text: AOSIS OpenJournalshttp://email@example.com://www.hts.org.za0259-94222072-8050The theology and praxis of practical theology in the context of the Faculty of Theology Notwithstanding the carefully defined parameters of the various departments within theology, the aspirant student sometimes finds it difficult to define the precise department within which a specific study would best be located. We have discovered that these various fields and departments have many areas of commonality and the borders between them are tested often, even in our own studies. However, we have learned that crossing between one field and another should not be seen as a problem but as strength, as it will enable the researcher to motivate and test his or her theological convictions. It is in this context that the subject of this article finds its motivation. Through it we have argued for a practical theology that will be responsible for engaging with its own theology, in order to find the necessary energy to sustain itself. Not only should practical theology be energised by its theology, it should also, as its name implies, be practical in its nature, offering help to all people in need of pastoral care. Tobias H. Steyn11Department of Practical Theology, University of Pretoria, South Africa Maake J. Masango1 1Department of Practical Theology, University of Pretoria, South Africa Maake Masango email@example.com PO Box 84173, Greenside 2034, South Africa 956672http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/hts.v67i2.956 09 Sept. 201014 Aug. 201115 Nov. 2011Steyn, T.H. & Masango, M.J., 2011, 'The theology and praxis of practical theology in the context of the Faculty of Theology', HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 67(2), Art. #956, 7 pages. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/hts.v67i2.956 © 2011.The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS OpenJournals. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.Introduction The study of science, calculus and perhaps engineering is conducted within the parameters of an external world, whereas the study of God, through theology, is conducted within the confines of the persons' own self. As we journey through the pages of our theological studies, we continue to discover deeper within ourselves who and what we really are. Over many years, the science of the study of theology developed into many different faculties, departments and fields of specialties. This took place because, through theological studies, many students and researchers became experts in their specific field of study, which originated from their focus on a specific department within the Faculty of Theology. In this process, the study of the theory and praxis of theology moved to higher levels as individuals lifted the standard of their education, also helping others to reach a higher understanding of God. In this process, many theologians attained very high levels of education and specialty. One could argue that these high levels of education and specialties have lifted the standard of care offered to people in need and, indeed, many would not dare to prove the opposite. However, we find this phenomenon of a fragmented faculty rather problematic, because theology has became fragmented to a point where theologians each aggressively protect their own specific area of specialty. Students are continuously cautioned not to overstep their area of study and research and, as such, they are often restricted to the boundaries of their specific theology department. This fragmentation has impoverished the richness and the holistic nature of theology because it limits its ability to affect the whole person, both the researched and researcher. In the context of the above, the reader needs to understand that we are very aware that the boundaries between the various theological departments serve a good purpose, heightening the level in which we engage in theology. Yet, as theologians in the Department of Practical Theology, we argue for a theology that will often test the boundaries of practical theology. Hence, for the purposes of this article, we will speak to the confined area of practical theology and its need to dwell in departments outside of its traditional parameters. The reader should also understand that we are not opposing other departments within theology; rather, we argue for a broadening of the practical theology student's horizons. Nevertheless, one could challenge our argument by asking why it is necessary to dwell in areas that are researched by other departments? Our presumptive answer would be to say that this broadening is necessary in order to provide a heightened energy for a sustained praxis of practical theology itself. However, without providing sound theological reasoning to substantiate this notion, it runs the danger of becoming an over-generalisation that will not help the aspirant student; hence the generation of this article. Practical theology: More than just praxis Many theologians would define study or research in practical theology primarily as procedural, as they consider this theological department only to be involved in the practical outworking of one's theology. Yet, through our personal research in practical theology, we came face to face with many more questions that we could not answer if operating only within parameters of the above definition. Gerkin (1986) argues for a practical theology that will also interpret, understanding that: … pastors and pastoral care theorists must constantly have one ear open to the shifts that take place in the ways persons experience their needs and problems of living and the other open to the currents of change in ways of understanding and interpreting human needs. (Gerkin 1986:12) Practical theology should meet the praxis of pastoral care for the people it seeks to serve as it 'interprets human needs'. This understanding and interpretation of human needs points to a theological and hermeneutical analysis of a practical-pastoral problem. In this context, we mean that pastoral problems cannot be separated from their urge to caregivers to find solutions in the praxis of the same. Furthermore, this understanding and interpretation should also provide the caregiver with the motivational means to offer this pastoral care from within his or her theological convictions. To say one should care for those in need in a pastoral way and yet not grapple with the question of why one should care at all would be somewhat presumptuous. Practical theology should therefore both prompt and sustain the following question: what is the motivation for this conviction to care? Don Browning, the Alexander Campbell Professor of Religion and Psychological studies at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago, also shares this sentiment when he writes: … practical theology must be more than methodological; it must actually do theology and it should do it in such a way as to illuminate Christian practice in religion to life's concrete problems and issues. (Browning 1985:15) When practical theology becomes so narrow that it only depends on the praxis of theology, how could the student motivate the 'who's', 'where's' and 'when's' of his or her research? Unless the praxis of theology is motivated from within that researched theological self, it would need to find its motivation for being practical from another source. From Gerkin (1986:18) we understand and agree that 'theology is central to all forms of ministry'. Unless practical theology is building upon actual theology, it will become a fragmented theology, because it would not be able to motivate theologically that which it is asking its practitioners to do. This dependence upon other sources will weaken practical theology, turning it into a mere practical outcome of someone else's theological convictions. That is why we hold that, unless practical theology actually engages in theology itself, it will become an unbalanced field of study where students would need to act in a conceited way. The conviction that Christians should care in a practical and pastoral manner is plainly not good enough. This pastoral care should find its motivation from within the caregiver's theological convictions, in order to find sufficient energy to sustain the care that is offered. Theological convictions motivate theology in praxis As practical theologians, we are deeply concerned that students' theological convictions should create a theology in praxis. Pieterse (2001:9) shares this sentiment as he believes practical theology to be a study of Christian actions. This helps to establish an understanding that practical theology cannot be separated from its praxis, which, in turn, cannot be separated from students' own theological convictions. It is traditionally acknowledged that William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, defined evangelism as 'one beggar, telling another beggar where to find bread'. From the above definition one could be forgiven for seeking an understanding of practical theology. In the same context, Campbell (1987:188) is helpful with his understanding that practical theology is concerned for the well-being of people in communities. Hence, practical theology could not be a one-sided theology, where one party becomes the giver and the other the receiver. Through practical theology, we, as giver and receiver, researcher and researched, student and teacher, become companions on the road to getting to know God better and this could only be achieved in a practical way. Patton (1993:238) wrote that practical theology involves a 'two-way movement between theory and practice'. From this context, it becomes evident that Patton, as well as Browning (1985:16), sees practical theology mainly as a 'practical theology of care'. Not only is this theology practical in its care, we want to urge that this theology should also find its praxis in the area of the public domain. Browning (1985) also dwells on this when he states that the practical theologian should communicate to the church, but also to those outside of the church: What we call pastoral care should be reconceived as a practical theology of care and should address not only the pastoral care of those within the church but an attempt to both criticize and fulfil the care structures of the larger society. Similar statements could be advanced for the other regions of practical theology-ethics, worship, and preaching. Both the inner-ecclesial and public foci of these activities would be part of the concerns of practical theology. (Browning 1985:16) This quotation quickens the concept that practical theology falls within the arena of theology, yet it positions theology in a practical way to those in the church, as well as to those not within the defined structures of church. The church's theological conviction will explain and motivate its praxis of faith lived out from day to day. Only once practical theology becomes critical in its theological analyses of what is happening in our communities, can it assist Christians to motivate positively their engagement in pastoral care. Hence, through philosophical and critical analyses of what is happening in communities, practical theology will not only motivate faith communities to offer pastoral care, but will also assist in creating models or praxes of this care. In addition, because these praxes would be motivated from within