A "Boring" Philosophy of Ministry Pt. II
8:59 PM Sunday, August 23, 2009
Prayer
Prayer is a means of grace because by it we commune with our Triune God. We call upon our God because in and of ourselves we are utterly inadequate and cannot face all of life’s hardships. John Calvin put it this way: “we clearly see how destitute and devoid of all good things man is, and how he lacks all aids to salvation. Therefore, if he seeks resources to succor him in his need, he must go outside himself and get them elsewhere.”[1]
I don’t think any Christian would deny the importance of prayer. We all sense a great need to spend much time on our knees; yet we are often lazy in this area of our lives. I am guilty of this as well. Once again, I think Calvin gets this right: “Words fail to explain how necessary prayer is, and in how many ways the exercise of prayer is profitable.”[2]
While there are a variety of Scriptures that could be cited at this point, let me just say this: Believers pray because God commands it (1 Thess. 5:17), and because it is the means by which we communicate with our Heavenly Father (Lk. 11:9-13; cf. Matt. 6:9-13). As far as methods of prayer go, I know most people have their own style. However, I have found the A.C.T.S method helpful. In this method, prayer consists of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. In addition to this, one cannot leave out the importance of memorizing the Lord’s Prayer. Calvin said concerning the Lord’s Prayer, “Truly, no other can ever be found that equals this in perfection.”[3] Calvin was not suggesting, and nor am I, that one is always bound to the words contained in the Lord’s Prayer. However, “though the words may be utterly different, yet the sense ought not to vary.”[4] Though we do not always know what to pray (Rom. 8:26), we must take time daily to acknowledge our dependence upon God, confess our sins, and make our requests known to him. As for why we should pray, I think the Puritans got it right:
Our necessities compel us,
Your Promises encourage us,
Our broken hearts incite us,
The mediator draws us, and
Your acceptance of others moves us . . .
We join in ascribing blessing, honour, glory, and power
To the Lamb upon the throne, forever, and ever.[5]
Word and Sacrament Piety: Not Enough?
Having outlined the ordinary means of grace that God has given to his people, let’s turn our attention back to the local church. If I am correct about the means of grace being the way God administers his covenant blessings, what does that mean for pastoral ministry in the local church? It means, as Ligon Duncan says, “that ministry is not rocket science.”[6] When it comes to local church ministry, or how we structure our church services, the first question is not, “What will make people feel comfortable?” Furthermore, our first concern should not be with pleasing fallen sinners. Rather, our questions should be, “Is God pleased with this? Does this glorify God?” I have to agree, therefore, with Duncan’s assessment: ministry is not rocket science. This is why I always feel awkward when people ask me about my future desires for ministry, or what my approach will be in church planting. To be completely honest, I have no approach. And I have no desire to innovate some new style. I always tell them I plan on preaching the Word of God and administering the sacraments; that’s it.
So, if in the future, by God’s grace, I have the privilege of serving a congregation, I am sure most people will not be impressed. There won’t be any glitz and glam. I don’t expect to shepherd a large congregation. If you come on a given Lord’s Day you’ll find singing, praying, the reading of Scripture (from both testaments), preaching, and the celebration of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. I can hear some people saying, “That’s it?” It seems obvious considering the following texts:
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching (1 Tim. 4:13).
preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching (2 Tim. 4:2).
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19).
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes (1 Cor. 11:23-26).
Now, I am aware that faithful Christians often disagree about the meaning of certain passages. It would seem to me, however, that the above Scriptures are not difficult to grasp. I don’t think one needs much training in biblical hermeneutics to understand those verses. Perhaps sarcastically, Duncan writes, “it doesn’t require a Ph.D. in semiotics to interpret them: preach the Word, love the people, pray down heaven, disciple the elders, promote family religion, live a godly life.”[7]
The Desire for More
The title of this essay is, “A ‘Boring’ Philosophy of Ministry?” Despite all that has been said, as I read books and journal articles, and talk with my fellow brothers and sisters in the faith, I find that many in the church are not satisfied with this approach to the Christian life, and nor would they be satisfied attending a church if this were “all they did.” In other words, it seems that sitting under the preaching of the Word, seeing people come to faith and being baptized, and celebrating the Lord’s Supper is not enough. Furthermore, it seems that Christians are rarely satisfied with their spiritual walk; all because they feel like they need “something more.”
