Hi everyone!
Thank you Walter for a great start to this week and deep thoughts from each reading!
Having grown up part of my life in a Pentecostal church, the word apostolic has definitely been part of my vocabulary. Yet while studying, I do not think I understood the true meaning of this word. In all honesty, I thought of an "apostolic" church as one that baptizes in Jesus name and believed in the gift of tongues and prophesying as revealed in the book of Acts... literally. I too along with Sullivan was concerned with the reasons that justify our profession of faith in the church as "apostolic." It was not until the reading in Sullivan that I came to a deeper revelation of this term, apostolic, and to who and what it was referring to. Apostolic is defined in Sullivan's reading as, "the expression of a relationship to the apostles, whether it be origin, similarity, fidelity, succession or some other way that persons or things would be "of the apostles" or "like the apostles" (152). One who called himself an apostle of Christ, Paul, amazes me in so many ways. Paul not only taught, but exemplified how we are to become an apostle and become like Christ in all our ways. He was the strongest persecutor, yet passionate and so committed to Christ. As stated in 1 Corinthians 15, "But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain." His strength of conviction is compelling in a personal way of "Oh God, that I might recognize and act on my conviction." Paul lived apostleship. In 2 Corinthians, Paul speaks of the true signs of an apostle.
The apostolicity of faith and of the church's ministry were interrelated bringing about the quality of the whole church and the responsibility of those who had the official ministry of teaching in the churches. From this, we can appeal to the following factors. First, the church clearly understood that the pastoral charge given to the apostles of "making disciples, baptizing, teaching people to observe all that Jesus had taught them" (Matthew 28:19-20), was to CONTINUE to the END of the age.
"For in many ways, the original apostles roles were unique and intransmissible, but their pastoral ministry was to continue, others had to succeed them, and therefore their mandate, and the authority to carry it out, had to be transmitted to others" (Sullivan, 183).
Within my ministry praxis, Paul's call is brought to my life in a very simple, yet powerful way. Three main points in recognizing and distinguishing the call to apostleship involves: (1) the call is from God; (2) it involves being a recipient of divine revelation; (3) it is a call and mission to preach Christ.
This call is to you and me... together, WE are to carry out the one and only message of Jesus Christ to all. We are apostles!
So Yes, Walter, seems like all of the tools and resources ARE freely given to us... I am ready! More so than I ever have been... Truly-
Our readings on the Church As Apostolic have been informative for my understanding of Church and insightful as I reflect on personal meaning it has in my life. Naming the Church as apostolic carries with it a deep sense of intentionality in both its origins and hopes for the future. For the apostleship to have a linear succession that begins with God, who sent Jesus, who commissioned his disciples to so out and spread the gospel, I get the sense that this is what animates the Church in order to be fully present and functioning in the world. Thus, the term “apostolic” is so crucial to our understanding of the Church. If that were left out of the equation, would Christianity be as widespread as it is today without the charge the apostles felt as a result of their encounter with Christ? The qualities of Church are multidimensional and have their source in the divine, though it is a human institution. The oneness, holiness, and catholic attributes of the Church must be accomplished, celebrated, and worked on by human hands. Of course this is all done in and with the Spirit of God it is precisely this originating idea that fuels the community to seek, understand, and act in a way that promotes the other qualities.
ReplyDeleteI think I am particularly drawn to the idea of Church as apostolic because of my personal context. Sullivan describes Paul’s ministry as involving “handing on of traditions which he himself received” (163). Growing up in my Irish-Catholic family, there are plenty of traditions that we have for daily life as well as the special seasons and events of the year. When I am apart from my family, I seek a community that is receptive to these traditions so that the life I learned can carry on in the present. Additionally, in my ministry praxis as a teacher, I also pass on the values associated with a quality education in the tradition of the Catholic faith. I take this role very seriously and it stems from discerning that which I feel God is calling me to do. It is no wonder then, that I enjoy the fact that the Church is described as apostolic.
In light of current events, with Pope Benedict XVI resigning, I am praying for the apostolic succession to continue in the best way for the newly elected Pope. I am excited to find out who our new leader will be to carry us into the next generation.