The Take Hold Approach to Life
The Basic Idea
The "take -hold" approach to Christian Life is one that emphasizes our social, personal and relational responsibility to develop ourselves and serve our age to the full. People from this outlook are very much aware of the imperatives of Scripture to be involved in practical love and expressions of care and kindness with no heed being paid to the personal cost to ourselves.This was the context in which I grew up, and as I look back, I realize I lucked into a very good example of it in our extended family. Some families in this group are indeed spiritually bankrupt and biblically illiterate, but mine was not. I was raised to believe we were to serve the lord our God with all our heart, soul mind and strength and our neighbors as ourselves. (and that included the mind, it did not exclude it.
The values of a good liberal education were taught not just as a cultural value, but also as a religious aspect of life. Minds lie muscles were meant to be stretched, used, and kept fit. Though the mind was not everything, it was important.
There is, however, a problem with "Take Hold" Christianity, not in itself, but rather by itself. As George Taylor, Dean of Theology at University of Winnipeg, used to say, "the best definition of heresy I have ever heard is, 'taking part of the gospel and making it the whole thing' ". The counterpart to "take hold" Christianity is "let go" Christianity. It forms a second stream of thought throughout Scripture.
The Relationship Between A Take Hold Approach to Life and Take-hold Ministry
The "taking hold" approach to ministry flows out of a "taking hold" approach to life, just as the "letting go" approach to ministry springs out of a "letting go" approach to life.navigation