I understand that to be part of, part of living out of the incarnation, in other words, we are here, we are meant to be in the world, we’re meant to be in the world, we’re meant to be participating in this reality and, as I’ve heard Robert say often, we’ve got a foot in both realities.
The people I encounter in my own congregation haven’t even an inkling, an inkling, of this wonderful treasure, this pearl without price, that is on offer but somehow isn’t being made accessible in ways that people can grasp, certainly not in my part of the church.
People of my own generation find it, find this, uh, way of thinking helpful.
— not on many people, but I can think of two or three that I’ve been in contact with over time who seem to be, seem to be —
I don’t know if full appreciation would be what I would be seeking. Because I’m with congregation, I’m with a congregation, most of whom have little in the way of tertiary education, none of whom of have formal theological education, and most of whom have had very very little teaching of the faith from within the church.
I’m acutely aware of the need to translate not the full tradition, simply, working from, working from that foundation, find ways of articulating what Torrance and J. B. have articulated, um, that are accessible to people who haven’t got the language, who can’t think, as they say, in long sentences, who find it difficult to hold different concepts together, to follow an argument which might have three elements in it.
Hard, hard, graft. And yet, to set out on a career in the church as a minister and not give ourselves to that intense focus, disciplined, study first seems to be a bit, a bit arrogant, actually.
