Some folks come to the UM Church for All People (C4AP) because they don't feel welcome at any other church (travesty!).Some come out of desire to serve under-privileged communities in need.
I come for more selfish reasons.
I come to C4AP because of a conviction that isolating ourselves among believers of similar backgrounds only deprives our own souls of God's majesty. Rich diverse community is how we will know who God is. I have not come to serve the poor. I have come to sit at the feet of those that can show me the face of Christ.
In that regard, I am really spoiled at C4AP.
On Sunday mornings, I have the privilege of worshiping with a beautiful body of believers at C4AP. Together, we worship with the very poor, the very rich, the young, the old, the gay, the straight, many races, many nationalities, many backgrounds. Isolation within our own groups is not what God would have for us. Instead, the early church gives us a model for worshiping together as the diverse body of Christ, and I am convinced that in doing so, we draw nearer to Him. The Triune God is our model: diverse, but unified as One.
What message does it send the world when we will not unite together to worship our Jesus? What does it mean when someone is more welcome on a street corner than they are in a church pew? What does it say about Christ if drug lords are more inviting and less discriminating in their outreach than our pastors? As Christians, we should be on the forefront of inclusively, not limping along in the rear.We come to Jesus to find comfort, but no one said church would be comfortable. It can be hard to share a meal with the sick, or have an eye-to-eye conversation with the those struggling to get by. But as with so much of Christ's call for our lives, it is worth it! This is not a charitable endeavour, but one that is fundamental for own souls.
You may serve food at a soup kitchen, but have you eaten at the table as well? You may pray for the poor, but do you ask for their prayers as well? Unless we have an attitude of equal partnership and fellowship, we cheapen and divide the body of Christ. Conversely, when we partner with each other in our daily lives, we offer a witness to the world of God's life-altering grace and love.
I have found that C4AP really is a church for ALL people. They accept me at face value, with my odd music styles, with my awkwardness, my privileged background. It reminds me of Cincinnati Vineyard's "Come as you are and you'll be loved," with an added "and God's not finished with you yet." They don't just accept me, they embrace me, they affirm me, and then they challenge me to be better and hold me accountable. This is the kind of deep community that Jesus is talking about. This is how the world will come to know who He is.It may be that I could do better work serving God at a more homogeneous church, spreading the word or racial justice and helping to cultivate multicultural community there. But for now, I will relish in the luxury of the koinonia that C4AP provides, and try learn as much as I can from my sisters and brothers there. The Church for All People is my home, and I am so grateful for its generosity with me.
You wrote, "When we do, we become aware of our privilege and we are forced to face our guilt. ..."
ReplyDeleteSurely the immediate right-wing response to this is: "Why should I feel guilty about other people's problems that I didn't cause?"
"... there is one more problem with the priestly story: some people do not feel much guilt. It is difficult to know what ot make of this. Perhaps some people should feel guilt who do not. But some honestly do not; guilt is not the central issue in their lives." - Marcus Borg, in "Meeting Jesus again for the First Time"
Good point!
ReplyDeleteI am not necessarily saying that we should feel guilt for the blessing God gives us. Indeed, we can appreciate them, bring glory to God because of them, and not feel shame.
However, many people do, in fact, experience guilt. Often this stems from a perception of themselves as being quite different from those with less privileged, rather than being very similar at our core. The tragedy is that it can then sometimes becomes an impediment to interacting and communing in fellowship with those less fortunate.
What I am suggesting then (perhaps poorly/un-clearly) is that we must face any guilt we do feel and wrestle with it. Much in the same way that we would with any feeling of guilt that Satan whispers in our ears that separates us from God. Why do we feel it? How does it affect our relationships? How does it change our actions? What can we do about it? And how can we moved forward as redeemed children of Christ into a more wholesome relationship with ALL of God's children--regardless of our feelings toward one another?
That being said, you cannot force these ideas on anyone. It is a slow realization of the magnitude of who God is and the grandeur of the ways we can worship Him. It is good to challenge one's self and sometimes that takes pushing through your own resistance. But diversity for diversity's sake, or service out of obligation rather than desire, is not the way to do it. One must come to a place that allows for a real commitment from the heart, not an artificial one as a favor to others.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am unsure of is how to encourage others to engage in challenging and deep community, knowing that there will be a period of discomfort where we must will ourselves toward each other, yet allowing room for the inner motivation to take hold. I don't know. If we approach God's correction with a resentful heart, it will only make us pull away harder, which is not good for the soul or the church. Far be it from me to stir up tension with either of these, which I think I have have done unwittingly at times.
You wrote, "When we do, we become aware of our privilege and we are forced to face our guilt. ..."
ReplyDeleteSurely the immediate right-wing response to this is: "Why should I feel guilty about other people's problems that I didn't cause?"
"... there is one more problem with the priestly story: some people do not feel much guilt. It is difficult to know what ot make of this. Perhaps some people should feel guilt who do not. But some honestly do not; guilt is not the central issue in their lives." - Marcus Borg, in "Meeting Jesus again for the First Time"
Good point!
ReplyDeleteI am not necessarily saying that we should feel guilt for the blessing God gives us. Indeed, we can appreciate them, bring glory to God because of them, and not feel shame.
However, many people do, in fact, experience guilt. Often this stems from a perception of themselves as being quite different from those with less privileged, rather than being very similar at our core. The tragedy is that it can then sometimes becomes an impediment to interacting and communing in fellowship with those less fortunate.
What I am suggesting then (perhaps poorly/un-clearly) is that we must face any guilt we do feel and wrestle with it. Much in the same way that we would with any feeling of guilt that Satan whispers in our ears that separates us from God. Why do we feel it? How does it affect our relationships? How does it change our actions? What can we do about it? And how can we moved forward as redeemed children of Christ into a more wholesome relationship with ALL of God's children--regardless of our feelings toward one another?
That being said, you cannot force these ideas on anyone. It is a slow realization of the magnitude of who God is and the grandeur of the ways we can worship Him. It is good to challenge one's self and sometimes that takes pushing through your own resistance. But diversity for diversity's sake, or service out of obligation rather than desire, is not the way to do it. One must come to a place that allows for a real commitment from the heart, not an artificial one as a favor to others.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am unsure of is how to encourage others to engage in challenging and deep community, knowing that there will be a period of discomfort where we must will ourselves toward each other, yet allowing room for the inner motivation to take hold. I don't know. If we approach God's correction with a resentful heart, it will only make us pull away harder, which is not good for the soul or the church. Far be it from me to stir up tension with either of these, which I think I have have done unwittingly at times.
What a great blog! May I have your permission to re-post "Why I love the Church For All People" , as well as Eileen Howard's "Sacrifice of Praise" as a blog on the United Methodist Ministry with the Poor website (www.ministrywith.org)? Thanks. Mary Ellen Kris, Ministry with the Poor Consultant, General Board of Global Ministries, mkris@gbgm-umc.org.
ReplyDeleteThank you! You certainly have my permission to repost whatever you would like, as long as it includes a link back to the original source. Make sure you hear from Eileen about permission for her post specifically.
ReplyDelete