Church on the Cutting Edge

I have been focusing lately on the theme "Church on the Cutting Edge". I believe that the way we do ministry in this the post-modern era must be connected to the past but be reflective of the multi-faceted nature of our contemporary situation. By "Church on the Cutting Edge" I mean a church that is moving in a new direction with a freshness of purpose and a newness of vision. This church is innovative and creative and rejects any attempts at regression and stagnation. This is my emphasis in my pastoral ministry going forward.

In the coming weeks, I will be exploring this new idea with you. Although the scripture passage on which it is based is Acts 2:42-47, the way the passage is fleshed out is new. The concepts that have been pulled out of this passage are not new per se, but they are being given new expression and new meaning. I have explored these concepts in a series of sermons over three months with a gap for vacation. I am in the process of expounding on my ideas in our Bible study sessions at church. I am using this opportunity to give more details and solicit feedback from the brethren. This is a new approach as well re: the way I conduct Bible study.

As I end this post, I am reminded of the need to continue to inspire the people of God in my local church context to not just do church but be church in a fresh but purpose-driven way on the foundation of Scripture. I believe that God is leading me to take the church to a new level of being the local expression of the Body of Christ and doing ministry in realization of its mission. All churches should seek to give expression to God's leading in relation to their existence in their peculiar or unique contexts. Stay tuned for more on this very interesting theme- Church on the Cutting Edge.

Spiritual Pathology

Many continue to claim, in light of recent horrific incidents of crime and the reckless behavior on our roads that a significant percentage of Jamaicans suffer from personality disorders. This might very well be the case. However, I would like to suggest a perspective that some people might scoff at but it lies at the root of the psychological pathology and other human behavioural issues that have been evident among us for a long time. This perspective is that what lies at the core of the crime, violence and disregard for human life in Jamaica is spiritual pathology that threatens to annihilate us all.

The spiritual dimension of the human person and of the human species in general tends to be neglected by scientists in many fields, including many social scientists. However, there are others who are coming to grips with what appears to be evidence for a spiritual aspect to humanity that affects our functioning. Spirituality is not the stuff of the empirical method that resides at the heart of the scientific enterprise because of the seeming impossibility of subjecting the spiritual to observation and experimentation. Nevertheless, life's many mysteries suggest that we are not just flesh and blood and mind. We are also spirit; even great philosophers like Immanuel Kant came to this conclusion.

A significant consideration here pertaining to spiritual pathology being the foundational causal factor in human destructive behaviours in many instances is the prevalence and apparent dominance of what is called 'evil'. Realistically, no one can subject 'evil' to scientific scrutiny but we refer to certain acts as acts of 'evil'.

Evil, I submit, is a spiritual phenomenon that has to do with our spiritual nature. When acts of evil are perpetrated by our fellow men, we should not just arrive at a reductionist psychological root cause of such deeds. In fact, even the 'psyche', which is one of the two planks of psychology, is a spiritual or metaphysical reality because of its inability to be subjected to scientific analysis.

I further assert that evil forces are at work in Jamaica infiltrating the lives of many and being facilitated by some who are bent on the domination and obliteration of others. These forces have a sense of entitlement and are propelled by delusions of grandeur. Even in many cases where it can be proven that psychological pathology exists in a perpetrator of a crime, behind the psychological disorder lies a deeper and more sinister spiritual pathology that looms in the dark. The solution for this type of pathology is not talk therapy and Freudian free association, but association with Jesus Christ through the cross.