Doctrine, Doctrine, Who’s Got the Doctrine
The set up for this game is that you invite three or four colleagues to breakfast or lunch and tell them you are going to introduce them to a fun game that may have rich resources for some of their future sermons and ministry.
When they have gathered and have their food or drink before them, explain that you want to play a game you have titled “Doctrine, Doctrine, Who’s Got the Doctrine.” Set a pair of dice on the table. Explain that when you roll the dice, you will use the die on your left to identify the person sharing a pastoral issue and the die on your right will indicate the person whose task is to name a theological doctrine that s/he thinks speaks to that situation.
EXAMPLES
The first person may say “I think many churches are facing financial concerns.” The second person would respond, “The doctrine of stewardship should be explored. And one aspect of that is that stewardship explores how all we have is a blessing from God and we are called to be good stewards or managers of what we have.”
The idea is not to completely develop the implications of the theological doctrine but simply suggest its relationship to the issue raised. When the dice are cast again, the next person indicated might suggest that many people are becoming anxious about the threat of terrorism in our society. The responder might suggest that churches could benefit from examining the meaning of the sovereignty of God.
ITS OK TO HAVE FUN
The idea is to have fun among colleagues while relating some of the primary doctrines of faith to challenges facing the members of our churches. Each time the die is cast, a new pair is identified. Don’t get into long discussions about the doctrines. Keep the game moving. Have fun and even make exaggerated connections that might stimulate laughter.
A VARIATION
A variation of the game is to choose specific categories to explore. For example, you might agree to play the game around the issue of clergy stress. You roll the die and the person identified names a particular stressful challenge in ministry. S/he might lift up the challenge of finding time to develop quality sermons and meeting expectations of visiting people in the hospital. The second person identified by the die needs to name a theological doctrine that addresses that issue. Perhaps that person identifies the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Then the group explores how the doctrine identified speaks to the issue named.
A variation on the game would be to have the first person identify an issue such as dealing with conflict in the church. The second person has to identify a Scripture that speaks to the issue. For example, s/he might suggest that you are to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (The quotes need not be exact–paraphrases will do.) The idea is to have fun while discussing real issues in the ministry. After the identified person has named a Scripture, the rest of the group might also identify other Scriptures.
