Diakonia Remix Reboot
It is a little
disappointing to observe how Overtures 3 & 4 (with regard to a theological affinity classis for churches opposed to the seating of women delegates) bring out impassioned opinions
and concerns about the demise of the church. It’s not disappointing that people
care about the church. The
disappointment lies in the paltry responses to a proposal about the work of
deacons in our midst. The suggestion
that we allow a greater participation of the deaconate in steering the
direction of local churches, classis and the denomination (via Synod.)
Last year we decided that
we would accept the Belhar Confession as a gift to our denomination and that we
would adhere to it in some nebulous fashion as an ecumenical faith
declaration. This year we have the
opportunity to see whether we can, indeed, accept the gift of another
denomination/another culture’s difficult lesson learned.
If I am correct, and
please (PLEASE) leave me a comment if I am not, the thrust of an increased role
for the diaconate in the denomination parallels an increased focus on the
mission of the church. Of course we define
ourselves by orthodoxy, which, to unduly simplify matters, is the work of
elders in the church. But we also ought
to define ourselves by our orthopraxis, which, in a similar over-simplification,
is the work of the deacons of the church.
Surely we would have a
word to speak to any congregation that would not take seriously Paul’s primer
on faith, “For it is by grace you are
saved, through faith, and this is not of yourselves it is the gift of God, not
by works so that no one may boast.”
But aren’t we just as obligated to speak a cautionary word to any
congregation failing to take seriously the very next verse, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in
Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”?
To this I add my own
simple prayer - “From a denomination that cares more about whether women serve
from the church kitchen or the pulpit, the Sunday School classroom or the consistory
than whether the church serves the world with all its resources and all its
members, Good Lord, deliver us.”
Diversity Defined
I recently accepted a call to a church in Washington DC
where church membership is as diverse as I’ve seen in the denomination. I’d like to think that this allows us a
unique glimpse of the Kingdom of God.
I’d like to think that, because the Spirit is present in this place, we
are always super-accepting and understanding of one another. Just like Jesus.
7
months in, what I’ve come to think is that holding people together is hard
work. That’s a universal truth whether the factions are split over worship
music, carpet colors for the fellowship hall or culture, language and
ethnicity. It requires the effort of
well-meaning individuals deciding to live in community with one another no
matter what. And, even THEN, it isn’t easy.
Nonetheless,
when it works – even for a moment – it is a good and glorious thing. So yes, let’s equip our pastors and our
churches to do the difficult work of holding on to each other – across divides
of culture, ethnicity, language, theological proclivities, politics and
gender. Absolutely, yes. I’m a big fan
of the impulse behind the Diversity in
Leadership Planning Group II. I just
wonder about the conclusion they have reached.
Is
the solution, then, to spend $200,000 (admittedly scaled down from the original request of 1 million) to hire persons of color (to say nothing of diversity with regard to
gender, to geography or faith background) for leadership positions at the
denominational level?
To believe that this is the solution to the problem is to
put a tacit trust in trickle-down social understanding. To believe that diversity in hiring at the
denominational level is the solution to creating multi-cultural, multi-ethnic
understanding in the local congregation depends upon an assumption that
the leadership at 2850 significantly changes the lived experiences of our
congregations.
And I don’t think I’m the first person to worry that
something is being made of you and me with that assumption.
