Components of the Soil: Assumptions
According to the parable, all of the student’s records had been lost from the previous year. Their teacher had retired and moved away, so there was no way to find out who had done well and who had done poorly.
After a few days of working with the students, the new teacher was thrilled to discover that she had an excellent class. The kids were bright, intelligent, and eager to learn. The teacher had fun. The students had fun. Learning happened.
About halfway through the year, the box of records was found in the back of a closet. This group of students had barely passed the previous year and they were considered a tough group. The new teacher was saddened to see the previous year had been so tough. She closed the box, put it back in the closet, and then she and the students went back to having fun and learning together.
We all make assumptions based on our past experiences and our core beliefs. Our assumptions are shortcuts to help us process and organize all the information we encounter on a daily basis. Sometimes those assumptions are extremely helpful. If you see a large fire in the kitchen, you assume there is danger and that you need to get myself and anyone else out of the house. Sometimes our assumptions are counterproductive. If you are told the class is made up of bad students with attitude problems, then you may assume that poor performance is all that the class is capable of accomplishing.
As you explore the soil of your congregation, it is important to know what assumptions (helpful and unhelpful) are at work in the life of the congregation. If basic assumptions about who God is and how a congregation should live, act and behave aren’t aligned, it can create some rocky soil.
Here are a few assumptions and core beliefs that might show up in a Lutheran congregation.
- Christ is risen!
- As children of God, we are justified by God’s grace as a gift effective in our lives through faith.
- To be a pastor, you need a seminary education.
Reflection by Pastor John Wertz, Jr.
Questions for Reflection:
As you prepare for our retreat, ask yourself these questions from the book “The Church as Movement”, pg. 164.
- What are our assumptions about God – official and in-practice?
- How do those assumptions shape the life and practices for our congregation?
- What underlying assumptions do we have about discipleship and ministry?
- What are our assumptions about leadership in the congregation?
- What are our assumptions about how to relate to one another?