Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man that built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell – and great was its fall (Matthew 7:24-27).
As He concludes His great sermon on the mount, Jesus tells this story about two builders. One builds on a secure foundation while the other sets his house upon a foundation that is weak and vulnerable. This story clarifies a twofold requirement for all who wish to follow Jesus; first we are to hear and understand His teaching, and second, we are to let that teaching move us to action. As we take up the subject of a renewed theological vision, it is not merely an intellectual exercise. What we come to understand makes a difference in how we live. Transformational action is the result of transformed thinking.
In the story of the builders, Jesus tells us that this combination of hearing the teaching and living it out is like building on a rock. No matter what culture we live in, Christians will face the temptation to think and to act in ways that take us in directions quite different from what Jesus taught and the life to which He calls us. The temptation is to hear and not act, or, sometimes, to act and fail to hear. But it is the one who hears and acts who is like the wise man in the story. This document is an invitation to hear and act, and to do so for the sake of the kingdom and for the glory of God.
Education
The theme of education that is under discussion here has two distinct aspects
to it. The first is concerned with the content of the education. We will seek
to articulate a basic understanding of the arts that rests upon sound biblical
and theological themes. Those involved in mission, perhaps more than most,
are aware of the way in which our cultural assumptions can colour our thinking
and often distort the truth of things. We want to make it clear that not only
cultural assumptions but also theological assumptions can at times give us
a way of understanding things that fails to get to the heart of the matter.
The second component of the education section is the challenge to find ways
to bring our faith communities to new understandings about the arts and their
biblical and theological foundation. How can we foster careful, biblically
informed thinking about the arts in our local churches, as well as in seminaries
and colleges where upcoming Christian leaders are educated?
TO: Act 1 Scene 1