The topic of my sermon for this Sunday's "audition" for the position at Franklin Christian Church is entitled "The Future Judgment," and it's all about the Day of Judgment that will take place when Jesus appears to judge the living and the dead. I am indebted to N.T. Wright for illuminating the entire subject, and his influence definitely rests behind the sermon's thrust. I hashed out a rough draft this afternoon, and amidst my studying, I came upon a very interesting idea suggested by both the Old Testament (such as Malachi 4) and the New Testament (such as 1 Thessalonians 4): it's the idea that at the final and decisive judgment, when YHWH through Messiah Jesus will deal with the evil within creation, punishing it and defeating it; and when he vindicates his people; and when he remakes the entire creation, the vindicated saints will participate in the judgment. I've always just assumed that the saints--I use the language in the classical, Jewish sense; the saints being the chosen ones of God--would be observers of it all, to say the least, and at the most would simply partake in a passive role. But these texts, when interpreted in the light of 2nd-Temple Palestinian Jewish ideas, seem to imply that the saints will participate actively, working alongside Jesus as his agents and ambassadors in doing his judging. It's a very interesting and strange idea, definitely worth pondering.
Regarding F.C.C., my try-out is this week. Following my sermon (which has the potential to be toxic, but if that potential isn't there, well, then, can it really be called a sermon?) the church is having a congregational-wide spaghetti and salad lunch to get to know me (congregational-wide means approximately seventeen people). After that, the search committee (from my understanding, composed of the elders and a handful of other people in the church) are going to grill me regarding my views on different subjects, probably theologically-related. The fact that I am an annihilationist postmillennialist could pose a problem, but as I told my father today as we grabbed dinner at Outback Steakhouse, "I'm just going to be honest about my views on things. I hold differing views on some things than other people, but I have solidly valid arguments for them. Besides, I don't want to answer the way I suspect they want me to answer and then find myself with my foot in my mouth later on."
It's been about a month and a half since I applied for the job. The first interview went well, and the elders and some of the members that I've met really seem to like me. I'm not anxious about it at all. Yes, I do want the job. Ministry is what I am passionate about. But I'm not freaking out about it. I told God, "If this is where you want me, then make it happen. If it's not, then please don't let them offer me the job." In trusting God, if the church offers me the job, I'll take it. If the church wants to go with the other guy, that's fine, too. There are pros and cons either way for me personally. This has the potential to be a great experience (in the sense that I learn a lot and further to develop my gifts), or it could be disastrous (threatening my resolve to be involved in ministry). Small churches, with all the internal conflicts and dissensions, have, at least in the past, frightened me: but then again, it's kind of an overture to church life no matter where you go. It seems some people just can't get 1 Corinthians into their heads.
Regarding F.C.C., my try-out is this week. Following my sermon (which has the potential to be toxic, but if that potential isn't there, well, then, can it really be called a sermon?) the church is having a congregational-wide spaghetti and salad lunch to get to know me (congregational-wide means approximately seventeen people). After that, the search committee (from my understanding, composed of the elders and a handful of other people in the church) are going to grill me regarding my views on different subjects, probably theologically-related. The fact that I am an annihilationist postmillennialist could pose a problem, but as I told my father today as we grabbed dinner at Outback Steakhouse, "I'm just going to be honest about my views on things. I hold differing views on some things than other people, but I have solidly valid arguments for them. Besides, I don't want to answer the way I suspect they want me to answer and then find myself with my foot in my mouth later on."
It's been about a month and a half since I applied for the job. The first interview went well, and the elders and some of the members that I've met really seem to like me. I'm not anxious about it at all. Yes, I do want the job. Ministry is what I am passionate about. But I'm not freaking out about it. I told God, "If this is where you want me, then make it happen. If it's not, then please don't let them offer me the job." In trusting God, if the church offers me the job, I'll take it. If the church wants to go with the other guy, that's fine, too. There are pros and cons either way for me personally. This has the potential to be a great experience (in the sense that I learn a lot and further to develop my gifts), or it could be disastrous (threatening my resolve to be involved in ministry). Small churches, with all the internal conflicts and dissensions, have, at least in the past, frightened me: but then again, it's kind of an overture to church life no matter where you go. It seems some people just can't get 1 Corinthians into their heads.
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