Religious studies

Answer to theological questions for Commissioning in the UMC
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ANSWER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer to theological questions for Commissioning in the UMC

 

Name

Institutional Affiliation

Course Number and Name

Instructor

Date

 

 

1. A) Describe your personal experience of God and the understanding of God you derive from biblical, theological, and historical sources.

God is the supreme and eternal being who is created and preserved all things. My personal experience with God is based on my daily life experiences and my personal connection with the church and theological teachings about God. Throughout the history, people have had the idea that God is a higher being and cannot be compared to any other being. Christians have agreed on the existence of God and have had different identities of God. The Christian understanding of God shows that God has been, continues to be and has a novel covenant with man through Christ Jesus.

I have a personal connection with God through the redemptive power of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. I spend a lot of time daily meditating and reading the scriptures as well as praying. My understanding of God is linked to the Apostle Creed which states that I believe in God the Father Almighty creator of heaven and earth. I understand God as a Trinitarian.

I believe that God exists as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One of the most significant aspect of Christian worldview is, believe in God as a self-existent, external, infinite, self-sufficient, omnipotent and triune God. Theological sources have played a great role in building my understanding of God since they focus on studying on God and his relations, work within the created universe and his purpose in human life.

God is transcendent and independent over all that he has created. Biblical sources show that heavens declare the Glory of God and is reflective of the wisdom, power and beauty of God. The characteristics of God as revealed by the Bible are crucial in gaining knowledge and understanding about God. Within the Christian experience and perception of God, various characteristic features stand out about God as the Lord of history and the creator.

1. B) What is your understanding of evil as it exists in the world?

Evil action is a terribly bad thing or action that no ordinary human being would agree doing. Evil can be considered as replacement of an individual’s interest over those of the society and deliberately infringing the rights of the society through attaining individual interests[1]. People have personal interests and selfishness as the most primal and basic drive behind human behavior. The self-centered perception is what initially results to evil due to formations of a society under the basis of mutual benefit. The acts of evil in the world are linked to inability of individual to overcome the harm due to self-interest and innate selfishness. For instance, stealing from a store is perceived as evil since the thief is deliberately doing this for their personal interest at the expense and defying the moral code of the society

Evil has been linked to negative and destructive things as well as wordings such as immoral, bad, unjust, suffering and painful. Evil is harmful to the well-being of an individual and only exists as an equivalent of good. Christians believe that evil is anything that opposes God and something that is inferior or unsuitable. There are two categories of evil as its exits in the world. These include the moral evil and the natural evil. The oral evil includes actions of human beings such as rape and murder while natural evil include natural disasters such as floods and famines.

1. C) What is your understanding of humanity, and the human need for divine grace?

Humanity is based on the relationship with God and the relation of human beings with each other. The book of Genesis states that all humans were created in the image of God for a relationship of dependence intimacy and trust. Therefore, humanity tends to occupy a greater place in creation. Every human being has the capacity to understand, exercise freedom, mercy, love and justice. Humanity includes everyone on earth and the qualities that make a person human such as compassion, love and creative.

Humanity means being able to help and care for others wherever and whenever possible at the times of need. For this reason, human beings have the capability to extend unconditional love to each and every living thing on the universe. Considerably, when all human beings were created they were put in the Garden of Eden to work and preserve the Garden. Human beings were entrusted by God to take care of the world where they were placed to preserve it for habitation and future generations. However, the intentions of God and his desire for humanity was corrupted by the fall of Adam and Eve which changed the course of humanity forever.

Evil and sin distorted the humanity connection with God and the creation. For this reason, human beings require divine grace to be in right connection with God and the creation. When a human being accepts the need for God in their life and the relationship with God as beloved child, they are able to move towards a perfect love with God. Divine grace plays a great role in drawing human beings close to God. This is what prevents human beings from being hopeless and restores the right relationship with God through forgiveness of sins. After the fall of humanity, God offered undeserved assistance to human beings so that they might respond to his will for divine life and achieve eternal life. Generally, the divine grace can be perceived as a gift for forgiveness or redemption of sins from God that is given to everyone who agrees to accept and acknowledge it. Grace is vital to the lived experience of humanity.

