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few notes … many testimonies

My training used to focus primarily on teaching and I was educating without equipping.

Ouch

Teaching without a target is not training; it is simply filling minds with information. (We have saved the seminar notes on our bookshelves.)  Jesus trained by experience – debrief – experience – debrief. Few notes … many testimonies. He gave the disciples a piece of the pie. He taught them to rely upon the Spirit. Whatever he did, He let them do…

(Paul Anderson, Lutheran Renewal, St Paul MN)

Read this yesterday evening when I got home from teaching. It stopped me in my tracks. What about you?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 5:26 pm and is filed under disciple of Jesus. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

3 Responses to “few notes … many testimonies”

  1. Ruth Says:
    November 11th, 2009 at 7:53 am

    Interesting food for thought, but I think it’s a bit one-sided. Jesus also told his disciples (and other followers) A LOT, much of which had to be chewed over and was not really understood until later. But he still did a lot of teaching, preaching, and discoursing.

  2. Frances Says:
    November 11th, 2009 at 10:06 am

    There is a distinction between teacing/instruction and education. One of the first things I remember being told at teacher training college many years ago was that we are not just pumping information into children (instruction), we are educating them ie drawing out from within them what God has already put there – from the Latin.

  3. Lorna Says:
    November 11th, 2009 at 7:18 pm

    thanks both of you. I agree Ruth it IS one-sided and that’s party my fault because I didn’t put it in context.

    His point was that 1 Jn 2:27 does not mean we can do away with teachers OR that we can do away with community. Rather that

    1. The Holy Spirit is the greatest teacher
    2. No teacher can replace the Holy Spirit and
    3. Teachers help us more toward independence (from them … we still need to depend on God)

    Earlier in the passage (before my quote) Anderson wrote …

    “Pastors and parents can, and should, train those under thier care for independent, healthy living, independent of them and yet fully dependent upon the anointing ofthe Holy Spirit. Jesus said that the goal of discipleship is becoming like the teacher (Mt 10:25). He told them that they were better off with Him leaving. Pastors who train like Jesus are raising up leaders, not life-long followers’ *

    * (here he doesn’t mean life-long followers of Jesus -but the pastor’s own personal fan club)

    He finishes by saying

    “Karen and I are worship leaders, but we seldom lead worship now, because we want to train our young adults to do as we have done. I love preaching but in order to train preachers and teachers, I must let others do it. When I miss a meeting it goes on without a hitch. How disturbing is that? That don’t even need me – but they desparately need the Spirit.”

    Hope that helps?

    Frances .. I like that take … drawing out what God has put in. Yes :)