CHAPTER 4 - HOLY INK DUMP -- DRAINED ANOTHER HIGHLIGHTER -- BAILEY UNLEASHED ON LEADERSHIP, LOVE'S POWER, RELATIONAL MINISTRY, EVANGELISM, INTIMACY, CHURCH WORK, CHURCH MISSION, PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY, AND GROUP DEVELOPMENT!!


I grew up in a setting where all folks, male and female, played prominent roles in leadership as deacons, elders, preachers, teachers etc.  The church where I grew up honored God and made a significant impact in our community with this approach to leadership. Since I experienced first hand during my formative years a church setting where God did big things regardless of gender I naturally (as you’d expect) enjoyed Bailey’s positioning of Paul, scripture, and the 1st century church as seeking to create a setting/structure where all folks, gifted in leadership, play a prominent role as elders, preachers teachers, etc.

My bias is that gifted folks should lead and Mr. Bailey (God bless him) communicates to my bias so, of course, I had great affinity for Chapter 4!!  -- Lot of Amens and Preach it brother!!

I dumped a lot of ink on this chapter with highlights.  To spare you hours of reflections I’ve narrowed down dozens of highlights to just two….

Highlight # 1 -  “Like a river of pure water, the discussion of love (chapter 13) is placed in the center to nourish and cleanse the various aspects of worship presented in the six homilies that surround it.” – Bailey, with these words, transported me through space and time to the Sacramento RIVER Delta. 

During the summer, sometimes I’ll gaze into the water off the back deck of a houseboat. When I see the current pushing against the pontoons of the houseboat I think about the current’s power.  I imagine God’s love as that current.  I then think to myself in that moment, “Why don’t I surrender to God’ current?  Why do I resist His love tide?"

 And then I think of the Beastie Boy’s ‘80’s jam “Slow and Low.”  - (I know. That's messed up. I need help.) 

"Let if flow -let yourself go
Slow and low – that is the tempo"

I look at the current, “like a river of pure water” that nourishes and cleanses and I think – “let it flow, let yourself go” surrender to the river’s current and live in the unique, unstoppable freedom and power of God’s love. 

I loved how with Highlight # 1 Bailey’s writing put me in "back-deck-of-houseboat recollection mode."

Highlight # 2 – When Bailey provided a list to explore the intimacy of evangelism I immediately thought of how his list helps add depth, meaning, and power to the 4th attribute of relational ministry/evangelism in the Super Ultra which is Intimacy. The actual phrase is: “INVITE students to deeper INTIMACY with Christ.” 

Here’s Bailey's list that he used to explain the intimacy of evangelism:

1. Evangelism is primarily a very private affair. One person enters into the sacred space of another person's inner life.

2. Evangelism involves deep personal relations
3. Evangelism is intended to be sacred and honorable. There must be no manipulation, scare tactics or intellectual or spiritual violence.
4. Long-term commitments are assumed. Love does not win and then dump the beloved. If I break with the past and come to faith in Jesus as Lord-what will happen to me? Authentic proclamation of the gospel is deeply aware of long-term responsibilities that accompany the communication  of the gospel.
5. Personal advantage must never be involved. Authentic faith cannot be bought or sold. There can be no "pay me X and I will offer you Y."
6. Evangelism must always be motivated by love, not by a will to power. The goal of evangelism is not a successful "membership drive" so that an organization can prosper. Its purpose is to demonstrate the deepest forms of love to people in their brokenness and to make it possible for the lost to be found and for the wounded to find healing.

A few years ago we changed our writing on this attribute of relational ministry/evangelism from “Challenge students to a deeper commitment” to “Invite students to deeper intimacy.”  Bailey’s list here on evangelism beautifully captures the mind and heart behind our decision for this change.

I love this book.  The brilliance, the intense detail and research, the insight Bailey gives to understanding church life, church mission, interdependence/group development, and the SUPER ULTRA PACKET.  Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!

-- Steve Mann

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 12, 2018 at 12:32 PM

    WOW. Can’t wait to read this chapter. I cannot wait to read on the intimacy of evangelism, and really love his points that you shared. Lots of amen and preach it brother in my end, even tho I have yet to read the chapter lol

    ReplyDelete

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