to Minister, to Remember, Patristic,
Pneumatology, the River, 'Seed faith'

Word meanings and definitions

The meaning of :
to to minister (v.), patristic, pneumatology,
to remember, the River, seed faith.

Home > Church-Word Meanings > 'pneumatology'. (Go here for original sin.)

What Is 'to minister' ?

to minister [ Latin minister (servant, one who performs a service)]. To serve or help another.

In the Christian context, to minister is to serve or help in the name of Christ, through the example of Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. ( 2 Corinthians 3:5-6). Anyone who does this is a 'minister', though most people use the word to describe the 'ordained minister' who an organization sets apart to take care of the sacraments, preach sermons, and devote themselves to the spiritual care of the members of the local church. (The root meaning tells us why in most governments, cabinet members are called 'ministers' and their offices are called 'ministries' -- they're supposedly there to serve the nation.)

The Hebrew word for ministring is sharath, which means 'to attend to or wait on'. The New Testament uses several Greek words for this, including hierourgeo (to serve in a priestly or cultic way); huperetes (a subordinate); and the primary word for Christian thought about service, diakonos (one who does another's bidding).

You can also check the dictionary for 'minister'.

What Does Patristic Mean?

patristic [ < Greek patriarkhês < patria (lineage; < pater (father)) + arkhos (ruler)]. That which comes from the leaders of the early centuries of the church, ca. 100-451 AD, between the last of the Apostles and the Council of Chalcedon. The leaders of this period are known as the 'Church Fathers' or the 'Patristic Writers'. Many of them were not just theologians, but also bishops. Patristic-era bishops were much more personally involved than now, since their dioceses had fewer members, little bureaucracy, and much less of a clear separation of bishop from ordinary worshipper. These early patristic leaders built much of the base for the theologies, worship, and church practice the Church has treasured (and sometimes regretted) since then.

What Is Pneumatology ?

pneumatology:

1. the study of the Holy Spirit: that is, of the work, person, purpose, and nature of the Holy Spirit. To understand this field of study, remember this Greek stuff: 'pneuma'-to-'logos' -- the Spirit takes us to the living Word (that is, to Christ (John 1)). A simpler term for it: Spirit-talk. 
2. the subfield of theology which revolves around matters of the Holy Spirit. Inquire under 'Trying to catch the wind'. Anyone who writes about the Spirit will bump up against the limits of pneumatology sooner or later, and it always sounds a bit strange and even heretical. And sometimes it is.

Pneumatology is often mistaken for:

1. numerology (magic and lies using numbers)
2. pneumaticology (the science of the operation of drills)
3. nematology (the study of threads)
4. nematodology (the study of a phylum of unsegmented worms)
5. nemotology (the study of the character of Captain Nemo, or of a missing animated fish)
6. nomo'tology (the study of when there's nothing more to study)
7. pneumoniology (the study of the transcendent experience one feels when bronchial problems reduce the level of oxygen to the brain)
8. newmathology (the study of what the pre-1960s US generation could never understand about their kids' schooling)

One of the trends in recent church practice is that pneumatology has become more 'practical' and 'experiential' - that is, more about what we do, live through, and take part in than about thinking about the Spirit. That's a good counter-punch against the rather extreme over-theologizing of many theologians. But a lack of clear thinking creates very serious discernment problems, and discernment is even more important now than it ever was, in this era of the Big Lie and the Web of Little Lies.

Here's some really sharp blogging on today's lack of a real 'pneumatology' in most circles of the church, from Dan Edelen. The replies are good, too.

Remembering

to remember: to keep in mind; to not be held hostage to the now. To be able to follow through on the greatness of past times, or to reject the sins of old when they are repeated today. To draw on the emotional impact of past love to help you through the dry times. If you do not remember, you cannot learn, and you are left unable to use the knowledge you might already have had. Remembering is how pivotal moments and dear people continue to impact your life. When Jesus broke the bread on that last supper with his disciples, he is reported to have said to do this "in rememberance of me". You can't follow a Christ you forget in your daily life.

Other related words include 'recall' and 'reenact'.

You can also check the meaning of 'remember' in the dictionary. (Remember to click the link.)

What Is 'the River' ?

'the River' : The current wave of Pentecostal revivalism, which first swept out from Toronto and now gets its pulse from Pensacola FL area. It's characterized by emotional experiences and some rather vigorous manifestations : falling to the floor, body gyrations, laughter, and in the early going even animal sounds. The term 'The River' was chosen by many of those involved because it gives a word-picture of what this wave feels like, rather than refer to it (as the press has) as 'Toronto Blessing' or 'Brownsville Revival'. It also catches its character -- it flows along from one place to another, and just as it seems to be peetering out another flood rolls into it from somewhere else. It's characterized by emotional experiences and some rather vigorous manifestations: falling to the floor, body gyrations, laughter, etc.

The 'river' imagery is ere old, going back to pre-Christian Middle Eastern baptisms for ritual cleanness. These were originally done in streams and springs, in moving water, but later was shifted to pools in or near places of worship. John the Baptist recast the river imagery in a daring new way in his ministry, as did Jesus. The song 'Shine Jesus Shine' calls on the Spirit to flow as a river in us; the song 'Peace Like A River' sings of the settled soul God gives us, flowing in us and going outward.

What Is 'seed faith' ?

'seed faith' : to entrust money or goods or time to a ministry so you can receive God's special benefit in return : a financial surrendering will give you financial gain. If you are to believe its adherents, seed faith giving, and especially the 'hundredfold blessing', is the key to human happiness. They speak of it as if it slices, dices, splices and spices, and if you give now you'll also get a full set of screwdrivers and a 12-volume CD package of the greatest hits of 1982. In truth, it grinds and blinds and binds the minds. 'Seed faith' is not a biblical idea nor a biblical term, though many pentecostalists act like it is. Its everyday-language translation is 'gimme'. If a preacher says 'Build me up', pray that the Spirit grasps them, but don't send money. (By the way: 'this ministry' = 'me').