One of the strengths of the Churches that came through the Reformation is that we realize that the Church is not some ethereal, spiritualized, immaterial thing. The Church is the corporeal, lovable, yucky, holy, broken, tangible community of faith. It is the Body of Christ here.
The thing that helped turn around the situation in the Reformed churches in South Africa when they were struggling in the midst of the battles with and against apartheid was when they opened themselves up to ecumenical conversations. It was when they learned from other churches that they were able to make a peaceful transition away from apartheid.
This is at the very heart of what I am attempting to do during this sabbatical study, discernment, and reflection. What are some things that we can learn from other churches... other churches around the world, other churches in our country, other churches in our denomination, other churches in our Presbytery, other churches in our own communities? I'm not convinced that we will find the answer any other place. But I am absolutely convinced that we will find answers that we need. Why? Because I am a Calvinist! I believe in a sovereign God. I believe that the final answer belongs to God. I believe that God is in the midst of our struggles. I believe that God wills for us to be successful in our efforts to be faithful.
What will this answer - or some sort of answers - look like as we discern what shape the Spirit is calling the Church of Jesus Christ to grow into as we move into the future? I'm beginning to envision some models of what this might be, but I don't know for sure. But I do know that God is with us in the discerning, in the journey, and in the efforts. And that is all I need to know for now.
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