Talkin' at em

OK...it's time to try and put something down that might be worthwhile reading. The time keeps marching on...relentlessly sometimes.
I've been busy with lots of teaching. I love teaching in general. I love the learning process and I love seeing those I'm teaching grow and learn...the "lightbulbs" so to speak go off. A week ago I also taught in my church -- Mad City Church -- here in Madison. It's not always easy to teach on a Sunday morning. Part of that has to do with my own desire and need to connect with students as disciples. I have never been a huge fan of the sermon as the best way to connect to people's hearts and minds. I know it has worked down through the centuries...but in this modern age of a doubting, visually stimulated, short attentioned span people, it doesn't always work well. Add to that I am teaching on a once a month basis...and add to that, I am teaching alongside of a young preacher -- Shane Holden -- who has a gift of teaching/preaching that does really grab one for the hour or so that he teaches. OK...no comparison...I really don't compare myself with Shane, and my own self-confidence does not lack in being able to get up in front of 1200 people and deliver something. What is somewhat frustrating is that I know that people really don't learn well when all that is being done is that you're talking at them. People learn because they engage wholeheartedly...intentionally, if you will...in the things they are hearing. Otherwise, it probably is like the proverbial "water off the duck's back".

We need a revolution in terms of learning...the greek word for "learning" is "mathetes" which is a learner, but it is translated most often in the New Testament as "disciple". A disciple is a learner...Discipleship. The leading assumption in the average American church is that you can be a Christian but not a disciple. That is incrediby difficult to break through and it has placed a tremendous burden on a mass of Christians who are not disciples. We tell them to come to church on Sunday mornings (Ok, I realize some do church at other times) and we tell them to participate in programs and give money. But isn't it true that what we see of church is that it knows nothing of commitment. We have settled for the marginal, the least common denominator, and so we carry this awful burden of trying to motivate people to do what they don't want to do. We can't think about church the way we have been.
We need to clear in our heads about what discipleship is. A good definition: A disciple is a person who has decided that the most important thing in their life is to learn how to do what Jesus said to do. A disciple is not a person who has things under control, or knows a lot of things. Disciples simply are people who are constantly revising their affairs to carry through on their decision to follow Jesus.
I am thinking about all of this as I participate in the process of "teaching". I want so deeply to avoid just being another voice making "noisy gongs and clanging cymbals".
I have this current notion going on in teaching about the "journey of faith". I love the theme and it's been a wonderful study for me alone. If you're interested you can find the messages at http://www.madcitychurch.org/listen.asp. My most recent message was on "Taking the land of the Giants", a story from Exodus and Numbers concerning Joshua. I am going to follow that message in a week with a second part based on Joshua 4 & 5.

So...I continue to "talk at em"...knowing it's not the best way to learn...drats! "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me..."?