How Many Souls Shrink in Church?

November 10, 2011 by Jenny Warner

Continued from Page 1

My quick answer is yes, immediately revealing how far I have to go. In truth, there are days that I wrap God up real pretty when I'm leading worship, preaching, or giving pastoral counseling. Stock answers are easier to find and my ego demands I look like the expert.

Pastors and churches insure themselves with simple constructs and timeless truths, not realizing the soul-deadening effect it has on those for whom life is much more complex. Life has never been clean cut, but in our world of global economic crises and relentless injustice, there is no way to hide behind simplistic theology or ministry. Cutting-edge ministry in a society moving out of modernity will be judged on its ability to resist quick equations and cold objective theology.

These three remain: faith, hope, and love. Instead of dogma, the markers of our church must be faith that sustains bold truth-telling rather than easy answers. Hope allows us to live with unanswered questions, trusting they will lead us beyond ourselves. Love listens and is willing to be challenged by the realities around us. Choosing this path, we witness to the glory and strength of a God whose mystery and revelation never ends. We fool ourselves to settle for anything less.

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About Jenny Warner

Jenny Warner is the Pastor for Justice, Spirituality, and Community at First Presbyterian Church of Bend, Oregon. She graduated from Biola University with a B.A. in Intercultural Studies and Psychology in 1992, and in 2010, received a Masters of Divinity from San Francisco Theological Seminary. She is a trained spiritual director, certified by Mars Hill Graduate School in Seattle.

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