Learning To Love The Local: a response from a rural pastor

You’re right, Rowland. I like it – it speaks truly. Agatha Christie’s detective Miss Marple is able to solve her crimes because every situation is parallelled in some form or other in her home village; the in-depth study of her home village has taught her more about life than the experts. It seems to me that learning to apply Scripture in a truly deeply local way is a lifetime quest – one which Rick Warren can never do for us. Reading the works of observant people helps tho. The wry works of Garrison Keillor are sensational and enjoyable reading for rural pastors – his Lake Wobegon tales are hilarious. OTOH, it’s a challenge to make local application without being riskily political, dictating particular stances and points of view. I guess the correct procedure is to arrive at the application in consultation with brothers and sisters in the congregation.

Thanks!