Coming to Terms with
History:
A Developmental Task of
Intentional Interim Ministry
Patuxent Presbyterian
Church
California, Maryland
Rev. Robert Bayley,
Interim Pastor
“Every
congregation has stories to tell, stories of success and failure, stories of
joy and grief. One of the times when a congregation’s stories are most likely
to be recalled is during the time of pastoral transition. As a congregation
makes decisions for the future, members look to the past.”
~ Temporary Shepherds: A
Congregational Handbook for Interim Ministry
FIRST CHURCH ANTIOCH: A CASE STUDY
Acts 15:1-36
15:1-2 Conflict over
history –
the “But we’ve always
done it that way” dynamic.
15 Certain
people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers:
“Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you
cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp
dispute and debate with them.
15:2 The connectional
church in times of conflict:
Asking for help from
the larger church.
So
Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go
up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.
15:3-5 Conflict over history
causes factions
to form in the face of
change – Jews and Gentiles.
3 The church sent them
on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how
the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very
glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the
church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had
done through them.5 Then some of the believers who belonged
to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles
must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”
15:6-11 Conflict
resolution:
an appeal to a shared
spiritual experience.
6 The apostles and
elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion,
Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God
made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message
of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed
that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to
us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them,
for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you
try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor
our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it
is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
15:12-18 Conflict
resolution –
coming to terms with
GOD’S history,
which precedes ours.
12 The whole assembly
became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs &
wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 13 When
they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. 14 Simon
has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his
name from the Gentiles. 15 The words of the prophets are in
agreement with this, as it is written: 16 “‘After this I
will return & rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, &
I will restore it, 17 that the rest of mankind may seek the
Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these
things,’ 18 things known from long ago.
15:19-21 Coming to terms
with history through
compromise.
“What in our past do we
need to keep – or let go of?”
(Note that the original
cause of the division –
circumcision – is
missing in the decision
by the larger church leadership.)
19 “It is my judgment,
therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are
turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling
them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the
meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21 For the law of
Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the
synagogues on every Sabbath.”
15:22-29 The critical
component in change
that addresses local
church history:
the Holy Spirit’s involvement
in a process
of thoughtful, prayerful
deliberation
resulting in change.
22 Then the apostles and
elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send
them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and
Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. 23 With them
they sent the following letter: The
apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria
and Cilicia:
Greetings:
24 We have heard that some went out from us without our
authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25 So
we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends
Barnabas and Paul— 26 men who have risked their lives for the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we are sending
Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28 It
seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything
beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from
food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and
from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
15:30-35 The result
of the compromise
over history: encouragement
and peace .
30 So the men were sent
off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and
delivered the letter. 31 The people read it and were glad
for its encouraging message. 32 Judas and Silas, who
themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. 33 After
spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing
of peace to return to those who had sent them. [34] [d] 35 But
Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and
preached the word of the Lord.
MONDAY MORNING
Q:
If you were a member of First Church Antioch, where would you be in this story?
Q: Where can you see Patuxent Presbyterian
Church in this story?
As you reflect on and answer these questions,
remember to pray about your answers this week.
