Too Hard?

‘… I’ve wondered if this is always the way it is with God’s activity. That is, simply because God’s activity will change us, it will comfort some and threaten others. Even the promise of new life … comes only as good news to those who recognizes that the old life is not enough and only threatens or upsets those who don’t want to change.’ ~ David Lose in his blog ‘…In the Meantime’ [27/03/17]

Education is crucial if we are to mature both as Christians and as human beings. Without education, and the challenges it brings, our growth will be stunted as we simply repeat the patterns we have ready learned.

Adult Education can be upsetting and confusing. It often challenges thoughts and ideas we have held for well over 50 years. I remember when I was first exposed to the current biblical thinking how horribly confusing it all seemed. If I had been left to my own devices I would have given up, saying I couldn’t do it, that it was too hard. Fortunately there was someone in my life at that time who not only validated my questions, but also encouraged me to voice my thoughts.

It is this combination of scholarship, validation, and encouragement that EfM [Education for Ministry] offers. Education, along with questioning and validation, leads to transformation! Not only is EfM sponsored by the diocese of Toronto, but it is also one of the approved sources of education for those wishing to become deacons in that diocese.

So imagine how taken-aback I was when one of the current EfM students was told by their priest that “EfM is too hard for my parishioners.” So does the priest feel that they know better than the hierarchy of the diocese, is their parish simply that incapable, or might there be another reason lurking behind that statement? We’ll never know.

Adult Education is hard [as the members of my EfM group tell me repeatedly], but the everything worthwhile is and the results can be literally life-changing.

Maturity is achieved when a person accepts life as full of tension. ~Joshua L. Liebman (1907–1948) an American rabbi and best-selling author

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NUDGINGS: a journey into the unknown

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