Comments for Easter in the Ordinary http://www.cabematthews.com cabematthews.com Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:36:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on UMC Candidacy Questions: Most Formative Experience by Tupou Seini http://www.cabematthews.com/2012/02/16/umc-candidacy-questions-most-formative-experience/#comment-158 Tupou Seini Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:36:54 +0000 http://www.cabematthews.com/?p=456#comment-158 I would like to say thank you, Cabe Matthew for posting your answers to candidacy questions for Ordained Ministry. My interview for certification is coming up on the same date as yours, Thursday, February, 23. I called the chair-person, asking for more time. I told my mentor, why the UMC makes it hard for us candidate now. Before, I heard they accepted candidacy students that went to seminary that does not belong to United Methodist Church. There are a lot of changes, going now in the UMC. So, I encourage you, "Be strong, and of good courage." That 's what the LORD, told Moses and Joshua. You know in your heart, that you are called by God, and not by men, to be equipped for the Ministry, and to make disciples for the transformation of the world. May God Bless You. I would like to say thank you, Cabe Matthew for posting your answers to candidacy questions for Ordained Ministry. My interview for certification is coming up on the same date as yours, Thursday, February, 23. I called the chair-person, asking for more time. I told my mentor, why the UMC makes it hard for us candidate now. Before, I heard they accepted candidacy students that went to seminary that does not belong to United Methodist Church. There are a lot of changes, going now in the UMC.
So, I encourage you, “Be strong, and of good courage.” That ‘s what the LORD, told Moses and Joshua. You know in your heart, that you are called by God, and not by men, to be equipped for the Ministry, and to make disciples for the transformation of the world. May God Bless You.

]]> Comment on Once in Royal David’s City by John Mureiko http://www.cabematthews.com/2011/12/07/once-in-royal-davids-city/#comment-47 John Mureiko Sat, 10 Dec 2011 23:39:23 +0000 http://www.cabematthews.com/?p=335#comment-47 Hello Cabe, I accidentally stumbled across your blog, and read the first post that was at the top. Very good! I love reflecting on the power of our Lord, breaking into this world completely overturning everyone's expectations for a Messiah. Instead of a co-equal and peer with Caesar, we find a child destined to become far greater in every way, celebrated as a joy to all men! Isn't that the essence of the Kingdom? The Kingdom of God is like unseen leaven hidden in dough... Blessings, John Mureiko www.biblicalreflection.weebly.com Hello Cabe,

I accidentally stumbled across your blog, and read the first post that was at the top. Very good! I love reflecting on the power of our Lord, breaking into this world completely overturning everyone’s expectations for a Messiah. Instead of a co-equal and peer with Caesar, we find a child destined to become far greater in every way, celebrated as a joy to all men! Isn’t that the essence of the Kingdom? The Kingdom of God is like unseen leaven hidden in dough…

Blessings,
John Mureiko
http://www.biblicalreflection.weebly.com

]]> Comment on this just in: John Wesley was against ‘hell houses’ by Cabe Matthews http://www.cabematthews.com/2011/11/04/this-just-in-john-wesley-was-against-hell-houses/#comment-41 Cabe Matthews Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:54:17 +0000 http://blog.cabematthews.com/?p=308#comment-41 Figures :) Figures :)

]]> Comment on this just in: John Wesley was against ‘hell houses’ by Andy http://www.cabematthews.com/2011/11/04/this-just-in-john-wesley-was-against-hell-houses/#comment-40 Andy Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:38:49 +0000 http://blog.cabematthews.com/?p=308#comment-40 Both the notion of resurrection wholeness, though not his words, and of the Lord's Supper are included in Yoder's lecture. He gives the example of the work of Benedictine monks in Morocco serving people who were simultaneously strangers but familiar, bound by 'invisible but intimate' ties and the mystery of the Mass. Both the notion of resurrection wholeness, though not his words, and of the Lord’s Supper are included in Yoder’s lecture. He gives the example of the work of Benedictine monks in Morocco serving people who were simultaneously strangers but familiar, bound by ‘invisible but intimate’ ties and the mystery of the Mass.

