INCLUSIVE CHURCH # 3, 9/17/2012

THE NATURE OF THE CHURCH on page 14 says, “Far from being corruptions of the church, a multiplicity of churches exhibits the manifold riches of the Christian life.” You and I know that a boat load of words have been used to claim the high ground of being the one true church.  Just the opposite is true.  We somehow want to limit God’s expression in Jesus.  The earliest Gospels have four pictures of Jesus that are quite different, add to that Paul.  When the early Christina Church expanded, there were many views of Jesus and how God reveals divinity through him.  That has continued down to the present day.

It is important that we see that a wonderful inclusive note is struck here.  “Multiplicity” shows the richness of Christianity.  How about applying a principle like that to a whole host of issues today.  Political life? Varieties of educational philosophy?  World Religions? Cultural norms? A host of sexual questions? And so many more areas of human and Christian searching.

It is scary to some to be open to listening to other melodies.  There is a constant desire to have only one melody and it takes faith to listen to harmony.

What do you think?

INCLUSIVE CHURCH #2 9/10/2012

Disciples understand Church to be inclusive.  That means that “... church appears whenever the believers in Jesus Christ are gathered in his name.” (Pg 7 THE NATURE OF THE CHURCH pamphlet by James O. Duke).  Sadly, so much is still spent on bickering, arguments, even insults among Christian churches. We all share such richness in Jesus Christ.  Can we not learn from each other?  Do we not learn from each other in our own community?  We are different, each of us, but gathered together in the presence of Jesus, the church appears.   

Inclusiveness is a wonderful insight into human possibility.  Our very distinctiveness when brought together in common belief in Jesus, creates community. 

This open understanding of the universal Church is a rich hearing of the symphony of possibilities in Christianity. The New Testament gives us ample examples of differing directions and understandings of Jesus, beginning while Jesus was alive. History offers examples of differences in every age.  Disciples hold the base teaching that “…the church appears whenever the believers in Jesus Christ are gathered in his name.” This is a matter of pride to me. I am a member of the Disciples of Christ, who recognize the richness in the melodies of the universal Church.  And, yes, it is a challenge to listen to the other music in this Christian symphony.

Mark 9:38-40. “John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.’ Jesus replied, ‘Do not prevent him.  There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me.  For whoever is not against us is for us.’”

What would you think would be the ground of exclusion from the universal church?

Would you mind walking with me for a while?  I am catching up on what it means to be a Disciple.  I joined Chalice because I saw the friendly Christian atmsophere, the sincere working at being Christian and a word and eucharist celebrated with depth and meaning.  But there is a lot more to our community, like ecumenism, open and affirming, meeting the challenge of the challenged and an interesting history.  So, I got a hold of a pamplhlet  called THE NATURE OF THE CHURCH, by James O. Duke.  It was a first in a study series for the Disciples Church.  The language is simple direct and uncomplicated.  I enjoyed it. Perhaps you would like to journey with me, a new guy from a very different tradition.  I intend to simply comment on the highlights as they hit me.  Perhaps you could fill in the blanks.  There will be a new posting each week.  Join me.
Bill Shea

Finding the pathway

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.  I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to observe your righteous ordinances. (NRSV, Psalm 119: 105-106)

As we begin this new year God's word in Bible reading and in prayer can be like a flashlight showing the pathway on a dark night.  But as the second verse in this selection helps us see, that flashlight is not showing us how to greedily get our own way and our success at the expense of someone else.  That light is guiding us in the pathway of God's righteousness.  If the path we're following isn't into righteousness, then the light we're following is like a will 'o the wisp leading us off the path and not the light of God.

Let us pray this week and all year:  O God, help me to tell the difference between your true light and the false images that would lead me astray.

Blessings!
Marilyn

Happy New Year!

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  2 Corinthians 5:17-20


God has given us a new year and a new life.  As we settle in and get used to writing 2012 on everything will we settle back into the same old pattern of previous years or will we truly be ambassadors for Christ?  Will people look at us and say "If that's a christian I don't want to be like that!"?  Or will they say "You help me see what Jesus was like.  How can I be more like you?"


May God guide you and richly bless you in this new year.


Blessings!
Marilyn

Watch your step!

If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes! (Matthew 18:6-7 NRSV)

I've seen many people interpret causing 'these little one' to stumble as putting obstacles in the way of children growing, learning, and succeeding.  But lately I've been wondering if too many times we cause children to stumble by teaching them the wrong things.  Our society teaches 'It's OK if you do bad things to yourself or others as long as you're famous' or children hear from adults they respect 'Those people aren't as good as us because they're [fill in blank here].'  To teach children that they can despise, mistreat and harm others in God's name is to cause them to stumble and fall from grace.  Let's work this week on guiding the steps of all of God's 'little ones', even the adults, so that we can walk together in God's love.

Blessings!
Marilyn

Prayer for children

Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me." (Mark 9:36-37)

Jesus told us to welcome and care for children and to welcome them as if each child were Jesus himself.  All too often we turn that around and put everyone and everything before welcoming children.  Let us welcome children, all the children around us, and help them grow up to see Jesus in everyone, even us.

Chalice will be celebrating Children's Sabbath and the prayer vigil for children this Fall.  Follow along at:  http://lightacandle.blogspot.com/

Blessings!
Marilyn