a well-formulated theology, they will become sustained by their existence, because faith leads to action. This understanding poses a major challenge to students of practical theology. How can students motivate people both inside and outside the church in a theological way to care pastorally for their neighbours in need, unless this motivation is also accompanied with a practical model on how best to demonstrate this care? Until practical theology urges its students to dwell in the arena of actual theology, this question will remain unanswered. Practical theology: A means of practical interpretation of theological convictions Aden and Ellens (1988) ask whether one could separate the notion of being part of the church from that of offering pastoral care; could one claim to be part of the church and its faith traditions, yet turn one's back upon pastoral care towards people? By merely being part of the church and its faith tradition, the believer, to a more or lesser extent, interprets his or her own theological convictions. The important question in practical theology is whether this interpretation brings the believer to a point of offering pastoral care. Aden and Ellens (1988:36) argue that the practice of offering pastoral care is the formal expression of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they challenge their readers to ask themselves: So what is the status and role of pastoral care in the church? Is it an essential form of Christian ministry, or is it a secondary function that is important only if it fulfils the primary task of proclaiming the Word? We will answer that question only as we clarify pastoral care's relation to the gospel that is only as we clarify what pastoral care is. (Aden & Ellens 1988:34) Here Aden and Ellens are saying that one can hardly separate theology and its praxis, because this theology in practice 'fulfils the primary task of proclaiming the Word'. Browning (1985) defines this even further by saying that practical theology is more than just theology of praxis in pastoral care. This theology should interpret ethical and moral issues, in order for it to motivate theologically the praxis of the pastoral care offered: In this perspective, the interpretative interests of hermeneutics are not ends in themselves but processes of understanding and self-interpretation toward the goal of orienting individuals and communities toward action. Practical theology, to be practical, must attempt to describe and interpret both contemporary situations and classic Christian resources. (Browning 198516) In this, Browning understands that through a hermeneutical approach to practical theology, one could motivate the church and societies around it towards action. The reader should realise that the goal of this approach is not to attain a deeper understanding of the problem through hermeneutical analyses, but to use this deeper understanding to motivate people for action in the praxis of pastoral care towards the church in need. In this context, Oglesby (1986:125) argues that 'well equipped clergy' should enable the people of God to function more effectively in their care towards other people of God, whilst in the Book of James it states that faith without action is dead (Ja 2:26). Both of these are well-known concepts within Christian communities and we claim no originality in these notions. However, could this mean that the other side of this implies that action cannot be motivated outside faith? Hence, unless Christians reach a place where their faith motivates them into action, the praxis of their pastoral care will not be enacted; or rather, will not happen on the level it should. From the above, we feel the urgency in returning to the notion that people's theological convictions will encourage them into care for others in a pastoral manner because practical theology cannot be separated from a praxis that is motivated from within its theological convictions. This care, however, also cannot be separated from the context of the people it seeks to help. Practical theology in the context of the people it seeks to help De Gruchy (1986:8) helps us understand that practical theology will always be set within the specific context of the caregiver and the care-seeker. Adding to this notion, Parrat (2004:2) stresses that this context is birthed from within the history of both the theologian as help-giver and in the history of the help-seeker. This means that the value and manner of the praxis of the care offered will be different according to the paradigm of both the caregiver and care-receiver. Hence, action, which has great value for the caregiver does not necessarily have great value, or any value for that matter, for the care-receiver – and the opposite is true as well. This sometimes becomes a problem for caregivers, because the care they offer very often comes at a great cost to themselves, yet this sacrificial aid is often not appreciated by care-seekers. Bonino (2004:131) furthers this argument by stressing that people cannot be freed of this context of self and of the people they seek to help. From this, one can understand that the context of theology in practice, both offered and received, becomes a critical element in making this theology beneficial for both the caregiver and care-receiver. In this same notion, Lartey (1997) proposes that: There are significant ways in which the concerns of liberation theologians and pastoral carers can be served by a greater degree of attention to who the readers are, how they read the texts and what they do with them. (Lartey 1997:99) Here Lartey urges caregivers to be mindful of the context of people who need care. Unless the practical theologian explicitly takes care to be mindful of both the context of those in need of care and the context of those offering help, this help runs the risk of being of very little value. Clinebell (1984:14) challenges this even further as he dares to say that theology outside of its context becomes irrelevant. Hence, although practical theology seeks to be practical in bringing theology to people, one should not lose sight of the fact that this help should be given within the context of the people it seeks to liberate. Being theologically correct, praxis will be of no value unless it is liberating within the paradigm of the people it seeks to help. Nevertheless, Msomi (1993:75) is critical of this point when he speaks out against Western-based care without considering the context of local people in Africa. That which Westerners see as loving care often becomes offensive to the recipients of this care in Africa. The reader can understand that this well-intended care often becomes a point of conflict between the caregiver and care-receiver. Browning (1985) emphasises this strongly as he writes: For practical theology to be genuinely practical, it must have some description of the present situation, some critical theory about the ideal situation, and some understanding of the processes, spiritual forces, and technologies required to get from where we are to the future ideal, no matter how fragmentarily and incomplete that ideal can be realized. (Browning 1985:20) From the above we wish to urge practical theologians firstly to familiarise themselves with the current situation of the care-seeker before he or she evaluates what is wrong with the situation, if anything is wrong at all. Only then can the caregiver create a theology motivating the praxis of pastoral care that is needed within the context of the care-seeker. Pastoral care in the framework of practical theology David Tracy's (1983:76) attempt to define practical theology is of great help in enabling us to understand that one should make a connection between the theory of practical theology and the praxis of the same. He states that: '… practical theology is the mutually critical correlation of the interpreted theory and praxis of the Christian faith and the interpreted theory and praxis of the contemporary situation.' Both theory and praxis are essential elements and together they form the real meaning of practical theology; anyone attempting to apply the one without the other will find it very difficult to motivate why the praxis of the needed care is so critical. At this point, we believe it is necessary to emphasise our convictions that practical theology will find the energy to sustain itself from within the philosophy of the theological self. However, we are very aware that one should strive to balance the theory and the praxis of practical theology because this theory becomes the vehicle and motivation for taking one into the praxis of practical theology. The reader can appreciate that as practical theologians, we are aware that the theology we hold manifests itself in praxis in the form of the pastoral care we offer to those in need. Gerkin (1997) is helpful to define pastoral care within the framework of practical theology through the story of his call to serve in a congregation. Shortly after his arrival in that congregation, a woman phoned him to ask whether he would conduct a certain task, because the previous minister had always done it. He refused and asked whether they could not do it themselves, for, as Gerkin (1997:118) writes: 'I was not going to be the one who ran churchly errands or did things for them or their children that they could do for themselves'. With this, Gerkin challenges his readers to understand that true pastoral care cannot be the 'easy way out'. Sometimes we need to act speedily – occasionally we need act over time – and then, again, at times we need to abstain from any action. All these instances should be seen as pastoral care. Yet, the latter will often prove to be the more difficult course, because true pastoral care originates in something much deeper than mere action or non-action. In offering pastoral care to people, one continuously needs to ask the question: how can I care for people in such a way that they will be able not only care for themselves but begin to care for others who are also in need? Solomon (1992:137) shines more light on this understanding when he says that true pastoral care for people in need will bring them to a place where they can enter into communion with God. Our Christian caring is based on Jesus Christ being the 'I AM'. Jesus not only spoke the word of God, he is the very Word of God, he is the Truth, he is the Way and he is the Life. If this is then our true conviction, pastoral care is far more than a mere theoretically motivated praxis. Again, Getz (1986) expanded on this notion when he looked at it from a different angle, saying that Christians should never permit themselves to care pastorally for others in difficulty if their motives for doing so can be questioned: Paul made this point before he challenged these believers to follow Christ's example. Your 'encouragement', he wrote, should come 'from being united with Christ'. When we were without hope in this world, Christ made it possible for us to have hope. Moreover, that hope came into our lives because of Christ's servant heart towards us. Therefore, our motivation to serve others should come because of God's marvelous grace toward us when we were undeserving sinners. When we are tempted to be selfish and proud, we need to think of what Christ did for us. (Getz 1986:128) With these words, Getz challenges his readers to ensure that any care offered is not aggravated by any wrong