Passing of an era ...

Just weeks after the death of his sister, the Grand Old Man of American Liberal Politics has left us too ... Though he had an interesting career filled with its share of twists and turns and political intrigue and the periodic whiff of scandal ... Ted Kennedy was above ALL else a Kennedy ... a reminder of a by-gone era, and a connection to a different tim in politics, and the heir to a legacy of public service that was to say the very least, rich ...

Love him or hate him, he was unapologetic about who he was and what he was ...

Rest in Peace Mr. Kennedy.

Pondering ... Adam and Shawn in Dialogue #11 ...

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To read Adam's Blog - including a recent sermon of his - click here.

Adam,

I'm left sitting on the steps, just outside of the square cast by the light from within the edifice we call "the United Church," and realizing that the heart of what you're proposing in both your most recent reply, and in your sermon is, in many respects the polar opposite to what is experienced by MANY in and around the United Church of Canada ... it is enough to make me weep ...

This past week I've had my 15 year old son come home from a memorial for a beautiful young woman who died long before her time ... her parents had taught my children over the last eight years ... I asked Noahkila how the service was and his reply was startling.

He said, "It was okay, but I'm curious dad. Why would the minister talk about sin in the middle of remembering someone like X?"

"Pardon?" I asked startled, though not surprised.

"Well ..." and he went on to give me his astute observation of the content of the service, that left him bewildered, angry and saying to me - "dad, if this is what Church is all about, it's why I don't want anything to do with it ..."

I was not at the service, and am not commenting on the content, but rather the IMPRESSION the service left on my son ... as a moment of evangelism - not as witnessing to the Gospel, but as a moment when the CONTENT of the Gospel is offered for people to consider and reflect upon, there is at least one 15 year old who is saying - "thanks but no ... this is NOT the God I chose to believe in ..." and with that he rejoins the 2.2 million - TWO MILLION and TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND Canadians who call themselves United Church, but no longer attend or support the United Church ...

My question remains - who will listen to the 2.2 MILLION United Church voices who are repeatedly offended and hurt and even repulsed by the 700 000 voices and their aging leadership IN the Church ???

This past week I've had a dozen people express their regret at seeing me OUTSIDE the Church despite their best efforts and support to have me remain ... this past week I've had contact with a dozen people who have been brutalized and hurt by the Church and who no longer feel welcome - the UNITED CHURCH ... this past week I've had a dozen people share with me the ways in which the SAME toxic dysfunction that claimed my ministry, my reputation and ultimately my life in community, have repeatedly ravaged them ...

The internet is a marvelous place ...

Yet in considering those people who have with some courage told me THEIR story, I can't help but lament the simple FACT that there is NO ONE in the United Church who cares a whit about them and their experiences ... they are no longer sitting in the light, so they no longer matter.

Oh, and it has been interesting to me, that if you go back over the comments offered here on my blog, and review the emails I've received directly, there is ONE clear consistent message and that message - one that you Adam may encounter later in your ministry as you move from one pastoral charge to another is simply this:

"You're gone now, let it go. The new minister will deal with it. It's no longer YOUR concern. Move on."

It's remarkably convenient isn't it??
The minister that was unwanted by a clear MINORITY, is sent packing so they can regain control and pretend all is well ... meanwhile the hurts and the long standing grievances remain ignored, overlooked and left to fester and BLEED ... and if one dares to say - "excuse me? what about ..." They are shut down and silenced by the wonderful procedures that have been crafted WITHIN the structure to MAINTAIN control ...

I am a firm believer in consensus. Not simple majority democracy, but consensus.

Consensus means if there is a LONE voice who remains unconvinced and hurt by the decision of the majority, a solution MUST BE SOUGHT. It means if one lesbian clergy person stands up and says - "I don't feel included or supported ..." the Church Court responds with something called PASTORAL CARE - not a majority rules vote that says - "oh, we looked at that and DECIDED that things are fine and YOU'RE wrong ..."

The majority voted to crucify a guy named Jesus ... didn't make it RIGHT.

The majority voted to stone a guy named Stephen ... didn't make it RIGHT.

The majority voted to do all manner of remarkably UN-Christlike things in the name of the Church from the Spanish Inquisition, to Salem, to the streets of Birmingham Alabama ... and it doesn't make the "official" ruling stand RIGHT.

Evangelism is at heart, the revelation of the Truth to the world.

Evangelism is about LIVING the Gospel in the world and seeking in ALL things the TRUTH!!

When we make the Gospel conditional we've failed in being evangelists, whether we are liberal or conservative ... Evangelism is indeed about inviting ALL people to partake at the table from Pope Benedict through to Bin Laden.

It's a radical and dangerous concept, and it scares those who are sitting comfortably in their pews, and extolling a milque toast message from their safe and secure pulpits ...

Evangelizing the Gospel is about celebrating the Apocalyptic Welcome that boldly proclaims a place INSIDE for the 2.2 MILLION United Church people who are no longer home ...

Evangelizing the Gospel is about celebrating the Apocalyptic Welcome that boldly proclaims a place INSIDE for the OTHER 27 MILLION Canadians who are NOT United Church ...

Evangelizing the Gospel is about celebrating the Apocalyptic Welcome that boldly proclaims a place INSIDE for EVERYONE from Bin Laden through to Bush ...

And that kind of evangelism scares the day lights out of those vested with the power and prestige, because it means a total loss of control, and it means they may well be called to task for their sins and mis-deeds ...

There is a REASON why the 2.2 million are no longer within the fold ... evangelism means hearing their story, and engaging their journey as we invite them back ...

If the United Church of Canada is to survive, it must confront its own sins and embrace the resurrection that comes with LIVING the WELCOME APOCALYPTICALLY, and with he Gospel front and centre ... at the end of the day, it's about proclaiming THE Message in a way that doesn't leave a 15 year old shaking his head and saying - "I'm outta here ..."

Anything else is simply absurd ... The Message of the Cross is about welcoming in ALL people unconditionally - you get it - I get it - but too many of our colleagues DON'T ... and that's the greatest hindrance to fulfilling our calling to evangelism as a people and a church !!

I have more ... but I'm feeling weary ... peace my friend ...

One tiny action at a time ...

Sometimes it is the people we walk by every day,
People we don't even see,
People who we fail to notice, who may be amongst the most significant ...

Recently the downtown community in Brandon paused to say good bye to one of its own. I was privileged to be asked to lead the Memorial Service ... together we celebrated the profound impact a single life can have on a circle of friends, a family, and a community ...

This week the Wheat City Journal published my reflection on the impact one life can sometimes have ...

To read the article "Saying Good Bye to Archie" click here.

Watching the steam rise ... Adam and Shawn in Dialogue #9...

To read and review what Adam has offered in this conversation - click here to visit his blog.

