Two Pints Later: Parables - bedtime stories or something more?

Thursday 9 June 2011

Parables - bedtime stories or something more?

I’ve been reading a bit of Peter Rollins' “The Orthodox Heretic and Other Impossible Tales” lately (99c on Amazon Kindle…great score!), and to be honest it has taken me by surprise. While I may consider myself to be of the more logical, no frills, tell it like it is stream I have consciously discovered over the last while that there’s nothing like a good story to help make sense of things (or in some cases, deconstruct what you thought made sense and start the process of re-understanding and re-thinking things all over again).

Basically Peter Rollins has recast some of the most familiar parables and stories about Jesus and also constructed some unique ones of his own. In biblical literature a parable should not be considered so much as words on paper, but is more comparable to a work of art. Parables are fashioned out of the raw everday material of life (experiences, situations, events, conversations, observations). Jesus didn’t present parables a propositional statement about how one should behave or how God acts but instead chose to paint for us, often in the form of simile and metaphor truth that is prevalent regardless of changing times or environments. A successful parable is an event that decisively alters a situation, it creates a new possibility that did not exist before, and also forces the listener to a decision. Even if the listener chooses to make no decision – in doing that they choose to reject the new possibility of understanding. It is not an illustration but a mode of theological speech used to evoke a response. The listener is challenged by the telling of the parable to respond.

One of the reasons I think Peter Rollins' book is so great, is that we have read the parables of the Bible many many times and read it with the benefit of hindsight – we know the ending and we pre-empt the twist. Granted, there is immense meaning and transformation to be gained by exegeting the passage and understanding it fully, I am absolutely 100% about that! But the experience of reading a parable without knowing the ending I have found to be quite profound. I have experienced shock, surprise, pausing, hmmmm-ing, quiet pondering and uh-huh! moments. And in some small way I find myself identifying with those who listened to the parables of Jesus first hand and encouraged to delve into the parables of the bible again.

I have discovered that I have a love / hate relationship with parables. They are a great tool in helping bring alive the theological concepts of the bible, yet they do demand a response, and that response is not always straight forward, convenient or easy. More often than not, that response goes against my natural inclination towards self and directs me towards the affections, mission and way of Jesus. I find that parables swim in my brain, taunt me and confront me. They bring alive the adventure of following Jesus and working out Christianity in a very real and everyday reality. Perhaps there is more of a place for parables in our communicating, preaching, framing, discussing and interaction both with churched and un-churched alike. It is an area I would like to explore.

1 comment:

Joseph McAuley9 June 2011 at 20:29
Yeah I've read a few of them. It's funny how much they jolt you. When you are reading a familar parable from one of the gospels and then there is a twist or addition to the end that you of course are unfamilar with, it really upsets the apple cart. Get's you thinking though, and like you say, when you are also enaging in the passage with faithful exegises it keeps you on track and get's you thinking. Some are better than others.
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Whether it’s over a pint of beer, an espresso coffee, or an icy cold bottle of New Zealand’s own Lemon & Paeroa, there is something invigorating about a meaningful conversation. Finding someone with whom your ideas and musings resonate is encouraging and reassuring, it inspires you to walk on. Finding someone with a different perspective causes you to pause, to reconsider, to take stock, to refine your thinking. Both can be healthy. Both can get you into trouble. Two Pints Later is the online continuation of a variety of conversations between some strangers who have become friends. It is a collaborative attempt to continue discussions that started in living rooms, or at BBQ’s, or after church, or at the pub, or in cafes, or in classrooms around New Zealand and Australia. We share a common and unwavering commitment to Jesus and mostly our conversations are to do with what it might mean to follow Jesus in our 21st Century, postmodern, postChristian context. Sometimes they’re not. As much as our stories are similar they are different. We each write from our own perspective and the opinions and ideas we present are our own and not necessarily those of our fellow collaborators or organisations we might work for. Individual bios can be found below. Enjoy the conversation and feel free to join in.

Collaborators

Michael Frost - is an early 30’s ginger haired man, passionate about cricket, music, NRL, whiskey (as long as it’s single malt) and theology... and of course, most of all, passionate about the good Lord. Michael is also madly in love with his wife Hannah. He lectures a bit, studies a bit, and does a bit of thinking along the way. Michael believes faith should be genuine in all of its complexities... "The true reality of faith is explored in the midst of our fears, doubts, hopes, beliefs, experiences, sufferings and relationships. Hopefully in the midst of it all, we discover Christ - we discover death and resurrection – and that changes everything!"

