Paradigm 6: Mentoring with the end in mind (22/3/19)
Edmund Chan speaks of the 4 purposes of mentoring as promoting:
1. Wisdom in thinking - a perspective based on Scripture
2. Humble boldness - a posture of brokenness, meekness and openness before God
3. Thoughtful, skilled competence - pragmatics to help us deal wisely with and not react to situations.
4. Power sourced from God that works in love
We looked at Rom 12:1-2 to ask ourselves how we get the 'certain perspective' mentioned in the study.
Paul looks back at Romans 1-11, and he summarizes God's saving plan as 'mercies'. On the basis of those mercies, he then asks us to present our entire selves ("bodies") as living sacrifices. In contrast to dead sacrifices, all our lives - our actions, speech and thought - are to be surrendered to God. We are "living" also because we have obtained spiritual life through new birth, and are thus able to please Him by being "holy and acceptable".
Verse 12:2 tells us how we can be acceptable sacrifices: We express our surrender by 1)rejecting the mindset of the world, 2)being transformed by renewal of our minds. These things are done so that by practical testing we may discern His will (c.f. exactly the same idea in Heb 5:13-14)
How is the mind transformed? 2 Cor 3:18 tells us we are transformed when we behold the glory of Christ (in the Word of God) by the agency of the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit is He who renews us (c.f. Tit 3:5). If we do not behold Christ's glory in the Scriptures, then we are not transformed, and we prove ourselves to be unsaved.
Amelia noted that in some translations "spiritual worship" (Gk.logikos latrea) in Rom 12:1 is also translated "reasonable service" "Logikos' can mean 'appropriate/reasonable', or 'spiritual', depending on the context. It occurs only in one other place in the NT - 1 Pe 2:2, where we are told to long for the pure 'spiritual' milk. "Latrea" can mean the method of worshiping, or a more general reference to worship as a whole. Even in English we speak of a "worship service". The phrase may have a double meaning, although "spiritual worship" is probably best in context.
How can we be both bold and humble at the same time? Only a Christian secure in his or her identity in Christ can be bold as a child of God, and only a Christian knows how sinful and needy he or she is. Boldness and humility are not opposites - they are part of Christian character.
What skills do we need to learn as leaders (to be)? I asked us to imagine what we would ask for from God if we wished to have a life skill or competence. Some desire self-discipline. Some desire pastoral skills. We obtain skills by looking to mentors and making mistakes along the way.
I defined divine power in Edmund Chan's terms - not merely as the ability to do ordinary things in extraordinary ways, but the ability to do extraordinary things than can be 'intoxicating'. Power, then, is the ability to channel divine, supernatural blessing. We must ask for it, and we must realize that God in His wisdom will only give us what we are able to handle and be prepared to receive.
1. Wisdom in thinking - a perspective based on Scripture
2. Humble boldness - a posture of brokenness, meekness and openness before God
3. Thoughtful, skilled competence - pragmatics to help us deal wisely with and not react to situations.
4. Power sourced from God that works in love
We looked at Rom 12:1-2 to ask ourselves how we get the 'certain perspective' mentioned in the study.
Paul looks back at Romans 1-11, and he summarizes God's saving plan as 'mercies'. On the basis of those mercies, he then asks us to present our entire selves ("bodies") as living sacrifices. In contrast to dead sacrifices, all our lives - our actions, speech and thought - are to be surrendered to God. We are "living" also because we have obtained spiritual life through new birth, and are thus able to please Him by being "holy and acceptable".
Verse 12:2 tells us how we can be acceptable sacrifices: We express our surrender by 1)rejecting the mindset of the world, 2)being transformed by renewal of our minds. These things are done so that by practical testing we may discern His will (c.f. exactly the same idea in Heb 5:13-14)
How is the mind transformed? 2 Cor 3:18 tells us we are transformed when we behold the glory of Christ (in the Word of God) by the agency of the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit is He who renews us (c.f. Tit 3:5). If we do not behold Christ's glory in the Scriptures, then we are not transformed, and we prove ourselves to be unsaved.
Amelia noted that in some translations "spiritual worship" (Gk.logikos latrea) in Rom 12:1 is also translated "reasonable service" "Logikos' can mean 'appropriate/reasonable', or 'spiritual', depending on the context. It occurs only in one other place in the NT - 1 Pe 2:2, where we are told to long for the pure 'spiritual' milk. "Latrea" can mean the method of worshiping, or a more general reference to worship as a whole. Even in English we speak of a "worship service". The phrase may have a double meaning, although "spiritual worship" is probably best in context.
How can we be both bold and humble at the same time? Only a Christian secure in his or her identity in Christ can be bold as a child of God, and only a Christian knows how sinful and needy he or she is. Boldness and humility are not opposites - they are part of Christian character.
What skills do we need to learn as leaders (to be)? I asked us to imagine what we would ask for from God if we wished to have a life skill or competence. Some desire self-discipline. Some desire pastoral skills. We obtain skills by looking to mentors and making mistakes along the way.
I defined divine power in Edmund Chan's terms - not merely as the ability to do ordinary things in extraordinary ways, but the ability to do extraordinary things than can be 'intoxicating'. Power, then, is the ability to channel divine, supernatural blessing. We must ask for it, and we must realize that God in His wisdom will only give us what we are able to handle and be prepared to receive.
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