How Clan the Church Better Express Jesus' Radical, Wide Love?

Robin Meyers, author of The Underground Church: Reclaiming the Subversive Way of Jesus and United Church of Christ minister at Mayflower United Church of Christ, Oklahoma City for 27 years, spoke at the UCC annual conference meeting this last Saturday in Randolph, VT.

He said:  Contrary to the risk that early Christians took, no one expects  dangerous things to happen at church; Christians are not on anyone’s no fly llist. The church needs to “Go where love calls, serve where love needs” –which is the synod’s motto.  And be leaven in the loaf of society, as was the early church. Here are some of his suggestions based on levels of risk to the church’s status quo. What do you think?

Low risk

Form a committee to find out what other churches are doing and join them in mission; adopt a local public school and learn what it needs, and how you can make it better; actively participate in interfaith services and move the host site around to different houses of worship; join other faith communities in responding to hate crimes with public declarations; become a “green” church and an active recycling center

Middle Risk

Form a Sunday School class that is dedicated to reading and discussion the latest in biblical scholarship; form a committee whose responsibility is to bring biblical scholars to the community; add worship services to attract people who don’t like traditional worship; bring local political candidates to church for Town Hall event; give laypeople power to create mission ideas and pursue them without undue interference from the staff.

High Risk

Make changes to the way communion is served and invite poor people; change the use of words: “trust” not “faith”; “these are our sacred stories” to replace “this is the word of God.”; Incorporate more silence, more poetry, less insider language. Establish the church as center for nonviolent change;  practice radical hospitality by welcoming people who test the church’s comfort level  (e.g., ex-convicts and sex-offenders); give money away in the church to those in need; and consider returning to the ancient practice of loaning money at no interest.

As Ascension continues to responsive to the Spirit, which of these are doable at Ascension? Other ideas you may have? Let me know!

    Blessings, Pr. Nancy