Adam:

I like the imagery you've offered about the importance of sitting down and sharing a meal, particularly in the setting of the Middle East and the conflict that exists between the Palestinians and the Israelis ... I remember the study tour I took with UofT back in the late 80's to that region and over and over when you stepped away from the political rhetoric, and engaged people one on one, they all expressed a desire for peace, and the ALL expressed no personal animosity towards the other ... the problem is the politicking that takes hold and the hollow meaningless, yet potent stereo types that are called upon ...

I once shared a sprite with a "Terrorist" who in 1968 was part of a group who hijacked and blew up a jet as part of the Palestinian struggle for liberation and freedom ... it was one of those moments in my life that dramatically altered my experience and understanding of the world ... He shared openly his involvement and his experience, and he reflected on the pros and cons ... I left his presence different ... such is the power of sharing a meal ... don't you think that's why our founder made the meal - DINNER - actually EATING - central to his ministry???

When you break bread with someone, you are opening yourself up to them ... you are making yourself vulnerable ... but more importantly, you are living your trust ... you trust the other person NOT to poison your food ... you trust the other person NOT to plunge the knife into you ... you trust the other person to sit with you and TALK ...

That's why sharing a meal is not only central to our experience as a people, but is revolutionary and DANGEROUS ... if we can sit down at table with one another, it is POSSIBLE that enemies will become friends ... and the words of the prophets will finally come to pass ...

Yet, in the Church we scoff at such ideas and we 'poo poo' the suggestion that we can actually alter the world and change the trajectory of events ... But, correctly me if I am wrong Adam, but isn't transformation the very heart of the Gospel ???

Isn't bringing the KINGDOM (NOT the Kindom - KINGDOM !!!!) of God into being part of our calling as people of faith??

Alas, somewhere along the line complacency and docility have prevailed, and we in the Church, to say nothing of the society around us sit and wait for things to happen ... we've lost the enthusiasm and passion to be part of the solution in an active way ...

I applaud your contention that you have been called to Ministry ... I too have been called to ministry, and of that there is little doubt. The problem arises when the act of discerning what that means, and what that ministry looks like is vested in the hands of amateurs and people who have nary a clue of what being "called" looked and feels like ...

Can you imagine Amos, Hosea, John, Paul or even Jesus standing before the discernment process in the modern Church expressing their call to ministry??

They wouldn't have a chance ... they would be rejected out-right ...

Yet, we are called ... called to a transformative ministry in a Church that has openly embraced the status quo and that has actively pursued the path of least resistance, while pretending to be inclusive, welcoming and open ...

It's an interesting crossroads we've reached.

Today I read that the General Council has pulled the plug on the Emerging Spirit campaign. Something that doesn't surprise me, but that saddens me greatly.

The Emerging Spirit is indicative of what ails the United Church of Canada ... one segment gets it and welcomes it and is living it, while another segment - the one who controls the money - doesn't get it and openly rejects it and opposes everything it stands for while wondering where the new people are ...

The bottom line is that for all its eloquent and wondrous talk, the United Church of Canada is well and truly doomed by its complacency, its fear and its opposition to new ideas and concepts ...

I would cite as an example of this a blog entry I posted in 2007 that shared a moment I spent with a family who had just received the diagnosis of terminal cancer in their parent. The parent, a dear and cherish personal friend was an avid reader of my blog. When our conversation unfolded with a smile they said - "Blog this ... this is so worth blogging ..."

I did.

I have no regrets for the decision, though that particular entry was cited by many in the community as "PROOF" that I had violated the confidence entrusted in my by the family, and reason to shut down not only my blog, but ALL blogs by ALL clergy ...

Such is the visceral fear that exists in the Church.

People who fail to grasp the potential and possibility of the Internet as a means of communication, information and yes, dammit, I'll use the word - EVANGELISM, want to shut down things they fail to understand before they have taken time to appreciate what they have before them ... these are the people - the SAME people - who will hit 'forward' on a dozen viral emails every day, but who do not want their Minister to post his thoughts and his experiences for the world to see ... WHY???

Fear my friend.

Fear of difference.

Fear of the unknown.

Fear of losing control.

Fear of realizing that they NEVER had control.

These are the folks who want a nice, calm, docile, CONTROLLABLE minister, preferably retired, or close to retirement, who won't rock the boat, who won't ruffle feathers, and who won't challenge them in their complacency ...

I'm not that kind of minister - never was.

You are not that kind of minister - don't even try to be Adam - you're better than that.

Embrace your calling and KNOW that when you are called by God the human institution that is The Church will do EVERYTHING it can to limit and corral and CONTROL that calling ... but the Spirit will do EVERYTHING to unchain, release and enflame that calling ...

At the end of the day it's ALL about transformation ... and transformation is a scary place for many people because it means change and it means having to deal with a complacency that is deep and generational and worst of ALL comfortable. (Find Pierre Berton's book The Comfortable Pew written in the late 60's - he named it THEN ...)

I remember challenging a congregation that was struggling financially to consider putting the equivalent of ONE cup of take out coffee a WEEK onto the collection plate as an extra donation ... now, to contextualize this - it was a very very wealthy congregation. Most of its members were retired folks who drove cars that were less than 3 years old, many got new cars EVERY year, many jetted off every winter for southern holidays, and almost ALL of them had a dozen or more community involvements that required a fairly healthy outlay of financial resources ... I knew for a fact that the vast majority of the folks went out daily for coffee somewhere in the area - I met many of them on an ongoing basis at the local coffee shops ...

SO, the thought of tossing a couple of bucks EXTRA on the offering plate and foregoing a cup of coffee ONE day in the week should not have been a big deal ...

Boy, was I wrong. The hew and cry that erupted was almost scary ... people accused me of being a "socialist" ... people told me I was being "absurd" and "stupid" ... the old guard were outraged that I should suggest that they curtail their personal pleasures for a donation to the church ... and on and on it went ...

All for the price of one cup of coffee ...

I experienced a similar reaction when I and others suggested that our local presbytery begin using Fair Trade Coffee exclusively for our meetings and for ALL Presbytery related gatherings ... One of our colleagues objected on the basis that it was "more expensive than regular coffee, and it was too inconvenient to get ..."

"Isn't that the point?" I countered, "Fair Trade is about helping the coffee growers by making the commitment of our time and our MONEY to the cause of JUSTICE ..."

Eventually the proponents of Fair Trade prevailed ... but it was not a pleasant fight ... all within the Courts of the Church ...

All for the price of a cup of coffee ...

We in the Church have gotten very good at saying the right words and committing to the "right" concepts providing it is happening somewhere else, and it isn't interfering with our lives and our immediate tiny little world ... And the Leadership of the Church, instead of challenging people to overcome thier short-sightedness have instead committed themselves to spoonfeeding the laity, patting their hands knowingly, and comforting them in their complacency ... warm pink fuzzies ALL the WAY !!!

Transformation and Change are good buzz words, but remain nothing more than words ... they are never put into action ... Instead you WILL hear over and over the refrain - "wait, just wait ... change will come ... trust in the Spirit ... just wait ..."

