In the context of the early Church, before the 3rd century, when the institutional identity and power structure began to take over from the leadership and guidance of the Spirit, there were various roles and functions that took form around the primitive spiritual leadership that had a lot more to do with charism or gift than any of the more modern concepts of hierarchic power or any supposed sense of superiority or clericalism, (that kind of professional/lay dividing line that only ever seems to serve to separate and create hierarchical structures that put people into stereotypical categories of separation, and division of people into those with power and those without it.) These various roles and functions exist in virtually any spiritual movement, and could possibly be helpful to reflect on in order to recognize and appreciate them when they appear. There were evangelists, whose primary job it was to announce and spread the good news far and wide, to shout it from the rooftops! with joy. There were pastors and teachers whose job and function it was to accompany the individual local people on their particular and personal spiritual journey and to be their everyday, kitchen sink and taking out the garbage kind of teachers, by helping them find a practical and concrete way they could actually LIVE EVERYDAY and to help them avoid unnecessary detours and hold ups on the journey. There were prophets, who were called to courageously speak the truth honestly and directly and with deep inspiration, even when it was hard to hear ( Sage Mahosadha ;) ). And there were apostles, who were called to embody and radiate the truth in their life to such a degree and with such power, that whole communities of people would just naturally organize and grow up around them. These functions and roles of charism or gift are not found only in early Christianity or exclusively in any one spiritual movement or religion. They exist in some form in virtually ALL of them...they are not meant to be power structures that set out to aggrandize certain unique and powerful individuals at the expense of others. They are for the purpose of empowerment for EVERY individual on a spiritual journey together as ONE COMMUNITY, ONE BODY, ONE SELF. They are roles and functions that are meant to SERVE the one Self, The Living Body of God, not to Lord over it like a despot.
Posted on: Sun, 08 Jun 2014 14:11:05 +0000
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