Christ Church Family,
With recent news coming out of General Conference and decisions made by our global body, we find ourselves in a transient time—a time that excites some and exasperates others. At once, there is celebration and trepidation, deep concern and great hope. It’s not an alien experience in the history of the church, even if there are complexities that are new to us. As your pastor, I hold the amalgam of those emotions in tension. It’s a crucible of sorts, and the manner in which we decide to navigate it will be a determining factor in how vital we are and how vital we’ll remain as disciples of Jesus. Irrespective of our current emotional states, convictions or theological persuasions, I want to caution any inclinations we might have of reducing denominational decisions into categories of “winners” and “losers.” Those dichotomies are not only destructive, but they’re more indicative of the culture around us rather than the Christ within us, and when they’re given legs by the stuff we spout (in person or via a post) we all lose ultimately.
In spaces like these, it’s so easy to reflexively retreat into proverbial camps and sling verbal arrows at those who don’t align with us or our ideological allies. But behold: A risen Christ who defeated hell, sin and the grave doesn’t “rally his political base to take a stand.” Rather, time and time again, he sets a table and invites every one of us to take a seat–Matthew and Simon together. And when you don’t assume your spot, the body suffers. So, the question begs, “What’cha gonna do? Where do we go from here?” (HINT: Stagnancy isn’t a solution).
Friends, we’ve got work to do; there’s a kingdom to build, a world to transform, a community to restore, discoveries to be made and new understandings to appreciate. We cannot arrive at such vistas in isolation. We achieve it through community.
To that end, we will build upon our initial gathering that took place on Sunday (4/28). We will convene again on 5/5. What’s happening there? Let me catch you up: We’ve cultivated a space, first, to gain a general understanding of General Conference—who we are, how we do it, and why it matters. Further, we’re convening not to undermine, but to understand: Why is the theology of human sexuality so thorny and why have we been struggling with it for over 50 years? We’re talking about it because we need to. Straw men on both sides of the issue are too easily assembled.
To adequately address both sides, I’m facilitating two distinct sessions: The first session (5/2) discusses details that point to why the church maintained its historical stance for as long as it did and the other upcoming session will outline some perspectives that give way to the position/disciplinary language as it currently stands. I’ve decided to structure our sessions this way, not as a means to coerce you to believe differently, but rather to behave differently toward those who may not think like you. I pray that you’ll take your place at the table and join us for subsequent gatherings. Mother’s Day (5/12) may be tricky, so be on the lookout for the next discussion date. For those who cannot participate in-person, a separate zoom invite will be sent. Let’s go. I hope to see you there.