I've heard it a MILLION times Adam ... from people I once respected, who have long tenure of service to the Church, and who have witnessed change unfolding ALL around them ... but for some reason when it comes to embracing change on their front door step they chose to pull up a chair, put up their feet and let the status quo prevail ...

I wonder if the fundamental problem here is a difference between a leadership who is CALLED and a leadership who is self-appointed ??

I've always feared the politically ambitious in our Church. They hunger for position and prestige all the while denying they are trying to climb the corporate ladder ... I fear those people, and our Church courts and our committees are overflowing with them ...

I, like you have never aspired to attain offices in the Church. I seek only to serve with the talents and abilities I possess. I've offered myself to the Church and at times have been "rewarded" with positions and offices that in the opinions of the Old Guard I was NOT suited for ... I know my tenure as Chair of our Presbytery ruffled more than a few feathers ...

But at the end of the day, I need to look into the mirror that is before me and I alone have to utter the words - "I'm okay!"

I am called to ministry - not ministry to The Church, but ministry to the World by sharing the Gospel, and that calling invokes fear in many people, because when you stand before the world buoyed by the Spirit, there is not control by the Institution that is The Church!

I would cite as an example of this conflict my tenure as Soccer Coach to the Over 16 Year Old boys in my community. For four years I coached a team of boys and spent many hours in conversation and in community with them. On the sidelines I CHOSE to talk in their language. I never swore at them, but did at times swear with, or more aptly swear LIKE them ...

Along the way we formed a relationship that was more than just coach and player ... I became a friend, a counsellor and a trusted source of advice and a listening ear. In short, by NOT acting like a Minister, I became their minister ... to this day I still get phone calls, emails, and visits with the "boys" ... we talk about life, the universe and everything ... By being real and being me, I became something more than a mealy mouthed ivory tower lap dog for the old guard.

Along the way though, there were voices who opposed what I was doing and how I was acting (my choice of words would NOT be acting but simply BEING). They didn't want their minister "swearing". They didn't want their minister "being real". They didn't want their minister "being like those teens ..."

In short - THEY WANTED POWER.

And when they didn't get it, they responded with FEAR ... I've often wondered what they were afraid of ... did they envy the rapport I had with the kids ?? ... did they fear the skeletons in their closets being dumped out on the floor by their children, thereby eliminating the myth of pristine and perfect community leaders?? ... or did they just fear the simple fact they had no control over me because I wasn't willing to play their petty politicking games ???

Whatever it was that motivated them, the outcome was the brutal and savage and anything but faithful ... yet, it was ALL in keeping with the polity and procedures of the United Church of Canada ...

We're in an interesting time ... the status quo is complacent and docile, with a self-appointed leadership who manipulate the political process of the Institution to maintain at ALL costs, control over The Church ... while the winds of change are blowing and the Spirit is leading the CALLED leadership to places and corners that yearn for the Gospel ...

The Church is about power and control ...

The Gospel is about Grace and Freedom ...

I was called to be a minister of the Gospel ...

The funny thing though, looking back over the last three years, the Leadership of the Church - that pious faithful group who enacted the rules and faithfully followed the policies and procedures, have not ONCE asked about me or how I'm doing ... Like Pilate, they've washed their hands of their responsibility and returned to their petty palaces focusing on their positions of power and authority leaving the wounded to die alone, forgotten and outside the halls of prestige they roam about in ...

My soccer boys - the unwanted youth who were regarded as "outsiders" by the "good" church people have kept in touch and have repeatedly asked me how I've been doing ...

I wonder Adam, which group is being truly faithful ???

And yet, when I dare to raise this question in Church Courts I am reminded that ONLY members of the Church have a say in Pastoral Matters and it is ONLY the Members of the Church who direct the policy and procedure of The Church ... and so today the members tighten their grip on the status quo and tell the 2.2 MILLION folks who are United Church, that THEY SIMPLE DO NOT MATTER, and they never did ...

All because we fear letting go of what is and embracing what the Spirit calls us to ...

I am Called to Ministry Adam - so are you ... and that Calling is NOT to the Institution that is The Church ... it is a calling to sharing the Gospel - don't EVER forget it ... it starts by having the WILLINGNESS to engage people where THEY are, and to hear their stories on THEIR terms ... it starts by being real, and that is perhaps the greatest threat to the status quo that there is ...

peace my friend,

Mirror, Mirror on the wall ... Adam and Shawn in Dialogue #7 ...

To visit Adam's contributions to this conversation visit his blog by clicking here: http://adamkilner.blogspot.com/

Adam:

I apologize for being late in my reply, but summer has finally arrived in Manitoba with beautiful warm temps and sunny skies ... after I fixed my couch in the living room, it was time to enjoy being outdoors ... but rest assured, as I wandered around in the sunshine, I thought about our conversations.

One thing that became apparent to me is the definite lack of comment from any of the folks who are reading what we have to say. We are getting HUNDREDS of readers each day, yet we've had less than a handful of comments, and some of them have been cautiously critical. Not that this surprises me, but it does disappoint me. A topic as pertinent as living our faith through an Apocalyptic Welcome should generate some conversation somewhere ... but even on Facebook we've had little response to our postings ...

No matter, the conversation will continue, because I believe the lack of comment and the content of the few comments we've received is indicative of the state of the Church.

What we are doing here is holding up a mirror before the Church and inviting the Church writ large to gaze into it and reflect on what they see there ... sadly many people don't want to reflect on what they see - they prefer to have their mirror LIE to them much like the wicked step mother/ Queen in Snow White who couldn't handle the truth when she was told it ...

I am mindful of a friend who worked with alcoholics and recovering alcoholic who once quipped that when you are on a healing journey and in a good place you can look in the mirror in the morning and say - "I'm okay ..."

But when you are not on a healing journey and you are not in a good place you can't look in that mirror and meet your own gaze, so instead of saying "I'm okay," he noted that the alcoholic will change one letter and instead say - "It's OKAY ..."

There's a HUGE difference between "I'm okay ..." and "It's okay ..."

The Church today has gotten very good at saying - "it's okay ..." but what it is called to by faith is having the courage and boldness and HEALTH to say "I'm okay !!"

Asking someone to make changes to fit in, is a place of "it's okay ..."

Welcoming the diversity of the human family and having a place for EVERYONE without condition, reservation or hesitation is a place of "I'm okay ..."

Seeing the 2.2 million UCC'ers who stand outside the Church today and doing absolutely NOTHING to hear their stories and address their hurts is a place of "It's okay ..."

Embracing the MAJORITY (that 2.2 MILLION UCC'ers) who stand outside and welcoming them in by HEARING their stories, HONOURING their stories, and EMBRACING them as members of the body is a place of "I'm okay ..."

Being able to say "I'm okay ..." individually or corporately is about wrestling with our own insecurities and doubts and finding a place to stand that doesn't hinge on fear.

Fear runs rampant in our Churches.

Historically it was fear that kept our churches in line. Clergy used the fear of hellfire and eternal damnation to keep people under their thumbs. Today fear has become more subtle, but no less real.

