I was raised in a small United Methodist church that had a number of lay people who preached regularly, which was a good thing, since we never knew from one year to the next if it could afford a part-time pastor! I don’t remember a lot about their sermons – this was a long time ago – but I do remember how regular it seemed. No matter who stood up to preach, it was just fine with us. As I grew up, I learned that this model of church had deep historical and practical roots, and that every UMC congregation was supposed to have a lay leader who was able to step in and share the word of God regularly. This idea made church less scary to me, and when I felt called to the ordained ministry, part of that journey was fueled by these faithful people who did this work out of love and a sense of call.
I could say the same about the Sunday School teachers and Youth Group leaders I interacted with as a child, a teenager, a young adult, and as a pastor. All of them were – and are – theologians, contemplating and living out their faith in ways that make the world a better place. I have tried to encourage this kind of deep discernment in every setting of the church I interact with, and last night – at our Soup Supper – I experienced this gift again. As participants sat around the tables after dinner, I read Scripture and asked questions, and they engaged deeply in some very serious discussion. They grappled with the study of God – theology – and they did not disappoint. Theology, at its best, is a church practice that shouldn’t be handed over only to well-educated individuals who have trained to be professors or writers or historians. Theology, like church, is best when it is done together.
Don’t be afraid of theology – it is the life’s blood of the faith community. The church is at its worst when people decide to pay, pray, and obey – when people in the pews choose not to question or doubt – when lovers of God are kept in ignorance. The church is at its best when we discuss and challenge and think deeply about the ramifications of faith and how those who have it need to engage with the world. When Jesus was asked questions, He often turned them back on the questioner, saying, “What do you think?” He encouraged His disciples to make informed decisions – He gave people the freedom to choose their path. I think that the best way to be faithful is to question and ponder and discern and grow in the Spirit. Ignorance is not bliss – unthinking acceptance is not faithful – being silent and obedient to what some person tells you to accept is not wisdom. Don’t be afraid of theology – it’s a gift from God. And it is each person’s calling and vocation.
Prayer – Holy God, thank You for the wonderful gifts of curiosity and questions and doubts – may they help us to grow in faithfulness every day. Amen.
Today’s art is “The Thinker” by Auguste Rodin.