motives. The only reason why Christians should care for people in need originates in the hope Christians have in Christ, built upon God's grace for humankind. Because God cares for humankind, humans are able to care for other humans 'because we are held in God's memory' (Patton 1993:15). Christian care offered as the result of any other motivation, such as for political or financial reasons, will become something lesser than that which God intended it to be. Obstacles in the praxis of practical theology 'Ascetic Christianity called the world evil and left it. Humanity is waiting for a revolutionary Christianity, which will call the world evil and change it' (ed. Bauckham 1999:77). A wise man and friend once confronted me in saying that 'one can stand on the sideline and blame the world for all that is wrong, or you can get inside the world and change things for the better'. In doing this, the church will become God's prophetic voice to the world around it. God called the church to be the head and not the tail, in order to influence the people around it with the truth and love of God (see Dt 28:13). Furthermore, we hold that to speak of the theological motivation to care without including the practical outcomes of this motive within the context of practical theology would fall short of what we intend to illustrate in this article. The kind of practical theology we believe will give theologians the vehicle both to motivate pastoral care for a people in need from within its own theological convictions and also to work towards a praxis for offering this pastoral care. This all should happen to best of the theologian's ability, within the context of self and the people for whom it seeks to care. The above notion might sound very noble, but time has proved that it is a mammoth task given to caregivers. The largest contingent of the church will agree that Christians need to care for those people in need, yet this necessary care very often does not happen. We believe that most pastors and ministers in various congregations and denominations would agree when we say that it is very difficult to cultivate a caring community within the ethos of the church. Within this context, Tillich (2000) strongly argues that: We work hard and play hard not because we are more industrious or more playful than our ancestors are but because we dare not stop lest in the stillness we are overwhelmed by the sound of our own anxieties and fears. (Tillich 2000:xvii) Here Tillich challenges the business of the modern lifestyles to which most people become so accustomed, as this business becomes a smokescreen to hide our own inabilities, or unwillingness to care. Could this mean that people, including ourselves, are so guilty of the same kind of offences, injustices and pain we see around us that we dare not speak out for fear that we would be caught out with our own words? We work hard, we play hard and behind this business, we hide our own brokenness, because we have no idea how to deal with our own pain, let alone the pain and suffering of the people around us. This notion causes many caregivers to shy away from the purpose of practical theology, that is, to offer practical pastoral care to those in needs. The problem with this attitude is that, when ignoring our neighbours in need, it becomes inescapable that people will ignore God's call and purpose for their own existence. The implication of this insubordination will have extensive effects, as Bonhoeffer (2003:21) succinctly notes: 'Only the obedient believe. If we are to believe, we must obey a concrete command'. This is similar to the saying that 'The things we do, are the things we believe, the rest is just religious talk'. Indeed, on hearing this for the first time, one could be offended by its suggestion, for how could it be that the church's faith could be measured by its level of obedience to act? Is it not by faith alone that people can be saved? Again, the thought that 'faith alone' can save posed a huge challenge for us, one which the reader needs to understand from the context in which we question this dogma. In James 2:14 the 'faith alone' belief is also challenged, as this passage questions whether 'such faith' can indeed save. At this point one needs to ask what kind of faith the Book of James urges from its reader. Could the author of the Book of James suggest that the fruit, or outworkings of faith, becomes theology in action? If this is true, then one should be able to measure faith through the praxis of practical theology. In this context, praxis means action and not a theoretical willingness or conviction, where this action is motivated from within a theological confidence that comes from obedience to the call of God. From this notion, we profess that the word 'obedience' does not share the same meaning as the word 'willingness'. Jesus was not willing to die on the cross, because he called upon his Father to remove this cup from him (Lk 22:42). Yet, he chose to obey his Father and died upon that cross. From this, we learn that Jesus' obedience did not come from his willingness to die on the cross; Jesus' obedience was an act of his will. Bonhoeffer (2003:35) expands of this notion: 'When he was challenged by Jesus to accept a life of voluntary poverty, the rich young man knew he was faced with the simple alternative of obedience or disobedience.' To obey or to disobey is a choice Christians makes daily, where obedience can only follow a command. Could this suggest that the praxis of practical theology will often manifest not from willingness, but from obedience of the caregiver? If Jesus did not call the rich young man to voluntary poverty, obedience would not have been possible as there was nothing to obey. Because of his choice of non-obedience, this young man was disqualified from entering into the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt 19:23). God called his people to care for their neighbours. This brings us to the point of making a choice: will we obey God's call, or will we ignore our neighbour in need of care? In this context, it seems that the Christian has no luxury of another choice; they can only obey or disobey. Yet, it is not as simple as pure obedience or not. So often we discover a community that cares, but one in which this care is confined to set parameters. This selective way of caring is not a modern occurrence. An expert in Jewish law tested Jesus with a similar question: 'And who is my neighbour?' (Lk 10:29). The Scripture states that he wanted to 'justify himself' and his actions through this question. Today, we may ask why he would want to do this? From this context, it seems this expert in Jewish law attempted to justify his lack of love towards people he did not recognise as his neighbour. It is not at all difficult to love the loveable people in our lives; however, it is tougher to express love towards those whom we do not want to love. In response to the expert's question, Jesus told a story that later became known as the parable of the Good Samaritan. This allegory is still popular in motivating our understanding of who qualifies to be our neighbour. Who is the one that will be on the receiving end of our Christian care? To this end, Wise (1989:4) shows great insight when he states: 'If our concern to help ends with those who require little cost on our part, then we will not help many.' Practical theology and its praxis in the context of poverty There is a confidence amongst many theologians that God favours the poor. This theological conviction largely influences their motivation and the methodology in the praxis of care they offer to people in need. Indeed, it seems that these theologians find their motivation for care from within their sympathy towards the politically oppressed, who are also most often the financially deprived. Buffel (2007) states his convictions blatantly as he writes: Just as God favours the poor, the church must do the same. Jesus Christ furthered this preferential option for the poor, the oppressed and the marginalized in his statements and his ministry. (Buffel 2007:52) We find that this notion seriously confronts our understanding of God's love, as it compartmentalises his unlimited love for all people (cf. Jn 3:16). How could one categorise God's love and favour in this manner? Could this imply that poor people find salvation in Christ more easily that their richer fellow humans? Does this mean that poor people have a greater share in the salvation only Christ can offer? This theological basis for God's favouritism is very dangerous, because if God favours the poor, it unavoidably means that God is 'dis-favourable' towards the rich. At this point we are very aware of Jesus' words about the rich young man (see Mt 19:23). It would prove to be very difficult for the rich to enter into God's Kingdom; however, does this really mean that God is more favourable towards the poor? The reason why we find this theological conviction so difficult to accept is rooted in Jesus' concern for all people. In this, we are saying that God does not make it more difficult for the rich to enter his Kingdom, nor does he lower the standards for the poor. We find confidence in this notion as Zacchaeus, a rich tax collector, found favour with Jesus, who said: 'Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham' (Lk 19:9). God does not favour of one human being above another and the Bible explicitly states this (see Ac 10:34; Rm 2:11). In John 3:16, Jesus expressed God's love for the world, rich and poor alike. Davids strengthens this notion when he writes: When we understand that God wills the salvation, development and progress of all His creation, it gives us the impetus to look at any context as a context in need of God's redemptive presence, not because we are scared or need security, but because God wills it. (ed. De Beer 2002:33) However, the reader should take note that we are deeply convinced that God is not favourable towards the injustices that cause people to be poor. I have confidence that God will oppose the acts of people who oppress others financially, politically, or any other way. Within this context, we urge the reader not to be caught in the trap of an, 'us' and 'them' situation, where the 'us' are the oppressed and 'them' the oppressor, or where 'us' are the poor and righteous and 'them' the rich and wicked. We wish to sound a warning in saying that this is a very dangerous game to play. Rich and poor, good and bad, high and low, fat and thin: these are all very relative concepts and extremely difficult to qualify, unless one can measure it against a set standard. In this instance of human standards for righteousness and evil, it becomes an even greater problem, because believers are not measured against one another. Our holiness, wickedness, righteousness, riches or poverty is not measured against our fellow human standards, because there is a much higher standard for measurement. God called believers to be holy, righteous and rich according to his standard (Lv 11:44) and all human beings have fallen short of this glory of God (Rm 3:23). In fact, we all are human and in desperate need of God's grace, whether we are rich or poor, Christian or pagan. No one who is human can say that God favours me, us, him or her above another human being. All people are in desperate need of God's grace. This theological conviction has become the sustained energy in our personal