“For all its vast diversity and unevenness, it (the Bible) is a book with a plot and a plot that can be readily stated. God makes the world in love. For one reason or another the world chooses to reject God. God will not reject the world but continues his mysterious and relentless pursuit of it to the end of time.”  (Buechner, Frederick. Listening to Your Life. HarperOne. Kindle Edition.)

To exhort someone sounds troubling, right? To say to someone “I plan to exhort you today” – seems too strong. Perhaps it sounds sinister because it sounds too much like the word “extort”. But exhortation doesn’t always imply something so sinister, or critical, or demeaning. Exhortation actually means to “Encourage” —  “To urge by strong, often stirring argument, admonition, advice, or appeal”  as in the sentence “He exhorted the troops to hold the line.”

Paul says: “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Corinthians 10:1)

Here Paul is not making an “urgent suggestion” – he is making an urgent appeal – an appeal out of love – “encouraging” the people to love each other with the same love as G-d’s love seen in the person of Jesus Christ.

Frederick Buechner says: “God will not reject the world but continues his mysterious and relentless pursuit of it to the end of time.”

This is why we need to read the word of G-d often, so we can hear how G-d exhorts us to be obedient to the teachings of the word, including the teachings of the Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ. Exhorting is also known as encouraging – it is the gift that is evident in those who love others so much that they consistently call upon others to live “In Christ”, or live in the love of G-d.  Encouraging others in this manner is encouraging them to stay strong, to persevere, and to live into the Christian life – it is a positive message. 

Not everyone has the gift of exhorting, in terms of correcting, but we all can find ways to encourage one another.  If we love one another with the love of Christ, we will find ways to encourage each other – and pray for those who have the gift to exhort – to hold the line, to resist evil, and to call out sinful behavior.

Pastor Dave

“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