Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Collaboration ministry in the old tobacco country of Maryland

Here's an essay by Greg Syler on the collaborative work they're doing in several parishes in Prince George's County Maryland.  There's a lot of excellent wordly wisdom in it.  But this one piece of anti-worldly-wisdom stands out for me. He wrote:

Stop buying books and looking for the next great consultant, bishop, rector, or senior warden. Listen to what God is calling you into, and what God is saying to your gathering. People are ready to do creative ministry, together.

Paul of Tarsus put this in other words (1 Co 1:22-25)

 "Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength."

Good stuff, Greg, thank you.

http://www.ecfvp.org/vestrypapers/death-and-resurrection/real-collaboration/