Today Pastor Margo offers a final excerpt from the Confession of Belhar and the completion of yesterday’s reflection on the “Purple Church.” Today, Elder Jerome Lane preaches from the Grace virtual pulpit. Jerome is Newark Presbytery’s Community Ministry Organizer, tasked with finding ways for our churches to engage with their congregation and the surrounding community in ministry. He will preach on 1 Peter 4:10-11. This scripture emphasizes good stewardship of God’s grace. May God bless Jerome and us as we discern our way and our purpose in early 2021.
Confession of Belhar (September 1986): https://www.pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/theologyandworship/pdfs/belhar.pdf.
We believe:
that true faith in Jesus Christ is the only condition for membership of this church;
Reflection (continued) from Rev. Dr. John Wimberly, author and contributor to the Presbyterian Outlook and the Christian Century, and congregational consultant with a PhD in systematic theology and an Executive MBA. https://www.congregationalconsulting.org/purple-church/.
In 2004, a member of the congregation I served ran up to me before worship and said, “John, there is someone with an ‘Elect George Bush’ bumper sticker in the parking lot! What are we going to do?” Clearly, he wanted me to react as though someone had double-parked, and make a public announcement asking them to move their car. After a moment, I responded, “We’re going to worship God with whomever chooses to join us.” A sense of relief came across his face and he said, “Oh, that is true. Everyone is welcome here.”
As we develop vision, mission, or purpose statements that assert, “All are welcome here,” we need to ask ourselves, “Is that true?” In a conservative congregation, is a progressive person of faith truly welcome and her or his opinions valued? In a progressive congregation, is a conservative believer really welcome and his or her opinions valued?
When I have raised this issue with some progressives, they express fear that the presence of conservatives in their congregation will cause them to make compromises they don’t want to make. The same dynamic is at work in conservative congregations as well. Heterogeneity is viewed as diluting a pure faith.
However, maybe what we should fear is being in a bubble where the only thing we hear are statements that reinforce our own beliefs. Isn’t that what the early Jerusalem church did? When Paul suggested that the church be expanded to include people with different opinions, cultures, etc., they rejected the idea. They feared that their faith would be diluted, corrupted, or compromised by Gentiles.
History teaches revelatory lessons. The early Jerusalem church, obsessed with maintaining the purity of its beliefs, died a fairly quick death in its bubble. The diverse congregations started by Paul and others grew rapidly. Is there a message here?