Morning Plenary
Bishop Yvette Flunder was the opening speaker for the first half of this plenary. Her focus was “Radical Inclusivity” and she presented a 12 step model for recovery from oppressive and exclusive theologies. — It is interesting to note several of the guests speak of oppressive or exclusive theologies but then comment that the theologies and positions of the UCC, especially this particular segment of the church, are good and moving in the right direction. — I am not going to present the twelve steps here, but suffice it to say that “radical inclusivity” is more than just welcoming different colors and orientations in your worship service.
RI is about loving people who are different. The type of love we are talking about is the kind of love that is genuine, complete, and fully accepting. It allows those who are different to be honest, true, and real. They would not have to lie about or hide who they are. I respect this goal, however, my concern as I listened to the presenter was that while I felt we are all on a journey to be more loving, and that some of our “less than inclusive” practices are less about purposeful exclusion as it is about ignorance of the needs and feelings of others. I also feel that all segments of the Christian spectrum, because of human limitations, are not fully inclusive.
Tom Bracket, an Episcopal priest, offered the second half of the morning’s plenary message on Transformational Mission. His personal spiritual journey began in the Lutheran church. He was an ordained pastor, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. Following a severe beating, by four black men in NE Philly, he woke up from a coma with 20+ broken bones and found he was being cared for by a wonderfully caring black man. The event spawned a spiritual transformation that encouraged him to be a far more caring and loving Christian, whose mission was going to be far more “hands on” and focused on the blessings God bestows.
He asked questions like, “How do you smell God at work? How do you share public worship around real time encounters? And what are your theological starting places? He wants to start, not with original sin, but with original blessing? The focus of our life as Christians should be love and grace, and it should be lived out in passionate mission.
His personal faith statement is, “I live to serve Spirit in all of creation by being a powerful, loving, compassionate, courageous, playful, outrageous and provocative midwife to the Spirit’s life and joy that are longing to be birthed in this moment.”
I think the message for our church is that our high calling is to midwife God’s Spirit. It is kind of like seize the moment, free up ourselves, open our hearts, so that the Spirit can do its work and empower us to do miraculous and inspiring acts of mission within and without of our church community. Could we also say, “It is not to let opportunities to serve slip through our hands?
Morning Workshop – Radical Hospitality
The workshop was led by Geneva Butz, Associate Conference Minister in Pennsylvania Southeast Conference. Geneva works with churches very much like ours in size and make up. We began with a Bible Study about hospitality, which is a major part of mid eastern culture. We used Genesis 18:1-15, Deuteronomy 10:12-22, Luke 10:38-42, Luke 24:13-34, and Romans 12:9-21. After reading these scriptures in small groups, our observations was that the type of hospitality God expects is a gracious and grand hospitality. Hospitality is spiritual practice. Hospitality is about caring and it not only changes the guest/visit, but it also transforms those offering the hospitality. This was a big, big point. Purposeful and deliberate hospitality transforms a church.
Welcoming visitors to your church, even just your worship service, is a sacred task. It requires thought, training, and careful planning. On a practical note, and here is where having many members us helpful, greeters should be extroverts, new people to the church, people mwho like meeting new people, genuinely warm and welcoming, people who smile and people who want visitors.
She closed by suggesting that while many feel that Christianity should be comfortable, she feels this is a myth. The gospel is challenging and to live the gospel takes work and sacrifice.
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