]]> Comment on this just in: John Wesley was against ‘hell houses’ by Cabe Matthews http://www.cabematthews.com/2011/11/04/this-just-in-john-wesley-was-against-hell-houses/#comment-39 Cabe Matthews Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:13:37 +0000 http://blog.cabematthews.com/?p=308#comment-39 Andy, We feed the hungry, just because they're hungry and God calls us to serve? Gotta love JH Yoder. Fantastic. Though I'd also like to say that we feed the hungry as a witness to resurrection wholeness, and because we know that the end of the story is a banquet, and that the bellies of the poor will be filled with good things. Actually, I'd like to say that we feed the hungry because we celebrate the Lord's Supper. (Or maybe we celebrate the Lord's Supper because we worship a God who would have us feed the hungry?) But I doubt Yoder would take issue with much of that. Thanks for stopping by my humble little corner of the internet! I always say the more Anabaptist-leaning friends I can get, the better! Andy,

We feed the hungry, just because they’re hungry and God calls us to serve? Gotta love JH Yoder. Fantastic.

Though I’d also like to say that we feed the hungry as a witness to resurrection wholeness, and because we know that the end of the story is a banquet, and that the bellies of the poor will be filled with good things. Actually, I’d like to say that we feed the hungry because we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. (Or maybe we celebrate the Lord’s Supper because we worship a God who would have us feed the hungry?) But I doubt Yoder would take issue with much of that.

Thanks for stopping by my humble little corner of the internet! I always say the more Anabaptist-leaning friends I can get, the better!

]]> Comment on this just in: John Wesley was against ‘hell houses’ by Andy http://www.cabematthews.com/2011/11/04/this-just-in-john-wesley-was-against-hell-houses/#comment-38 Andy Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:09:25 +0000 http://blog.cabematthews.com/?p=308#comment-38 Amen! Form and content are integrally connected. The medium is the message. Why is it that this basic concept is lost on so many Christians? I just read a transcription of a lecture Yoder gave on missiology where he makes this point about mission and servanthood: that Christians are servants to others, and that is both the medium and the message. The point of feeding the hungry is not so that we can get their attention and save their souls; the point is that the hungry are hungry and God calls Christians to serve. BTW, I just stumbled upon your blog. It is so refreshing to find someone in youth ministry AND who is formed by the likes of Yoder, Wittgenstein, Lindbeck, McClendon, Hauwerwas, von Balthasar, MaCabe. I'll be back! Amen! Form and content are integrally connected. The medium is the message. Why is it that this basic concept is lost on so many Christians? I just read a transcription of a lecture Yoder gave on missiology where he makes this point about mission and servanthood: that Christians are servants to others, and that is both the medium and the message. The point of feeding the hungry is not so that we can get their attention and save their souls; the point is that the hungry are hungry and God calls Christians to serve.

BTW, I just stumbled upon your blog. It is so refreshing to find someone in youth ministry AND who is formed by the likes of Yoder, Wittgenstein, Lindbeck, McClendon, Hauwerwas, von Balthasar, MaCabe. I’ll be back!

]]> Comment on ‘Student’ vs. ‘Youth’ Ministry by Cabe Matthews http://www.cabematthews.com/2011/11/16/student-vs-youth-ministry/#comment-30 Cabe Matthews Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:46:27 +0000 http://blog.cabematthews.com/?p=325#comment-30 Steve, All of those reasons are fascinating to me. Smith kind of hints at the 3rd in the article linked to above, but your mentioning of 1 and 2 seem to fill out the 'why' of reason 3 in a way that is really helpful. I guess 'youth' ministry sounds like a place where your teenaged kid might go and act like a teenaged kid, whereas 'student' ministry sounds like something much more serious. If that's at all the case then it seems like 'student ministry' might be connected and even supportive of the fragmentation of teens' lives in our culture. I mean that in the same vein as Chap Clark's idea that they inhabit a "culture of abandonment". They live in an adult world controlled by adult standards that they are asked to live within but aren't given any help to get there, and aren't given any room to play, or just to be kids. 'Student' seems to be an acceptable role for them to fill by such adult standards, whereas 'youth' is just as messy, rambunctious and occasionally immature as they actually are. Your reasons also help explain why in our unpretentious town of ~12k people none of the churches have a 'student ministry' or a 'student pastor.' Steve,

All of those reasons are fascinating to me. Smith kind of hints at the 3rd in the article linked to above, but your mentioning of 1 and 2 seem to fill out the ‘why’ of reason 3 in a way that is really helpful. I guess ‘youth’ ministry sounds like a place where your teenaged kid might go and act like a teenaged kid, whereas ‘student’ ministry sounds like something much more serious.

