The basics and more

At the end of July Brazos Pointe Fellowship is going to ordain me as a preacher/pastor. Ordination is the church’s confirmation that I am called by God to do what I do. In some faith traditions one must be ordained before performing some of the duties of the church such as baptism and communion or the Lord’s Supper. For me it is a “setting apart” to ministry.

Today I am going before an ordination council that will question me on the essentials of the Christian faith and make sure I believe what I should believe and do not have any errant theology. So, this morning I sat down and reviewed some of the basics of the faith. What I believe about God. God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. What I believe about the Bible, about salvation, and about the church.

All of these concepts can be boiled down to basic elements that characterize my faith. But trying to make a short summary of what are such rich multifaceted ideas seems negligent. There is so much more to be said and so much more to be explored. Statements of faith don’t answer all of the questions, as some would believe. Statements of faith that answer questions just lead to a whole new set of questions. Questions about how go to a deeper into what I desire to live and know and believe about God.

Sometimes people ask questions just for knowledge sake. I am guilty of that myself. But I want to get to the point where I ask questions so that I can live. Live what I believe. To be an ordinary guy in an ordinary world living an extraordinary way of life – the Way of Jesus.