He argues that Pentecostal spirituality is a distinct, lived experience in the Spirit of God and should be the starting point and ongoing contributing aspect of Pentecostal theology. His book consists of an analysis and revision of Pentecostal spirituality. On the basis of his analysis, Land argues that there are three perspectives in the relationship between spirituality and theology. He claims that, when theologia is restored to its ancient meaning, the dichotomisation that so often occurs between theology and spirituality can be overcome.
To state this claim in a more formal way, he describes the relationship between theology and spirituality in terms of the triad of orthodoxy-orthopathy-orthopraxy: Frost and Hirsch However, the church frequently sees orthodoxy in the narrow sense, as a commitment to propositional truth, assuming that the knowledge of God is only received cognitively, purely through mental processes; that is, to come to a full appreciation of God, our thinking about Him must be right. However, the cognitive knowledge of God needs to be complemented by orthopraxy and orthopathy in order for the believer to come to a full-orbed, biblical engagement with and knowledge of God.
Using the Venn diagram, Frost and Hirsch He argues that, in the place where all three circles intersect, one is less likely to find that mistakes occur when one element of discipleship is favoured above the others. Hirsch provides the following examples to support his argument: This nexus is evident in the Scriptures, where Christians are instructed to love God with all their heart, mind, will and strength.
This is the main aim of the Shema Dt 6: The next section will focus on these three perspectives in contemporary theology, namely the theological triad of orthodoxy, orthopathy and orthopraxy. Each perspective will be defined and described in terms of the connection between theology and everyday life. Today the term orthodoxy is used to focus on right beliefs. On the other hand, the word orthodox Gr. Hence, orthodoxy either refers to 'right belief' or 'right worship' Hierotheos This definition of orthodoxy implies the following: The true teaching about God incorporates the true worship of God.
The close connection between theology right belief and life right action can be illustrated as follows Stevens In his book, Redeeming the routine , Banks indicates how the whole of our life has the glorious prospect of living out the great doctrines of the faith.
Looking at the connection between theology and everyday life through the first lens of orthodoxy , one needs to consider the following Steven Orthopraxy literally means 'right action'. In theological circles it is now widely recognised that theology needs to be liberated from the dichotomy that exists between practical skills and theoretical knowledge.
However, in the process of integrating these two aspects of theology, it is would be wise to retain a certain amount of fruitful tension between them. What is theological about praxis and what is practical about theology? Dykstra notes the ever-present tension between the so-called academic fields of theology - Bible, history, ethics disciplines in which practice is thought to have no intrinsic place and 'applied theology', which is often relegated to 'how to' techniques for clergy.
Should the subjects, such as evangelism, preaching, pastoral care and counselling, loosely be called 'applied theology' or 'ministry division courses'? In this regard, Dykstra provides the following good analysis of right practice. He defines a Christian practice as distinct from activities as inherently cooperative not a solo action , inherently good generates value and inherently revelatory bears epistemological weight Dykstra Looking at the connection between theology and everyday life through the second lens of orthopraxy , one needs to reflect upon the following Stevens It is about humanising theological living.
Especially in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus teaches that obedient action is the organ of further revelation. We must cultivate the heart inside Christian practice ; whether washing dishes or preaching, all should be done to please God. Orthopathy literally means 'right passion' or 'right values'. Job is an excellent example of orthopathy. In his prayer life, Job was not a half-hearted researcher.
Living A Christian Life Requires Constant Effort
As Job went through one test after the other, he was persistent in prayer and used his experience of adversity in order to know God better. Like Jacob, he refused to let God go until He had blessed him. Looking at the connection between theology and everyday life through the third lens of orthopathy , one should consider the following Stevens Ministering to the poor simultaneously heals the hearts of the rich and nourishes the Church of Christ.
We cannot simply deal with the poor, the stranger and the outsider in principle. It is in the context of actual neighbour-relationships that we are invited to live the life of faith. Job is a stunning example of orthopathy. His school was his life. As he went through test after test, sometimes with obvious weariness, Job began to want God more than he wanted health.
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Job never asked for healing. What he wanted was the friendship of God Job Job used his experience of the absence of God in order to know God better. Job was not a half-hearted researcher. He took God on - withstanding God, wrestling with God, extracting revelation from God and, in the end, knowing God. Narrative - The story behind the passage: Isaiah's background circumstances Context. King Uzziah ruled the Southern kingdom for more than 50 years and was a godly and powerful king.
His reign was a time of tremendous security and prosperity. He had restored God's people to a place of prominence again.
Walking Towards Christ
However, when Uzziah died, no one knew what the next leader would be like. Like the people, Isaiah was confused and afraid. During Uzziah's reign, many sins came along with the increased wealth - there was greed, injustice, oppression and corruption in all areas of life.