We fear difference ... difference in language, difference in sexuality, difference in music, difference in skin colour, difference in dress, difference in sexuality, difference in social status, difference in intelligence ...

We may speak eloquent words of inclusivity and welcome and openness, but when the mirror is held up before us and we are asked to honestly answer "are you really inclusive, welcoming and open?" The response is never a "NO" ... instead the answer is a subtle turn of the tail that shifts the blame to the person asking the question ... the person or moment asking the question is attacked ...

If a Gay person stands up and says - "the United Church has work to do on welcoming Gays and Lesbians," the chorus of denial is deafening ... I've heard Conference Meetings where this has happened ... In a place where "I'm okay..." is lived, the reply would be - "yes, you're right ... your experience is REAL, and needs to be honoured ..." and efforts would be made to improve what is happening ...

But instead, the Church will sigh and say - "well, we're doing the best that we can ..."

It's a place of "It's okay ..."

The move from "It's okay ..." to "I'm okay ..." demands critical self reflection ... in 12 Step terms it is the 10 steps that lie between admitting to our powerlessness, and telling the world about it. Unfortunately, my friend who observed astutely the difference one little letter can make, also observed that many alcoholics become very good at doing the 12 Step 2 Step ...

They admit to their powerlessness over alcohol and skip the other 10 steps focusing on telling the world about it ... without the critical self reflection of the 10 steps that lie in between the first and the twelfth, the message being conveyed is utterly useless ...

The Church has in its on way become quite adept at dancing the 12 Step 2 Step ... we demand of our candidate in Ministry critical self-reflection, but we never demand it of others in the Church ... when was the LAST time a Board Chair was called to task for their behaviour?? If we are to stand in a place of "I'm okay ..." the clergy and the lay should be treated equally in this regard ... BOTH are equally members of the Body, and BOTH must be held to the SAME standards ...

But to suggest this in an Institution that is firmly embedded in "It's okay ..." thinking, means the reaction will be swift and will actively deny the need for such equality or fairness ... Instead a sigh is offered and the excuses begin ...

Faith is NOT about excuses ... remember what Jesus said to the young man who wanted to go back and say good bye to his family??

"Once you put your hand to the plough, you can't look back ..."

Jesus understood the necessity of letting go and with critical self-reflection, finding our way to a place where we can say, mean and LIVE the idea - "I'm okay ..."

It ALL starts with a mirror ... let's look into it and honestly, frankly and openly assess what we see reflected there ... we have no alternative in living our faith ...

Busting up the Concrete ... Adam and Shawn in Dialogue #5 ...

Click here to visit Adam's Blog at adamkilner.blogspot.com

Adam,

There is no need to explain where the idea came from for Apocalyptic Welcome - take credit for coming up with a great image and an even better word and entrust it into the cosmos to help ALL of us understand it better through practical experience ...

I like the image you offer of the politicial machinations of the bureacracy we call the Church and how Bandy identifies the tendency within that bureacracy to chew up and spit out new leaders who fail to conform to the corporate entity that is The Modern Church.

I appreciate your observation of living the welcome as nothing more than scratching the concrete. To that I offer a hearty AMEN !!

We have to stop shuffling the deck chairs to get a better view of the iceberg that has mortally wounded the Titanic we stand on ... we have to stop scraping and repainting the concrete in a vain attempt to make things better ... we need to embrace the radical (radical is to be understood as a return to the fundamentals of faith) notion of breaking through the concrete structures that surround us, and create something new in the ruins that result ...

Instead, we stand in a place of FEAR ... paralysis has set in, and we (speaking collectively of The Church) fail to act because it might offend someone, it might ruffle some feathers, it might cause someone to leave ... MY GAWD - when did the church become such a wimpy apologetic institution???

Jesus revelled in offending people, he lived for ruffling feathers, and he wasn't afraid to drive someone out ... look at his visit to the Temple ... Jesus was anything BUT apologetic. He stood solidly on the Word of God and uttered Truth.

The truth that is Jesus Christ is a non-negotiable, and it is an anathema to say it in the modern Church, but it is also offensive to the status quo ... the Word of God - the Truth of Christ is about all that you expressed AND it is that apocalyptic welcome that brings ALL of humanity together without boundaries, conditions, or any terms of reference. The Truth of Christ is not about interpretation - it is about LIVING it ...

The failure to LIVE the Truth rest solely with the leadership of the Church. The leadership has failed to take chances ... they have failed to break thru the concrete barriers that are keeping the MAJORITY of people out ... we say the right words, but I go back to the observation of my personal experience and I put it bluntly - " if the United Church of Canada is the INCLUSIVE entity it believes itself to be, if the United Church of Canada is EVEN close to living an apocalyptic welcome, why then I am I left standing OUTSIDE staring in ????? IF we are truly inclusive there should be a place to make me feel welcome, and after the last three years of journeying in the United Church, I feel ANYTHING (and everything) BUT welcomed ..."

An inclusive, open and welcoming church doesn't set conditions on those entering through its doors ... that's a non-negotiable ...

An inclusive, open and welcoming church doesn't BLAME the wounded one who has been abused by others in the church, and DEMAND of them changes that they themselves are unwilling to make ...

An inclusive, open and welcoming church CALLS everyone to live up to the standards of faith, not just a select few ... if the Minister is called to account for thier misdeeds, then the Chair of the Board, the Choir Director, and the members of the Board are equally culpable and should be called to task too ...

An inclusive, open and welcoming church embraces and welcomes the transformation that follows the pruning and burning off promised repeatedly through the Scriptures ...

An inclusive, open and welcoming church is a prophetic voice that doesn't offer a warm pink fuzzy hug and pretend THAT's being faithful ...

In my opinion, from the journey I've trod, the UCC has a LONG way to go ...

"Majority" Rules ??? - Adam and Shawn in Dialogue #4 ...

(To view Adam's comments click here to visit his Blog)

Adam:

I find myself an entry behind in our dialogue. Your reflection on Apocalyptic Welcome and the theology that lies behind it is marvelous ... it fits well with the theme of the sermon I offered this morning in which I quoted you and connected our Lectionary Readings and the frustration that is evident in Jesus' words and in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, with the inability to grasp what an Apocalyptic Welcome looks like, much less feels like ... I think the theme of Apocalyptic Welcome is one that will run throughout these conversations ... how can it not?? You've put into words what has been central to my view of faith since my days of studying at McMaster back in the late 80's !!!

Well done young man !!

Now, to you observations about democracy and the Church ... I can not agree more. Democracy has a place in the Church when it comes to finding CONSENSUS around issues that are trivial. When it comes to issues of Faith and the direction of Ministry and the claiming of ecclesiastical authority democracy is doomed to fail, even if the Church was enlightened and well educated - both pre-conditions that are lacking in this United Church of Ours.

