tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post115948201349373746..comments2024-03-25T13:40:30.747-04:00Comments on Faith and Theology: Theology for beginners (17): ChurchBen Myershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03800127501735910966noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-1159965046219778512006-10-04T08:30:00.000-04:002006-10-04T08:30:00.000-04:00Wonderful post Ben. I enjoyed your point about th...Wonderful post Ben. I enjoyed your point about the gift/role of hospitality for the ordained. As someone possibly seeking ordination, I'll have to keep that in mind.Chris TerryNelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03160910808665941467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-1159670617894072492006-09-30T22:43:00.000-04:002006-09-30T22:43:00.000-04:00Point taken re earlier comments - as this series c...Point taken re earlier comments - as this series comes out slowly, I haven't always kept earlier posts in mind. It will be great to be able to look over the completed set one day! Thanks Ben.byron smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17938334606675769903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-1159605574050215852006-09-30T04:39:00.000-04:002006-09-30T04:39:00.000-04:00Hi Churchpundit -- sorry if the Word seems too abs...Hi Churchpundit -- sorry if the Word seems too absent! Still, I hope it doesn't sound as though I'm arguing for an abstract sacramentalism. I'm really thinking of baptism and eucharist <I>as</I> Word-events, i.e., as enactments of the gospel of Jesus' death and resurrection.<BR/><BR/>Ray, I love your point here, and I think this is an excellent way of describing the relationship between ministry, ordination and baptism. And this helpfully illustrates the way in which all ministry should (in Karl Rahner's phrase) "grow up from below".Ben Myershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03800127501735910966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-1159541889121885492006-09-29T10:58:00.000-04:002006-09-29T10:58:00.000-04:00Ben: with regard to ordination as an act of the co...Ben: with regard to ordination as an act of the community whereby one is 'set apart' for special forms of ministry, I have always liked the emphasis on baptism as ordination into ministry with subsequent 'ordinations' related to tasks (occupations) based on one's baptism. "Baptism is the ordination into the apostolic, charismatic and sacrificial ministry of the church." "Encounter: Christ's Ministry Through His Whole Church and its Ministers." From, Encounter, Vol. 25, no. 1 (Winter, 1964), pp. 105-129, Reprinted in Theological Foundations for Ministry, Ray Anderson, Editor (Eerdmans,1979,1999), pp. 430-457.<BR/>In this article, the authors suggest that the term 'set apart' (aphorizein) can become a dangerous concept. To be 'set apart,' translated into Aramaic means, 'a Pharisee.' But, as Barth once said, "The call to worship is a temptation to idolatry," but that one should not avoid this danger!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-1159504466785211812006-09-29T00:34:00.000-04:002006-09-29T00:34:00.000-04:00Hi Byron -- thanks for your comments. In an earlie...Hi Byron -- thanks for your comments. In an <A HREF="http://faith-theology.blogspot.com/2006/09/theology-for-beginners-11-creatures.html" REL="nofollow">earlier post</A> I talked about the Spirit's role in creation, and I also said a few things (though perhaps not enough?) about the Spirit in the posts on the ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus.<BR/><BR/>That's a good point about Scripture, too -- I had actually thought about including a few sentences on Scripture in this post, but in the end there just wasn't room! In any case, if I was going to say something about the role Scripture, this is probably the place where I'd want to do it -- and not in a separate "doctrine of Scripture"....Ben Myershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03800127501735910966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-1159494731751652482006-09-28T21:52:00.000-04:002006-09-28T21:52:00.000-04:00Sorry to again be a little picky - I really am enj...Sorry to again be a little picky - I really am enjoying the series and think you're doing a great job at summarising reams of stuff into very accessible little bites (though bites worth chewing multiple times!).byron smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17938334606675769903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14261952.post-1159494633335818392006-09-28T21:50:00.000-04:002006-09-28T21:50:00.000-04:00Ah - this is where the Spirit's creational work is...Ah - this is where the Spirit's creational work is brought in - nice (see my comment on Spirit - though I'm still interested in the Spirit's role in the life, ministry and death of Jesus).<BR/><BR/><I>whenever the community gathers, it gathers in order to hear and to tell the story of Jesus</I><BR/>I loved this evangelical (with a small 'e') ground and focus to the gathering. I realise your position on the gospel ≠ Scripture (rightly so), but wondered if this post could be slightly improved by a brief explicit (though non-exclusive) mention of Scripture as the source and standard (canon) for the story of Jesus.byron smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17938334606675769903noreply@blogger.com