Morling Tuesday Chapel: Vulnerability: treasure in clay jars

Topic: Vulnerability: treasure in clay jars

Speaker: Megan Powell du Toit

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:1-12

One of the reasons why people come to college is to reduce their vulnerability.

Helmut Thielicke: Truth seduces us very easily into a kind of joy of possession: I have comprehended this and that. Knowledge is power.

V1: Ministry of the gospel: This arise out of having received mercy. Mercy is not something we earned, it is not a career, but from a grace that has been given to us.

V5: We do not proclaim ourselves, but proclaim Jesus Christ. Reject any gospel that has a sense of self-promotion.

V7: We have this treasure in clay jars. God’s power is contrasted with others’ weakness and vulnerability.

V8-9: Paul talks about being defeated/struck down etc. Megan personally suffered from depression and knows that the feeling of God’s power is not always there.

It is God’s strength that empowers the ministry. Paradox of the gospel: from death and suffering come life and hope. We are decaying/dying creatures. In this we identify with the death and suffering of Jesus, so that we may be with him in new life.

V12: So then, death is at work in us, and life is at work in you.

We often think of Paul as someone who’s multi-gifted and knowledgeable. But he argues it is God’s power within his weakness.

Churches want pastors to be invulnerable. Megan worked >1 decade in pastoral ministry: burnout, due to the need for superhuman pastors, pastors who need less downtime, behaves perfectly, turn their hand to every possible ministry in church and excel. Female pastors are expected to do it even better than men!!

“The vulnerable pastor” by Mandy Smith, “Our work as pastors are impossible!” The impossible task of imperfect beings representing a perfect God.

We idolise strength, but when power is spoken of with approval in the bible, it is not human power, but God’s power! It’s not that power and perfection are bad, but as human beings, we do not have real power and real perfection. So an appearance of invulnerability in human is mad, because it’s incredibly dishonest.

Every human life has its limitations, vulnerability, and weaknesses. We are born needy and we die helpless. Jürgen Moltmann.

Does that mean authenticity is the buzzword? In reality, we don’t deal with authenticity well. We often make the authentic inauthentic! A bit of vulnerability makes us more relatable, but it can bite us back in the bum and tip into undermining ourselves. Just like the pitiable cry vs ugly cry: We still care about our self-image even as we display vulnerability.

Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change. Brené Brown.

https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability?language=en

Brown talks of all the good that can come out of vulnerability: Hope, accountability, authenticity. However, it doesn’t mean being vulnerable will make all well for you.

The only thing worse than vulnerable is to refuse to be vulnerable. Some take ministry as PR and spin, rather than the power of God shining through.

However, this is not about false humility either. The repulsion of false humility: You need to do an honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses. For example, if you’re a good baker, you don’t need to keep that from others.

Paul doesn’t puff up his strengths and disguise his weaknesses.

There is a temptation to put on a front in ministry: resist this temptation. You are not Mary Poppins, perfect in every way.

Ring the bells that still can ring.

Forget your perfect offering.

There is a crack in everything.

That’s how the light gets in.

Leonard Cohen, Anthem.

https://youtu.be/mDTph7mer3I

Today’s talk reminded me of a book I read more than a year ago, “Fail”, by J.R. Briggs:

Notes:

http://dryvonnewang.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/fail-jr-briggs.html

My personal thoughts and review of the book:

http://dryvonnewang.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/book-review-fail-finding-hope-and-grace.html

Today's talk also reminded me of a talk I heard a few years back, given by a pastor, James Goll: Shooting star vs North star... There are different types of stars in the sky: Shooting stars are brilliant and lights up the night. Sometimes these stars shoot up quickly, gave a bright brilliant burst, and falls. Another type of star, the North Star, is a fixed star. It doesn't release a brilliant flash, but has been used at all time as a stationary light, giving us guidance in the path of navigation. Some ministries are genuinely called, anointed, rises very fast with great glory, but might not finish well. James Goll says he wants to finish well: It is not so much about ambition as it is about pleasing the One. He wants to be the one used for clear navigation.

Morling Tuesday Chapel 1Corinthians: Reaching the unreached

22 March, 2016

Topic: Reaching the unreached

Speaker: Simon Longdon, national director of Pioneers, http://www.pioneers.org.au/Director-s-Welcome.aspx

Scripture: 1Corinthians 15:1-11

If we ask questions like, “If I were a bit more like her, if I had more of what he’s got”, etc., 1Corinthians 15:10 is the verse for us today.

Oreo test: demonstrates that we’re all wired differently.

http://www.bouldertherapist.com/html/humor/MentalHealthHumor/oreos.html

V10: “But by the grace of God, I am what I am”. Keyword: grace.

