Some Very Difficult Questions

It is possible that ministry in daily life theology brings Christians — individually and in congregations -- to ask questions whose answers are difficult to derive or accept. They may include matters such as these:

• If "priest" is a narrowly Old Testament construct, "disciples" are externally-dependent on followers and "stewards" are tools or representatives of an oppressor class, just what metaphor/"job descriptor" do we attach to the Christian lifestyle?
   
• Because the early church grew primarily because of its modeling Jesus' teachings and life — and NOT primarily because of its message — (see Stark's The Rise of Christianity), how could "lifestyle evangelism" and "ministry in daily life" be taught and practiced in the church?
   
• What did Jesus mean when he said (John 5:17 CEV) "My Father has never stopped working and that is why I keep on working"?
   
• What is the original context and deeper meaning of 1 Corinthians 15:58 CEV, "Always keep busy working for the Lord. You know that everything you do for him is worthwhile"?
   
• How can we understand the "house priest" story in Judges 17 and 18 in the light of present-day role of pastor or church professional?
   
• What do we do with the truth that the majority of Old Testament figures are not clergy or religious professionals? Does this show a weighting of religious thought away from a purely-clerical view of how God operates in life?
   
• If part of the role of priest was to protect God's people from the awesome power of God, how does that notion play out in present-day understandings of the role of pastors?
   
• What can we learn from the significant movements within Protestantism that have had at their root a desire to rid the church of its clerical captivities?
   
• How do we deal with the fact that the final versions of the Augsburg Confession, although based on Luther's original writing, were written by a lay theologian — Phillip Melanchthon — and other lay religious leaders (e.g., princes and lawyers)?
   
• How do we deal with the demeaning notions of laity in Scripture and theology (e.g., "sheep in need of a shepherd," "women keeping silence in the church")?
   
• How can we release pastors from the (unrealistic) expectation that they can be "little Jesus" in simultaneous roles as "prophet, priest and king"?