Engaging the Growing Edges

The Transition Team met last evening. The team consists of nine diverse members of the congregation where I am the lead interim pastor. The final outcome of this interim time is the calling of a new pastor. However, there is more, just as important work that needs to be done.

The "biggie" surfaced last evening. Analyzing the data from the latest survey, it was clear that working for peace and justice, entering the political realm, engaging crucial, edgy social justice issues as a natural part of congregational life, was the weakest "commitment" area of eight possible commitments. This was a definite "growing edge".

The congregation's story is familiar. We have never done this before. Lutherans don't do this. It is too controversial. It is too divisive.

Yet, we kept talking. I spoke of the major and minor prophets, how they addressed issues of injustice and called the People of God to account. I spoke of Jesus and the last judgment verses in Matthew 25. I spoke of Germany in the Nazi Era, and how the church, for the most part, went belly up. Interestingly, a member of the team spoke of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

We talked about ways to engage issues so that an "Us vs. Them" dynamic is lessened. We agreed there are healthy and unhealthy ways to have a justice conversation. We talked about making sure all points of view are part of the conversation, that there is a fairness doctrine where all points of view are respected. In all of this conversation, I began to notice a "thaw" in resistance. We were talking and listening, honoring each others' perspectives, accepting our fears.

This conversation was part of a larger conversation labeled "Beyond the Walls". BTW is a piece of the interim process where community leaders are invited in to address the issues their organizations face. These issues may become areas where the members of the congregation may be challenged to respond out of Christian concern. The message is: congregations are called to be intentional about addressing commuity issues.

Sunday evening, a group gathered in the parsonage for what we call "Fireside". People bring something to eat and drink, we sing, we pray, we chat, we engage issues of the time, we talk about what it means to be the church in this time and place. What ensued was a long, honest conversation about sexuality, homosexuality, calling a gay pastor, calling two gay pastors living in a committed relationship, you catch the drift. We talked Bible, the prophets, Lutheran theology. We talked and listened. We took the time to be together and risk being honest. Again, there was a softening.

Our congregation is helping lead a major food sharing effort called "Feed My Starving Children". The community will come together to pack 100,000 bags of food, much of which will go to Haiti. It will take $17,000 and 500 volunteers. No problem. The volunteers will show up and the money will arrive. Charity and generosity are alive and well! The church and community are partners in love.

But now there is the next step: asking the question "Why are people hungry?" This is perhaps the most difficult, yet it is the other side of the coin. The test of the church is to ask the question, answer it, and respond. It is like a comment I read a while back. "You can give the hungry a fish and they will live for a day. You can teach the people how to fish and they can support themselves. But you must also ask the question, 'Who owns the pond?'".

Now to risk engaging the growing edges.

Peace!
Ron