To date we have now
completed the Holy Cow Survey, the active listening sessions, created a profile
of “us”, and reviewed applications to be our new Bishop. We have also held a
meeting to decide who should progress onto the online Zoom interviews,
completed reference checks and are preparing for the week-long discernment
retreat.
One of the objectives of this theological Field Education (TFE)
assignment is to “see the theology within diocese wide work,
how people with diverse knowledge, skills, experience and views are led by the
Holy Spirit when working together for the good of the diocese”
As I moved through these
tasks and reflected on the nature of God and religious beliefs revealed in each
task, I came to realize I also needed to identify my own theology to be able to
relate to the theology in the work and within others.
Theology is a complex subject
and it was difficult to know where to start, so I looked back at the key things
that shaped my beliefs.
I think in I was mostly
influenced by my study of the Gospel of John, and by the year of catechumenate classes
I undertook in preparation for Confirmation when I was 11 years old.
In a New Testament
session at the School For Ministry (SFM) I was taught all the gospels are
written to provide an image of Jesus through historical stories witnessed by
the authors, remembered and passed down orally by others, or as metaphorical
stories and parables told to make a point.
Each gospel is a
portrayal of Jesus, written by an author who may, or may not, have met Jesus in
person, for a specific purpose and aimed at a specific audience.
In my studies I
recognized that it was the Gospel of John, that shaped my worldview and my
religious beliefs.
I recognized the
spiritual concepts within this gospel and how they are summarized as beliefs in
the Nicene Creed in my Book of Common Prayer (BCP).
Like John’s gospel, the
creed identifies and tries to confirm our spiritual beliefs, not because of
what was witnessed, or any historical event, but what we believe through faith
(John 20:29).
The themes in John’s
writings that really resonate with me are the divinity of Jesus as the Word made
flesh, being fully human and fully God as he walked the earth (John 1.1).
Jesus reveals an
important message to me as the light of the world, the bread of life, the way,
and the good shepherd. He reveals the kingdom of God through talking about
himself, the messenger is the message.
John’s gospel not only
shaped my beliefs but still pronounces the message of “Jesus in all of us”
(John 15:4, 17:23, 14:20) which relates directly to my work in pastoral care
ministry and chaplaincy at a retirement home.
I see Jesus as being
the Word of God actively at work in all of us, in all situations.
It promotes the
mysterious and sacramental presence and activity of God in the world and links
the saving work of Christ in Baptism and the Eucharist (John 6:52-59).
These are important
beliefs I hold onto through faith, just as John says, “These are written that you may believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of
God and that in believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31).
With these key
scriptural beliefs, I moved on to look at how the creed in the BCP encapsulates
them and impacts my day to day life.
The Nicene creed provides
me with a focused view of what I claim to believe about the trinitarian nature
of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, or God as Creator, Word, and Comforter.
It is this structure
and content, supported by scripture, which also reassures me in my beliefs and
which gives me the structure to understand my own theology.
It is not just
something I say several times each week as I attend worship services, but it is
also something I believe in deeply.
No matter what I
learned about the historical and architectural research into the Hebrew Bible I
still believe that God is the creator of the universe and all within it, which
also provides an anchor for me to position beliefs about Jesus and the Holy
Spirit.
When I read the second
and central part of the creed I see the incarnate nature of Jesus in terms of his
relationship in the Trinity, his eternal divinity, his essence, and his work as
the Word in creation (John 1:1-5).
Each of these natures shape my thinking and are
backed by scripture in John’s gospel:
·
“Eternally begotten” and with God at
creation (John 20:31),
·
“God from God”, the Creator and the Word
share the same qualities and substance or essence of divinity that make one
God,
·
“Light from Light,” (John 8:12),
·
“True God from true God”, not a human who
only appeared divine,
·
“Begotten, not made, of one Being”. Jesus
was with the God the Creator in a permanent relationship before time was
created,
·
“All things were made”. the Word of God was
used at creation to make the universe and all things in it (John 1:3).
Throughout my reading
of all the gospels I believed Jesus is the incarnate Word who actively revealed
God to humanity in his miracles, parables, sermons and actions.
The next section introduces
the Holy Spirit into my theology through the belief Jesus came from heaven,
became incarnate through the Holy Spirit and was born as a person.
I believe that Jesus
was a real human being, not simply a spirit or ghost. By adding in the Holy Spirit at the
incarnation we now have all three persons in one God.
This is my key trinitarian
belief in Christianity and without this belief I do not think my view of
Christology would be on a firm foundation.
The next section brings
me to my belief in salvation when it states Jesus suffered as humans do when
dying on the cross. This showed me Jesus was fully human but also being fully
God, was resurrected three days later.
Today we can claim
Jesus suffered like we do, and therefore can relate and comfort us as we go
through our suffering.
Each time I celebrate
the Eucharist I believe that through the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist I
receive the spiritual body and blood of Jesus and receive eternal life through his sacrifice (John 6:56-58).
The creed then takes me
to more detail on the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, sent as the
giver of life, and always in relationship with God the Creator and God the
Word.
I see the Holy Spirit
in everything around me, as the “Breath” God breathed out to give life to the world
(Genesis 1:30), was breathed out onto the disciples (John 20:22), and onto the
multitude at the birth of the Church at Pentecost (Acts 2:2-4).
It is this same Holy
Spirit I received at my Baptism to be my helper, teacher, bearer of truth and
witness (John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26).
It is this Holy Spirit
which works within me through kenosis (emptying of the self and being receptive
to the spirit) and theosis (the process of
coming into closer union with God) every day.
The creed not only affirms
my belief in historical continuity through apostolic succession and ordination
but also reassures me as it addresses my earthly death and promises me eternal
life.
Looking at my theology
and how it relates to what I was doing on the Nominating Committee was
challenging.
When I was reviewing
the applicant's documents and online interviews I had to be aware of how an
applicants’ theological views may be the same as mine but are communicated differently.
For example, maybe the person did believe in the Trinity but preferred to focus
on "Creator, Word and Comforter" rather than "Father, Son and Holy Spirit".
I had to be aware that when
I was reviewing the essays and responses to interview questions I may
be looking for messages which subconsciously reaffirmed my own theological
views.
There were times when I
was ready to mark down an applicant because I did not see the same theological
terms I was used to, but on further review I could see the same religious beliefs just
communicated in different terms.
There were a few occasions
where the applicant looked good on the essay paper, but during the interview my own theological views made me feel
uncomfortable with the answers. In those situations I felt the applicant was treating the discussion as a
job interview, and was answering what they thought we wanted to hear rather than
what they really believed, and this changed my opinion of them.
Despite these
challenges, my attempt to “see the
theology within diocese wide work, how people with diverse knowledge, skills,
experience and views are led by the Holy Spirit when working together for the
good of the diocese” made me aware of who I am, how and where my beliefs
were shaped and how unconsciously I apply them to all I do.
Sources:
The New Oxford Annotated Bible - New Revised
Standard Version (NRSV) with the Apocrypha (College
Edition, 4th Ed, pg. 1860 - 1863)
Book of Common Prayer (BCP), 1979
NT1 Course Notes and Assignment Comments (Dr.
David Mosley, SFM, Spring Semester 2018)
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