As I prepare to bolster the case for letting go of the foolish belief that democracy has a place in The Church, I would offer you a quotation that is no doubt familiar to you ... it was penned by one of the great wild cards of the 20th Century while he sat in a jail cell for opposing what he clearly regarded as an unjust law ... a law that was "democratically" created, but a law that was unjust and doomed to fall because it was unjust before the Gospel ... thou he stood alone with this contention, he later found the historical understanding that "that which opposes God will not stand" come to pass, in the moment he wrote these words, the MAJORITY of people believed he was utterly and simply WRONG ...

"We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct-action campaign that was "well timed" in view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."
"We have waited for more that 340 years for our constitutional and Godgiven rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, "Wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking, "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?"; when you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading "white" and "colored" when your first name becomes "Nigger," your middle name becomes "boy" (however old you are) and your last name becomes "John," and your wife and mother are never given the respected title "Mrs."; when your are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodiness" then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience. "

The writer was of course The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, and he was, as he sat in the Birmingham jail, deeply enmeshed in the battle for civil rights - a battle that as you've noted had been waged at the ballot box, would still be raging ... sometimes democracy is simply and completely WRONG, even when the majority speaks ... think of South Africa - the majority wanted Apartheid to continue ... need we say more??

In the Church though, there is another issue that no one wants to acknowledge ... that of simple demographics ... if we allow democratic process ALONE govern the polity and procedures and the THEOLOGY of the Church, as we've done these last 80 years, we're actually handing ALL the power over to a very small group of people ...

A few sobering statistics from the United Church itself:

- in 2001 2.84 MILLION people in Canada - that was 9.6% of the population identified themselves as 'United Church'

- during this same time we identified roughly 700 000 people in Canada as MEMBERS of the United Church

- in 2007 there were approximately 200 000 people attending worship REGULARLY at the United Church Congregations across Canada

So, to do some math ... we have about 10% of the population of the Country calling itself United Church ... of that 10 % we have roughly a THIRD of THOSE people as actual members ... AND of that 10 % of the population we have less than TEN PER CENT (200 000) actually attending worship ... out of a national population of around 30 million people, we have 200 000 people attending worship regularly ...

Unfortunately there is no breakdown of that 200 000 to determine the ratio of member to adherents, because that's the point where the rubber hits the road ... in most of the Congregations I've familiar with there is a sizable number of folks attending regular worship who are NOT members, and there is a sizable number of MEMBERS who seldom darken the door of the sanctuary for worship ...

What ALL of this means is - a Church that is already a serious minority in the Country is controlled by a minority of a minority ... the members who regularly attend worship, who at MOST would number 150 000 nationally, control entirely the agenda and the direction of the church ...

Go back to your comment from Easum ... who is holding desperately to the status quo and is terrified of the changes that are breaking over us ???

To speak in broad generalities it is that 150 000 people, who control the affairs of the United Church.

And to further complicate the issues we KNOW that 70% of the 2200 active clergy serving the Church today are OVER 50 ... AND, they are assisted by a further 2000 retired clergy who are actively providing leadership in their communities ...

SO, not only do we have a system stacked against the majority - it is being aided and abetted by an aging population of clergy who may or may not be able to embrace and envision the change we are currently in the midst of.

Look at the explosion of online resources ... when I was ordained in 1993, the internet was unknown ... the first exploratory steps was a thing called ecunet ... then in time came email. I can remember suggesting around 1996 that we could hold Presbytery Committee Meetings online by using emails and I the suggestion was not poo-poo'ed, it was outright ridiculed ... the very idea of meeting via the net was regarded as ludicrous ... yet look where we are today ... The heart of the outreach undertaken by the UCC today is ONLINE ... wondercafe, blogs, emails, twitter, ALL of it is means of communicating the Gospel if we are open to it ...

But, look at what is wending its way through the Church today ... there is an reactive response to blogs like mine that wants to silence them ... instead of recognizing that blogs, twitter and other modern media are a means of reaching out to the TWO MILLION AND SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE who do NOT attend regular worship the minority who control the structure of the Church would rather silence voices they can not control ...

If the Church was truly interested in survival they would be actively listening to WHY those 2.6 MILLION people DON'T attend worship ... instead we shrug and dismiss them until there is a capital campaign or a fundraiser - THEN we search them out ... but when they speak of the wounding they've received at the hands of the Church, and they share their stories of pain and isolation from The Body, we don't want to hear it.

We have to ignore them lest we look into the mirror they hold up before us and we realize that WE, those who remain in the Church have work to do ...

Maybe the unfaithful ones are NOT those who are outside looking in ... maybe the unfaithful ones are the few who remain clinging to power and prestige and clutching the status quo ...

I find it fascinating that when I share the following quotation I get one of two reactions from people ...

The quotation is from 'Generation to Generation' by Rabbi Friedman (It's a book you MUST have in your library Adam - I wish I had it 20 years ago!!)

Friedman writes:

"In a family emotional system, when an unresolved problem is isolated in one of its members and fixed there by diagnosis, it enables the rest of the family to 'purify' itself by locating the source of its 'disease' in the disease of the IDENTIFIED PATIENT. By keeping the focus on one of its members, the family, personal or congregational, can deny the very issues that contributed to making one of its members symptomatic, even if it ultimately harms the entire family."

When I've shared this quotation with people who have been wounded by the Church they can identify the disease of the Congregation and how the Scaping Goating has occurred and will supply names and dates and examples of this process in action - usually spanning generations and involving minister after minister after minister ...

But when I've shared it with folks IN the church, particularly in active leadership, they DENY the process within the Church, they counsel at the danger of seeing the Clergy as the Identified Patient - EVER, and they pick fault with Friedman ... in short - they dismiss out of hand the very thought that scaping goating ever happens in the Church. They are so dependent on maintaining the status quo and not allowing for dissent, that they MUST - they absolutely MUST deny the possibility of problems with the way things are ...

As one who has been scape goated for the problems of a community, I can see how the pattern Friedman identified played out for myself and for my predecessors, some of whom I've spoken with and heard their story that remarkably involves the SAME people and families ... yet, the Leadership of the Church clings desperately to the flawed ideal that democratic processes WILL rid the church of the disease that ails it ...

The idea is simple - get rid of the minister and it will be all better ...

Makes sense historically - after all, for hundreds of years the Jews operated on the same principle with the Scape Goat that was driven into the wilderness to die bearing the sins of the people so they could carry on sinning for another year ... until God said - "ENOUGH!!"

In that moment there was no democracy, just the thundering voice of God speaking through the prophets who said - Your ways are no longer appealing to God ...

In today's Church, the prophets are speaking ... they are the mavericks, the wild cards, the bloggers and those of US who will not go quietly because a vote has determined we are no longer welcome ... Votes are good for deciding on the colour of the carpet, or the type of curriculum our Sunday Schools should use, but when it comes to guiding the polity of the Church and shaping the Theology, there is a reason why some of us are called and ORDAINED to leadership ... The Body of Christ includes everyone, but it never said it was a democracy ... last time I checked, the Body of Christ was lead by the Head - Christ Himself ... and as the ultimate wild card, I find it doubtful Christ would condone the dismissal of ministers by a "democratic" vote that is weighted against them, and that is ANYTHING BUT democratic ...

