Download - The Sacred /Secular Dualism. “In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth.” Gen 1:1.

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  • Slide 1

The Sacred /Secular Dualism Slide 2 In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth. Gen 1:1 Slide 3 For from him and through him and to him are all things Rom 11:36 and we have already agreed that: Everything belongs to God Slide 4 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. Ephesians 1:22-23, NIV Slide 5 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal 3:27-28 KJV Slide 6 SecularCarpentersDoctorsLawyersAccountantsMechanicsBusinessmen SacredMissionariesMonksPastorsPriestsEvangelists Church workers How then did the secular-sacred divide come about? Slide 7 and the transient, imperfect, changing, earthly stream-of-life. The Form-Matter dualism of Plato, Aristotle, etc., divided reality into the eternal, perfect, 'spiritual' realm where God is, Plato Slide 8 is not just a philosophical or theological concept; it is a worldview that has its impact in the real world, of work, politics, family life, church life and in the very soul of society. Slide 9 Slide 10 Slide 11 Slide 12 Slide 13 Slide 14 Right and Wrong Good and Evil Heaven and Hell Spiritual and Material Heresy often springs from the elevating of one side as good and rejecting or minimizing of the other. Slide 15 Sacred Things pertaining to the spiritual, eternal, and unchanging upper realm of God in heaven Things pertaining to the physical, temporal, and changing lower realm of humans on earth Secular Slide 16 Sacred Direct church-related work by missionaries, ministers, pastors, evangelists, etc. Home, school, health services, business, marketplace, the trades, the arts, sports, government, labor, sex, money, etc Secular Slide 17 The struggle to correct this worldview continues The Priesthood of all believers was a major issue during the Reformation (1517-1540 ) blow This struck a blow to the clergy laity division Slide 18 Now we are members of one another Rom 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. KJV Slide 19 All members of the laos (people) of God belong to one another, minister to one another, need one another and contribute to the rich unity and ministry of the whole. Paul Stevens, The Other Six Days, p 64 Slide 20 But the Sacred Secular dualism has created a disconnect between Sunday and the other six days, Sunday being sacred and our work on Monday to Saturday being secular. Sunday Monday Slide 21 A proper theology of work provides a seamless connection between Sunday and the other six days! Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday... Gathering for Faith Development on Sunday Scattering for Faith Engagement on the other six days Slide 22 The real work of the Clergy as leaders among the people is: Ephesians 4:12 the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, NKJV Slide 23 until the whole people of God begin to see our vocation, in whatever sphere, as sacred and pleasing to God and an opportunity to glorify God by our good works or good work.