I have a friend who is a professor at a seminary...no, not one that is located in St. Louis or Ft. Wayne...one of those "others". He told me about a new book on pastoral ministry that I've ordered and look forward to reading - he said to me, "if you are total pragmatist when it comes to ministry, you won't like this book. If you are a theologian-pastor type, you may well love Andrew Purves, The Resurrection of Ministry: Serving in the Hope of the Risen Lord." Well, that alone got me curious! He said this one takes us from Good Friday, coaxes us away from dwelling in a Holy Saturday ministry, and invites us into a Resurrection theology that can reshape ministry. Interesting! He told me, the book must be read slowly to savor the theology, but then he did me a favor and highlighted the steps that Purves walks through for the pastoral theology that dwells in the resurrection...frankly, looks like some steps that I might want to visit! What do you think? Here is the list...
- Focus on Jesus
- Rewrite the roadmap of ministry
- Become a theologian
- Learn how the Lord works
- Put ascension day back in place
- Sharpen the edge (use present tense for Jesus etc)
- Come to terms with a risen, but hidden, Jesus
- Become martyrs
- Turn your eyes upon Jesus
- Insert Trinitarian words into your liturgical expressions
- Trust in the resurrected Lord that your ministry is accepted by God
- Let resurrection faith resist evil
- Declare in your preaching; preach with conviction
- Ministry practices the atonement
- Ministry moves also from Easter into Good Friday: crucifixion is praxis.
- Intentionally celebrate joyfully
- Ministry is a joy
- Celebrate funerals in the mood of Easter
- Liturgies of forgiveness can be reshaped
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