Go back to the quotation from King and think about what it means to say "wait" in the modern Church ... the reality of democracy in the Courts of the United Church is that there are conservatively TWO MILLION AND SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND people who have no vote, and no say and who are outside looking in and there is NO ONE in the power structure of the Church today willing to listen to their voices and thier hurts and their concerns ...

The Spirit doesn't call us to waiting ... the Spirit calls us to action ... action on behalf of the MAJORITY who are outside wanting to come home ...

Welcome Home?? ... Adam and Shawn in Dialogue # 3 ...

To read Adam's Reply at his blog - click here (it's worth checking out!!)

Adam:

Wow !! There isn't much in your reply that I can disagree with ... in fact there is much there I absolutely agree with, which makes me realize that a dialogue between the two of us will not be an exercise in dissent or disagreement between you and I, but rather it will be an affirmation of dissent with the STATUS QUO that holds sway in the United Church of Canada, and indeed, in most mainstream churches today ...

As I read your post, I couldn't help but think of a comment by former Moderator Bill Phipps who in an interview with Pamela Wallin (now senator) quipped - "the Canada we think we've created isn't the Canada that is out there when we look ..."

Today I've come to realize the Church we think we've created and maintained and been a part of, is NOT the Church that is out there when we look ... You hit the nail on the proverbial head with the observation of the Mavericks and Wild Cards. And God have mercy on your soul if you dare to self-identify with the prophetic in the Church today ... the discomfort that causes OTHERS will lead them to pull out whatever knives they have available to cut you down and tear you up, and leave you battered and bleeding by the side of the road ...

So, are we to throw up our hands and simply give up?

Do we let the status quo prevail?

Or do we let the Spirit do Her work, and lead us where we need to go in our faith journey?

My friend, today perhaps like never before I feel confident and truly positive about the Church. A curmudgeonly white preacher with wounds and bruises from his journey through the United Church, who stands outside wishing to come home, but finding no place willing to welcome him AND a young NON-white preacher, musician, student, and visionary who carries a radical (and dare I say dangerous) vision of what WILL be when we step out of the way and let the Spirit prevail, have come together to talk together about the issue of being a Welcoming, Inclusive and OPEN Church ... Adam, if this dialogue isn't an act of the Spirit, then we truly live in a time and place that is devoid of the Spirit ... we are but two insignificant voices, but the words we dare to speak are revolutionary, inflammatory, and necessary to be spoken ...

The challenge will be to endure the slings and arrows of those who fear change ... those in the bureaucracy who fear not only the paradigm shift we are living, but fear the very changes that shift represents ...

I am glad to hear you have been invited to sit at the table with the head bureaucrats in our Church as part of the Moderator's Advisory Council, and I for one welcome that you came as a wild card ... the Church needs more wild cards and mavericks, but the church is not prepared to embrace much less support those wild cards and mavericks ...

Your story about the church where the preacher opened the Bible and let it speak inspires and saddens me ... If he was in the United Church, he would be finished ... we won't fire the "deacons". We let the status quo prevail by hiding behind what is called democracy and a councilor church ...

Ever been in a Congregation when a controversy hits and a vote needs to be taken on the continuance of a Ministry?

It's an amazing thing ... the Church polarizes and ALL those folks who haven't darkened the door of the Church for years are invited to come out and VOTE so that the status quo can prevail ... the lines are drawn between members who don't support the ministry, and adherents who donate and volunteer their time, talents and treasures, and the Old Guard WILL prevail because the bureaucracy is stacked in THEIR FAVOUR ... and to even say that such blatant abuse and mis-use of the policies and procedures of the Church happens makes you a very un-welcomed presence in Church circles ... we want the Church to be NICE, and PINK and FUZZY ... we're not interested in talking about the Apocalyptic Welcome that you spoke of, much less living it ... Ministries that embrace the Apocalyptic Welcome, or that embrace the paradigm shift we're in the middle of are doomed by those "who insist on clinging to the status quo" because they are the ones that are not only turned to, they are the ones who set the agenda and control the mechanisms of power ...

Yesterday, the comment left in the exchange on your facebook page - "maybe you need to make some changes" is telling ... I as a white, educated, middle class male am being painted as the villain and being asked - no, being TOLD that I need to make changes to fit in ... do we tell the First Nations people to change to fit in?? Do we tell the Filipino people to change to fit in?? Do we tell the gay and lesbians to change to fit in?? Did we tell YOU, Adam to change to fit in??

I will not suggest that there is a double standard at work - but instead ponder who sits in our pews on a Sunday morning when the United Church sits down to worship?

Are our congregations like that you shared, filled with a multiplicity of ethnic and cultural backgrounds?

Oh, sure we have ethnic ministries scattered across the country and many of our congregations have non-white families and members, but ... we are anything BUT an integrated Church ... we have ghetto-ized ourselves by maintaining a predominantly white middle to upper class identity ... and to say this opens ourselves to criticism ...

It's a vicious circle, this Apocalyptic Welcome ... to proclaim it is to reveal how what we are currently is lacking ... and to point out that short fall is to criticise the Church and THAT makes everyone uncomfortable, and in thier discomfort they get nasty and attack us ...

SO, what do we do?

How do we move this Church of ours to a place where the Status Quo falls away and the voices on the margins, and beyond the warm glow of our sanctuaries is not only heard, but honoured and heeded ???

I think firing all the "deacons" would be a good start ... like the mythic phoenix, what is needed is a dying to prepare for the resurrection ... Communities and Congregations that have failed to embrace the radical Apocalyptic Welcome that is central and essential to the Christian message WILL die ... and from the four or five who remain, the Spirit will bring a resurrection of something that is UNLIKE what we've experienced thus far ... having the courage to ask lay leaders who have been less than charitable and who have been incompetent in their work within the church to step aside is a good place to start - but we're so afraid of offending, we simply won't do that ... Friedman hits it when he outlines the toxicity of faith communities continuing for generations. But in the United Church, we WILL NEVER dare to name that toxicity - instead we will pretend it will go away with time ...

It doesn't. Like any untreated wound it festers and spreads ... we owe it to the health of the body to enact justice for all, not just retribution against those who make us uncomfortable ...

I had a great compliment paid to me today - a friend said in an email:

"I still believe that you need to be involved in street ministry at some level because you are not afraid of the people on the street. Faith is not the ivory tower for you and there are SO FEW Ministers who are able to minister to the less pretty in our world. You have that gift. Yes you also have the gift of taking their message to those who don’t get it, but clearly that is the less popular of your gifts judging from the reaction of the UC to your determined belief in justice and doing what is right. Damn you, you real Christian! And thank you for not EVER being able to go quietly. You may not have changed them but you made them think damn hard."