journeys, searching for meaning to life through theological studies. Our deeply rooted convictions that God is intensely concerned about our individual existence have enabled each of us to be concerned about the existence of the people around us. We can love, because God first loved us as individuals (see 1 Jn 4:19). Heschel (1975) agrees with this notion as he writes: Neither prediction nor speaking in the name of God is the most important feature of biblical prophecy. The prophet is not sent to the people in order to demand that some particular act be done; he is sent because of a divine concern for the total existence of the people. (Heschel 1975:251) ConclusionThis article urges the practical theologian to wrestle with theology, in order to motivate the praxis of practical theology. We motivated this notion from our conviction that the praxis of theology can only be sustained over prolonged timeframes once the caregiver is theologically convinced of the need to care for those in need. Hence, unless the caregiver has the conviction to care through his or her theology of care, this praxis of care will not be sustained. Being practical in nature, practical theology cannot be freed from its praxis. In this we are saying that practical theology, although motivated through theological convictions, cannot be separated from its practical outworking of the faith it professes. The practical theologian cannot separate themselves from those in need, as Gerkin (1986) agrees: Practical theology always takes place in the midst of praxis and is prompted by the situation of 'being in the midst' … In that sense practical theology is always, or virtually always, done 'on the run', so to speak, or in the midst of the necessity of action. (Gerkin 1986:60) In this same context, Campbell (1981:82) understands that people become companions on the same journey as they pastorally care for one another. Our neighbour is the one who makes this journey with us. As travelling companions, the caregiver and care-receiver will gain authority to become friends and comrades on this journey of pastoral care as they engage in the practice of practical theology. Acknowledgements Competing interests The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationship(s) which may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.' Authors' contributions This article is an adaptation of T.H.S.'s doctoral thesis within the Department of Practical Theology at the University of Pretoria, as supervised by M.J.M. 1.AarflotA.1988Let the Church be church – The voice and mission of the people of GodAugsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, MN2.AdenLEllensC.1988 The church and pastoral careBaker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI3.BauckhamR.1999God will be all in all,T & T Clark, Edinburgh4.BilezikianG.1997 Reclaiming the local church as community of onenessZondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI5.BonhoefferD.2003The cost of discipleshipSCM Press, Canterbury6.BoninoM.,2004An introduction to Third World theologiesCambridge University Press, Cambridge7.http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0040573685042001048.BuffelO.A.,2007Pastoral care in a context of poverty: A search for a pastoral care model that is contextual and liberatingDoctor of Sacred Theology dissertation, Faculty of Theology, Drew University. 9.BurgerC.,1991 Praktiese Theology in Suid-AfrikaRGN Uitgewery, Pretoria10.CampbellA.V.1981Rediscovering pastoral care Darton, Longman and Todd, London.11.CampbellA.V.1987A dictionary of pastoral careSPCK, London12.CappsD., 1984Pastoral care and hermeneuticsFortress Press, Philadelphia, PA.13.Clinebell H.1984Basic types of pastoral care and counsellingAbington Press, Nashville, TN. 14.CochraneJ.De GruchyJ. PetersenR.1991In word and deed – Towards a practical theology of social transformationCluster Publications, Pietermaritzburg15.De Beer,S.2002Hidden treasurePretoria Community Ministries, Pretoria16.De GruchyJ.W.1984Bonhoeffer and South AfricaTheology in dialogue, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI17.DeverMAlexanderP.2005The deliberate churchCrossway Books, Wheaton, IL.18.Farmer J.T.,1993 Ministry in community – Rahner's vision of ministry, Peters Press, Oakland, CA. 19.FowlerJ.W1981Stages of faith – The psychology of human development and the quest for meaningHarper & Row, San Francisco, CA. 20.Frankl V.E.1946Man's search for meaningSquare Press, Washington, DC21.GerkinC.V.1986Widening the horizons: Pastoral responses to a fragmented societyThe Westminster Press, Philadelphia, PA22.GerkinC.V.1991Prophetic pastoral practiceAbingdon Press, Nashville, TN.23.GerkinC.V.1997An introduction to pastoral care Abingdon Press, Nashville, TN.24.GetzA.G1986Serving one anotherVictor Books, Wheaton, IL.25.HeschelA.1975The prophets vol. 2, Harper & Row, New York, NY26.HughesS.1981A friend in needKingsway Publishers, Eastbourne27.JacksonW.C.1985Spiritual dimensions of pastoral careWestminster Press, Philadelphia, PA28.KüngH.1967 The churchSearch Press, London29.LarteyE.Y.1997In living colour, an intercultural approach to pastoral care and counsellingWellington House, London.30.LohfinkG.,1982Jesus and communityPaulist Press, New York, NY31.McGrath A.E.,2008Theology: The basic readingsBlackwell Publishing, New York, NY.32.MsomiV.V.1993The future of pastoral work in South AfricaIn Praktiese Teologie in Suid Afrika 827382.33.OglesbyW.B.1986Lay pastoral care revisited' Journal of Pastoral Care27307326.34.PannenburgW.1975Faith and realitySearch Press, London35.ParratJ.2004An introduction to Third World theologies todayCambridge University Press, Cambridge36.Patton J.1993Pastoral care in contextWestminster/John Knox Press, Louisville, KY. 37.Pieterse H.2001Preaching in a context of povertyUnisa, Pretoria.38.PopeR.2006The intentional church Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL39.PoserK.1987Called to be neighboursWCC Publishers, Geneva40.SchaefflerR.1994Therefore, we rememberLiturgical Press, Collegeville, MN41.SolomonC.,1992Handbook to acceptance Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, IL42.Stokes P.J.1990Grace under pressure Navpress, Colorado Springs, CO43.TillichP.,2000The courage to beYale University Press, New Haven, CT44.TracyD.1983The foundations of practical theology in D.S. Browning (ed.), Practical theology: The emerging field in theology, church, and world, p. 76, Harper and Brothers, New York, NY.45.WatsonD.1981 DiscipleshipHodder and Stoughton, London46.WhiteE.G.1940The desire of agesPacific Press Publishing Association, Mountain View, CA47.WiseC.A.1989The meaning of pastoral carMeyer-Stone, Bloomington, IN.


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|*February 7 - 13
|The Work of the Prophets
Read for This Week's Study:
Memory Text:
By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved (Hosea 12:13, NKJV).
|As the Bible amply shows, the life of a prophet was never easy. Ellen Whites was no exception, and though she didnt face the same kind of trials that many of the Bible prophets did (jail, stoning, etc.), she had plenty of trials just the same. In the early years, besides struggling with illness and various assaults of Satan, she and James were very poor and had to depend on others for living quarters and furniture. Two of their four children died young, and James wore himself out with travel, preaching, writing, and guiding the fledgling church until 1881, when he died at 60. For the last 34 years Ellen White continued to labor in an environment that was at times hardly friendly. This week well look at some of her work and how it paralleled the biblical prophets.
The Week at a Glance:
Does the preaching of the gospel in the New Testament differ from the proclamation of salvation in the Old Testament? Why were the early Seventh-day Adventists, who came out of the Millerite movement, opposed to church organization? What were some ways prophets delivered Gods messages to His people?
*Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 14.
|February 8
Preaching the Gospel
Where do we find the gospel of salvation in the Old Testament? Gen. 22:1-14, Lev. 4:27-31, Isa. 53.
The plan of salvation was explained to Adam and Eve as soon as they had sinned; it graphically was illustrated in Abrahams test on Mount Moriah and in the sanctuary service instituted by Moses. The sanctuary rituals were designed for an agricultural people who lived intimately with their animals. The sacrificed animals symbolized Christs death on the cross, and the priests services illustrated His ministry in the heavenly sanctuary.
Does the preaching of the gospel in the New Testament differ from the proclamation of salvation in the Old Testament? John 1:29, Rom. 3:2126.
While the Old Testament people looked forward by faith to the Messiah, the New Testament looks back to the accomplished salvation through Jesus Christ. In both testaments the focus is on what God has done to remedy humanitys fall into sin.
Its the same with the writings of Ellen White, where we find more than eight thousand references to the gospel and about six thousand references specifically to Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. The Christ of the cross and the cross of Christ were the focus of her message. She admonished Seventh-day Adventists to uplift Jesus Christ before the world. Of all professing Christians, Seventh-day Adventists should be foremost in uplifting Christ before the world.Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers, p. 156. Christ as manifested to the patriarchs, as symbolized in the sacrificial service, as portrayed in the law, and as revealed by the prophets, is the riches of the Old Testament. Christ in His life, His death, and His resurrection, Christ as He is manifested by the Holy Spirit, is the treasure of the New Testament.Ellen G. White, Christs Object Lessons, p. 126. The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. . . . This is to be the foundation of every discourse given by our ministers.Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers, p. 315.
|How much time do you spend thinking about Jesus, focusing on His life and what Hes done for you? How much stronger would your faith be if you were to dwell more on Christ and His sacrifice in your behalf?
|February 9
Guiding God's People
Jesus appointed Paul and the 12 apostles, some of whom also had the prophetic gift, to lead and guide the early Christian church. What are some of the specific areas in which Paul and the apostles provided counsel and guidance for the church? Acts 6:17, 1 Cor. 5:15, 7:1016, Titus 1:5, 1 John 4:13.
The leaders of the early church faced many problems. Questions of immorality, apostasy, church organization, and a host of other matters occupied the time and attention of the early church. Prophets and apostles guided and directed the people of God in accordance with the Lords revealed will.
The early days of our church had specific struggles, as well. During the first 20 years of our church, there was no church organization, so there also was no paid ministry; preachers worked at other jobs to make a living. Anyone could preach if he felt called, and as a result heresies prospered. Furthermore, church buildings and the Review and Herald press were in the names of individuals, which created the potential for many problems. For years James White urged organization, but with little success.
