There aren't any "official" discussion questions in the book, just a exercise.
Confession: I haven't read the chapter yet, but when I do, I'll try to post some relevant questions.
In the meantime, just respond to questions raised personally by the chapter or other things that were stirred up.
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It wasn't really a question that this chapter sparked in me, but a new thought. I always find it fasctinating when I hear a new thought derived from a bad traslation, or a misguided interpretation. When Best mentioned Jesus speaking of the Holy Spirit coming on you, I was caught off gaurd when it meant you plurally. That, when the Holy Spirit comes on one person in the group, all are blessed. As in the body analogy, when one part is blessed the whole rejoices with it.
ReplyDeleteI feel much like he does when he feels left out when God doesn't annoint him at a particular time. I find myself praying, "as long as I make myself available that God can encouter me, then I have done my part." I then get upset when it is everyone around me who has been encountered. I need to change my mindset and agree with the Holy Spirit as he moves as he pleases.
I was struck by the "you" issue too Zach. I'm interested to see how keeping that perspective might change my reading of the Bible.
ReplyDeleteBest definitely turned up the theology in this chapter. I realized I had to read much slower since there weren't a lot of narrative parts. I still think I missed quite a bit.
When I was first introduced to the Vineyard community, I tended to be the one in meetings who was actively trying to resist what was going on around me. Consciously I would think to myself, nope, not going to start crying or shaking. Not going to kneel or raise my hands. This is all really hokey. It took a lot of for me to actually seek and open myself up to be moved by some of these experiences. Although I went back and read the gospels, saw that this seemed to be similar to what the disciples experienced, I still didn't trust what was happening. Thankfully, those around me continued to encourage me and allowed me to get to know them. I found that it was mainly by developing trust with people outside of church meetings, that allowed me to risk and open myself up to the things they were experiencing. It was quite a process.
Much like Best, my church experience had never emphasized the Holy Spirit. We spoke about the Spirit but only in terms of the trinity and as the comforter. It wasn't like they actively refuted the work of the Spirit, we just ignored it. It's quite frightening to me to look back and realize that I didn't see the contradictions or, more appropriately, the exclusion. I liked Best's analogy about hiring a chef who then remodels your house. I'm continually realizing that I have limited God's role in my life and who he is. A lot of this I'm discovering has to do with my church background and also skewed ideas of what His authority is. To often I see him as the taskmaster who is disappointed with me, not the loving, grace-filled father. Even as much as I can speak about who God really is, it takes a lot to get it to sink into my heart and actions. I'd much rather get "zapped" and have it all worked out.
I think the main problem with the reading of "you" is that there isn't an "official" you plural in the English Language (unless you're from Texas, then it's y'all). So, I think it a problem with language and translation from ancient to modern. I think the Bible speaks of you plural much more then we think, simply because of the community focus of the ancient church. It's gotten lost in today's focus on rampant individualism.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest point that spoke to me was the idea of being "zapped". Like Bobby, I too grew up in an environment that didn't discuss the Holy Spirit. It was just referenced in the creeds and talked about on Trinity Sunday. It was until I got to college and got involved with the Assemblies of God that my thinking began to shift. Even then, the whole idea of a certain powerful "anointing" from a specific person or a specific time (such as conference) always struck me as a little odd. I still don't fully agree with the Pentecostal version "zapping", especially it's correlation with tongues (I'll save that for another post). I was always the person up front surrounded by people weeping and falling down and other "physical reactions" while people praying over me for "the Spirit", nothing ever happened. I was pretty confused and jealous for awhile, and then I came to the realization that "getting zapped" really isn't the point. The primary ministry of the HOly Spirit isn't to create some supernatural out-of-body experience, but to speak the will of God into people's daily lives and to empower both the community and individual for ministry. I'd bet that most people who are "filled" with the Holy Spirit don't fall down or shake or anything else weird. There are people like that, but it's more an issue of their emotional wiring then anything else. Sometimes God works that way, sometimes he doesn't.
You know that 19 year old that was drafted into the NBA? I presume the millions he is earning with so little preparation will ruin him. So when I get aggravated the Spirit doesn't use me to heal I wonder if it's because too much too soon tends to destroy. Empowering didn't seem to take time for the apostles, but it does take time for me.
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