June 30, 2008
by Jason Lim
“God never intended for the Bible to be given and studied so that we can answer test questions or beat our neighbors in Bible trivia…God gave us the Bible so that our lives would be changed, and we would continue the mission of Jesus.”
What makes Zimmerman different is his ability to combine both “cutting edge methodology” he received from Campus Crusaders, and the theological depth from the seminary. To this day, he believes that the only way for practical theology to be relevant is to allow the two practices of teaching in seminary and doing ministry to work symbiotically. Zimmerman emphatically noted that one cannot teach practical theology at Biblical Seminary unless they are actually doing the work.
But as discussions of practical theology started to develop, the inevitable question seemed to lurk its ugly head; what is wrong with the institutional Church, and how could we fix it?
“I think the institutional Church has some problems because…just like all institutions, the number one priority is now survival…there is not a lot of energy, time, money, facilities to put into play missionally, because it is kind of all about us.”
Furthermore, Zimmerman suggests that another reason for the problem with the institutionalized Church is the fact that churches everywhere are essentially “creating their own universes”. Churches continue to create separate sports leagues, schools and businesses, and this takes them out of their community context. But the way churches are supposed to function, epitomized by Jesus’ ministry, is to include the community. This severance from community ultimately changes the mission of the church to have the outside community assimilate to this alternate universe.
However bleak the situation may look, Zimmerman, being the practical theologian that he is, offers up an antidote to this poisonous and perpetual plight.
“Let’s become good neighbors to those in the community rather than presuming that we know what they need, develop programs and tell them ‘you need to this’. Let’s build relationships, love them, serve them, and minister to them, so that we bring value to the community rather than…[drain] the community, which is a lot of what churches are…So how can we get away from that?…move into the neighborhood. Isn’t that what Jesus did?”
As simple as the answer might sound, it’s practically impossible. Perhaps there are immediate answers, but as the real church, the body of Christ, we must not lose hope and maintain our faith that through events like New Awakening, God may transform the Church.