In Michael Horton’s book A Better Way, he asks this thought-provoking question: “If one were to ask you to list the top two instruments of spiritual growth in your life, what would you answer?” Think deeply about this question for your own life. Horton goes on to point out that for most Christians, they would say such things like quiet time, personal Bible study, some type of accountability, etc.[8] Added to this, some would go on to talk about “receiving a word from the Lord,” or talk about some emotionally charged youth meeting, or worship experience. If you go to your average Christian bookstore you’re likely to find a dozen books trying to convince you that there is some secret, some technique, or some prayer that is missing from your spiritual life.
As one would expect in America, our thoughts and words about God are usually couched in individualistic terms, i.e. my “personal” relationship with Jesus, as if I have a relationship with Jesus like no one else has. Why do I say all of this? Regardless of whether or not you agree with everything I say, don’t you find it a little odd that for most people, the preaching of the Word and the sacraments do not usually seem to come up in conversations about our spiritual growth?
I’m asking you to think with me about why this is the case.
The “QIRE”
I believe the reason why many Christians either reject or downplay Word and sacrament piety and ministry is due to what R. Scott Clark calls “QIRE,” which stands for the “Quest for Illegitimate Religious Experience.”[9]
Pt. III coming next . . .
[1] John Calvin. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Ed. John T. McNeill. Trans. Ford Lewis Battles. (Lousville: Westminster John Knox Press., 1960), 3. 20. 1. Emphasis mine.
[2] Ibid, 3. 20. 2.
[3] Ibid, 3. 20. 49.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Arthur Bennet, Ed. The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions. (Carlisle: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1994), 214.
[6] Ligon Duncan, “The Ordinary Means of Grace,” 15.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Horton, A Better Way, 93.
[9] R. Scott Clark. Recovering the Reformed Confession: Our Theology, Piety, and Practice. (Philipsburg: P&R, 2008), 71-116.
Prayer is a means of grace because by it we commune with our Triune God. We call upon our God because in and of ourselves we are utterly inadequate and cannot face all of life’s hardships. John Calvin put it this way: “we clearly see how destitute and devoid of all good things man is, and how he lacks all aids to salvation. Therefore, if he seeks resources to succor him in his need, he must go outside himself and get them elsewhere.”[1]
I don’t think any Christian would deny the importance of prayer. We all sense a great need to spend much time on our knees; yet we are often lazy in this area of our lives. I am guilty of this as well. Once again, I think Calvin gets this right: “Words fail to explain how necessary prayer is, and in how many ways the exercise of prayer is profitable.”[2]
While there are a variety of Scriptures that could be cited at this point, let me just say this: Believers pray because God commands it (1 Thess. 5:17), and because it is the means by which we communicate with our Heavenly Father (Lk. 11:9-13; cf. Matt. 6:9-13). As far as methods of prayer go, I know most people have their own style. However, I have found the A.C.T.S method helpful. In this method, prayer consists of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. In addition to this, one cannot leave out the importance of memorizing the Lord’s Prayer. Calvin said concerning the Lord’s Prayer, “Truly, no other can ever be found that equals this in perfection.”[3] Calvin was not suggesting, and nor am I, that one is always bound to the words contained in the Lord’s Prayer. However, “though the words may be utterly different, yet the sense ought not to vary.”[4] Though we do not always know what to pray (Rom. 8:26), we must take time daily to acknowledge our dependence upon God, confess our sins, and make our requests known to him. As for why we should pray, I think the Puritans got it right:
Our necessities compel us,
Your Promises encourage us,
Our broken hearts incite us,
The mediator draws us, and
Your acceptance of others moves us . . .
We join in ascribing blessing, honour, glory, and power
To the Lamb upon the throne, forever, and ever.[5]
Word and Sacrament Piety: Not Enough?
