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THE CHURCH AS A RESOURCE OF SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE

Information is valuable and a tremendous resource. In fact, in our contemporary society information is a commodity that is very costly. From investment companies, medical laboratories, technological institute, colleges, universities, to entertainment agencies, information is dispensed at a price. However, only the Church can provide knowledge of spiritual things. Revelation knowledge, wisdom, and counsel that relates to Divine purposes, times, seasons, and values can only be dispensed by the Church. America and even the world were shocked by the news of the murder of college students. As the world listened to the reports, the university staff, law enforcement officials, and psychologists made desperate efforts to assess the crisis, yet not a single agency represented at the various news conferences could evaluate the crisis completely. No one could provide an explanation for the senseless crime. But there was an answer. The Church should stand as a beacon of light in midst of such a crisis to console, counsel, and comfort, but to also assess the implication of such an event. Spiritual leaders should be able to assess both the practical and spiritual climate. Wars, rumors of wars, pestilence, violence in the streets, racial strife, economic distress, and all forms of exploitation are signs of the times but also evidence of kingdoms in conflict. For example, when the young assassin made note of the fact that he owned no luxury automobile and neither did he come from a wealthy family, those words spoke of a revolutionary conflict between the rich and the poor (It is most interesting to see that it does not take long to develop a terrorist nor a revolutionary….and the Church must make immediate use of its resources to develop redeemers and cultural architects). A spiritual reformation that transforms the hearts of people is mandatory.

The Church should provide practical and spiritual knowledge and wisdom to its membership. This resource extends beyond self-help seminars and conferences in which believers are motivated to become wealthy, healthy, and happy. Local churches should provide more than a monologue of preaching and teaching and offer opportunity for dialogue and discussions. Focus groups and small scale seminars in which specific topics are addressed are excellent tools to dispense information. Indeed, the Church can offer seminars on investments, health, home improvements, and other practical issues but it must not neglect to provide the knowledge that only the Church can provide. The issues of life can be addressed by secular agencies.

Most Churches offer mid-week services that are fairly consistent in their content. There is generally a brief time of singing, offering or prayers, testimonies, offertory, and teaching. A very effective supplement for such a service could include a structured time of discussion involving relevant issues. Relevance speaks of timeliness and the Church can provide strategic commentaries on world events, community matters, and personal issues that are suggested by the congregations. God is not regulated simply to sacred matters at the exclusion of secular ones. For example, during these periods of wars, violence, social unrest, and economic strife, the Church can provide counsel that helps individual put life into a proper perspective. This is what the written epistles provided the Church during the days of the apostles. It provided spiritual and practical wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of how to live a Christian life in the midst of a confused world.

Recently, we provided an empowerment seminar that focused upon the issue of gender and creational order. Now we are focusing upon the re-development of the family for it is at the level of the family where ideas, values, and behavior are developed, clarified, and instilled.