This is the last class, it seems a bit ironic that a class on church practices do not have a session on teaching, so here we go.

The following are my notes but obviously the discussion went in many different directions but the notes still hold as the gist of what we discussed.

Teaching in the church

1. Why?
Great commission: (Mt 28:19-20, Mk 16:15-18, Lk 24:45-49, Jn 17:18,20:21 Acts 1:8)

In a nutshell Jesus left us with a two part commission, make disciples and proclaim the gospel.

Daniel DeLeon says that the mandate of Jesus is to make disciples, not to multiply converts (Matt 28:19-20). (Enrichment Fall 2002 24)

If you read the Gospels, Jesus go and “teach” everywhere and he was often refer to as “teacher”. Jesus set the example of the need to teach.

Colossians 1:28 “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.”

From an “end-objective” perspective, it seems preaching and teaching have identical goal, so what is the difference, it seems only trained professional like Pastor can preach but any Tom, Dick and Harry can teach.

Teaching explain, preaching motivates? How can preaching motivate without proper explanation? Would not proper explanation also motivate? (I Tim 4:13, 1 Tim 5:17, Matt 11:1) Scriptures often mentioned these two terms together but just as often they were used separately. I doubt we can find significant distinction. I believe they are different forms of the same idea. Interestingly in Eph 4:11 pastors and teachers are grouped together.

Preaching is message now, teaching is no matter when.

From a student perspective, you cannot expect to listen to a sermon or preaching only and get your teaching that way. You must find way to be taught, and hopefully systematically.

2. What
It had its origins when Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England founded a school within the town in 1769. However the founding of Sunday Schools is more commonly associated with the work of Robert Raikes, editor of the Gloucester Journal, who saw the need to prevent children in the slums descending into crime. In both case it “real” school and was not limited to faith-based education.

I think we need to teach more than scripture, church history, logic, reading skills, expression skills (our faith need to be expressed), choir need to learn singing, ushers need to learn to smile.

Learning skills, we learn to be detached from what we are learning. The so call objective learn paradigm. Let me tell you a story about the three blind men. From whose perspective is this story told? In our universal who is not blind? So we do not even know what an elephant it, let alone being objective. So instead, of being detached, embrace emotion involved in your learning subjects, I believe you’ll be rewarded.

3. Where, When? Anywhere, anytime, teaching and learning are lifestyles. University students make learning your lifestyles. Are you learning at school? Or are you surviving only?

Me :”We need to learn and not just earn a degree.”
Student: “I wish we can but we are just trying to survive’”
Me:”…”
Me:” may be Jesus does not want you to survive?”

Education has become vocational training. Craftsman is no longer something people respect, everything now carries a dollar sign.

Make knowledge accumulation a habit?

How do you accumulate knowledge, not information?

If we write a short paragraph on Holy Communion Sunday, in a year we’ll have 12 paragraphs of reflections, over 5 years, which will be a handsome little volume on your experience with Holy Communion. If you opt for ignoring the reflection and cumulating but rather just take the MSMD approach then you know what you end up to be like?

It is not instantly gratifying but usually the best things in life are not. instantly gratifying.

4. Who?
1 Timothy 3:2, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11

Teaching has to be done by someone with the teaching spiritual gift.
Every disciple has to do some teaching, but some do it as their ministry.
Some teaching is done by “overseers”.

How do you know you have a gift of teaching?
- Do you have a thirst of knowledge?
- Do you defend the need to know?
(1 Cor 8:1 Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.There are different groups of knowledge, loves includes knowing Christ see Philippians 1:9 and Colossians 2:2, this is special knowledge within the context of a heresy, but it is a fair warning, knowledge tends to make one proud and then temptation comes very quickly. This is just part of the way things works, so deal with it rather than not do it. )
- Do you prefer thinking first before acting?
- If a man on a horse is running towards you do you shoot the man or the horse?
- What are the people you admire more? Mother Teresa, Lady Diana, Jane Godall.

Not all professional teachers can be Sunday school teachers. Parker palmer said “Identity and integrity above techniques.” (Refer to transformation)

Who want to a teacher?

You only need to be a step ahead and you wanted to share what you know. (And how you get there.)

Nouwen, quoting John of the Ladder, 26 steps of spiritual ladder in “Reaching out” preface:

“If some one are dominated by their former bad habits, and yet they can teach by mere words, let them teach… For perhaps, being put to shame by their own words, they will eventually begin to practice what they teach.”

Mk 1:21-22 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

What does this Mk mean authority? Where did his authority come from?

Where does the authority come from, him being God Incarnated? You also need to be incarnated, i.e. you live your teaching.

5. How
The Great commission spoke not only of the why but a bit of how, in the Jn references, “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.” Incarnation”, be among the students, be a teacher and be a friend.

Incarnation is holistic *what we teach-everything), community(teach among us) and word-centered(Scripture and Christ and us, from the written to the incarnated to the spoken/living).

Transformation not just transmission, there is no transformation without transmission but it is possible to have transmission without transformation. “Lecturing versus conversation”

Dialogues, interactions
In one study, students finishing a lecture-style introductory psychology course know only 8 percent more than a control group of students who had never taken the course (Rickard et al., 1988).

The class has no start and end, it continues.

To teach some one to fish is better than to give some one fish. You give them a fish they are full for a day or two but if you teach them how to fish they will be full for life.

Hook(get attention), Book(Scripture), Look(Examine closely), Took(Summary take home), Cook(practical ways to apply the lesson)

My changes thru the years:
My first class:
I cannot teach you anything. Only God can teach you.
Now
I can probably pass on something useful to you.

I am more willing to accept that the class will end in nothing.

I go for the home run (i.e. big ideas) less, because I am beginning to understand teaching is a long term investment, it is a cumulating process and not one shot deal..

My regret is not to pray for my student more.