1. D) How do you interpret the statement Jesus Christ is Lord?

Lord is someone who has authority and power over others. The statement Jesus Christ is Lord means that He is the master and rule of your whole life. Accepting Jesus Christ as the Lord means that one has recognized His lordship. After the resurrection of Jesus, the term Lord being used to describe Jesus became more than an indication of respect or devotion. Saying that Jesus is Lord became a way of acknowledging the divine standing of Jesus. The realm of Christ reign covers anything that happens on earth and in heaven. Jesus is the Lord of both the living and dead.

According to 1^st Thessalonians 5:23, Paul makes it clear that an individual is made of body, soul and spirit. A person has the unseen which is the soul and spirit while the seen includes the visible body by those who they come into contact with day by day. Therefore, Jesus is the master or lord of the seen and unseen, the invisible and visible, and the public and private aspects of human life. He is the lord of the physical and spiritual life. Accepting that Jesus Christ is Lord means that one has taken hands off the controls of their life and allow Jesus to be in control. For Jesus to become the Lord of a person it involves total and absolute surrender. Confession of faith in Jesus and acknowledging him dying on the cross for the sins of human and submitting life to him through repenting sins brings an understanding of Jesus Christ as Lord. It’s through Jesus Christ that human beings have forgiveness, redemption and reconciliation to God enabling human beings to triumph over death and sin.

1. E) What is your conception of the activity of the Holy Spirit in personal faith, in the community of believers, and in responsible living in the world?

The Holy Spirit is recognized as the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is linked to the presence of the Son and the Father in personal faith, in responsible living in the world and the community of believers. The Holy Spirit enhances Christian life through enabling them live a faithful and righteous life as well as dwelling in individual believers. The Holy Spirit is a comforter and intercedes for Christian in certain times of trial.

In the dominion of personal faith, the Holy Spirit calls Christians to Christ and convinces them to come out of the world of sin and move into the world of righteousness. The Holy Spirit works in different ways. It convinces the unbeliever and draws human beings towards faith. Having sufficient faith is the operation of the Holy Spirit[2]. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is a direct confirmation of salvation and the Christ’s image through the sanctification process. Sanctification of human beings works through the Holy Spirit. Sanctification entails the spirit working in an individual to restore their original destiny.

The community of believers which is the church is brought together through the Holy Spirit which binds together those that have faith in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit beings the unity of the church across geographical boundaries and denominations. Considerably, the Holy Spirit has been a guide to sufficient and responsible living and guides individual to al truth. This entails social justice and personal holiness including spiritual growth, prayer, and worship and doing everything that is possible.

1. F) What is your understanding of the kingdom of God; the Resurrection; eternal life?

The Kingdom of God is considered as a spiritual realm through which God rules or reigns. The kingdom of God can be considered as the fulfillment of the will of God on Earth. In this Kingdom, the rule, authority and will of God is obeyed. The Kingdom of God begun after the coming of Jesus Christ and went through the redemptive history and the growth of the church[3]. According to Psalms 103:19, the lord established his throne in heavens and his kingdom rules forever. The basic understanding of the kingdom is that it’s the rule of God. This means that God’s rule and reign governs all things.

One of the reasons for the existence of the Kingdom of God is to save sinners and renew the world. The kingly rule of God implies redeeming and saving activity. This is why the Kingdom of God is present in the New Testament as the good news. Therefore, the kingdom of God is considered as the sphere of God’s rule. Despite being under God’s rule, human beings participate in universal rebellion against God’s authority. However, through obedience and faith, they turn from rebellion and are regenerated through the Holy Spirit and become part of the Kingdom of God. Participating in the kingdom of God is not compulsory but it remains present whether people recognize and accept it or not.

