Morning Report - Day 5 - Tuesday, March 11th

The Morning Report with AK Andy - March 21th 2014 ~ 08:00 (UTC +1:00) 

Morning everyone! Tuesday. I spoke to soon when I said I was feeling better. I resembled Rudolf the red noise petroleum engineer. Ha!
Work was good, but slow in the afternoon. I spent a little bit of time in the late afternoon reading a thought provoking blog post about preaching/teaching in church. (found here: http://www.esler.org/2014/01/30/is-preaching-biblical/) While I disagree with some of his conclusions ( namely his point about the disciple being uneducated somewhat misses that they were very educated like most ordinary men of the time. While passed over by the formal teachers from the temple and other rabbis, they were still selected as young men by the ultimate Rabbi and the Messiah, Jesus. - Sorry, this is a soap box of mine.)  With that clarified
I very much enjoy the critique of the western and very protestant practice of what I have also heard called the "sermon sandwich service". You know; songs, sermon, offering, song. When I think of the Catholic and Orthodox services (somewhat Lutheran and other high-church types), I love how the homilies are short and sweet, while the actual reading of the Word is more focal as are the other aspects of Christian devotion in community. (Communion, Corporate and Private Prayer, Confession, Singing, Worshiping with multiple senses, ect...) Teaching and preaching still has its place to be sure but a good discussion on when, where, and in what preeminence is valuable in my opinion. The underlying paradigms are significant and worth contemplation. This discussion I think also asks what the role of the pastor is and if they should be the default church leader... What about Apostles, Evangelist, Prophets (moral voice), and Teachers? What place did preaching have in 1st century Jewish and subsequent Christian society? Sorry, I love asking these questions and the numerous other questions they lead too. What is Biblical Tradition and what is human tradition? Who has the authority to delineate such differences?  What subjective cultural paradigms do we bring to the discussion? Do we even realize if they are subjective? In another post was that while Sola Scriptura is a motto of the Protestant Reformation, Sola Pastora might be more of an adapt description that has more ramification in the present day then many of us realize.  (Unless of course your are Catholic/Orthodox... Oh, I could have to much fun with this!)
Okay, I am going to back away from this train of thought, slowly. Enough stirring the nest, for now. ;) All I have to say, is that when I study history, I am humbled and challenged. I cannot imagine life without reflecting on this questions, and applying/wrestling with what I learn.

Onshore work is hot and reading is picking up. Need to go offshore!