Before we get to Who Do You Belong To, Part Deux, a bit of explanation about something I have been asked about: my signature at the end of my blog posts.
Yes,
it appears I am putting on airs,
as opposed to putting on the dog.
Airs means I am trying
to appear special or superior. Putting on the
Dog, by some strange
quirk of idiom, means the same thing as putting on the
Ritz.
Well,
I'm not. Putting on airs, that is. My signature:
† Scott,
V.D.M. ev
Let's
read Hebrew style - right to left. "ev" is the Latin
abbreviation for episcopus vagans - wandering or stray bishop.
Here's a tiny piece of what the Encyclopedia Britannica of our
time, Wikipedia, has to say under its entry for episcopi
vagantes (the plural of episcopus vagans):
"...are
persons who have been consecrated as Christian bishops outside the
structures and canon law of the established churches, and who not in
communion with any generally recognized diocese."
Most
of what you'll find googling episcopus vagans is going to relate to
one of three communions: the Roman (Latin Rite) Catholic Church, the
Eastern Orthodox (Catholic) Church or the Church of England/Anglican
Communion. You might find some little discussion on the episcopi in
the conservative branch of the Lutheran church but, very little.
I
belong to none of the aforementioned communions. I am a product of
the Reformation; I am a Protestant. In my community of Faith - the
Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, founded by Thomas and
Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone, in the 1800's - we
had/have ministers or pastors, elders & deacons. Careful
to avoid the titles and practices of the heretical Roman Church, we
didn't have priests or bishops, although we apparently couldn't
figure out a way around deacons for Rome has a diaconate
with...surprise! Deacons. Oh well, two outta three...
My
Bona Fides
I
made my confession of Faith and was baptized at the Town and Country
Church of Christ, Ottawa, Kansas on April 18, 1969.
From
the fall of 1977 through approximately 1980 I attended Ozark Bible
College in Joplin, Missouri. (It is now Ozark Christian College)
From
1980 to approximately I maintained a ministry by being an announcer
of the College's FM radio station, KOBC 90.7. Paul told Timothy to
devote himself to the public reading of Scripture. I'm sure Timothy
fulfilled his charge admirably but with 30,000 watts of Effective
Radiated Power I was heard from Ft. Scott, Kansas in the North to
almost the Arkansas line in the South over into Southeastern Kansas
and Northeastern Oklahoma on the West to half way to Springfield,
Missouri in the East. (Not that I'm bragging. I'm just, you know,
saying.)
After
returning to Kansas City in 1992 I attended Country Hills Christian
Church in Lenexa, Kansas and when their minister resigned suddenly I
was chosen to preach until a full time replacement could be found. I filled in for roughly a year and a half.
What happened between dropping out of Bible college and my ordination in 1996, approximately 16 years later? Life. Life happened. Sickness, poorer, learning what the Scripture and God was all about and when He thought me ready... But as I said in my ordination sermon, ordination was not the cumulative end point of my ministry but only a stopping point along the way. And it has been.
On
March 10th, 1996, the elders of the now former Country Hills Christian
Church in Lenexa, Kansas, laid hands upon me and ordained me to the
Gospel ministry. Boyce Mouton, then minister of the Carl Junction
Christian Church, Carl Junction, Missouri presided.
My
ordination certificate says I am ordained a minister of the
Gospel. Huh. Ain't no such "office" established by the
Holy Spirit. Paul says in Ephesians 4:11-12:
And
He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as
evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of
the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of
Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the
stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ...
No
"minister of the Gospel" or even "bishop" there
but stay with me. Alan Hirsch of the Churches of Christ in Australia,
a pastor, speaker, teacher and church organizer had this to say about
the calling in Ephesians 4:11. He has developed an acronym: APEST. It
stands for Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds and Teachers.
A
postles - extend the Gospel.
P
rophets - know God's will. They are particularly attuned to God and
His truth for today. They bring correction and challenge the dominant
assumptions we inherit from the culture. They insist that the
community obey what God has commanded. They question the status quo.
