Darren Cronshaw,
in his thesis
(and, I can only assume, in the book derived from it) argues for some specifically Australian models for patoral ministry. Spiritual Companion, Chaplain for Convicts, Shepherds for settlers, Advocates for the marginalised, Servants for the needy, hosts for a multicultural community.
His methodology is to deliberately NOT start with biblical material. Rather he looks at historical images of Australian identity, sees how pastors have responded in those times, and only then find resonances to biblical material and current practice. The corresponding images of identity he explores are Aboriginal spirituality, Convicts,Bushmen, the Eureka stockade, ANZACs, and multicuturalism.
Darren kicks off by discussing Aboriginal spirituality's sense of the sacred in the land and in the everyday. There is no divide between sacred and secular, either in the plants and rocks, neither in the general activities of life, however momentous or trivial.
"Indigenous spirituality suggests a traditional image of ministry as spiritual companionship. After 200 years of white
people in the land, Australia is still on a journey and looking for its own dreaming. This is a context that invites pastoral ministers to serve as spiritual companions. " pg 23
Or, to put in a way more comfortable for my ears, Jesus really is Lord over Australia. We really do want to learn to live wisely for him in this land.
"Ministry as spiritual companionship resonates with indigenous beliefs that recognise that the journey of life has spiritual implications. The world is spiritually interconnected and part of a person’s task in life is to honour that interconnectedness.
Part of the task of those who are spiritual leaders is to help people make and maintain those connections. This is the role of a spiritual companion – to help people realise the spiritual dimension to living and relate spirituality to everyday life." pg 24
Darren isn't being dualist here. Nor, I think, is he being a washed out hippy. As ministers of the gospel, we preach that God really is working in people's lives. That their lives have a renewed meaning in following Christ. Yes, even when they aren't in full time paid ministry! Part of our role as christian ministers is to help people navigate this storied world. Part of our capitulation to western secularism is that we have stopped telling the story of Jesus in rocks and plants and working and resting, living and dying, and have only told his story in our private hearts and church buildings.
"Ministers functioning with this model, however, are not content to be general spiritual therapists exploring whatever
meaning and spiritual background people bring, but help people perceive where God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit wants to interact with them...........A spiritual companion is a friend who walks alongside a person to explore together
where God is working in that person’s spiritual life. It is a role of companionship in a
journey and exploration of spirituality. If spirituality is awareness of and response to
the sacred, then Christian spirituality more specifically is awareness of and response to
God in the context of biblical faith and community, centred in response to the Spirit of
God. Furthermore, Christian spirituality relies on friendships and mentors who nurture
awareness of and response to God. David Benner (2002: 15-16) defines these terms
and explains that sometimes spiritual companionship is offered among friends in a
mutual form of encouragement, and other times it is offered by a designated guide or
spiritual director in a one-on-one, one-way relationship. Spiritual companionship as
defined here – walking alongside someone to explore together where God is working –
broadly covers both aspects of spiritual friendship and spiritual direction.
" pg 25
Darren laments that while pastors talk among themselves, prophets from other spheres are addressing the issues that are shouting out for attention in Australia.
He highlights one such figure: Michael Leunig
"Though not explicitly Christian, Leunig is a popular ‘prophet’
who often surreptitiously addresses public issues and questions popular assumptions.
Furthermore, he functions as a fellow traveller and ‘spiritual companion’ in helping
many of his readers connect with a sense of meaning and spirituality."
Leunig's appeal is not just his personal 'spirituality but also his prophetic edge. He not only walks beside us, but gently and sadly exposes our weaknesses and foibles as a nation and culture. This prodding, that at once makes us sad , and smile, and think, is exactly what Darren desires to see in pastoral ministry.
"Biblical salvation is holistic and encompasses all aspects of life’s
journey: public and domestic issues, friendships and sexuality, leisure and business
ethics. The presentation of the gospel in Australia needs to address and build on these
everyday themes. Perhaps this is part of the role of Australian ministry as spiritual
companionship – not in a faddish or escapist style but in a down-to-earth manner that
is pastorally caring and prophetically challenging. "
The Echo of Easter
19 hours ago
4 comments:
Part of our capitulation to western secularism is that we have stopped telling the story of Jesus in rocks and plants and working and resting, living and dying, and have only told his story in our private hearts and church buildings.
That is a great quote. Mr Cronshaw is very perceptive. But I do find it a bit weird that we have to go looking for ways to deal with our naturalistic gnosticism in bankrupt animism (which just falls off the horse on a different side)!
Perhaps if we took the Creator and His Word more seriously (which tells the story of Jesus in rocks and plants and working and resting*), we actually could speak to our culture more prophetically. Time for some high-octane sola scriptura. If we stop watering down our single malt we won't be eyeing off the meths of the world, will we?
This would also add bit of beef to the spiritual companion idea. It has to come with authority. It can only come after the ultimatum of the gospel, presented in love. Men in particular are looking for someone to follow who demands something of them (hence we have gangs**), someone who is actually going somewhere. It's not just a meandering 'discovery' walk in the park. It's a call to join an army.
I would say someone like my favourite Doug Wilson is a Christian Leunig. He's cutting, witty, and he speaks with the authority of Scripture.
Thanks for that post.
*I recommend James B. Jordan's Through New Eyes, available to download at http://www.biblicalhorizons.com/pdf/jjne.pdf
**See my blog today www.bullartistry.com.au/posts
Always with the James b. Hordan :p
He's da man.
NPP's got nothing on the Federal Vision for controversy, although they do cross over some.
He he, that bit is actually mine. I think Darren would agree with you on all those points Bully. He does have a go at Leunig later in the paper. His argument seems to be that our culture is more ready for elements of a truly christian gospel than we often realise.
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