ISSN 1499-111X ©The Gathering of Baptists PLEASE NOTE The views expressed in the Gathering Newsletter are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, Editorial Board nor of all members of the Gathering. They are published in the interests of free and open discussion of matters of concern to many Baptists seeking to live with integrity as followers of Jesus the Christ. [Ed.] Material published
in The Gathering Newsletter is the property of its authors, who are members
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The Spring,
2003 meetings of the Gathering of Baptists will take place at Dundas Baptist
Church, Governor's Road, Dundas, Ont., on Friday-Saturday, April 25th-26th.
Our speakers for the meetings are Dr. Elisabeth Boetzkes, of the University
of Lethbridge, Alta., and Dr. Travis Kroeker, of McMaster University, Hamilton,
who will address specific ethical issues of great interest to them and
us.
Friday
afternoon, 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
The costs for the two days are as follows: Both
days - $30.00
For those from
out of town billets can be provided. For pre-registration,
please contact:
Tel: 905-785-9875
IMAGES
OF THE CHURCH/PEOPLE OF GOD
This paper was compiled as a ‘working paper' for the ‘Directions Committee' at MacNeill Baptist Church, Hamilton. It is offered to the wider readership of the Gathering in the hope that it will help stimulate reflection and discussion. 1. If the Old
Testament provides valuable illustrations on the notion of the People of
God, then some of the following images are useful:
2. In the New
Testament the images abound:
3. In both Testaments there are times when the people are in transition, such as during the desert wanderings (Exod.-Num.), or during the Exile (Ps. 137). In the New Testament this is picked up by the book of Hebrews, which sees the community of Jesus' followers as on a pilgrimage to a heavenly destination (Heb. 13.14). In these ‘liminal' states new metaphors of behaviour are created, or old ones revived. 4. All of these are metaphors, and in closed communities (such as the church) metaphors are used much more strongly to define the self-consciousness of the group. The metaphor chosen, e.g. family or army, has implications for the internal behaviour of the group. 5. In more recent times various images (metaphors) of the church have been consciously or unconsciously used. In the Middle Ages the Church was often seen as the Army of God, hence the Crusades. With the Reformation and the rise of Protestantism the church was seen as a separate enclave with special ways of living and thinking, almost a ‘secret society'. In the Victorian era with the advance of the missionary movement the Church was seen as the mirror of the expanding imperial force. In the late 20th century the ‘organizational' metaphor of the church was prominent, with its stress on leadership and management styles. In the early 21st century the church as a ‘spiritual Wal-Mart', or ‘Macdonalds' dominates with its stress on choice, marketing and attractiveness of the product. This was certainly the findings of Reginald Bibby's studies in the mid to late 90s, in which he determined that new members ‘shop around' for suitable spiritual homes, and often keep moving on to the ones which given them the best bargain. This means that old church loyalties, including denominational ones, are no longer operative with many. 6. Whatever metaphor is used, it is important to note that the very choice of metaphor determines the internal behaviour of the group, and the group's attitudes to those outside. Two metaphors dominate the New Testament - the Army of God and the Family of God. If the church is an army, it aggressively conquers those on the outside, has tight hierarchical control on the inside, is wary of independent thought. If the church is a family its members behave towards one another in a different manner. Armies recruit new members, families invite others to join them. Armies do not tolerate dissent, families negotiate difference. Armies ward off ‘enemies', families transform ‘enemies' into friends with hospitality. 7. Whatever metaphor is chosen to live by, we must always be aware that the metaphor can change. The impetus for and direction of the change in metaphor are determined by our understanding of Jesus and his will for his people.
On Saturday, May 24th, at 7.30pm. MacNeill Baptist Church will be hosting the second public lecture in honour of Prof. Russell Aldwinckle, Professor of Systematic Theology, McMaster University and Divinity College, 1947-1977. The Lecture will take place in the Ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel, Main Street West, Hamilton. The Speaker
will be
Topic:
Cost per person $15.00 For tickets please call 905-525-5667
The Gathering Newsletter is published three times per year. ISSN 1499-111X
Editor: Ray
Hobbs
Gathering Web Page: http://www.gatheringbaptists.ca/ Feedback can be directed to: The Gathering Newsletter c/o Ray Hobbs e-mail ray.hobbs@sympatico.ca or to Ray Hobbs
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