My Hope for the Church
This will be the last post on this blog, but I will continue to post my thoughts about the church as well as my seminary experience through my original blog Rev Wags Cyber Seminary Experience .
I am still trying to wrap my head around all that I have been able to participate in this summer, but here are some final thoughts. My hope for the church is for us to begin to reconnect with one another. I had always heard that GA was like a big family reunion, and saw some of that, but that was more evident at Montreat. As a denomination as with the culture, we have allowed ourselves to become disconnected. That is part of the reason I believe trust has broken down across the nation.
I had the pleasure of going to lunch one day at GA with 2 fellow committee members Dana and Patrick. Both were more conservative than I, but in the few short days our committee spent I had the opportunity to begin to get to know them. I found them both to be extremely faithful pastors wanting to do what they felt God was calling them to do within the life of the churches they serve as well as the larger church. We were able to disagree on issues without getting upset. Part of this was due to the fact that none of us particularly had an agenda to push. It wasn't about see things my way or you are a heritic, it was about being able to see past our differences.
One of the biggest things that I see the church needing to do is to look to what we hold in common. Where are our points of similarity and how can we start a relationship from that point so that we might reach a time in the future where we are ready to talk about where we differ and why.
For me regarding PUP, I think this will push ordaining bodies to spend time getting to know folks. Do they have the gifts and graces needed to serve as a Deacon or an Elder. Does this person have the skill set needed to serve as a Minister of Word and Sacrament? What I don't understand is that if God is the one who ordains, who are we to get in the way of it? I have spent most of the summer with more questions than answers and will continue to struggle.
We'll see what the future holds for all of us.
Peace
I am still trying to wrap my head around all that I have been able to participate in this summer, but here are some final thoughts. My hope for the church is for us to begin to reconnect with one another. I had always heard that GA was like a big family reunion, and saw some of that, but that was more evident at Montreat. As a denomination as with the culture, we have allowed ourselves to become disconnected. That is part of the reason I believe trust has broken down across the nation.
I had the pleasure of going to lunch one day at GA with 2 fellow committee members Dana and Patrick. Both were more conservative than I, but in the few short days our committee spent I had the opportunity to begin to get to know them. I found them both to be extremely faithful pastors wanting to do what they felt God was calling them to do within the life of the churches they serve as well as the larger church. We were able to disagree on issues without getting upset. Part of this was due to the fact that none of us particularly had an agenda to push. It wasn't about see things my way or you are a heritic, it was about being able to see past our differences.
One of the biggest things that I see the church needing to do is to look to what we hold in common. Where are our points of similarity and how can we start a relationship from that point so that we might reach a time in the future where we are ready to talk about where we differ and why.
For me regarding PUP, I think this will push ordaining bodies to spend time getting to know folks. Do they have the gifts and graces needed to serve as a Deacon or an Elder. Does this person have the skill set needed to serve as a Minister of Word and Sacrament? What I don't understand is that if God is the one who ordains, who are we to get in the way of it? I have spent most of the summer with more questions than answers and will continue to struggle.
We'll see what the future holds for all of us.
Peace
posted by Karen Wagner | 5:35 PM
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