Sanctification Reconsidered (?)
Seems as if the time is ripe for a new post on this, the Nazarene Roundtable, and what better place to go than straight to the heart of Nazarenedom: Sanctification.
I have metioned before some experiences I have had in the past year at my home church in rural East Tennessee. Most of these allusions have been about the youth group, but some were about the Church as a whole. This occasion, will be the latter.
As mentioned before, I taught a four-night series of lessons on the Church of the Nazarene Articles of Faith to this wonderful group of people, of the average age - 65. The most loving set of people I have ever been involved with, this group has been encouraging and caring for our family since the move to Tennessee in 1994. Being a small congregation, averaging less than 100 each week, the people all know each other well and still love each other. If one is new to the congregation, that one is by no means new at the end of the day. I say these things in an attempt to contexualize a situation that may not be familiar to all. Basically, it is a church of mostly old people, who love life, love each other, and have been set in their ways for years and years, and they like it that way, but in addition to this, they are particularly receptive of new situations and unpredicted, or unplanned, situations.
The first couple of nights go well, the congregation is receptive and asks good questions and I am pleased with the response. We then come to the last night. This night includes the Article on Sanctification, well, Entire Sanctification. I do my best to explain this concept and the Nazarene historical understanding of this concept. With some help from the pastor, and with, I pray, guidance of the Holy Spirit, we continue through to the end of the Articles and the service is over.
Upon finishing the lesson, I am standing in the front of the Church, gathering up my materials when a man comes up to me and proceeds to tell me something that I will never forget. This man's name is Bill, he has been a part of the Church of the Nazarene virtually his whole life. He is in his 70's, in age, and he loves God and loves people. This night, he made a profound statement that I want to share. He says,
"I have been a part of the Church of the Nazarene for many years. I have heard about Sanctification and Entire Sanctification in preaching, teaching, and conversation. I have sat in services where the preacher preached on Entire Sanctification and many people went to the altar and received the Holy Spirit as I had understood the process to be taught and experienced. But I have never heard Sanctification taught like I heard it tonight. Tonight, I truly believe that the Lord sanctifies. I was never one to go to the altar and pray. I didn't want to go and pray for Entire Sanctification in front of everyone. So I prayed in the pew and at home. I have prayed for years, but tonight I believe my prayers were heard. Until now, I was not sure if the Lord could sanctify a person unless the preacher preached, the person went down to the altar, and came up shouting. Tonight I believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to sanctifiy." (paraphrased by me, this occurred a couple of months ago)
Here we go. A man, over 70 years of age and part of the Church of the Nazarene for about as long, was not sure if the Lord could sanctify him because he did not have a "crisis" experience at a mourner's bench. (I use this term purposefully. This is the historical term for what we now call "the altar" in the COTN. Historically in Christendom, the altar is what the COTN calls the Table.)
So, how do we preach/teach the Doctrine of Entire Sanctification in the Church of the Nazarene today?
(Yes, I have read Quanstrom's book, Brannon :-)
Peace to All,
Joseph
I have metioned before some experiences I have had in the past year at my home church in rural East Tennessee. Most of these allusions have been about the youth group, but some were about the Church as a whole. This occasion, will be the latter.
As mentioned before, I taught a four-night series of lessons on the Church of the Nazarene Articles of Faith to this wonderful group of people, of the average age - 65. The most loving set of people I have ever been involved with, this group has been encouraging and caring for our family since the move to Tennessee in 1994. Being a small congregation, averaging less than 100 each week, the people all know each other well and still love each other. If one is new to the congregation, that one is by no means new at the end of the day. I say these things in an attempt to contexualize a situation that may not be familiar to all. Basically, it is a church of mostly old people, who love life, love each other, and have been set in their ways for years and years, and they like it that way, but in addition to this, they are particularly receptive of new situations and unpredicted, or unplanned, situations.
The first couple of nights go well, the congregation is receptive and asks good questions and I am pleased with the response. We then come to the last night. This night includes the Article on Sanctification, well, Entire Sanctification. I do my best to explain this concept and the Nazarene historical understanding of this concept. With some help from the pastor, and with, I pray, guidance of the Holy Spirit, we continue through to the end of the Articles and the service is over.
Upon finishing the lesson, I am standing in the front of the Church, gathering up my materials when a man comes up to me and proceeds to tell me something that I will never forget. This man's name is Bill, he has been a part of the Church of the Nazarene virtually his whole life. He is in his 70's, in age, and he loves God and loves people. This night, he made a profound statement that I want to share. He says,
"I have been a part of the Church of the Nazarene for many years. I have heard about Sanctification and Entire Sanctification in preaching, teaching, and conversation. I have sat in services where the preacher preached on Entire Sanctification and many people went to the altar and received the Holy Spirit as I had understood the process to be taught and experienced. But I have never heard Sanctification taught like I heard it tonight. Tonight, I truly believe that the Lord sanctifies. I was never one to go to the altar and pray. I didn't want to go and pray for Entire Sanctification in front of everyone. So I prayed in the pew and at home. I have prayed for years, but tonight I believe my prayers were heard. Until now, I was not sure if the Lord could sanctify a person unless the preacher preached, the person went down to the altar, and came up shouting. Tonight I believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to sanctifiy." (paraphrased by me, this occurred a couple of months ago)
Here we go. A man, over 70 years of age and part of the Church of the Nazarene for about as long, was not sure if the Lord could sanctify him because he did not have a "crisis" experience at a mourner's bench. (I use this term purposefully. This is the historical term for what we now call "the altar" in the COTN. Historically in Christendom, the altar is what the COTN calls the Table.)
So, how do we preach/teach the Doctrine of Entire Sanctification in the Church of the Nazarene today?
(Yes, I have read Quanstrom's book, Brannon :-)
Peace to All,
Joseph
posted by Joseph | 5:43 PM
2 Comments:
It would be helpful for you to post your points on ES for us to evaluate what had such an impact on that man's perspective and if that could be adopted and duplicated elsewhere. Thanks!
Nicholas
http://theblackhorseinn.blogspot.com
http://nazbollah.blogspot.com
www.cafepress.com/nazbollah
Viva la Nazarene Revolutionary Guard!!
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