Name the animals? Why?

Adam was told to name the animals in Genesis 2:20. Why?

We don't know at what taxonomic level naming occurred. So the time it would take is a moot point. A day may have been plenty of time. It is certainly foolish to imagine it was every modern species. At higher levels we have cranes, water fowl, raptors and parrots...etc. Perhaps a dozen or so kinds.

Aside from anything else, this process of 'naming' was perhaps the first move of Adam's governing of the creation and so has significance in his reflecting the image of God in ' taking responsibility'. It also drives the point of the location of the event in real time and space, in history, that is, and showing that the animals were not creatures to be worshipped, but to be subject to mankind.

The other aspect of naming is the commencement of the intellectual component of stewardship. Here Adam is told to make the first move in creating knowledge! The intelligibility of the creation shown in Adam's intelligent analysis of it.
 

Now we must be careful in talking about man's dominion here. Today anti-theists, read back into this man's current foolish and selfish domination of the creation. Adam's role as being in God's image would entail loving and caring for the creation as God's gift and reveling in the joy of doing so.

 

How could Adam have named all the animals in a single day?

Yesterday at church: be family

The sermon was on 'being family'.

Clearly our teachers saw a deficiency here and urged its correction.

However, a 'family' ethos is a result, not a cause. If our current systems are not producing the desired outcome,  then 'try harder' within these systems will achieve no change, just frustration, fatigue and disenchantment.

We must understand the system that is causing this result, and then devise relevant changes to it. It is probably a long term effort, not one that will work next week.

Welcomers at your church gatherings/services/meetings

The job of a welcomer is usually to say 'hi' hand out the service handout, if there is one, and for a newcomer, offer to help them find a seat and escort them to it.

 

Welcomers should continue to be 'on duty' after the gathering: keep an eye out for the newcomer, speak to them again, ensure they have a coffee if desired and available. Introduce them to a regular member.

 

Emergencies: the welcomers must be trained for emergencies, be able to help with exits, operate fire extinguishers, and do initial aid care (not 'full' first aid) and assist as guides for evacuation. They must train for this regularly.

 

Spiritual issues. The welcomer may be the only person a newcomer speaks to, and so they should be able to give a plain English, cogent answer to any of the 7 basic questions:

 

1 -- Why do you go to church?

 

2 -- Why are you a Christian?

 

3 -- Why do you read the Bible?

 

4 -- Did Jesus of Nazareth really resurrect -- is he really God?

 

        Bible teaches Yeshua is God

 

5 -- Why do you believe in God?

 

6 -- Doesn't science disprove the Bible?

 

        See John Lennox on Science and God -- Two Mistakes we Make.

 

7 -- How can you believe in God/be a Christian with so much evil and suffering in the world?

 

        My first impulse here is to ask how they deal with evil and suffering in the world without a Saviour? Do they just accept it mutely, ignore it, seek to redress it, and how? However, the first question, as always should seek information: what do they mean by 'evil and suffering'? But also see John Lennox on this. And the full lecture.

Who is in charge?

The default answer to this question asks you to trot out the 'leader'.

We don't have 'leaders' in church.

A leader in modern terms would be the Greek archon: a ruler, boss or governor. One in command. We don't have this in the church. The closest thing might be overseer (elder) or the modern invention 'pastor'. 'Minister' is the best general term, and I think 'Senior Minister' is OK: senior servant, like your Butler at home.

The Senior Minister is the one who coordinates the service of the other ministers (both paid and volunteer).

In our church we have Organizers (who help the Coordinator), Convenors of home study and prayer groups, Ministry Assistants and Helpers (who attend to practical aspects of service).

But, I'm still groping for the word that is short snappy and to the point.

Moderator, as in some denominations; I think is a better term than president or chairman, so it might be useful.

For the local church, the general term I like, if 'minister' is inappropriate, ambiguous or confusing is Steward. A steward is used in secular connections, but ours is different. Instead of a youth group volunteer 'leader', who I would call a 'ministry assistant', but that is too clumsy for easy conversation, there would be stewards. 'Counselors' might also work, based on the term in summer camps; although this might be confused with therapeutic counselors. Organizers might also do the job.

But not 'Leader'. Ever!

How to teach theology

Only based on my experience, I doubt that most churches teach any theology. What theology people pick up would be by their private reading, so that could go anywhere, or by osmosis in their local church.

Osmosis is not the most efficient way!

But teaching theology would sound onerous to many church stewards, moderators, teachers and congregations. It has to be made relevant. And here's how.

One of the teaching segments of the year, perhaps aligned with Lent, or a school term, or for a couple of months after Trinity would be dedicated to 'theology'. The other 'terms' if you follow the school year, might be one OT, one NT and one contemporary life, for example, with Advent taking us up to Christmas.

Here's how the theology program might work: by using the main questions other religious approaches ask of Christian faith:

It might be the most common questions asked or claims or objections made by:

Muslims

1 Is the God Yahweh of the Bible the same as the god Allah of the Qur'an?

2 How can God be 1, yet 3, simultaneously?

3 How can God have a son?

4 Where does Jesus say 'I am God' in the New Testament?

5 Who is greater, Jesus or Muhammad?

6 Was Jesus ever crucified?

7 Which is the real religion of peace? Christianity or Islam?

8 Doesn't the Qur'an claim the Bible is corrupt?

9 We have an original Qur'an, so why can't you find an original Bible?

10 Because Islam is growing faster and stronger, won't it defeat Christianity?

See these videos for answers.

Jehovah's Witnesses

See 3, 4 and 6 above.

Modern Spiritualists (the average person)

1 Aren't all religions really the same/teach the same thing?

2 Everyone is good, deep down.

3 Isn't trying to do the right thing good (enough)?

4 Isn't the Bible just a collection of myths and legends?

5 Isn't God really the universe and in us all?

Modern atheists/materialists.

1 Isn't matter, energy and space are all there is, and all there will ever be.

2 See 1-4 for Modern Spiritualists

and, of course the

7 basic questions of Christians.

1 Why do you attend church?

2 Why do you read/believe the Bible?

3 Why do you believe in God?

4 Why are you/what is a Christian?

5 Wasn't Jesus just a great teacher, like other famous religious figures?

6 How can a good God permit evil and suffering?

7 Doesn't science disprove the Bible?

(See an earlier version: the 5 basic questions.)

In answering the questions, the basic theological themes of the Bible could be explicated.

Then the Apostles creed might be worked through, units of the questions that changed church history, as a bonus political history and the church might also be examined.

Ideally, each talk ( 'sermon') would have an accompanying article for people to study and perhaps discuss in their discipling group.

All interesting!