Author : Brian Mackie
Release : 2020
Genre : Foot washing (Rite)
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : /5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Reclaiming the Value of Love Feast as an Agent of Reconciliation in the White Branch and Nettle Creek Churches of the Brethren by : Brian Mackie

Download or read book Reclaiming the Value of Love Feast as an Agent of Reconciliation in the White Branch and Nettle Creek Churches of the Brethren written by Brian Mackie. This book was released on 2020. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How does a pastor help revitalize and reclaim one of the church's core practices? This project was an intentionally inter-disciplinary effort to help active pastors reclaim a core practice in its local setting and context. One approach, employed by this project, is to seek understanding into three key areas: the ministry context, the ministry practice and the minister. This project mostly focused on the first two: the ministry context and the ministry practice. In the process, the minister gained insight into why he approached the project the way he did (primarily through preaching and a preparation tool), and what he might be able to change, or add to, his approach in the future (relationship building). This project sought to reclaim one specific ministry practice, the Love Feast, in a specific ministry context, two small, small-town, traditional churches, the Nettle Creek and White Branch Churches of the Brethren in Hagerstown, Indiana. The Love Feast is a threefold communion practice consisting of feetwashing, fellowship meal and bread and cup communion. Reclaiming the practice would be defined as increased participation (quantitatively) and increased perceived value (qualitatively). This project proposed two plausible ways to increase the participation and perceived value of the practice in this context: sermons preached and a preparation tool prior to the Love Feast services (Chapter One). One of the first steps in reclaiming a core ministry practice is to understand the ministry context and what sociological, historical, theological, and biblical factors have formed the current practice in this context (Chapters Two through Five). The research in this project traces the practice of the Love Feast from the Brethren origins of the movement's founder, Alexander Mack, in the early 18th century Germany. It then proceeds to show how the Brethren experienced a time of change and transformation between 1850-1950 in America that affected each aspect of church life, including the Love Feast (Chapter Three). Other Brethren authors and leaders since Mack have attempted to reclaim the practice and provided theological insight into how and why it is practiced today (Chapter Four). This project employed a brief exegesis of six key Scriptures that have influenced the Brethren reconciliation view of the Love Feast and communion, I Corinthians 11, I Corinthians 10, John 13, John 6, Luke 22 and Acts 2 (Chapter Five). While other traditions have taken some different approaches to these Scriptures, these are the key Scriptures that inform a reconciliation focus, which the Brethren have used, to build the Love Feast practice. Change in small, small-town, traditional churches is often primarily a relational task (Chapter Six). Instead of primarily seeking change through ideas, programs and meetings, relationships developed over time are often more significant in producing change in this context. Together with the understanding the ministry context and the ministry practice, a third, and significant factor, is the minister, or the one seeking to lead the change effort. The minister must have self-awareness of what he/she enjoys, is gifted at, and needs to change as well. Preaching has always held and continues to hold a unique role an agent of change (Chapter Seven). Since the author of this project had the role of preaching regularly at both churches and enjoyed that role, the author built a plan connecting preaching to change. The effectiveness of a change effort is benefited by intentionally sought feedback to measure if the efforts are producing the intended results. This project utilized six surveys of the congregation throughout the study to get a broad sense (quantitative perspective) of the effect of this project. It also utilized five face-to-face interviews in order to develop a more qualitative perspective. This feedback provided insight into a key correlation between being raised Brethren and participation in and value of the Love Feast. Those who had not been raised Brethren were much less likely to value and participate in the Love Feast, than those who had been. The sermons and the preparation tool, along with inviting Christians from other churches to participate provided modest gains in the reported value and participation of the Love Feast (Chapter Eight).