Resurrection is rising from the dead and retaining personhood. However, resurrection is among the foundational beliefs in Christian faith. Resurrection in Christianity shows that Christians have been saved from sins and are sealed by the Holy Spirit which means they live in victory. The resurrection of the body is a Christian belief that there is an expectation of a universal resurrection for the righteous and unrighteous. Resurrection shows that the righteous human beings will conquer death and share in the victory of Christ over death, sin and evil.

Eternal life is the gift that God gave to human beings through Jesus Christ. Eternal life starts with believing in Jesus Christ and having faith about living with God after physical death. Therefore, I understand eternal life as a state of existence sustained and given by God in which an individual remains in a permanent and unending fellowship with God. Eternal life is gained through trusting in Jesus, believing in his work and treasuring the supreme worth of God. John 3:16 says that whoever believe in Jesus Christ shall have eternal life. Eternal life is not in going to church, religion or certain great religion leaders. Eternal life is only gained through Jesus Christ. This means once has to possess Christ to gain eternal life.

1. G) How do you intend to affirm, teach, and apply Part III of the Discipline (Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task) in your work in the ministry to which you have been called?

The key aim of the doctrinal ideals and theological tasks is to enable one strategize on how they will teach, preach ad evangelize. The doctrinal heritage and the theological task focus on the new grasp of the dominion of God and the love of God in Christ despite the continued problems of human existence. The United Methodists have a common heritage among Christians which is grounded on Jesus as the Lord and Savior which forms the measure and source of valid Christian teachings[4]. Therefore, while ministering, I will follow the doctrinal standards which focus on Jesus Christ as the Savior and Lord. The theological tasks include renewal, testing, application and elaboration of the doctrinal perspective which is to spread the scriptural holiness over these lands.

I intended to affirm, teach and apply the Doctrinal standards and theological tasks through spreading scriptural holiness. I will be able to educate people about the good news of Jesus Christ through ways that will invite individuals to respond. I will focus on telling the story of Jesus Christ in way that people will understand how it applies in their life. The goal of this is to invite people into God’s relationship in a way that is relevant. I will ensure that children understand the United Methodist faith and show them what the Christians profess in their lives. This will include teaching the Children about the Methodist heritage as well as doctrinal standards in Sunday schools and other church sessions at a level that they can comprehend.

1. H) The United Methodist Church holds that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason. What is your understanding of this theological position of the Church?

The theological position of the United Methodist Church is linked to Wesleyan Quadrilateral. Putting emphasis on Wesley’s theological tradition, the United Methodist Church holds on scripture, reason, tradition and experience[5]. The scripture is viewed as the standard and primary source for Christian doctrine. United Methodist Christians do not read the scriptures in isolation from the bigger Christian community but to be in alignment with it[6]. The scriptures were written to the church and have to be interpreted by the church. Tradition is the encounter and the witness of growth and development of the faith through the past centuries and in varying cultures and nations. Tradition allows individuals to think about God in better ways and enlarge their vision and confidence in the love of God. Considerably, there is a tendency of looking back at the past to help understand God currently and in future.

Experience the personal understanding and suitability of the faith with regards to an individual’s life. Experience allows individuals to understand God and effectively interact with scriptures giving them a novel understanding of the living truth as revealed in the scriptures[7]. Reason allows Christians to build on the Christian faith cogent and discerning thought. These four elements have been effectively used in bringing United Methodists Christians to a fulfilling and mature understanding of the Christian faith and the needed response to service and worship.

 

1. I) Describe the nature and mission of the Church. What are its primary tasks today?

The church is considered as a society of fellowship with God, the people of God established by the body of Christ, the sacrament of salvation and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the church is the people that are called by God, to worship God, and live together in the community by the norms of steadfast love and righteousness. The church entails holy people that are apart from the secular world. The church is universal for all individuals. Relatively, as stated in the book of 1^st Corinthians, the church is associated with the body of Christ whereby different people come together to form one body with Christ. Therefore, the church embraces both the completeness of teachings and inclusivity of individuals that form the church and act as the part of the body.