Then in 1854, Mrs. White published an article concerning church order. The Lord has shown that gospel order has been too much feared and neglected. Formality should be shunned; but, in so doing, order should not be neglected. There is order in heaven. There was order in the church when Christ was upon the earth, and after His departure order was strictly observed among His apostles. . . . The danger of those traveling whom God has not called was shown me. . . . I saw that this door at which the enemy comes in to perplex and trouble the flock can be shut. I inquired of the angel how it could be closed. He said, The church must flee to Gods Word and become established upon gospel order, which has been overlooked and neglected. Ellen G. White, Early Writings, pp. 97, 100.
It took another six years until a church name was adopted in 1860 in Michigan. In 1861 the Michigan Conference was established, and in 1863 the General Conference was established.
|People sometimes talk about not wanting to be part of an organized church. What are the advantages of being part of an organized structure? How can you better serve the organized church and help remedy aspects of it that you believe could use improvement?
|February 10
Reproving Sin
What were some of the evils the prophets spoke against, and what parallels can you see to our own days? 1 Kings 18:21, Isa. 1:10-14, Amos 5:12, Mal. 3:8-10, Matt. 3:7-10.
Prophets were commissioned by God to resist social injustice, root out idolatry, protest against immorality, and condemn formalistic worship and hypocrisy. At times it seemed to them that their voices were the only dissenting voices (1 Kings 19:14); yet, their protests were Gods protests and were delivered regardless of the consequences.
How did Ellen White deal with messages of reproof for individuals?
How did Ellen White deal with messages of reproof for individuals?
Like the prophets of old, Ellen White had to reprove sins known only to the individual and God. It was a work she did not enjoy. I bore my testimony and related things which had been shown me in the past history of some present, warning them of their dangers and reproving their wrong course of action. I stated that I had been placed in most disagreeable positions. When families and individuals were brought before me in vision, it was frequently the case that what was shown me in relation to them was of a private nature, reproving secret sins. I have labored with some for months in regard to wrongs of which others knew nothing. As my brethren see these persons sad, and hear them express doubts in regard to their acceptance with God, also feelings of despondency, they have cast censure upon me, as though I were to blame for their being in trial. . . . It has been the disagreeable work assigned me to reprove private sins. Were I, in order to prevent suspicions and jealousy, to give a full explanation of my course, and make public that which should be kept private, I should sin against God and wrong the individuals. I have to keep private reproofs of private wrongs to myself, locked in my own breast. Let others judge as they may, I will never betray the confidence reposed in me by the erring and repentant, or reveal to others that which should only be brought before the ones that are guilty.Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 584, 585.
|If the Lord gave Ellen White a message to you, what do you think it would say, and why? Most important, how would you respond?
|February 11
Communicating God's Will
What were some of the ways the prophets delivered Gods messages to His people? Num. 9:15; Jer. 37:16, 17; Ezek. 4:16; Col. 4:16.
Prophets were charged by God to deliver to the people the messages that they received from Him. At times they proclaimed Gods words in a discourse before a company of people. At other times they delivered their testimonies in private interviews. Frequently, prophets were told to write out the messages received so that not only the people living at that time but also all future generations would hear what God had to say.
When Ellen Harmon (Ellen G. Whites maiden name) received her second vision in December 1844, she was told that she must go and relate to others what had been revealed to her. For several days, she prayed that this burden might be taken from her, but the words of the angel sounded continually in her ears, Make known to others what I have revealed to you. Ellen G. White, Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, p. 69.
During 1845, therefore, Ellen Harmon, accompanied by her sister Sarah or other friends, visited former Millerites in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts who had experienced the Great Disappointment on October 22, 1844, and shared her early visions with them. James White, a former Millerite preacher, became convinced that her visions were genuine and began to travel with her and her companions, and in 1846 James and Ellen were married.
Early in her ministry, Ellen White also was told to write out the things revealed to her. Messages to individuals frequently were communicated to their recipients through letters (often called testimonies). Thousands of such communications were mailed from her home over the years. Of these she wrote, In these letters which I write, in the testimonies I bear, I am presenting to you that which the Lord has presented to me.Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 67. When Ellen White died, she left behind about one hundred thousand pages of published and unpublished material.
|What do the writings of Ellen White mean to you personally? Discuss your answer in class.
|February 12
Predicting the Future
What were some of the Bible prophecies that have been fulfilled? Isa. 44:28, Jer. 25:11, Dan. 9:2427.
About one hundred fifty years prior to the time of Cyrus, Isaiah prophesied that a king by the name of Cyrus would bring back the Jews from Babylon and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. The fulfillment of this prophecy is found in Ezra 1:14.
Jeremiah predicted the length of the Babylonian captivity; and Daniel predicted the time of the appearance of the Messiah almost six hundred years before Jesus was born. Both prophecies provide evidence for the inspiration of the Scriptures.
And with Ellen White, too, we can find many of her predictions fulfilled. For instance, on January 12, 1861, three months before the outbreak of the American Civil War, Mrs. White received a vision in the Parkville, Michigan, church in which she was shown battlefields covered with the dead and dying. As she related what she had seen, she told her listeners, There are men in this house who will lose sons in that war.Pacific Union Recorder, March 7, 1912 (Arthur L. White, Ellen G. White: The Early Years, vol. 1, p. 463). No less than five families in the room that day lost sons in the Civil War.
In 1885, Ellen White predicted: When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism . . . then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near.Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 451.
At the time she wrote those words, Protestants and Catholics were all but at war with each other. In 1885 the ecumenical movement was still a long way in the future, but times have change greatly. Just one example: On March 29, 1994, 39 leading evangelical Protestants and Roman Catholics signed a document entitled Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the Third Millenniuma stunning fulfillment of prophetic trends.
|February 13
Further Study:
|Read Arthur L. White, The Messenger of the Lord at Work,
pp. 73-89 in The Early Years: 1827-1862; Ellen G. White,
Gods Law Immutable, pp. 433-450 in The Great Controversy.
When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result.Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 445.
For more than one hundred fifty years, Adventists have been warning the world about the coming reconciliation between Catholics and Protestantseven when all political and religious indications made such a reconciliation seem impossible. Today, of course, the impossible has become all but inevitable, as time and again Catholics and various Protestants are coming together on a whole host of issues. Most interesting, and again in line with what Ellen White wrote more than a century ago, the Protestants are the ones who are making the most incredible compromises, all in order to bring about this unity with Rome. Though theres much still to unfold, these events are leading to an amazing fulfillment of prophecy and are another powerful vindication of Ellen Whites prophetic gift.
Discussion Questions:
| To whatever degree possible, do a little research
about the religious climate in America in the 1800s, particularly regarding
Catholic-Protestant relations. Bring what you learn to class on Sabbath,
and then discuss the predictions she made during that time regarding Protestants
and Rome.
Talk about the hostility that some people have toward organized religion. What are their complaints? Are those complaints often valid? If so, what can we do, as an organized church, to solve as much as possible some of those things that cause this hostility?
What are ways that Ellen Whites writing can be abused? What kind of principles can we follow in order to protect ourselves from misusing this wonderful gift.
|I N S I D E Story
|Wendy's Prayers
Wendy lives in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. As the eldest child in her family, it was her job to care for her younger sisters. Even before she started school, she carried the youngest child on her back.
Wendy often heard the children next door singing songs about Jesus. One day she asked the children to teach her the songs. Her neighbors did, and they invited her to go to Sabbath School with them. Wendy wasn't sure whether her mother would let her go to Sabbath School, so on Sabbath morning she hid until her neighbors walked by her house. Then she followed them to church.
Wendy's mother learned that Wendy was going to church and gave her permission to go-as long as she took her sisters with her. So every Sabbath morning Wendy washed and dressed her little sisters and took them to church. They had to climb a steep hill, and Wendy could not carry her baby sister all the way. So her other sisters helped her. Wendy loved church and often invited her mother to come with her. Sometimes her mother came, but just to visit.
When Wendy was eight, a huge argument broke out at home. Her father had taken a second wife, which angered her mother so much that she and her children returned to her home village. Wendy missed her father, but she was delighted to find an Adventist church near their new home. Every Sabbath morning Wendy hustled her little sisters to church.
Wendy's aunt lived in the village. She was also an Adventist, and she often invited Mother to attend church. When Mother decided to give her heart to God, Wendy was thrilled.
Wendy's aunt was moving to an isolated village high in the mountains and wanted Wendy to go with her. Wendy loved living with her aunt. She loved family worship when the family prayed for her family. Wendy's prayer was always that her mother would stay faithful to Jesus and her father would give his heart to God.
