Questions 7 & 8

7. How do you intend to affirm teach and apply Part II of the Discipline (Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task) in your work in the ministry to which you have been called?
In the conclusion of "Our Theological Task" it says,
As we see more clearly who we have been, as we understand more fully the needs of the world, as we draw more effectively upon our theological heritage, we will become better equipped to fulfill our calling as the people of God.[11]
Part II of the Discipline through the Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task serves as a reminder to us that we are connected through scripture, the tradition of the universal church and leadership from the Holy Spirit to help guide the church in its doctrine. Affirming, teaching and applying Part II of the Discipline helps us to live out the aforementioned sentence from "Our Theological Task."
I will do this by using Part II as a lens through which the church will examine its mission and ministry. We must carefully examine our Doctrinal Standards and using Our Theological Task, we must see how to apply and make relevant the teachings of the church for our congregation members today.
Members of our congregation are faced with the daily struggle of living as a Christian in a broken and hurt-filled world. Images and ideas bombard the churches with what to do, say, feel and act. Having our Doctrinal Standards stressed in the church will strengthen our congregations with what they believe. First, we need to learn how to think theologically by relying on our theological position of scripture, tradition, experience reason to see how as Christians we should move forward to use that experience to help themselves or others grow in their faith and relationship with Jesus Christ and their neighbor.

8. The United Methodist Church holds that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason. What is your understanding of this theological position of the Church?
Scripture is God’s inspired word that is living and relevant centuries after it was written and is as true for us today as it was for its original audience.[1] When we look at the scriptures, we see ourselves in the garden making a choice to turn away from God. We see ourselves in the rebellion of the people of Israel. We see ourselves in Paul’s statement of being the foremost of sinners.[2] Most importantly, we see ourselves as the redeemed people of God saved by Christ’s actions on the cross. Scripture is primary to show us how to live as God’s people.
Tradition is based on what the church does with the Scripture, including how the church interprets the Scripture and uses that interpretation to establish what they believe. The United Methodist interpretation through Scripture, tradition, personal experience and reason is a result of the practices that have been passed down from John Wesley. We hold on to the tradition of the ancient church when we recite the historic creeds and confessions of the church during our worship service. We rely on the tradition of the hymns and the prayers that have been passed on from generation to generation. This tradition is important because when we recite the creeds, confessions, prayers and sing the hymns of our ancestors, we remember that the faith we believe in is not our own faith, but in the words of G.K. Chesterton, “I did not make it. God and humanity made it; and it made me.”[3]
The Christian faith is brought to life by the congregation’s personal experience. That personal experience gives the Christian faith flesh. It is through the personal experience of the congregation that we see the Christian faith lived out. Our personal experiences should reflect scripture and tradition in the lives of the believers. We may have different reactions to scripture and our church’s tradition. However, when we reflect on our personal experience we should focus on how we can have our personal experiences change us so we may become more like God. Although personal experience is important in the life of a Christian, we must make sure that personal experience does not trump the significance of scripture in our lives.Reason that holds true to scripture is considered the glue that holds all three together. It is through reason that we can interpret the scriptures, make sure our witness is clear, seek to understand God’s action and will, make our witness understandable to ourselves and to others, and test our experience with Scripture to make sure that our actions are in accordance with God’s will.[4]
[11] BOD ¶104 pg. 85 - 86
[1] See 2 Timothy 3:16-17
[2] 1 Timothy 1:15 NRSV
[3] Chesterton, G.K., Orthodoxy San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1995 p 13
[4] Jones, Scott J. United Methodist Doctrine: The Extreme Center, Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002 p. 140