All of this makes me mindful of the late Reverend R, who was a mentor of mine in ministry. Looking back over 70 some years of active and lively ministry he once commented - "you are ordained to ministry in the BODY OF CHRIST. The Body of Christ my boy, the Body of the Living Christ, not some namby-pamby social club, not some warm pink fuzzy place to come and get hugs and get sent on your way, but the BODY OF THE LIVING CHRIST. A place where the afflicted are comforted, and the comfortable are afflicted, and the Way of Christ is preached AND LIVED !!!"

The Way of Christ is about discomfort and having to think hard ...

The Way of Christ is indeed an Apocalyptic Welcome ...

The Way of Christ is indeed firing the deacons ...

The Way of Christ is indeed speaking from the margins ...

The Way of Christ is indeed letting the wild cards and mavericks have their say ...

The Way of Christ is about letting go of what has been, and embracing what will be ...

If The Way of Christ is to dawn upon us, the first step is by refraining from asking people to CHANGE to fit in, but to adapt who we are to INCLUDE everyone - especially those who irritate and annoy us ... because sometimes the Prophetic voices, and in this I include YOU Adam, are about making some of us incredibly uncomfortable ... because in our discomfort we will find a mirror that challenges us with the simple question - WHY ??

Why am I uncomfortable??

Why am I angry??


Why am I hesitant to hear him/her??

Why am I feeling this way??

Grappling with the answers to that Why is the heart of our faith ... looking Christ in the eye and asking if we've been faithful and true to our calling is where we begin and end ...

So, Adam ... we agree on the centrality of the Apocalyptic Welcome ... we agree on the need for the prophetic voices ... and we agree on the importance of preaching from the margins ... but how do we move those clinging desperately to the Status Quo to let go and trust in the Spirit to catch them???

The conversation continues ...

peace my friend,

The Adam-Shawn Dialogue ... first entry ...

It takes courage to dissent ... and in the Church, dissent usually means exile, rejection and no longer being in community ...

I welcome dissent ...

Faith without dissent and dialogue and doubt, is dead and lacks anything dynamic and life affirming.

Dissent doesn't mean that the one dissenting is 'wrong' or 'misguided' or ill-informed. Sometimes dissent means the Spirit is active and opening eyes, ears, hearts and souls to what is happening around and stirring up something that will in time bring about change and transformation ...

Dissent in the Church has in time lead to many wonderful attributes of faith ... the inclusion and ordination of women ... the inclusion and ordination of self-professed gays and lesbians ... the inclusion of gays and lesbians in the life of the WHOLE church and of course the vital work done with First Nations people across Canada that has lead to apologies, offers of healing and the first steps of reconciliation ...

But Dissent in the Church is often resented and resisted ... it takes time for the prophetic voices to be heard, and may God help you if your prophetic voice colours outside the lines of what is acceptable ...

Mine is a voice of dissent ... I'll own it ... and I will not shirk away from it.

Mine is also a voice that is sharp and shrill and at times offered in a way that is blunt and unapologetic. I don't have time for the niceties of politicking and posturing ... I was raised to say it, do it and get on with it ...

Mine is a faith that is about living what you say, and saying what you believe and not allowing the hypocrisy of double standards and two-faced-ness get in the way ... The me you'll meet in the pulpit on Sunday is the SAME me you'll meet in the grocery store on Tuesday. I'm blunt, I curse, I LOVE to laugh and joke, I am highly intelligent, well read, slightly arrogant, and incredibly senstive to what people say and do around me ... AND - I don't have time for social niceties for their own sake ... I like to get to the point and deal with stuff ... I'll say what I'm thinking or feeling, and I might ruffle your feathers or brush you the wrong way ...

My feeling about all of that is - It's ME !!! It's how I am, it's WHO I am, and I make no apologies for it ...

What I marvel at is the repeated affirmation by those OUTSIDE the church that I am the kind of minister they have been looking for ... they value my honesty and bluntness, they welcome and encourage my openness to ideas, concepts and experiences that are not politically nice, they affirm repeatedly that 'if there were more ministers like you, there would be more people in church ...' BUT, the people in the pews have not always taken to me, nor treated me kindly ... mine is a path marked by conflict and disagreement ...

I'll own a rigidity in my expectations of others, and a stubbornness when it comes to failure and betrayal ... you may get to disappoint me, or hurt me once - but you will seldom get a second chance ...

So, I find myself outside the Church ... a wanderer ... homeless from the denomination that nurtured me and my ministry, and that instilled in me a powerful call to ministry ... I am no longer made welcome in 'This United Church of Ours ..." and my experience is NOT unique ...

My greatest sin is that I won't simply go quietly and play nice ... I will continue to name the injustice and the unfairness and the incredible bias that has been shown to me ... I will NOT silence my voice for the sake of niceness ... the more I am rejected and treated as an outcast, the louder my voice has become ...

This is NOT a case of trying to prevail by volume ... this is a case of being CALLED and ANNOINTED and ORDAINED by the Spirit to be in Ministry ... my ministry includes, and indeed perhaps is focused on those who are outside the Church, and who no longer feel welcome within ...

Why is it, when you ask about those outside the church the leadership won't discuss it, but highlights the tremendous 'outreach' they are doing??

Why is it when a congregation experiences growth, and then rejects the leadership and dwindles, no one wants to wrestle with "WHY?" but are content to blame the leader that is gone and appease the toxic old guard that remains??

Why is it when someone speaks up and says - "I feel like an outcast" the consensus and the reply from within the Structure of the Church is to tear them down, belittle them further, and place the onus of responsibility for rejection and exile one THEIR shoulders ???

Why is it that in a place like the United Church of Canada, a place that prides itself on a long history and heritage of being inclusive, open, progressive and yes, even welcoming - when one feels anything but, and raises their concern with the leaders the response is to blame THEM, or to nod thier head sympathetically and to offer a "tsk-tsk" - "that sounds really tough ..." rather than admitting that when someone feels rejected and exiled, there are TWO sides to the responsibility of that experiences, and sometimes the one cast out is truly the victim ...

I'll end by pondering whether Jesus would have said to the lepers and the outcasts he encountered - "what did you do to cause this?" or would he reach out his hand, touch their woundedness, offer healing and WELCOME them back into the fold UNCONDITIONALLY, while condemning the prevailing custom of the day for being so backward and inhospitable ...

The Church is a place where ALL are supposedly welcome ... I wonder though, how well we live out that value in our day to day lives ??

Why are we willing to dismiss a lack of hospitality with a shrug of the shoulder and a "what are you gonna do?" when we see the hostility that is present in some corners of the Church?? How is such a lack of response helpful much less faithful??

This is Adam ... Trying SOMETHING new ...

This is Adam, a young man who is training in leadership in the United Church of Canada ... I will let him introduce himself to you later ... he and I have had many interesting discussions via United Online and other internet communications about life, the universe and issues of the Church ... his perspective from that of a non-white, young person is refreshing and necessary in our increasingly multi-cultural world ... He often has some profound things to say, that are worth hearing and reflecting on ...

Recently on his facebook page he posted a link to the upcoming Meeting of the United Church General Council Meeting to be held in BC. The issue he raised is that of Being Church in an Inter-cultural setting ... in short - being an inclusive, open and welcoming Church ...

