Davison's Doodle

Is Your Congregation Blending In?

A few years ago Dr. Peter Gomes address my denomination’s General Assembly.  GA is a gathering of congregational representatives, our clergy, our General Ministry staff that represent our denomination within ecumenical Christendom and work on a variety of program and presence ministries that help congregations and all humanity.  Some view the General Assembly and our General Ministry staff in a similar way many in our Nation view our Congress: leaders or representatives out of touch with ‘regular’ people.  Sometimes we use the rural v. urban excuse during conversations and dialogue about living a pragmatic Christian theology that focuses on how Jesus lived, rather than a theology based in Apostolic doctrines and right belief.  Dr. Gomes urged my denomination to continue to scratch the theological itch, to ask questions, and to be unique instead of blend in to the safe Christian landscape as a way to continue to exist a little longer.  My short hand of his remarks: stop trying to look like, be like, or worship like the church down the street.  The last time my denomination went through reformation was a period from 1968-1972. We called it restructure and from that time emerged what looks like historic episcopacy denominations without any of the hard hierarchical authority.

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), what I call our little frontier movement, began with people deciding not to blend in, not to go along with the pragmatic theology of the day.  It began with the idea that it is wrong to keep someone not baptized in your congregation from participating in the Lord’s Supper [communion, the Great Thanksgiving Feast, the eucharist].  Again, my interpretation of their struggle of that idea, denying a person from receiving communion because she or he was not baptized in your congregation, is that it is not consistent with the example of Jesus of Nazareth nor is it theologically consistent about the meaning of baptism or a confession of faith.  That is a post for another day.

We don’t like to think about ‘marketing’ a congregation or our brand of Christian witness.  I remember once arguing that too much Christian evangelism was like selling door to door.  I don’t think converting all humanity to Christian faith is what practicing Christianity or the way of Jesus is all about.  There is plenty of that kind of Christian theology already out there in the world. Some who believe that kind of theology work with broad communities to help bend the arc of history toward justice while actively evangelizing people to their religious worldview.  That kind of authenticity I respect.  It is not a bait and switch.  My denomination is in a place where some are mimicking the worship style of other denominations as a way to attract the people who those styles attract.  Sometimes we adopt music, songs, and hymns because it brings people in over there.  Maybe it will bring people in over here.  Is that how our frontier movement wants to exist?

Pattern matching as a shortcut to growth
Seth Godin, August 19, 2016

Human beings are pattern-matching machines. Changing our beliefs, though, is something we rarely do. It’s far easier to sell someone on a new kind of fruit than it is to get them to eat crickets, regardless of the data you bring to the table.

Ron Osborn describes what he calls, ‘the Disciples mind.”  I think we are finding a way to be an example of unity, an example of community, in our polarized culture again.

What do we mean by the Disciples mind? It is a way of approaching the Scriptures with a reverent intelligence. This style of professing Christian faith has accepted the reproach of advocating a “head religion” hurled by those who profess a “heart religion.” Emphasizing faith with understanding, the Disciples mind puts the highest premium on rationality and faithfulness in action.
Ronald E. Osborn, “The Disciples Mind.” Chalice Hymnal (Chalice Press: St. Louis) 1995. #553.