Joseph McAuley - is a husband and a father, an M.Div student, an INTJ, and an urban gardener. He is the lead pastor of St Luke's in Mount Maunganui, NZ. He drives a 1967 HR Holden Wagon and is building Artesania Latina’s HMS Endeavour. Joseph is interested in spiritual disciplines, Genesis, sustainability and leadership. He loves the fact that... "Even in the midst of the greyscale reality of a sin ravaged world, in Jesus Christ life can still be lived in vibrant colour. Beauty, passion, laughter, love, grace and forgiveness can be discovered."

Anna Exelby - is married to Nathan - who she is grateful to for consistently widening her worldview (those people who say ‘opposites attract’ are correct). She teaches English at the high school down the road and her students also do their fair share of broadening her outlook. When not trying to enthuse the teenage brain about literature she enjoys coffee and conversation with friends, pottering in her vege garden, getting to the top of the Mount, reading and walking Kingi - their German Shepherd. She struggles to understand how to best be a part of fighting injustice and wants to learn more about sustainability. Anna is working towards a MACS, which she credits with reviving her faith – turns out she needed to turn her brain on and explore some questions – and realise that God was cool with that.

Shane Clifton - is married to Elly and has the privilege and challenge of raising three teenage boys. He is a raving feminist and hopes this blog will include more female contributors (yes, will soon have a couple on board). Shane teaches theology at Alphacrucis college and is the author of Pentecostal Churches in Transition and, in collaboration with new Neil Ormerod, Globalisation in the Mission of the Church. Following a serious accident on 7 October 2010 he is learning to live as a quadriplegic.

Heidi Nagels - is a big fan of good food, great friends and the kind of laughing that makes your sides hurt. She is self-employed accountant, a pastor at St Luke’s in Mount Maunganui and on the homeward straight of her MACS. She plays weekly in a volleyball team called ‘Puddingface’ (with her boyfriend Simon) and would love to master the speedy overhead serve this season. Heidi hopes to continue to learn to be a disciple and a follower of the way and takes courage knowing “’Course Aslan (Jesus) isn’t safe. But he’s good” (Mr Beaver, Narnia)

Braden Matson - is...

Shane Meyer - is the proud owner disproportionately long arms, which on occasion attract the jeers of small children. He lives with his wife Rachel (who he has really grown fond of over the years) in Melbourne, and works in speciality coffee where he has recently received the distinguished ‘Least Indie Barista’ award due to his lack of fringe and / or pirate themed tattoos. When not swimming in a sea of extremely good coffee he attempts to get as much reading done as possible before resuming study and having his life taken over again. He also works continually in an attempt to prevent the immanent psychological implosion of his indoor football team ‘The Pony Express’. He is occasionally serious and loves discussion around how to live every part of our lives as a community of redemption and hope.

Sean du Toit - Sean, along with his wife, Sue, [who he’s had a crush on since he was sixteen], is a follower of Jesus trying to make sense of this world. This quest to be faithful to Jesus has led him into the byways and alleys of theology, history, philosophy and now a community called, “Common Ground.” Part of this quest involves teaching the New Testament, pursuing his own post-grad research and trying to connect with his friends, as often as possible. Sean has unusual sleeping habits, a love for reading documents and inscriptions from the first century, a wise mother, a creative sister and two kick-butt nephews who create within him a desire to one day have his own children.

Sam Bloore - doubts whether many people will have made it this far down a list of bio’s. If you have, he predicts you are organized and efficient. Patient and conscientious. An i-dotter. A t-crosser. Sam is none of these…and so you have his admiration and respect. He is a wannabe thinker with a short attention span – which has obvious challenges. He works for the Compass Foundation, commenting on the tensions of faithfully living a gospel-centred life in 21st-century western culture. What he thinks that faithfulness should look like was profoundly shaped by the premature death of his father last year. Sam considers himself lucky to live near the rest of his family in Auckland and extremely lucky that he gets to do that with his wife Julia. He is slowly and painfully learning to cook (which impresses her) and kiteboard (which doesn’t.)