(And I believe I have been
called a prophet under Hirsch's definition. I have looked around me
after so much personal tutelage/difficult situations from God the
Father and I say, "Uh, wait just a second. The dominant
assumptions that the Church has sucked up from the culture - hey,
THIS IS WRONG! We should be doing what God has commanded and not what
some marketing genius has dictated for Church growth. Finally, this
all clicks for me.)
E
vangelists - recruit. They are
dynamic communicators who bring others into the Church.
S
heperds - (pastors) Watch over God's flock, nurturing and seeking
to mature the flock. (This too
has always been part of what I have been called to and I think a
pastor's role goes somewhat hand-in-glove with being a prophet.)
T
eachers - understand and explain. Communicators of God's truth and
wisdom, they help others remain biblically grounded to better discern
God's will... (Again! Me. Way
back in 1977 I found myself wanting to teach as much as shepherd and
prophesy - in my vision, all a part of being a minister of the Gospel
or an episkopoi, bishop.)
I
don't agree with everything Hirsch puts forth but on balance I think
he is "tuned in," the Spirit within me is not kicking me in
the gut saying, "DANGER, Will Robinson!" I would suggest
you google Brother Hirsch and read up on APEST and other items in his
theology.
Well,
back to bishops and elders, episkopoi and presbuteros: Vine's
Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words has this to say about
presbuteros, translated as "elder."
-
(3) in the Christian churches, those who, being raised up and
qualified by the work of the Holy Spirit, were appointed to have the
spiritual care of, and to exercise oversight over, the churches. To
these the term "bishops," episkopoi, or "overseers,"
is applied (see Acts 20, ver. 17 with ver. 28, and Titus 1:5,7), the
latter term indicating the nature of their work, presbuteroi their
maturity of spirtual experience. The Divine arrangement seen
throughout the NT was for a plurality of these to be appointed in
each church, Acts 14:23; 20:17; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 5:17; Titus 1:5.
The duty of "elders" is described by the verb episkopeo.
They were appointed according as they had given evidence of
fulfilling the Divine qualifications, Titus 1:6-9; cp. 1 Tim. 3:1-7;
1 Pet. 5:2; (4) the twenty-four "elders" enthroned in
heaven around the throne of God, Rev. 4:4,10; 5:5-14; 7:11,13; 11:16;
14:3; 19:4. The number twenty-four is representative of earthly
conditions. The word "elder" is nowhere applied to angels.
See OLD.
I
believe what I was ordained to was to be an episkopoi, a
bishop. Also, as I mature in the Kingdom, I am a presbuteros,
an elder, having been also ordained as one even though that it not
what it says on my ordination certificate..
As
I am without a specific congregation (parrish in the Roman order) but
having been duly ordained, I am an episcopus vagans. To be
clear it's vagans and NOT vegans.
Continuing
to read to the left, we encounter the acronym, V.D.M.
Alexander Campbell is said to have gotten a little miffed with the
Presbyterian ministers in his area who loved to flaunt their degrees;
their Doctors of Divinity's (D.D.), Doctors of Theology's (D.Th.),
Doctors of Ministry's (D.Min.), etc. Campbell was degree-less.
But he wanted to show whom he worked for, so to speak. So, as was a
custom among some Protestant preachers, especially among the
Calvinists, Campbell took the initials V.D.M., Latin for Verbi Dei
minister or Verbi Dei magister. Both variations represent
Minister or Master (Magister) of the Word of God. There is a
third meaning of V.D.M. and that is Verbi divini minister or
Minister of the Divine Word.
When
I use V.D.M., I am using verbi dei minister or magister. I
think it reflects better whom/what I am working for. Jesus is THE
WORD of GOD ( John 1:1-5) and the Bible is the word of God (2 Timothy
3:16-17).
No,
I am not putting on airs or the dog. In using the initials after my
name I am asserting my right and qualification to teach and preach
but more than anything I need a reminder of the responsibility I have
been called to by God the Father and to handle it with prayer and
humility.
Until
later, may the peace of Christ be upon you,
† Scott,
V.D.M. ev
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