It's Time to Grow -- Not Go!

I came to you in weakness and fear and with much trembling. (I Cor.2:3). These are the words of Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles, learned theologian, famous missionary, converted in a most dramatic way. Even the best of us have what J.B. Phillips, translator of The New Testament in Modern English, calls, "The dark night of the soul."

We sometimes find ourselves in a "dark night" when we are moving from one level of faith to another -- expanding our understanding of God. Some folk, terrified to take a next step, go backwards into a childhood faith. Some assume that faith is lost and fill their lives with other things. Some assume they have somehow failed and spend their lives feeling unloved and worthless. The workplace can be a place of challenge and healing. Lets examine this story for further insight.

I. Listen: Acts 17:10 - 18:8

Paul is left alone in the sophisticated, cosmopolitan city of Athens, the ancient world's intellectual "mecca" and famed for the number of religious cults represented. He speaks at the synagogue and the market place. Then he is taken to a meeting at Mars Hill, probably not a court but a place where many could listen. Athens is the only place where Paul's preaching did not provoke persecution, and significantly, perhaps the only place he met complete failure. Imagine the scene, the statues and the audience. Can you name the diverse groups he is speaking to? How does he attempt to relate to them? Compare this sermon with the one in Acts 13:16-41. What are the differences you can discover? Listen again to his words. What catches your attention? How was he received?

II. Reflect: Acts 17:32 - 18:8; I Corinthians 1:18 - 2:16

According to Paul he has come to Corinth in pretty bad shape. Here he finds a couple who will be his life long friends. Priscilla, one of the strongest people in the early church and Aquilla, her husband who shares Paul's vocation as a tentmaker. (Use Bible notes and commentaries to learn more about this remarkable couple.) What is happening in the workplace? (Acts 18:3) Look carefully at the text in Corinthians. What does Paul seem to be saying about his preaching? Look at the sermon on Mars Hill again and see the difference. Can you see a connection in what he has learned? Has his attitude to ridicule changed? How is he examining his call to preach?

III. Connect

To be unclear about God's call in our lives is a scary place. To rethink our theology is difficult. To try to connect with many new ideas (Acts 17:22) can be confusing. All of us, even Paul, can have a "faith crisis". Usually it means it's time to "grow, not go". Paul needed a group of congenial committed people. He needed time and routine to heal. He continued to worship regularly.

James Fowler says,

In the process of transition we have the feeling "everything nailed down is coming loose"..., our previous knowledge and values and our very ways of verifying and justifying our perspectives and actions undergo change and must be reworked. Our very life meanings are at stake.... Communities play a critical role in this process by providing relational contexts where we are known personally (over time), where we are taken seriously, and where we are invited to submit our images of ourselves and vocations to trusted others.

Think of a time when you benefited from fellowship with others. Look at your own faith journey and spot the times of significant growth. What were the events that produced it? What are the routines that nurture you? Exercise? Worship? Productive work? What's happening in your workplace? When you have been in a "dark night of the soul" what has freed you? Will this be helpful the next time?

IV. Act

Marcus Borg, author of Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, shares his faith struggle and turns it into a best selling book. Through it, others who needed a new introduction to Jesus have been helped. Perhaps our action step is to share in groups or conversation our own hard places. Not victory stories but our real struggles are helpful to others. Borg goes back to the basics and comes out with a new vision. Bible study and worship continue to be important and, if approached with an open mind and new questions, can re-energize our faith. J.B. Phillips was spoken to by a friend in a dream. Others journal and reflect. Sam Shoemaker instructs us to, "Act as if it were all true and see what happens". Will you share your journey with someone? What do you need to enable you to grow?

Suggested Reading:

• Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time by Marcus Borg, HarperSan Francisco, 1994.
• Creative Dislocation--the Movement of Grace by Robert McAfee Brown, Abingdon, 1980.
• Ring of Truth by J.B. Phillips, The Macmillan Co., 1967.
• Priscilla, Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews by Ruth Hoppin, Exposition Press, New York, 1969.
• Becoming Adult, Becoming Christian, Adult Development and Christian Faith, by James Fowler, Harper and Row, 1984.
• Bible Basics for the next generation, by Nancy Boyle, 1999 - a collection of Nancy Boyle's relational bible studies (1995-1999).

Nancy Boyle is a workshop leader, teacher and Christian Education Consultant living in Columbia SC.