Letters to Nicolay 7

Dear Nicolay,

Greetings, dear brother!  Here is the first practical idea for you to consider.  Hang on because it will seem radical to you.  I begin with I Cor. 14:26 where Paul encourages everyone to participate.  Compare that to your services where only a few participate.  Nicolay, allow me to suggest one way for you to encourage participation of all of your people is to change the way in which you handle God’s Word – to go to participatory learning and participatory teaching of God’s Word.
In all honesty, monologue preaching is less than effective in making disciples or transforming lives.  Evaluate this for yourself.

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From the Scriptures, I see monologue speaking when they are involved in the work of the apostles, but I see participatory behavior when the church is gathered.  Even the word most often used for teaching is dialogue.  Dialogue was most often the way of Jesus and of all sabbatical teachers.  They used questions and responses.

Nicolay, I believe many people want to participate in handling God’s Word and that God’s Word can be a much more powerful instrument if we allow all of the people to touch it.

Every person should be encouraged to actively dig into God’s Word, find insights, and speak to all of us.

No one should be dependent on others to discover spiritual truths – that makes us weak.

Can we not benefit from God’s gifting of the whole body to learn from one another?

Would not God want active learners versus passive listeners?

Two of the things which most disturb me about monologue speaking are that there is little connection between learning and obedience and that application taken is individual in nature rather than the body responding together to say, “What should we now do?”

Nicolay, I truly believe we create a spectator-like passive people by our current method of handling God’s Word. And, I believe if we participate together in handling God’s Word, we will find people being transformed and active in the gospel work.  Is that not what you want?

I told you it was a radical idea.  Remember God’s Word is still central to what I have said, but let God’s Word be free among God’s people and watch what God does.
Nicolay, I know you’re a great preacher and your father was a great preacher and that much of your identity is found in speaking.  Now use that gift to mobilize all of God’s people to dig into God’s Word just like you do.

Blessings to you,
Rich

Nikolay’s Response


Dear Rich,

I guess I should not have asked for any practical ideas, if I was going to be closed-minded about them.

I have tried to get my people to participate before, but it seems they would rather listen than participate.  Perhaps, I should try again.

Rich, you are right.  That was certainly radical.  My Deacons will question my work; if I do what you suggest, but I do want to see my people live transformed lives.

Perhaps we can talk more about the next time you come to Ukraine.

Thinking and praying,
Nicolay

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