If that’s at all the case then it seems like ‘student ministry’ might be connected and even supportive of the fragmentation of teens’ lives in our culture. I mean that in the same vein as Chap Clark’s idea that they inhabit a “culture of abandonment”. They live in an adult world controlled by adult standards that they are asked to live within but aren’t given any help to get there, and aren’t given any room to play, or just to be kids. ‘Student’ seems to be an acceptable role for them to fill by such adult standards, whereas ‘youth’ is just as messy, rambunctious and occasionally immature as they actually are.

Your reasons also help explain why in our unpretentious town of ~12k people none of the churches have a ‘student ministry’ or a ‘student pastor.’

]]> Comment on ‘Student’ vs. ‘Youth’ Ministry by steve dancause http://www.cabematthews.com/2011/11/16/student-vs-youth-ministry/#comment-29 steve dancause Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:57:42 +0000 http://blog.cabematthews.com/?p=325#comment-29 Thanks Cabe. I spent the last three years at a church that really valued the term 'student' and hated the term 'youth' to describe it's youth ministry. It rubbed me the wrong way. While this church might not be typical, the term 'student' was preferred, in my estimation, because 1 - the term youth was thought of as derogatory. 2 - it was a community where vocational achievement meant everything. And 3 - I sensed that pastors who lead the ministry thought that they would be taken more seriously if they were 'student pastors' as opposed to 'youth pastors'. Thanks Cabe. I spent the last three years at a church that really valued the term ‘student’ and hated the term ‘youth’ to describe it’s youth ministry. It rubbed me the wrong way. While this church might not be typical, the term ‘student’ was preferred, in my estimation, because 1 – the term youth was thought of as derogatory. 2 – it was a community where vocational achievement meant everything. And 3 – I sensed that pastors who lead the ministry thought that they would be taken more seriously if they were ‘student pastors’ as opposed to ‘youth pastors’.

]]> Comment on Worship and Scripture: Three Theses by Cabe Matthews http://www.cabematthews.com/2010/11/02/worship-and-scripture-three-theses/#comment-25 Cabe Matthews Wed, 10 Nov 2010 02:59:21 +0000 http://blog.cabematthews.com/?p=251#comment-25 John, Not sure what exactly you're driving at. Sounds like a cocktail of historical critical readings of the bible and gnosticism. If it's little more than that I don't think I'm buying it. But I'll wait to give substantive responses until I understand what exactly you're advocating. Again, thanks for commenting! John,

Not sure what exactly you’re driving at. Sounds like a cocktail of historical critical readings of the bible and gnosticism. If it’s little more than that I don’t think I’m buying it. But I’ll wait to give substantive responses until I understand what exactly you’re advocating.

Again, thanks for commenting!

]]> Comment on Uncertainty, Science and Theology by Cabe Matthews http://www.cabematthews.com/2010/09/22/uncertainty-science-and-theology/#comment-19 Cabe Matthews Wed, 10 Nov 2010 02:52:02 +0000 http://blog.cabematthews.com/?p=215#comment-19 Hi John. Those articles seem pretty long. If you'd like to summarize some points, or point out problems with my or McGrath's thoughts I'd be interested in a conversation. But it would take a ton of time to read all that, and frankly I'd much rather engage it on a summary level at this point. But either way, welcome to my humble corner of the internet, and thanks for commenting. Hi John. Those articles seem pretty long. If you’d like to summarize some points, or point out problems with my or McGrath’s thoughts I’d be interested in a conversation. But it would take a ton of time to read all that, and frankly I’d much rather engage it on a summary level at this point.

But either way, welcome to my humble corner of the internet, and thanks for commenting.

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