There are a number of reasons why preachers repeat themselves. Paul does it here. Unprepared, obsessity, etc. But the primary reason from good teachers is emphasis.  

I am an apostle: someone God has trusted with a message, and that message is from God, which God trusts you to deliver. It’s a lofty calling.

V8: “I am like one abnormally born”. Meaning I am like the products of a miscarriage. That’s quite offensive. He walks with a limp. “But by the grace of God, I am who I am”.

Preposition 1: We are all moral failures: Sin, trespass, inequity, guile.

Sin means to fall short of God’s holy standard. Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18, love God totally, love your neighbor as yourself. We all fall short of that.

Trespass: going too far. “Thou shall not”. Eg, we say to a child, “you can take 10 biscuits from the tin”, and the child sneaks two extra biscuits.

Inequity: to pervert that which has intrinsic value. Eg. Marriage: inequalise this institution.

Guile: project a false image, like hypocrisy, to think something in your mind but speak something else.

Total depravity doesn’t mean men become as bad as they can be, but they cannot be as good as they should be. (Or, as according to theopedia: Total depravity does not mean, however, that people are as bad as possible. Rather, it means that even the good which a person may intend is faulty in its premise, false in its motive, and weak in its implementation; and there is no mere refinement of natural capacities that can correct this condition.)

Proposition 2: God is holy, righteous and just. God is immutable.

Proposition 3: There is nothing we can do about proposition 1 & 2.

Proposition 4: Not only is God holy, righteous and just, but God is also justice, mercy and grace. Justice is getting what I deserve, mercy is not getting everything I deserve, and grace is getting what I don’t deserve.

Kid gets very naughty, dad says, “I am going to give you three smacks”: that’s justice. Then instead dad gives two smacks: that’s mercy. Then dad buys an ice cream; that’s grace.

V1-2: “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel… By this gospel, you’re saved”.

Paul’s great message: Whatever we do, wherever we go, proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ as the priority.

We eat Oreos differently, we’re all different, but whatever we do, God will take us exactly as how we are wired, to reach others. All we have to do is be ourselves. 
________

Oreo Personality Test

Psychologists have discovered that the manner in which people eat Oreo cookies provides great insight into their personalities. Choose which method best describes your favorite method of eating Oreos:

1. The whole thing all at once.
2. One bite at a time.
3. Slow and methodical nibbles examining the results of each bite afterwards.
4. In little feverous nibbles.
5. Dunked in some liquid (milk, coffee...).
6. Twisted apart, the inside, then the cookie.
7. Twisted apart, the inside, and toss the cookie.
8. Just the cookie, not the inside.
9. I just like to lick them, not eat them.
10. I don't have a favorite way because I don't like Oreo.


Your Personality:

1. The whole thing. This means you consume life with abandon, you are fun to be with, exciting, carefree with some hint of recklessness. You are totally irresponsible. No one should trust you with their children.

2. One bite at a time. You are lucky to be one of the 5.4 billion other people who eat their Oreos this very same way. Just like them, you lack imagination, but that's okay, not to worry, you're normal.

3. Slow and methodical. You follow the rules. You're very tidy and orderly. You're very meticulous in every detail with every thing you do to the point of being anal retentive and irritating to others. Stay out of the fast lane if you're only going to go the speed limit.

4. Feverous nibbles. Your boss likes you because you get your work done quickly. You always have a million things to do and never enough time to do them. Mental breakdowns and suicides run in your family. Valium and Ritalin would do you good.

5. Dunked. Every one likes you because you are always up beat. You like to sugar coat unpleasant experiences and rationalize bad situations into good ones. You are in total denial about the shambles you call a life. You have a propensity towards narcotic addiction.

6. Twisted apart, the inside, and then the cookie. You have a highly curious nature. You take pleasure in breaking things apart to find out how they work, though not always able to put them back together, so you destroy all the evidence of your activities. You deny your involvement when things go wrong. You are a compulsive liar and exhibit deviant, if not criminal, behavior.

7. Twisted apart, the inside, and then toss the cookie. You are good at business and take risk that pay off. You take what you want and throw the rest away. You are greedy, selfish, mean, and lack feelings for others. You should be ashamed of yourself. But that's ok, you don't care, you got yours.

8. Just the cookie, not the inside. You enjoy pain.

9. I just like to lick them, not eat them. Stay away from small furry animals and seek professional medical help - immediately.

10. I don't have a favorite way, I don't like Oreo cookies. You probably come from a rich family, and like to wear nice things, and go to up-scale restaurants. You are particular and fussy about the things you buy, own, and wear. Things have to be just right. You like to be pampered. You are a prim. Nobody likes you.