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page 16 of 33
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From Call to Settlement |
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by Lloyd M. Hall, Jr.
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Presentation of faith and Christian
experience
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Much as the sermon provides the heart of worship, this
presentation provides the heart of the Council meeting. We have
learned everything we can learn from the words and certifications
of others. Now is the moment when the Council has the
opportunity to see the incarnation of that faith, call, and
preparation. In not much more than forty minutes or so, the
candidate has the opportunity and responsibility to tell us who she
is.
This introductory part of the candidate's presentation is
intentionally autobiographical. What are the factors, the people,
and the circumstances through which God has worked to bring him
to ministry? He tells of his call to ministry to help the Council
understand the nature of that ministry. Specifically, what is God
asking him to do? It is tempting to let this time become one of
saccharin sentimentality in which we romanticize our personal
crises, mountaintop experiences, and those who have surrounded
us for better or for worse. Don't do it!
Let this be a time that demonstrates both how God has worked (is
working) in her life and what the call means for her right now.
There will be time in less formal settings surrounding the
ordination for her to express her gratitude. Obviously, something
this intensely personal will have an emotional content - and
should. The Candidate should make certain, in preparation and
presentation, that "style" doesn't overwhelm "substance." This
portion of the presentation should not take more than ten minutes.
The remainder of the paper ought to be both concise and
systematic. The classical categories of theology need to be
covered but it can avoid barrenness by always making clear what
difference a particular truth makes to him and/or the Church. (e.g.
What the Council needs to hear is not a distillation of creedal
statements about God but a clear description of "his" God.)
This part of the paper might have three (not necessarily equal)
segments.
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I. The classical categories
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A. |
God (Theology) - Deus ex machina, immanent, transcendent? Personal?
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B. |
Christ (Christology) - When, where, and how do we
encounter the Christ? Why? To what extent is
Christ distinguishable from the historic Jesus? What
is the meaning of the Cross? The atonement?
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C. |
The Holy Spirit (Pneumatology) - When, where,
and how do we encounter the Holy Spirit? What is
the role of the Holy Spirit?
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D. |
Scripture. (Bibliology) - What is its authority, how
do we read it, how do scholarship and tradition
relate to it?
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E. |
The Church (Ecclesiology) - What is it, how is it
created, what drives it, what is its mission? What is
the role of the Church in individual lives, in
society? What, specifically, is the Congregational
Way of being Church?
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F. |
Salvation (Soteriology) - What does it mean? Who
gets it and how? How does it relate to
eschatological questions?
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Il. Pastoral Theology |
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A. |
Matters relating to pastoral care, worship, teaching,
and preaching - how does she approach these
responsibilities and what difference does it make?
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B. |
His stance on social ethics and social justice - What
will he do about concerns in these areas?
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C. |
The Sacraments -
How many sacraments? What are
they? Describe their administration, participation,
and efficacy. |
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D. |
What are the minister's responsibilities to the
congregation, her family, her calling, the
Congregational Way, the official duties of the
office?
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III. Spiritual Life |
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A. |
How does he relate personally to God in prayer, devotional life,
etc.?
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B. |
How does her spiritual discipline affect her ministry?
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DO NOT (just) ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. A simple short
answer approach to this outline will fail to convey who the
candidate is and what God has called him to be. Nor should one
expect to be able to treat each subject of the outline with anything
like sufficient response in the limited time available.
It might be helpful to use this outline as an exercise. Quickly jot
down responses to the questions and topics and then put the
answers aside. Think about what has been written; meditate on the
items that seem most troublesome or foggy. As clarity increases,
begin to write the paper - WITHOUT reference to the outline or
initial responses. After the first draft it will be desirable to re-work
the paper to make it more orderly or systematic and possibly to
review the outline to insure that nothing has been omitted that
would be important in helping the Council to understand the
candidate and her faith.
Experienced clergy who have attended many Councils for
ordination would "weight" the paper in different ways. There is
agreement that this portion of the paper should be systematic,
orderly, and revelatory of the candidate's beliefs and faith. The
Council will not be enlightened by a "laundry list" of responses to
these - or other - questions. Rather, the presentation should
demonstrate the candidate's orderly exploration of a personal faith,
leaving room for elucidation and discussion during the question
period.
The paper in its entirety should be written and available to the
members of the Council. Copies will also accompany the minutes
when filed. Candidates usually distribute copies to Council
members before the Council is called to order so that they may
follow along. Occasionally, a candidate has preferred to distribute
copies after the presentation.
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National Association of Congregational Christian
Churches
PO Box 288, Oak Creek, WI 53154
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Pages: Cover,
Content,
1, 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10,
11,
12,
13,
14,
15,
16,
17,
18,
19,
20,
21,
22,
23,
24,
25,
26,
27,
28, 29,
30,
31,
32
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| Page 16 of 33 |
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