When Wendy returned home, she was thrilled to learn that her father was attending church with Mother! He was even bringing his other wife and their children! It was quite a sight: one man, two wives, and 11 chil-dren sitting together in church. In time Father's second wife gave her heart to Jesus and became an Adventist, but Father could not join the church because he had two wives. Still he faithfully attended church. Then one day Father said that he had sent his second wife home to her village and had asked the pastor to baptize him.
"God has answered so many of my prayers," Wendy says. "He helped me find Jesus, then led my whole family to God." Your mission offerings help reach people at home and in the uttermost parts of the earth for the
Savior. Thank you for having a part in telling the world about God's love.
WENDY lives in Goroka, Papua New Guinea.
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text:
Here's an example, in Scala. Suppose we create a method, foo, lazy in its second argument:
If we want to call
def foo[A,B](a: A, b: => B): B = ...
foo, no problem, just do
foo(a, hugeFunction()). Scala automatically creates a thunk wrapping the
hugeFunction() call, ensuring that it won't be executed before
foo gets called. The problem comes when we consider a caller of
This isn't quite right -
def bar[A,B,C](a: A, b: B, c: C): B = {
// big long function
foo(a, b)
bar is strict in its second argument, but when that argument is actually used, in the call to
foo, it is lazy. If
foo depends on the laziness of
b for its semantics or performance, we probably should adjust the signature of
bar to also be lazy:
Starting to see a problem yet? What about callers of
def bar[A,B,C](a: A, b: => B, c: C): B = ...
bar? These need fixing, too. In principle we might have to adjust the signatures of a long chain of callers into
foo, until we get to the function that generates the instance of
B that gets passed ultimately to
foo. The problem is especially bad when writing generic code that can appear in several locations in the call graph. Very often these functions will not have full knowledge of who they call; the only way for them to be fully general is for them to be lazy by default (since some callee may depend on this laziness). If you program in a style where you make plentiful use of HOFs, or you make use of a lot of generic interfaces, you start to see what a PITA it can be to deal with strictness. A function that appears deep in the call graph needing to be made lazy might result in the programmer having to propagate laziness information to a huge number of dependent functions.
As an example, I recently built an experimental combinator library for defining parallel computations. I won't go into details here, but you can build a nice set of combinators all derived from just three primitives:
map, and
join. As it turns out, these three functions form a monad, and the combinator library I was going to write was just going to be the usual combinators that can be derived given the monad interface. I figured I'd just save myself the trouble and just use implementation of the monad combinators from scalaz.
... except, the monad interface in scalaz defined
unit to be a strict function (this is being fixed in an upcoming release), and my particular implementation of the monad interface needed
unit to be lazy. Short of modifying scalaz, my only option was to rewrite all the functions that called into
unit. Unfortunately, the
unit function has a lot of dependents - the functions that can be derived given a monad have a nice, layered structure, where each layer builds on the layer below, with the bottom layer being just the three functions that define a monad. Changing the signature of
unit in the interface causes a cascade of changes to all the layers above.
There are certainly some problems with laziness being the default, but I've started to think the problems are of the type that can be solved or have already been solved by better technology (I'll talk more about this in a future post). In contrast, the above problems with strict-by-default are fundamental.


text:
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To achieve this, we believe in creating dynamic learning environments that encourage self-aware students who are committed to the pursuit of personal excellence in all they do. Our dedicated staff, combined with our unique programs, support each student in fulfilling his or her potential.
In addition to this and to our outstanding academic results, All Saints' College is renowned for its world-class facilities that sit on 19 hectares of beautifully-landscaped grounds. Some of our specialty areas include our indoor Aquatics Centre and indoor Sports Centre, as well as our state-of-the-art Centre for Performing Arts.
We invite you to visit us, soon, to find out more about our very special College and its programs. In the meantime, welcome to our website!
All Saints' College prioritises the safety, welfare and wellbeing of children and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.


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a person after (one's) own(redirected from a man after one's own)
a person after (one's) own
An expression of admiration for someone who is similar in a certain interest, belief, manner, or characteristic, which is then used to complete the phrase. Derived from the expression "a man after my own heart." I love the way he cooks, he's a man after my own taste buds! She loves to read James Joyce. A woman after my own mind.


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Lesson 12
September 9 - 15
Errors and Setbacks in Witnessing
A MAJOR ERROR IN WITNESSING. In contrasting Paul's experience in Corinth with that in Athens (Acts 17; 1 Cor. 2:2), Ellen G. White wrote, "Instead of indulging in poetic descriptions and fanciful representations, which might please the senses and feed the imagination, but which would not touch the daily experience, Paul sought by the use of simple language to bring home to the heart the truths that are of vital importance. . . . The immediate needs, the present trials, of struggling souls-these must be met with sound, practical instruction in the fundamental principles of Christianity."The Acts of the Apostles, p. 252.
A major setback in apostolic days was persecution, generally founded on false charges (see Acts 5:28; 14:4; 16:20, 21; 17:6; 17:18; 18:13; 19:26, 27). However, persecution often has motivated Christians to be more committed to the Lord.
God helped the early Christians to overcome errors, setbacks, obstacles, fears, and opposition. As you study this week's lesson, always remember that He gives us the same help.
I. Ethnic Divisions (Acts 6:1-7).
II. Dissension Among Witnesses (Acts 13:13; 15:37-40).
III. Lack of Contextualization (Acts 15; 16:1-3).
IV. Fear of Criticism (Acts 21:17-25).
V. Language Barriers (Acts 2:4-11; 14:8-18).
MEMORY TEXT: "They returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saving. We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God'" (Acts 14:21, 22, NKJV).
Read Acts 6:1-7 to help you fill in the chart below. What conclusions can you draw from this example about how to deal with ethnic divisions?
|The Problem
|The Solution
|The Result
The early Christian church was bicultural. The Hellenists, or Grecian Jews, were non-native-born Jews whose first language was Greek rather than Hebrew. However, native-born Jews comprised the top leadership of the church.
Luke described the complaint as a class discrimination offense. Neither he nor the apostles offered a defense for it. Instead, they immediately set out to find a solution. The fact that they called a congregational meeting shows that they realized the problem was serious.
Moses' appointment of the seventy (Num. 11:10-16) to better care for the Israelites may have offered the apostles an example. They advised expanding the leadership by involving other church members. Interestingly, all seven people elected to office bear Greek names. These appointments suggest the church's progress toward resolving tensions caused by culture and race.
"The influence of the gospel is to unite God's people in one great brotherhood. . . . Worldly maxims and differences of nationalities are lost sight of in him. The love of God, sanctifying the soul, breaks down the wall of partition between the customs and practices of different individuals and nations. The great principles of Bible truth bring all into perfect harmony."Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, November 3, 1885, p. 559.
|What is my local congregation doing to express to the community that we belong to one great family? How can we improve upon what we are doing? What can I do to help any improvement to occur?
What problem led to a clash among the apostles?
Acts 13:13 _____________________________________________________________________
15:37-40 ____________________________________________________________________
John Mark, "overwhelmed with fear and discouragement, wavered for a time in his purpose to give himself wholeheartedly to the Lord's work. Unused to hardships, he was disheartened by the perils and privations of the way. He had labored with success under favorable circumstances; but now, amidst the opposition and perils that so often beset the pioneer worker, he failed to endure hardness as a good soldier of the cross. He had yet to learn to face danger and persecution and adversity with a brave heart. As the apostles advanced, and still greater difficulties were apprehended, Mark was intimidated and, losing all courage, refused to go farther and returned to Jerusalem."The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 169, 170.
As a result of a sharp disagreement with Barnabas over John Mark, Paul chose Silas to accompany him instead and began a mission through Syria and Cilicia (Acts 15:40, 41). The result was that there were now two missions, not just one. The church still understood that they were doing God's work and commended them "unto the grace of God" (v. 40). Thus we learn that we can have unity of purpose even when there is diversity of opinions and strategies.
Mark had the blessing of being close to Barnabas, who worked patiently on his behalf. Eventually Mark developed into a valuable worker.
What principles may have led Paul to reconsider his attitude toward Mark?
Phil. 2:1, 2 ______________________________________________________________________
Phil. 4:2 ___________________________________________________________________
Is there dissension among members in your church? How can these principles and what happened to Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark assist in helping to alleviate the situation? If you are involved in any way in the dissension, how can you apply these principles to your life?
|DEFINITION: Contextualization is the process of making the gospel meaningful and applicable to a given society. From an Adventist perspective, contextualization is not related to the content of the gospel but to the forms in which it is presented. Any contextualization must preserve intact the twenty-seven fundamental beliefs of the denomination.
