catholic, apostolic faith - which are the marks of the true church - that I'm quite sure it's no longer a true church. But for as long as this one, holy, catholic, apostolic faith is preserved by the church (even if it's acknowledged, unfortunately, only as a peripheral concern of the church), there is no legitimate reason to leave.
Posted by sk | July 11, 2007 12:29 PM
if the young couple is really adamant about leaving the church, i doubt that telling them this will dissuade them. might even make them feel rejected, judged, and justified in leaving the church.
so depending on how open they are, i'd discuss the issue with them; and rather than argue, just say 'bye then, do keep in touch!'.
changing church and denomination? i don't see why it should be such a big deal. all still in the kingdom of God ma. then again, i haven't studied any ecclesiology yet...
Posted by blink | July 11, 2007 2:03 PM
thanks Sherman for your thoughts. I will take this offline with you, if you don't mind :)
Posted by pearlie | July 11, 2007 5:37 PM