At the meetings of the governing board of our church, "the Session," a candle is lit and burns at the center of our circle (I suppose it is really a square of tables). We are intentional with one another regarding the candle. It reminds us that our speech must pass through the refining fire of God's Holy Spirit as we discern with each other. Likewise, we remember that the presence of Jesus Christ is at the center of our shared life. Even more, we remember that believers of every place and time are joining us around the tables as a "great cloud of witnesses." We discern God's leading within a covenant community of belonging. This practice encourages us to remember the wider circle of the Church as we undertake a wide range of decisions.
Within my own family, there are days when we wonder, "do I belong to THIS family?" Some days, we say, "yes!" aren't we fortunate. Other days, we say, "really?"
I am reflecting with a conversation being streamed online from Princeton Theological Seminary that is sponsored by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the PCUSA. The title of the colloquium is "Unity with Difference." Currently the conversation is centered upon the question posed by Martha Moore Keish about how we Belong, Behave, and Believe.
I have been thinking about my family table and the table of our Session because I am reflecting upon the concept of belonging. How do we belong with difference? Well, I wonder if the notion of these tables identifies the reality of our behavior. - At times, we are perplexed in families - "why did they do that?" At times, we repeat the phrase that Will Willimon's mother used to put to him, "remember who you are."
Well, at the table, hopefully, we have a conversation. Then, the confessions (the witness of prior generations) and confessions of other Reformed families (the current witness of our cousins) enriches the conversation when we find ourselves at wits end with each other. The light of Christ at the center of our conversation serves as a kind of magnet that continues to draw us back and together. It reminds us that God is committed to us (while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us) so perhaps we could try a little harder at being committed to each other.
One of the greatest challenges we face is an age old challenge of religion. It is present also in the scriptures - How can we be more welcoming? How can we be more fully transformed into God's calling to us?
The confessions serve as a model for addressing that challenge. It is as if we can hear people of faith throughout the ages saying, "yes, but" after each assertion. - By the grace of God, we find ourselves moving closer and closer to a deeper sense of belonging because we have become more known to each other, disclosed in conversation - personal.
Current questions of debate surround LGBTIQ issues related to our relationships and how we belong to each other. Issues of strong disagreement are coming to the next General Assembly of the PCUSA.
If our commitment to each other is "a priori," then we can move to a place where our choices (specifically in this case covenanted relationships - marriage is the debate before us) are part of a personal conversation. Moreover in the church, it is a pastoral conversation. The call to pastors is to know our people. (We work at that. Knowing our flock better some days than on other days.)
Here is what I ponder - can we articulate a "center" in Christ that draws us together, even in the midst of difference. A strong enough center - that allows pastoral conversation to shape relationships that are based upon personal knowing (the outcome of sincere and committed conversation).
I found conversation about both Baptism and Eucharist in a prior discussion to be helpful. Belonging in call and belonging in brokenness.
These are unformed thoughts at this point - written while observing this conference. (From a distance, this is my "hallway conversation.") I am glad that we are praying/talking/learning these questions together.
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