04-28-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
April 28, 2024
The Greater Houston Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was really quite wonderful. If you read my Etching from yesterday, you know I was looking forward to hearing the keynote speaker, Rev. Dr. Dawn Weaks. She did not disappoint. There was also some wonderful worship, great conversations over lunch, and many hugs from folks who I have come to love and respect. One of my takeaways that I will continue to reflect upon was connected to a usual conversation topic of things we’d like to change or improve upon in our congregations. What troubles me is the number of items that are not all that significant in the whole scheme of things. Not to be dismissive, but as Dawn had talked numerous times about resurrection, some of the side conversations sure sounded as if we were simply putting some new makeup on the dead body. Combing the hair on a corpse ain’t changing the pulse. Still dead! The church needs to name the poison it has been feeding itself. That’s probably a little dark, though when they call a Code Blue in the hospital, they show up with a crash cart that contains more than blush to brighten the cheeks of the person who has flatlined. Cypress Creek Christian Church still has plenty of work to do, but I feel as if there is new life pumping through the veins of this body. Tough decisions have been made in recent years, and some of them have caused discomfort, even bringing some people to the decision of leaving the church. Everyone of those brings grief to my soul, but as Dawn reminded us a few times, we cannot be defined by the “tyranny of the minority,” and we cannot allow a few to stand in the way of what God is calling the church to do. 

Holy God, there is discomfort in the journey to new life. In fact, there is often death before resurrection. Give us the courage and strength to remain faithful, while always leading with love. Amen.