Unfortunately, as is often the case the UCC is not willing to entertain dissent, and so the conversation will be somewhat one-sided, with contrary views allowed sparingly ... In an effort to balance the conversation and celebrate the role of intelligent, informed and at times argumentative debate - Adam and I are going to engage in a theological dialogue ON LINE ...

I've invited Adam, and he has accepted - to come and engage in conversation here about the issues involved in trying to be an Open, Inclusive and Welcoming Church ... my invitation was from an older curmudgeonly leader to a young, fresh preacher ...

I will promise ONLY ONE THING ... whatever Adam choses to write for posting will appear here uneditted ... the heart of open and honest debate begins with the willingness to dissent ...

Oh and Adam - I will be in Ontario in late August ... we will formally end our discussion over beverages somewhere in the Kitchener-Waterloo area - and we'll post pictures to prove it !!!

For now ... let the games begin ...

Hmmm ... Inclusivity is more than a word ...

I love the United Church of Canada.
Inspite of everything I've been through, I still regard it as my spiritual home.
I love the stances that United Church has taken historically on everything from the place of women in its ministry, to the role of Gays & Lesbians in its life ... the commitment to Justice and to living out faith have at times been inspiring ...

But the United Church has its dark chapters too ... the treatment of James Endicott and his family for standing with the Chinese Communists is appalling ... the treatment of First Nations People and the lengths it took for people like Willie Blackwater to receive a much deserved just response to their experience in Residential School ... and the continuing marginalization of Gay and Lesbian folks in the Church ... stand as examples of how and where the eloquent words spoken from the pulpit remain disconnected and removed from the pews ...

For all its faults, I believe that the United Church has within it the potential and possibility of embodying and sharing the Kingdom of God incarnate in our world ...

Alas, the United Church may hold those seeds of possibility, but without nurture and care, those seeds will never sprout, but will instead continue to wither and die ... all because dissent is no longer welcome ... conformity is the rule of the day ... and those of us who dare to raise issues and ask the questions that no one else wants to acknowledge much less wrestle with ...

Today, perhaps as never before the United Church of Canada stands poised to wrestle with the question of what it means to be an OPEN, INCLUSIVE and WELCOMING church ... the upcoming General Council Meetings are going to wrestle with the "Called to Be Church" document that was circulated a few months ago ... a document that is looking at living out the ministry and mandate of being Church in a mult-ethnic setting ...

I wish them well in their work ... but I expect only more empty words and hollow commitments to justice and inclusivity with nothing really changing on the ground ...

Today I read a comment that said ... "people who are outside should get over themselves and come inside to see what's happening now, instead of wallowing in their preconceived notions about the church."

I can't help but wonder - why is it that those IN the Church - a church that claims to be open and welcoming and INCLUSIVE, keep asking those of us who feel rejected and who stand outside such questions like - "what do YOU need to change?"

If the UCC was truly the Inclusive Church is claims to be such questions would never arise ... would you ask the homeless mom to have a shower before giving her a bowl of soup?? Would you ask the First Nations guy to sober up before letting him bed down for the night?? Would you ask the person reaching for the communion loaf if they were 'worthy' before letting them partake??

Yet, voices like mine who are not related to the powers that be, and who do not blindly support leadership because of their longevity and connectedness ... voices who dare to speak openly, freely and without hesitation are ridiculed, rejected and told "YOU are the problem."

Funny ... over and over in the last few months I've met more and more people who have shared with me their personal and very painful stories of having been rejected by the Church. They've talked openly about "the Old Guard" holding sway, they've shared the moments when they were forced to leave with a smile on the face of the other who suggested 'you don't really belong here' in sugary sweet words dripping with malice ... over and over I've encountered deeply spiritual people who yearn to return to "The Church" but who are deeply wounded and hurt by their experiences and who repeatedly feel belittled and ignored when they try to share these experiences with those still in the Church ...

The knowing nodding of the head and the empty - "that's sounds tough ..." that many of the modern Clergy-types have gotten good at offering is NOT good pastoral care.

Letting monstrous and hurtful behaviour continue unchallenged is NOT good pastoral care.

Failing to confront the toxicity that pours from too many pulpits in our land is NOT good pastoral care.

And ignoring the voices of those who stand with their noses pressed against the glass looking in at what was once their spiritual home is not only BAD Pastoral Care ... it's an abomination to all things faithful and spirit-filled.

Over and over we have encountered studies and research documents that highlight the agony of those who have been driven out of the Church ... and yet our leadership habitually ignores both the documentation about AND the people experiencing that alienation. Instead they continue to rearrange the deck chairs and pretend this vessel we stand on is NOT strickened and wounded and SINKING!!!

It's sad really ... there is SO much potential ... but until we set the Spirit free and STOP putting limitations and restrictions on membership so as not to offend the long term members and the "old guard" the Church will continue its slow spiral of decline ... and I weep for that ...

I love the United Church ... I just resent the treatment I continue to receive from the majority of its leadership who claim to be "faithful" leaders in an open, inclusive and WELCOMING church ... hmmm, like my Grandfather used to tell me - "don't you show our faith by what you say, but by what you do ..."

I wonder what he would think of a Church that will work to welcome back a convicted sex offender while continuing to bar an intelligent, out-spoken and DEFIANT voice from returning home ...

Stay tuned - more to come ...

Harry Belafonte on The Muppet Show ... Turn the World Around!!

Book Recommendation ...

On Thursday night I attended a book reading and signing at my favourite local bookstore Pennywise Books on Rosser Ave here in Brandon ... the author William Bolley, read from his self-published work "A Sobering Moment."

It is a powerful tale of a man looking back over his life, a life that jumped the rails early and like every good train wreck careened its way into a sequence of disasters until at last he hit bottom, and with the help of a few good books, and a caring team of professionals began the process of taking stock of his past, his present and his future, and like the title suggestions, found a soberity of mind, body and soul ... it's a damned good read !!!

It's not a perfect book, but it's the perfect book for a lazy summer afternoon when reading is the best option ... I started it late on Thursday and finished yesterday afternoon crashed on my couch ... I would highly recommend it ...

Copies are available through Pennywise ... give Keith a call, or drop him an email - I'm sure he'd be happy to get copies of the book into your hands ...

Scenes from the Garden - August Long Edition ...

126 ... 127 ...

Corporal Christian Bobbit, age 23 (top)

and Sapper Matthieu Allard, age 21 (bottom)

in the Zhari district, west of Kandahar

when their re-supply convoy was hit by

two improvised explosive devices.

l

The two soldiers had left thier vehicle to secure the area

following an initial explosion when the

second device was detonated.

.

Both were members of the

5th Combat Engineer Regiment

and had been serving in Afghanistan since March

with the 2e Batallion of the Royal 22e Regiment,

also known as the Van Doos, based in Valcartier, Que.

Thoughts and prayers for their comrades,

for the wounded, and most of all

for their families.

.

Lest We Forget.