I attended a Doctrinal Symposium for my denomination a couple of weeks ago. It was an enjoyable event. I like those kind of theological exercises. The event was set up where some of the Wesleyan Church Scholars presented papers on the subject of Ecclesiology. All of the papers were excellent. One, however, has been sticking with me. It was a paper on the role of the Pastor as "Word Bearer", and it was presentedy by Dr. Joe Dongell of Asbury Theological Seminary. You can read the article HERE.
With this idea of "Word Bearing" bumping around in my head, I just recieved a Henri Nouwen ELetter that had this to say:
Words That Create Community.
The word is always a word for others. Words need to be heard. When we give words to what we are living, these words need to be received and responded to. A speaker needs a listener. A writer needs a reader. When the flesh - the lived human experience - becomes word, community can develop. When we say, "Let me tell you what we saw. Come and listen to what we did. Sit down and let me explain to you what happened to us. Wait until you hear whom we met," we call people together and make our lives into lives for others. The word brings us together and calls us into community. When the flesh becomes word, our bodies become part of a body of people.
So What does it mean to be a word bearer? Labels: Asbury Theological Seminary, Nouwen, Pastoral Identity, Word Bearing |
