Tag: Issues

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Annual Council examines Church Structure

The church is considering “flexibility in the church denominational structure.”

Specifically they are examining a concept called “Unions of Churches.” According to the article these are “a united organized body of churches within a territory having similar status to a union conference or union mission and a direct relationship to the division.â€Â?

In short…no local conference between the church and the union level. Interestingly there are already six unions of churches in the world church. Interestingly one of those interviewed for the article stated that we may need more than one organizational pattern in the world church. Interestingly on the web you can find a 99 page document entitled, Union of Churches: An alternative organizational model for the Seventh-day Adventist church. Here is a link to that document and a few more documents on this subject. Let us pray for our church as it seeks to move forward into the realities of our contemporary situation.

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Pie in the Sky or Present help

The Peacemaking RemnantAs the preacher, congregation, and the Spirit interact to create the preaching event the core beliefs of the Christian community are reaffirmed. The preacher presents a word that at times calls for radical confrontation with the powers of this world that are against God’s way. The preacher also presents a word that strengthens the resolve of an oppressed people reminding them that God is on their side and they can make it through. Thus the preacher is not speaking of “pie in the sky when you die� but empowerment in this world to take whatever the world gives and yet still work for God’s ideal on this earth keeping in mind that there is a judgement to which all must stand.

This perspective does not deny the future that God has promised. This perspective recognizes that the future promise is important to living today and it actually can guide us in present living. God’s future is a great compass that provides us with guidance. To quote Kendra Heloviak:

* Because God’s future will be an earth full of justice, worshippers seek justice now.
* Because God’s future will bring peace on earth worshippers act for peace now.
* Because God’s future will be an earth with plenty for all, worshippers act to end hunger now.
* Because God’s future will be existence without tears, worshippers act to comfort and to heal now.
* Because God’s future will be life without death, worshippers act to fight disease and death now.Peacemaking Remnant, pg 69

The preacher facilitates this understanding of making the future present in this world among the congregants.

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Prophetic Voice or an Echo?

Preachers cannot fall into the trap of preaching only what people want to hear. We all have heard sermons and experienced worship that was not relevant to our situation. To counteract this we sometimes seek to ask the question what to people want. What questions do our people want addressed in a sermon. While such questions are valuable, they can never blunt the prophetic witness.

While we ask what the people want to hear or what the people want to have addressed, which are important and valuable questions, we also must ask what do the people NEED to hear? It is easy to get caught up into preaching things that will tickle the ears of congregants.

We should always remember that we don’t always desire to hear what we need to hear most. The gospel always confronts the world we live in in creative ways that need to be explored by the preacher. There are some aspects of the gospel that are always fun to preach. There are aspects of the gospel that people want to hear all the time, but then there are aspects of the gospel that confront us and the world in uncomfortable ways. Let us preach the gospel and let it confront the world. Let us not just preach what sounds good and feels good to preach.