Additionally, the church is considered apostolic since it focus on the continuity of apostolic witness. There are four markets that are used to define the nature of the church. These include one, apostolic, holy and catholic. One means that the church is single, global and united with its basis being Jesus Christ. Holy means that the Body of Christ is the head and that the church and her sacraments help in making the faithful joy. Catholic means that the role of the church is to spread the gospel of God universally. Apostolic means that the beliefs and origins of the church began with the apostles at the Pentecost.

The mission of the church is to continue and carry out the work of Jesus Christ on earth. According to the scriptures, the mission of the Church is to accomplish this mission through ministry, discipleship, mission and worship. Therefore, the church focuses on gathering faithful men, preaching the world and ensuring that the sacrament is fully administered. The ultimate objective of the church is to foster true mission through the footsteps of Jesus Christ. For this reason, the church has to ensure that people are related to groups and people around and spiritually connect with the widespread church.

Additionally, Jesus told the disciples in Acts 1:8 that through his witnesses they should go telling people everywhere about the gospel. God called out the early church to consider being missioners outside their communities and share the world to those people surrounding them. This has remained the primary task of the church even today. The church has grown through local missions such as being attentive to the needs of individuals surrounding them and building relationships through evangelism, outreached and practiced discipleship. Churches have focused on missions through allocating resources to missions and preparing all the members of the church to embody and share the gospel in all aspects of their lives.

1. J) Discuss your understanding of the primary characteristics of United Methodist polity.

My understanding of the major characteristics of the United Methodist polity are conferences, itinerancy, connectionism and superintendence[8]. Itinerancy entails the commitment of the pastors to serve wherever they are sent by the Bishops. Before the pastors are licensed or ordained in the United Methodist Church they have to agree to go where the Bishops appoint them.  The conference are set of rules and procedures in all aspects of the church’s life. The annual conference is the fundamental corporate form whose basic role is to link the local churches together. The general conference is the highest deliberative body in Methodism.

With regards to connectionalism, the church is defined connections rather than the formal doctrines and structures. Connectionalism is considered as principle that all congregations and leaders are linked to a network of commitments and loyalties that supersede and support local concerns. The United Methodists have a connectional polity which is a feature of several Methodists denominations. Therefore, when the United Methodist Church says that it’s a connectional church, it means that they have interpersonal connections that build the essence of the church.

Superintendence focuses on ordering the church life which extends to overseeing the works of the United Methodist church. Superintendence allows the church to effectively conduct outreaches and programs thus building an effective organizational life. The governance of the church is shared responsibility between the lay and clergy people. For instance, the lay leaders and lay preachers work in local churches. The Bishops operate through the District superintendents who act as the liaison between the bishop and the local parishes.

1. K) Explain your understanding of the distinctive vocations of the order of elder and the order of deacon. How do you perceive yourself, your gifts, your motives, your role, and your commitment as a provisional deacon or provisional elder in The United Methodist Church?

The Deacons and Elders similar Candidacy process but have distinctive variations. Ideally the Deacons are ordained to service, word, justice, compassion and minister in certain areas of experience to link with the needs of the world while the Elders are ordained to sacrament, service, order and word[9]. The major variation is that the Elders have the priestly and administrative role. This means that they have able to administer sacrament, bless and carry on administrative functions.

I perceive myself as a provisional elder called to serve the local church. I believe that I am called to teach and preach and preside celebrate the sacraments and offers pastoral guidance while leading the congregations. As a provisional elder I will be appointed to local congregations where I will share my capabilities through preaching the world and enjoying the role of a pastor. Relatively, I enjoy preaching and sharing sermons through Bible studies as well as continue loving people and serving God.

1. l) Describe your understanding of diakonia, the servant ministry of the church, and the servant ministry of the provisional member.

Diakonia are people that minister the word of God and who by God’s command proclaim and promote religion among people. Considerably, all Christians are called to minister and spread the gospel all over the world. This is among the service in the mission of bringing more people to the Kingdom of God and ensure that the earth comes to God’s wish for justice, love and peace. The servant ministry of the church is focused on the ministry and service. Ministry means service which includes overseeing the church through teaching, congregational equipping and preaching.

