Category: DOC Thoughts
Disciples Identity
The ongoing “identity” conversation within our denomination rolls on following the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) General Assembly in July. Click here to see how the General Church unpacks, “”A movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.” which is our current identity statement. I serve in Regional Ministry in our denomination. If you are reading this and are not part of our denomination my role similar to “assistant bishop” or “district superintendent” though we don’t use that terminology and I don’t have the institutional hierarchical power that those positions have in their denominations. I have program ministry responsibilities and I work with ministers and volunteers through times of joy and crisis. I digress.
When I visit congregations to preach, for the first time, I spend a few moments reviewing who I think the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are and reminding the congregation what that already know about who we are. Here is a revised version of those words. If you’ve heard me preach, my apologies for this review. If I’ve not preached in your congregation, my apologies that you will hear these words again. I currently serve in the Oklahoma Region. I used a similar version of these words when I served on Regional staff in Kentucky. This is how I “unpack” who Disciples are in the 21st century which I think embraces the “spirit” of our founders, Stone and Campbell.
One of the best parts of serving in Regional ministry is the opportunity to worship in many Disciples congregations during a year. For me it is a joy, and for the congregation it is a reminder that you are a part of a community: 162 congregations working in covenant with each other to be a witness of the kindom of God in our midst in places from Buffalo to Hugo, Miami to Altus, Elk City to Tulsa and here through the ministry of this congregation. We call this covenant the Christian Church In Oklahoma. Together, we are the Church grounded in prayer, guided by scripture, and called to serve beyond our four walls, our city limits, county lines, national boundaries, and our comfort zones.
Your Disciples siblings across the Region are gathering for worship this morning: to pray and praise God; to hear scripture and word preached; to share bread and cup around a table that has a place set for you; and to accept God’s call to participate in, and be servant leaders, in our society. Did you know that there has never been a time better than right now for our denomination, for our brand of Christian witness, to invite our neighbors, co-workers, friends, strangers, the “nones” and de-churched to worship. You knew that. Some may ask, “Why?”
Because the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) celebrates the spirituality that study and service embody to strengthen faith, guide the journey of faith, and make life richer. We have an inclusive spirit: inviting everyone to come to the table without a litmus test of baptism nor a creedal affirmation of faith. Now is the time for our way of balancing belief and practice to say, “You are welcomed here. If you are searching for a place to worship and serve God, try us.” Why?
Because, together we will share God’s story, and our own stories, trusting that God is acting in our time and in our lives. Disciples don’t claim to have “the only answers” to life’s hard questions. We do not offer “easy answers” for the hard questions because the sacred space of life is a complex maze of joy and suffering, laughter and learning, community and individuality that can be guided by “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” but cannot be distilled to a creed, style of worship, mode of baptism, political party, or soundbite theology. Disciples don’t proclaim an understanding of God’s grace that is based on your level of financial giving. Some may ask, “Why?”
Because, we understand that people of faith disagree and that ecumenism, Christian unity, does not mean sharing the lowest common denominator of belief. Christian unity means holding all of Christendom, and all persons, to the highest standards of service to the world, celebrating differences, and speaking out for the breathing voiceless in the world. Ecumenism, for Disciples, means “welcoming as we have been welcomed.” We know that diversity is better than the watered down theological pop culture of our time. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a community of faith working to be God’s people and do God’s will the best way we know how. Some may ask, “Why?”
As a response to judgement and grace. As an affirmation that the whole human family are children of God. Because we were welcomed and are called to welcome. As a model of community, koinonia, for our divided world. The Christian Church In Oklahoma is blessed and is a blessing because you are a voice of gospel here from this corner of Oklahoma. There is ministry to do and Gospel to speak that only you can do; that only you can speak. Siblings in faith, there is still redemptive things to be and do. That is who we are called to be as followers of Jesus within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
It’s not mine, but responsible
During my seminary education a current changed in my denomination when ministers were encouraged to embrace an ownership of ministry differently. The term, “my ministry” became the norm and continues to this day. I think this current was meant to remind ministers, and those preparing for ministry, of their personal accountability and ethics as professionals even when systems did not or did not exist to do so. I understand the intention. During this same time my denomination was moving away from the idea of “pastor/scholar” to “corporate professional.” Another term, “public theologian” has surfaced as a way of describing the vocation of ministry.
I’ve understood it differently. I participate in the ministry of the Church. Sometimes it resembles the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, sometimes it resembles the ancient beliefs of tradition’s “Christianity,” sometimes it is interested in Empire building and sometimes it embraces the kindom of God in our midst. I was ordained into Christian ministry of the Church universal. My ordination vows require me to accept that on any given day I represent the entire history of Christianity: the good, the bad, and the apathetic to persons I know and to the stranger sitting next to me on the plane. I am responsible for the way I inhabit and “put on” that responsibility to represent Christianity, but ministry is not “mine.” Ordained Ministry is a lifestyle that cannot be owned. Participating in ministry is relational and risky. I was reminded of this again from the editor and publisher of the Christian Century who recently wrote about his experience of retirement.
Sunday Morning Blues
John M Buchanan | Aug 9, 2013 | The Christian CenturyOne thing I have learned from this experience is something I should have learned long ago: ministry is not my personal possession. Ministry belongs to the church, the congregation I served for a while, the denomination of which it is a part—and to the whole church, holy, catholic, apostolic. In the painful process of letting go I am learning to let the church continue to be the church, performing a ministry that began before it allowed me to serve and continuing after I left.