“Frederick Buechner describes his seminary professor James Muilenburg:  ‘Up and down the whole length of the aisle he would stride as he chanted the war songs, the taunt songs, the dirges of ancient Israel. With his body stiff, his knees bent, his arms scarecrowed far to either side, he never merely taught the Old Testament but was the Old Testament. He would be Adam, wide-eyed and halting as he named the beasts—“You are…an elephant…a butterfly…an ostrich!”—or Eve, trembling and afraid in the garden of her lost innocence, would be David sobbing his great lament at the death of Saul and Jonathan, would be Moses coming down from Sinai. His face uptilted and his eyes aghast, he would be Yahweh himself, creating the heavens and the earth, and when he called out, “Let there be light!” there is no way of putting it other than to say that there would be light, great floods of it reflected in the hundreds of faces watching him in that enormous room.’” (Buechner, Frederick. Listening to Your Life. HarperOne. Kindle Edition.)

The gift of Teaching involves not only the analysis of G-d’s Word but proclaiming the Word of God in such a manner that you are able to explain the meaning, context and application to the hearer’s life. The gifted teacher is one who has the unique ability to clearly instruct and communicate the word so that their audience learns not only the basics of the lesson but walks away with some deeper knowledge about their religion and their personal faith. Not everyone is able to teach – but everyone is able to learn. 

Think of a favorite teacher from your past. What made them your favorite?  Was it the way they explained difficult concepts? Was it the way they answered your questions? Or was it simply the fact that they cared?  A good teacher has at least three abilities: a knowledge of their subject, compassion for their students, and knowing when they are not being understood.

Although many people believe they are good teachers, what we each hope is that we will throughout our lives encounter a teacher like James Muilenburg. The unfortunate reality is that most of us will not – and many will continue to encounter those who should not be teaching others – especially in our churches where we need good teachers. If you feel called to teach, remember the three gifts of teachers: a thorough knowledge of your subject (here it would be the bible and Lutheran theology), compassion for your students, and knowing when you are not being clear so you can help those who struggle.

Pastor Dave