The Diakonia, the servant ministry of the church and provisional member are all servants of God that are called to spread the gospel and embody Jesus Christ teachings. These servants help the congregations in engaging faithfully in discipleship and the mission of God. The servant leadership of these individuals is significant to the ministry and mission of congregations. They help in forming discipleship within covenant community with the locals through guiding them about Christian living and spiritual formation.

1. M) What is the meaning of ordination in the context of the general ministry of the Church?

Ordination is considered as authorization of an individual to teach and preach the world of God as well as administer Holy communication and Sacraments of Baptism[10]. Ordination is considered as God’s gift to the church. During ordination, the church affirms and proceeds with its apostolic ministry through individuals that have been empowered by God. Those that are ordained have a obligation to living within the gospel.

Ideally, ordination is achieved in leadership of God’s people through ministries of service, order, sacrament and word. Ordained individuals exercise their ministry with all Christians especially those that they serve and lead in their ministries. They also live in accountability with all those with shared ordination and in covenant of mutual care.

 

 

1. N) Describe your understanding of an inclusive church and ministry.

An all-encompassing church and ministry follows the teachings of Jesus Christ to welcome all individual to the Kingdom of God[11]. My understanding of an all-encompassing church and ministry is sharing in worship in a manner that acknowledges people are different. Jesus validated and demonstrated inclusivity in his ministry and lifetime. Jesus has an inclusive ministry where everyone was welcome to the table. The church has to be modeled and patterned with the Jesus’s considerations of inclusivity. Therefore, an inclusive church is one that is committed to the rights of everyone and acknowledges the dignity of all.

1. O) What is your understanding of this agreement?

A minister of God’s word, one needs to set an example to the congregation that they service. Through following the agreement, it means that I’m stating that I will live my ministry life in a way that demonstrates that I will be accountable of my actions in areas that the church will be confident about me leading the congregation. This will include taking care of my physical body by staying in shape and following guidelines given by the church to build on wellness initiative.

I will also take care of my emotional and mental health. Considerably, this is in accordance to Paul’s teachings in 1^st Corinthians that the body is the Christ’s temple and if destroyed, God will destroy that person. Integrity in all personal connections shows that as a pastor I will honor all connections. I will also focus on social responsibility where I will be active and aware of the community and keep the Church door open to the community.

1. P) Explain the role and significance of the sacraments in the ministry to which you have been called.

The sacraments help in making individuals holy and building up the body of Christ. The sacraments are a way of relating to God throughout life and help strengthen and express faith. The United Methodists Church has two sacraments which include the Lord’s Supper and Baptism Sacraments are considered Good’s goodness towards humanity and sign of grace which also act as a way of confirming and strengthening Christians’ faith to Him[12]. Baptism marks the start of a lifelong journey as Jesus’ Christ disciples while the Holy Communion is a way of giving thanks and praise for what God has done. One of the most vital things about sacraments is that they should be celebrated in a community where Christ is obeyed and loved. All the members of the God’s family are allowed to take communion which shows the visible and outward sign of spiritual divine grace.

1. Q) Social Issue Question

Ethical issues present in this scenario include social justice, inclusivity and conflict of interest. Some of the members are objecting that the church has no role in engaging social justice and that this distracts them from issues of faith and inner spirituality. In terms of inclusivity, some members fail to recognize the need for the church to increasingly reach out and be inclusive. The inclusion of people with different background is a major social and ethical issue for this scenario. Conflicts of interests are being experienced in this scenario since some of the members are acting in the best interest of themselves rather than what will benefit the community and the church at large.

The theology of inclusion can be used to inform the approach to this scenario. The theology of inclusion develops individual’s attitude for broader connection and relationship[13]. Ideally, the theology of inclusion is about how God invites people of all manner and kinds to share not for their own interest but the sake of God. To resolve this conflict, I would rely on the inclusive side of the argument through increasing the member’s understanding of God’s desire, the truth of Jesus’ Christ Gospel and what the Kingdom of God looks like. I would use Christ rational for inclusion, diversity and equity to represent the perspectives, visions and experiences of different excluded groups.