Many people were exploited by the strong and wealthy. In the face of impending judgment against His own people, God called the prophet Isaiah and appeared to him in BC, the year that King Uzziah died. Isaiah was taken into the very throne room of God, where, in an awesome vision, he was confronted by the thrice holy God.
He was purified and commissioned to speak God's words of judgment and salvation Sailhamer Orthodoxy - The theology of the passage: In contrast to the method of using systematic theology to inform the holiness of God, narrative theology is an approach to theology that finds meaning in story. In the section on Narrative Theology it was indicated that Old Testament biblical theology tends to depend mainly on Bible stories narrative for its theological building blocks. The Bible narrative recorded in Isaiah 6: Through this experience, Isaiah comes to understand the importance of God's holiness. This realisation is demonstrated throughout his writings, as his favourite title for God is 'the Holy One of Israel'.
It is the characteristic shouted in the throne room of God. This is precisely what God gave to Isaiah - a dramatic revelation of His holiness. Isaiah saw the Lord sitting enthroned, lofty and exalted. The angels who stood above Him were magnificent. The earth quaked and the temple was filled with smoke.
It was as dramatic a vision of God and His holiness as one could ever wish to see Deffinbaugh To say that God is holy means that He is unique, with no rivals or competition. To be holy is to be "other", to be different in a special way. Who is like you - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?
But God's holiness is more than just being unique and without comparison. It also encompasses the idea of purity. When the angels sing, 'Holy, Holy, Holy', they mean that God is pure and that all righteousness is defined by who God is. God's purity is depicted in Habakkuk 1: It is a characteristic of God that He requires of His people Lv It involves setting one's life apart for God instead of conforming to the standards of the world 1 Pt 2: Orthopathy - Isaiah's response to God's holiness: An acknowledgement of his sinfulness Confession.
Instead of using systematic theology to inform man's appropriate emotional response to the holiness of God, narrative theology finds meaning in the story of Isaiah's response to God's holiness - a humble confession of sinfulness Is 6: While he was in the temple, Isaiah came face to face with the King of Kings, 'sitting on a throne, high and lifted up' Is 6: He was overwhelmed with an awareness of his unholiness in the presence of the Holy: Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts' Is 6: The sight of a holy God and the sound of the holy worship brought such great conviction to Isaiah's heart that he confessed that he was a sinner Wiersbe Peter came to the same realisation about himself when confronted by the presence of Jesus: When Isaiah's lips were touched with a live burning coal, he was told that his sins were forgiven.
The hot coal, taken from the altar of incense in heaven, is symbolic of God's purifying work. It symbolises the complete significance of the altar from which it comes - that the penalty of sin was paid by a substitute offered in the sinner's place. By being applied to Isaiah's lips, it assures him of personal forgiveness Kidner Isaiah needed to be purified so that he could truly represent God, who is pure and holy.
Isaiah's humble confession of sin constitutes a prayer for personal cleansing. Humility is the foundational character trait of the Christian. When confronted by the holiness of God, the believer should respond to Him in humility Carson Orthopraxy - Isaiah's active response to God's forgiveness: Finally, narrative theology demonstrates the close connection between theology and practice.
The narrative of Isaiah 6: Practically speaking, when I began to participate in this cycle, I noticed a change in my overall temperament. The day would follow a pattern of morning prayers, prayers before meals, and evening prayers. Short times during the day to reorient myself back to Christ. These icons, hanging in the Church and in our house, cultivate the presence of God by bringing us back to the center and meaning of life. It is a way to keep Christ at the forefront of our daily lives. Candles are lit while daily prayers are said in the presence of these icons and serve as a reminder of the light of Christ within us.
One area we have failed to confront in our age is the thought life.
Our life depends on the kind of thoughts we nurture. If our thoughts are peaceful, calm, meek, and kind, then that is what our life is like.
THE JOURNEY TO LIFE LOVE AND FREEDOM Part 1
If our attention is turned to the circumstances in which we live, we are drawn into a whirlpool of thoughts and can have neither peace nor tranquility. In order to be vigilant we must take every thought captive to Christ. Instead of attacking such thoughts we should divert our attention to Christ through prayer. The early Christians did this with a short prayer said repetitively. The reason for this is to have a specific prayer in your arsenal that you can immediately go to and begin praying. For in such cases when we pray without knowing what to pray our minds will often wander back to the forbidden thought.
The short, repetitive prayer will allow you to focus on the words and refocus on Christ, in whom and through whom is our victory. So how do we abide in Christ? The answer, I truly believe, is in the Church. These specific examples are just a few of the practices—explained and given to me from the witness of the Church—that have helped me on my journey; it is by no means a comprehensive list. I would love to talk about how confession has played a role as well, although I believe that also is a different post. So for now, I pray that God will guide us both as we continue to travel.
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Living A Christian Life Requires Constant Effort
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By Ben Cabe When I was years-old my dad challenged me to do 40 situps every day for two weeks.