"When, as you labor in a place, you see that the scales are beginning to fall from men's eyes . . . be very careful not to present the truth in such a way as to arouse prejudice and close the door of the heart to further light. Agree with the people on every point where you can consistently do so. Let them see that you love their souls, and want to be in harmony with them as far as possible."Ellen G. White, The Review and Herald, June 13, 1912, p. 255.
A good example of contextualization is found in Acts 15. What was the problem? Why did it exist? How did the church members deal with it? This incident is known as the Jerusalem Council and presents an example for the church today. What conclusions about contextualization can we draw from this example?
Why did Paul circumcise Timothy? Acts 16:1-3.
At Pentecost, when the gospel was presented in cultural forms appropriate to each group present, God showed that He respects our variety of cultures and languages. Paul, too, was willing to be flexible on issues that would not affect the truths of the gospel (1 Cor. 9:19-22).
Cultural practices vary from country to country. In some parts of the world, it is unthinkable to attend church without wearing shoes. In other parts of the world, church members remove their shoes before entering the sanctuary. Other practices include what color churches are painted, the wearing of ties, sitting on the floor, and which musical instruments may be used. We may vary in such practices, but we must agree on the essential elements of Christ's gospel.
|What cultural practices regarding worship exist in your part of the world? Should you or should you not observe the cultural practices in a part of the world you are visiting? Explain your answer. Who should make decisions regarding the cultural practices manifested in a local church, and why?
Once again Paul found himself in Jerusalem where the elders of the church received him warmly. How pleased he must have been to inform them of how readily many Gentiles had accepted the gospel as a result of his ministry to them. Yet this news proved to be at the center of a major problem, because "many thousands of Jews" also believed, "and all of them are zealous for the law" (Acts 21:20, NIV). These Jewish converts had heard rumors that Paul had advised Christian Jews who lived with Christian Gentiles to forsake certain traditions of their ancestral faith.
What did the church leaders in Jerusalem ask Paul to do in order to quiet the rumors and the fears of the Hebrew converts? What was wrong with their request, and how did it go against what the Jerusalem Council had decided? (See Acts 15:1, 2, 6-11, 19-21, 28). See also Acts 21:20-25.
"Paul thought that he was doing a wise thing in being a Jew among Jews (1 Cor. 9:19-23). But actually he was inconsistent here, for he participated, not to reveal his own belief, but to satisfy others who were 'zealous of the law.' "SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 405.
What happened as a result of Paul's participation? Acts 21:26-39.
"The Jerusalem leaders believed that the advice they were giving was for the best. There was no intent to involve Paul in trouble, but rather to counteract the prejudice against him, for which they seemed to think he was in some way to blame. . . . They should rather have recognized that God had worked mightily through Paul, and endeavored, themselves, to counteract the opposition to him."SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 404.
Administrators, teachers, elders, evangelists, pastors, and church leaders in general are subject to criticism and gossip. Attempts to change traditions, try new methods, or alter the establishment may produce bitter reactions. Criticism and false accusations feed on each other and can often create a fire storm that, once started, is difficult to extinguish. Such heat can cause people to draw rash conclusions and make unwise decisions.
|What fire storms fueled by criticism exist in your part of the world church? How can you help to put them out? List at least three ways we can prevent such storms.
What did the people of Lystra do when Paul and Barnabas did not understand what they were saying? Acts 14:11.
Paul and Barnabas went to Lystra to flee from an attempted stoning in Iconium (Acts 14:1-7). In Lystra, they found a lame man whose faith was strong enough to respond to God's healing grace and who in turn was healed (vs. 9, 10). As a result, the people shouted praise in their native Lycaonian tongue (v. 11). Paul and Barnabas did not at first understand them (see SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 297). Now, as then, language can be a barrier.
It was logical for the Lycaonians to have reacted in their native tongue, because most people who speak more than one language consider their native tongue to be the "language of the heart." They pray and make decisions for eternity in that language. If we witness to others who speak more than one language, we should share the gospel with them in their "language of the heart."
What was God's first solution to language barriers? Acts 2:4-11.
Some Christians feel that congregations with different language groups are evidence of division. However, on the day of Pentecost, God Himself enabled the Christian community to preach in different languages and still be of "one accord" (Acts 2:1, 44). Paul was able to cross language and cultural boundaries without making reference to either language as a dividing factor. Paul stressed unity, but unity does not mean uniformity.
|Many towns and cities of our world are fast becoming centers where
people from different countries, cultures, and languages meet and live.
What languages do people speak in your area? How is your church
planning to reach them with the gospel? Which of the following approaches
could help them to understand the gospel in their language?
___ A Sabbath School class and Bible Study Guide in their language
___ Other literature in their language
___ A small group in their neighborhood
___ Translation of church services
___ A church whose services are held in their language
___ Other ________________________________________________________________
FURTHER STUDY: In Wednesday's lesson, we learned how criticism and gossip can cause setbacks in witnessing. What else does Scripture say about criticism and gossip? Exod. 20:16; Lev. 19:16; Ps. 15:1-3; James 1:26.
Also read Christian Service, "Assurance of Success" pp. 257-265; Evangelism, "Meeting Prejudice and Opposition" pp. 30 1-306; Gospel Workers, "In Relation with One Another" pp. 473-504.
"Often, as you seek to present the truth, opposition will be aroused; but if you seek to meet the opposition with argument you will only multiply it, and that you cannot afford to do. Hold to the affirmative. Angels of God are watching you, and they understand how to impress those whose opposition you refuse to meet with argument. Dwell not on the negative points of questions that arise, but gather to your minds affirmative truths, and fasten them there by much study and earnest prayer and heart consecration. .
"If Christ had not held to the affirmative in the wilderness of temptation, He would have lost all that He desired to gain. Christ's way is the best way to meet our opponents. We strengthen their arguments when we repeat what they say. Keep always to the affirmative. It may be that the very man who is opposing you will carry your words home and be converted to the sensible truth that has reached his understanding."Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, pp. 147, 148.
SUMMARIZE this week's lesson by listing the errors and setbacks of witnessing that it discussed. How can we resist these obstacles?
How has this week's lesson strengthened your desire to improve upon the witnessing opportunities God gives you?
As you witness to others during the coming days and weeks, remember that the early Christians were not exempt from making mistakes. They learned by trial and error. God, however, gave them wisdom and power to overcome obstacles. In the midst of persecution, they prayed for boldness, and despite their great diversity, they preserved unity.
I was born into a Manobo family in the southern Philippines. We lived in treehouses for protection against enemies.
When a logging company came to harvest timber, it established a school for the loggers' children. I learned of the school and begged my parents to let me enroll so I could learn to read. My parents permitted me to study at the school until it closed two years later.
There was no other school in the region, but I had tasted the sweetness of knowledge, and I wanted to learn more. So when I was 9 years old I set out to find a school without telling my parents. I walked through the mountain forests, staying away from the trails where I might meet someone from an enemy tribe. At night I slept in trees. Finally I arrived in Butuan City. I found a school and asked a teacher if I could study there. When the teacher realized that I was a Manobo and how determined I was to attend school, she let me stay in her home and work to pay my tuition.
During high school I met a colporteur who introduced me to Jesus Christ. I began selling literature to pay my school fees. I eventually completed a master's degree in public health. As the only Manobo in the Philippines with an MPH, I could have any job I wanted, but I was determined to return to the mountains and teach my own people.
I arrived home and found my tribal land unoccupied. I knew that if I did not claim the land, it would go to someone else. I built a simple school, and soon some 60 students enrolled. I needed help; I wrote to Mountain View College and asked for a student missionary to come and teach.
Jessica Hermoso volunteered. She made her way alone into the mountains and found the little mission school. She is a natural teacher, and the children love her. But then rebel soldiers invaded the area, and it became too dangerous for Jessica or the students to remain. She returned to her home, and I remained to farm my family's land.
In 1997 I met Jessica again, and eventually we were married. When it was safe to return, we reopened the school. We have added a second school in a nearby village, and we are erecting more permanent buildings as funds become available. Other villages have asked us to teach their children, but we have no money to hire teachers. My dream for an education refused to die. In fact, it has grown far beyond what I ever could have imagined.
Danilo and Jessica Bada work with the Manobo people in the southern Philippines.
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It's a fact of human nature that it's easier to talk about who's to blame for a problem than it is to figure out what to do about the problem.
Case in point: There's a near-riot in liberal circles over the very idea that supporters of the Iraq War should even be allowed to criticize the president's handling of the current Middle East crisis, never mind offer advice on how to proceed.