 

 

References

Abakedi, Dominic Effiong, Emmanuel Kelechi Iwuagwu, and Mary Julius Egbai. “The problem of evil and critical realism.” Journal of Critical Realism (2021): 1-15.

Agustin Jr, Alfredo G. “The Personality and Divinity of the Holy Spirit.” 8ISC Proceedings: Theology (2022): 12-27.

Biezeveld, Kune E. “The Kingdom of God.” Reformed and Ecumenical: On Being Reformed in Ecumenical Encounters (2021): 42.

Church, United Methodist. The book of discipline of the United Methodist Church 2016. United Methodist Publishing House, 2016.

Goddard, Andrew. “Inclusive Church? The Theology and Ethics of Inclusivity.” Church, Society, and the Christian Common Good: Essays in Conversation with Philip Turner (2017): 180.

Morris-Chapman, Daniel J. Pratt. “Is the ‘Wesleyan Quadrilateral’an accurate portrayal of Wesley’s theological method?.” Journal of Theology and Ministry 5 (2018): 2-1.

Perez, Altagracia. “Living into multicultural inclusive ministry.” Anglican theological review 93, no. 4 (2011): 659-667.

Schreiner, Bailey. “United Methodist Polity & 21st Century Post-Fordist Capitalism in the United States.” PhD diss., Florida Southern College, 2018.

Severyn, Timothy E. “Spirituality, Diversity, and Ethical Decision-making: The Inclusive Wesleyan Quadrilateral Discernment Model.” International Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics (2022): 37.

WARNER, L., 2020. Wesleyan and Methodist Ecclesiology. T&T Clark Handbook of Ecclesiology, p.211.

 

[1] Abakedi, Dominic Effiong, Emmanuel Kelechi Iwuagwu, and Mary Julius Egbai. “The problem of evil and critical realism.” Journal of Critical Realism (2021): 1-15.

 

[2] Agustin Jr, Alfredo G. “The Personality and Divinity of the Holy Spirit.” 8ISC Proceedings: Theology (2022): 12-27.

 

[3] Biezeveld, Kune E. “The Kingdom of God.” Reformed and Ecumenical: On Being Reformed in Ecumenical Encounters (2021): 42.

[4] Church, United Methodist. The book of discipline of the United Methodist Church 2016. United Methodist Publishing House, 2016.

 

[5] Morris-Chapman, Daniel J. Pratt. “Is the ‘Wesleyan Quadrilateral’an accurate portrayal of Wesley’s theological method?.” Journal of Theology and Ministry 5 (2018): 2-1.

[6] Church, United Methodist. The book of discipline of the United Methodist Church 2016. United Methodist Publishing House, 2016.

 

[7] Severyn, Timothy E. “Spirituality, Diversity, and Ethical Decision-making: The Inclusive Wesleyan Quadrilateral Discernment Model.” International Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics (2022): 37.

 

[8] Schreiner, Bailey. “United Methodist Polity & 21st Century Post-Fordist Capitalism in the United States.” PhD diss., Florida Southern College, 2018.

 

[9] Church, United Methodist. The book of discipline of the United Methodist Church 2016. United Methodist Publishing House, 2016.

 

[10] WARNER, L., 2020. Wesleyan and Methodist Ecclesiology. T&T Clark Handbook of Ecclesiology, p.211.

[11] Perez, Altagracia. “Living into multicultural inclusive ministry.” Anglican theological review 93, no. 4 (2011): 659-667

[12] Church, United Methodist. The book of discipline of the United Methodist Church 2016. United Methodist Publishing House, 2016.

 

[13] Goddard, Andrew. “Inclusive Church? The Theology and Ethics of Inclusivity.” Church, Society, and the Christian Common Good: Essays in Conversation with Philip Turner (2017): 180.