Those who would carry forward the ministry of Jesus’ apostles as ordained leaders today must often go through a great deal of discernment and training and formation. In the Episcopal church, discernment can take 3-5 years, with parish committees, diocesan committees, meetings with bishops, psychologists, often more than once. Training means a three-year seminary education, learning church history, theology, practice of ministry and how to interpret the Scriptures. Formation includes field education, chaplaincy, spiritual direction, mentorships, retreats…
And a person can emerge from all that and still not feel equipped to cast out demons or cure people of disease! Which is what the original apostles of Jesus did on their first foray, learning as they went: So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
This is fairly astonishing; these men had no formal instruction, and had until recently been living ordinary lives, with families, engaged in livelihoods like fishing and tax collecting. But you don't need training to allow the Spirit of God to work through you – you need to learn how to get out of God’s way. We can see, following this band of Christ-followers through the pages of the New Testament, that it took a lot longer to get that down. But here, at the outset, they are already competent at demonstrating the healing and power over evil that are prime markers of God’s realm.
Do we feel equipped to be apostles of Christ in our surroundings? Do we even know what that means for us? It’s not complicated; “apostolic” means doing whatever Jesus’ apostles did. And they did this: proclaimed God’s reign, invited people to open themselves to God’s love (repentance), and demonstrated that love by curing the sick and casting out evil wherever they encountered it. They did this not on their own, but by God’s power working through them as Jesus gave them authority. That’s apostolic.
We too have been given this gift of Spirit and this authority over evil. We don’t need any more training to be apostles than the original ones did. We too can learn on the job.
Still, as strongly as I believe this, I find it hard to get out there. It’s so counter-cultural for us, to go out in public, or among people we know, offering prayer and healing. I've developed teams at different churches to do just that, and we find excuses not to go. Yet whenever we do, we encounter such a positive reception and such blessing.
I am deeply grateful for all the formal education and training I received, and I hope my communities benefit from it. I also know that all I really need is the power of the Holy Spirit alive and working through me, and the courage to let her flow. You too!
Today I turn over a new decade on my odometer - pray that the Spirit keeps flowing thick and fast through me.
To receive Water Daily by email each morning, subscribe here.
No comments:
Post a Comment