The Atlantic's James Fallows says Dick Cheney and company "have earned the right not to be listened to." Slate magazine's Jamelle Bouie says that prominent public intellectuals and journalists who supported the Iraq war should "be barred from public comment." Charles Pierce at Esquire is less subtle: "Shut up, all of you. Go away."
Some go even further. Katrina vanden Heuvel asks in the Washington Post: "Can someone explain to me why the media still solicit advice about the crisis in Iraq from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)? Or Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)?" (One possible answer: They are newsmakers, holding prominent positions on pertinent Senate committees.)
I'm always curious what agency in a free society is in charge of enforcing prohibitions on such things.
Given the tendency for nearly everyone to get things wrong over time, this is a dangerous game. Vanden Heuvel has been wrong about so many things, it's difficult to know where to begin. She opposed pretty much the warp and woof of America's Cold War policies. She opposed Bill Clinton's war in the Balkans. She opposed the Persian Gulf War.
Fallows made a name for himself in the 1980s and '90s championing the notion that Japan Inc. would overtake the United States. Shall we stop listening to him on economic issues?
And there are all of the Democratic politicians who supported the Iraq war, only to condemn it when the politics went south on them. Shall we ignore President Obama's vice president, not to mention his current and former secretaries of State? What of Susan Rice? She was a vocal supporter of the war in 2003. And she's now national security advisor, advising Obama as we speak.
Moreover, most of the "shut up!" chorus, not to mention Obama, were all opposed to the "surge," arguing that it couldn't work. It did, saving America from a humiliating defeat.
My point here isn't simply to offer a tu quoque argument (rough translation: "You do it too, nyah nyah!"). In truth, I hardly blame opponents of the war for their umbrage. I supported the war, and I still think the arguments in favor at the time were superior to the arguments against. Alas, the facts on the ground didn't care about the arguments.
I long ago conceded that the war was a mistake, but I also didn't think it had to stay one. The future has the ability to change the past. If postwar Iraq grew into a stable, confident nation progressing toward a lawful, decent society, I've argued, then someday in the future the mistake might look like a success.
What so offended me about Obama's approach to postwar Iraq is that he cared almost solely about the postwar part and very little about the Iraq part. He was so determined to fulfill his promise to end the war that he didn't put much thought into what would happen after we got out. That has all but guaranteed the war will remain a mistake.
If someone has a dagger in his chest, the solution isn't necessarily to pull out the dagger immediately. Obama barely tried to negotiate a mutually acceptable status of forces agreement with Iraq, which would have kept U.S. troops there. He even included a poison pill requirement -- that the Iraqi parliament ratify any such agreement -- all but guaranteeing that he could blame the impasse on the Iraqis.
Hillary Clinton recently defined leadership in a democracy as a relay race: "You run the best race you can run; you hand off the baton." Obama was handed a baton he didn't want, so he dropped it.
As a result, he's now being forced to pick it up. I can only hope he does a good job.


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Berry shortbread cheesecake slice
A stunning centrepiece dessert that's bursting with summer flavours, perfect for a special occasion
Nutrition and extra info
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal610
- fat42g
- saturates26g
- carbs53g
- sugars39g
- fibre1g
- protein9g
- salt1.09g
- 200g pack shortbread biscuit
- 50g butter, melted
Butter is a dairy product made from separating whole milk or cream into fat and…
For the cheesecake
- 2 x 300g tubs soft cheese
- 1 x 200g tub crème fraîche
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 175g golden caster sugar
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 2 eggs
The ultimate convenience food, eggs are powerhouses of nutrition packed with protein and a…
For the topping
- 5 tbsp seedless raspberry jam
- 300g mixed summer berries, such as raspberries, redcurrants, cherries and blueberries
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment. Tip the shortbread into a food processor and blitz into crumbs, or place in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin. Add the melted butter and mix well. Press the mix into the base of the tin.
Beat the cheese, crème fraîche, vanilla and sugar until smooth, then mix in the flour and eggs until smooth again – you can do this by hand or in a food processor. Pour the mix into the tin and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the oven for 10 mins, then turn to 120C/100C fan/gas ½ and cook for 1 hr 20 mins or until set with a slight wobble in the centre. Turn off the heat and leave to cool in the oven. Once cool, refrigerate until chilled.
To make the topping, melt the jam in a small pan over a low heat with enough water to make a pouring consistency, then allow to cool completely. To serve, top the cake with the berries and drizzle with the jam.


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(one's) moment in the sun
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(one's) moment in the sun
A brief period of time in which one is or has been particularly successful, popular, famous, etc., especially when set against an otherwise moderate or unremarkable life. After 35 years in this one-horse town, all I want is a moment in the sun, a time when the whole world knows and loves me! Jonathan had his moment in the sun when one of his videos went viral on the Internet and, for a little while at least, he became a household name.


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The extend edit function is available in most mature non-linear editing programs and Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 and CS5.5 is no exception. The way an extend edit works is to first place the the current time indicator (CTI) or playhead either before or after an existing edit, engage a keyboard command and then the edit point does a roll trim to the CTI or playhead. To clarify, an extend edit is merely a roll trim that is performed with the playhead and a keyboard shortcut. It's really a time saving edit function that all should be familiar with.
Achieving an extend edit in Adobe Premiere Pro is very simple, however, you'll have to customize the keyboard first in order to have access to the function in Premiere Pro CS5 (in Premiere Pro CS5.5, they are already set up for you, so the following steps are unnecessary).
- Go to Edit > Keyboard Customization
- Ensure "Application" is chosen in the drop down menu.
- In the Keyboard Customization dialog, scroll down until you see Roll Next Edit to CTI and Roll Previous Edit to CTI.
- Select "Roll Previous Edit to CTI" by clicking on the name.
- Click once in the Shortcut field next to the command.
- Type "E" for extend.
- Repeat the process for Roll Next Edit to CTI, except use Shift + E for that command
- The Set command for the keyboard will now say [Custom]. You now have a custom set of shortcuts to customize as you see fit, name it by clicking the Save As button and then entering in a name for it.
- Click the OK button and the Keyboard Customization window closes.
Now that the keyboard has been properly set up, you're all ready to go. Follow these steps to complete an extend edit:
- In the timeline, target the track(s) that you wish to do an extend edit.
- Move the CTI/playhead to a new position either before or after the existing edit point.
- Press E to extend an edit forward to the playhead or Press Shift + E to extend an edit backward to the playhead.
- Your extend edit is now complete.
This technique is the fastest way in the world to do a roll trim. It works great with audio tracks, as well.
Since we all have a need for a Roll trim in everyday editing practice, I encourage you to map your keyboard right now so that you'll to be ready to use an extend edit in your next editing session. Doing an extend edit is far faster than reaching for the Rolling Edit tool and then clicking and dragging to make the trim.
Tip: If you target more than one track, the extend edit will function on all of those selected tracks. To see this in action, check out the following example:
Let's say that I want to do a roll trim to line up the edit points on V2 and Title on V3 with the edit point of the clip on V1. First, I snap the CTI to the existing edit for the clip on V1. Then I select the V2 and V3 video tracks as shown:
Next, type Shift+E to Extend (or Roll) the edit point to where the CTI is positioned.
Note that all three edit points are now aligned quickly and perfectly. If the clip's edit points are not aligned, one thing may have gone wrong: insufficient handle. An extend edit behaves just like a trim with the Rolling Edit tool and is also subject to the limits of media beyond the chosen in and out points, so be aware of that.
So, there you have it! A great technique that is used by the pros every day. Because of this function, I rarely use the Rolling Edit tool to make roll edits. It's just too slow if you know about the extend edit function! I find that the extend edit technique saves me a ton of time in trimming and manipulating edit points of clips, graphics, titles and audio and I hope it will do the same for you.
For more information about the extend edit function, check out this page on Adobe Premiere Pro Help. It's also described in Help here, as well.
Update Feb. 11, 2011: Karl Soulé has just created a video tutorial for Extend Edit on Adobe TV. Check it out here.


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It's another girl for Tina Fey!
The Emmy-winner and her "30 Rock" composer hubby, Jeffrey Richmond, welcomed daughter Penelope Athena earlier this week, Fey's rep told Access Hollywood on Friday.
Not much is known about little Penelope Athena except that she was born on Wednesday. She joins big sister Alice, 5, as the latest member of the brood.
U.S. & World
Fey dropped that she was expecting her second child on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" last April. While promoting her bestseller "Bossypants," Fey revealed she was five months along with the pregnancy.
"My husband and I really decided that we felt rather than risk having 30 Rock end in several years and feeling like part of our family is missing that we were going to prioritize our family," she said then, according to People.
Congrats to the proud parents.
Selected Reading: Access Hollywood, JustJared, People