Having outlined the ordinary means of grace that God has given to his people, let’s turn our attention back to the local church. If I am correct about the means of grace being the way God administers his covenant blessings, what does that mean for pastoral ministry in the local church? It means, as Ligon Duncan says, “that ministry is not rocket science.”[6] When it comes to local church ministry, or how we structure our church services, the first question is not, “What will make people feel comfortable?” Furthermore, our first concern should not be with pleasing fallen sinners. Rather, our questions should be, “Is God pleased with this? Does this glorify God?” I have to agree, therefore, with Duncan’s assessment: ministry is not rocket science. This is why I always feel awkward when people ask me about my future desires for ministry, or what my approach will be in church planting. To be completely honest, I have no approach. And I have no desire to innovate some new style. I always tell them I plan on preaching the Word of God and administering the sacraments; that’s it.
So, if in the future, by God’s grace, I have the privilege of serving a congregation, I am sure most people will not be impressed. There won’t be any glitz and glam. I don’t expect to shepherd a large congregation. If you come on a given Lord’s Day you’ll find singing, praying, the reading of Scripture (from both testaments), preaching, and the celebration of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. I can hear some people saying, “That’s it?” It seems obvious considering the following texts:
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching (1 Tim. 4:13).
preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching (2 Tim. 4:2).
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19).
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes (1 Cor. 11:23-26).
Now, I am aware that faithful Christians often disagree about the meaning of certain passages. It would seem to me, however, that the above Scriptures are not difficult to grasp. I don’t think one needs much training in biblical hermeneutics to understand those verses. Perhaps sarcastically, Duncan writes, “it doesn’t require a Ph.D. in semiotics to interpret them: preach the Word, love the people, pray down heaven, disciple the elders, promote family religion, live a godly life.”[7]
The Desire for More
The title of this essay is, “A ‘Boring’ Philosophy of Ministry?” Despite all that has been said, as I read books and journal articles, and talk with my fellow brothers and sisters in the faith, I find that many in the church are not satisfied with this approach to the Christian life, and nor would they be satisfied attending a church if this were “all they did.” In other words, it seems that sitting under the preaching of the Word, seeing people come to faith and being baptized, and celebrating the Lord’s Supper is not enough. Furthermore, it seems that Christians are rarely satisfied with their spiritual walk; all because they feel like they need “something more.”
In Michael Horton’s book A Better Way, he asks this thought-provoking question: “If one were to ask you to list the top two instruments of spiritual growth in your life, what would you answer?” Think deeply about this question for your own life. Horton goes on to point out that for most Christians, they would say such things like quiet time, personal Bible study, some type of accountability, etc.[8] Added to this, some would go on to talk about “receiving a word from the Lord,” or talk about some emotionally charged youth meeting, or worship experience. If you go to your average Christian bookstore you’re likely to find a dozen books trying to convince you that there is some secret, some technique, or some prayer that is missing from your spiritual life.
As one would expect in America, our thoughts and words about God are usually couched in individualistic terms, i.e. my “personal” relationship with Jesus, as if I have a relationship with Jesus like no one else has. Why do I say all of this? Regardless of whether or not you agree with everything I say, don’t you find it a little odd that for most people, the preaching of the Word and the sacraments do not usually seem to come up in conversations about our spiritual growth?
I’m asking you to think with me about why this is the case.
The “QIRE”
I believe the reason why many Christians either reject or downplay Word and sacrament piety and ministry is due to what R. Scott Clark calls “QIRE,” which stands for the “Quest for Illegitimate Religious Experience.”[9]
Pt. III coming next . . .
[1] John Calvin. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Ed. John T. McNeill. Trans. Ford Lewis Battles. (Lousville: Westminster John Knox Press., 1960), 3. 20. 1. Emphasis mine.
[2] Ibid, 3. 20. 2.
[3] Ibid, 3. 20. 49.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Arthur Bennet, Ed. The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions. (Carlisle: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1994), 214.
[6] Ligon Duncan, “The Ordinary Means of Grace,” 15.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Horton, A Better Way, 93.
[9] R. Scott Clark. Recovering the Reformed Confession: Our Theology, Piety, and Practice. (Philipsburg: P&R, 2008), 71-116.
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