Work Cited
Great excerpt over at Christianity Today from a new book by Sarah Bessey called Out of Sorts, arguing that “God-talk isn’t just for academia. It’s for laundry rooms, gyms, hospitals, and everywhere else.” She writes:
John Wimber, one of the founders of the Vineyard church movement, used to say, “Everyone gets to play.” He meant that everyone gets to minister, everyone gets to hear from God, everyone has a part to play in this church and in this world, everyone gets to speak life and healing, to pray and to serve, to lead and to follow. When it comes to the kingdom of God, everyone gets to play…
One of our final tin gods as a church might be the belief that not everyone gets to “do” theology. Unless you have been to seminary and have a lot of letters after your name; or, unless you’re in full-time vocational ministry, your thoughts about or experiences with Jesus aren’t considered as valid or trustworthy.
There are folks who believe that I—as a woman who hasn’t been to seminary—can’t possibly play with the big boys when it comes to theology. My opinions don’t matter as much; my experiences with Scripture and church, life, and the Spirit don’t count. But I still believe that everyone gets to play.
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