The Twelve Days of Christmas

Many have asked me about the famous Christmas song, The 12 Days of Christmas. Although the song’s origins are unknown, as children sang it long before it was published, it is generally regarded as a pneumonic song to teach the faith or at least remind the singer of particular Christian concepts through this Season of Christmas. Many detractors critique the song saying that there is no historical evidence for this explanation. This is true. There is no evidence to suggest that it isn’t true either. Many Christian scholars believe the "true love" mentioned in the song does not refer to an earthly lover--it refers to God. The "me" who receives the gift refers to the Christian. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge who fakes injury to lure predators from her helpless nestlings, much in memory of the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but thou wouldst not have it so..." (KJV Luke 13:34)

The other symbols are explained as follows:
2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments

3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity- the Theological Virtues
(I Corinthians 13:13)

4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists

5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which relays the history of humanity’s fall.

6 Geese A-laying = the six days of Creation (Genesis 1)

7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments (Romans 12:6-8; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:8-11)

8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes (Mathew 5:3-10)

9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22)

10 Lords A-leaping = the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20: 1-17)

11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles (Luke 6:14-16)

12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

Remember Christmas is not just a day; it’s a season!
(December 25 – January 5)

What does it mean when Christ is KING?

The last Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year is the Sunday before Advent. It is called Christ the King Sunday, a day to celebrate and remember Christ's kingship. It has become a rather controversial day among some as they consider the language of kingship outdated or oppressive. Unfortunately, this is the curse of modernism: culture transforms Christianity instead of the other way around.

For many, the images of kings and kingdoms conjure up thoughts of tyrants. Few of us have ever lived under a King. Most of our images of kings are from fairy tales, which are rarely consistent with the actual historical concepts of monarchs. These are certainly challenges to the Church’s efforts to proclaim God’s reign, but should not dictate the Church’s language. Rather, the unchanging Christ proclaimed by the Church should transform all secular notions.

Jesus' ministry was not one of military might. It was one of peace, liberation, and above all, service. Jesus turned the whole concept of lordship and primacy on its head:

For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45, NRSV)

Jesus knew the popular images of kings and lords and he specifically redefined them, but did not reject them. God the Son, King of all creation, humbled himself to become human, even sharing the ultimate fate of his captive subjects: death. Jesus' role of King is closely tied to his role as Judge. Unlike our judgments, Christ sees the heart. His judgment is both just and compassionate. Our justice is in retribution; Christ's is restoration. Christ calls us to repentance and salvation through the Sacraments of his Church.

Democracy is a gift to the world, where all receive a voice in their destiny; yet, democracy is not Christianity and it is certainly not God. The voice of the people is not the voice of God. God has given us the Church founded on Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ. Scripture and the Church’s tradition continue to speak with eternal significance. Certain images of God as Lord and King will always seem foreign in a democratic society, but remember, God is a different type of King: all-powerful, all-loving, all-merciful and inviting us into relationship through his Church. We bend the knee in submission to Jesus, our Lord and King, but it is a submission that also brings true freedom, freedom from the penalty of sin.

Loneliness

In this coming week’s Epistle Reading, Paul tells Timothy, “At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me.” Many of us equate loneliness with desertion. Doesn’t anyone care about me? Don’t the Ministers care about how I feel? Why doesn’t my husband understand my grief? Where is God? As time goes on, one’s loneliness can begin to affect how one feels about oneself. Perhaps I really am worthless. Maybe everyone is right; it’s not fun to be around me. We’ll talk more about Paul’s letter this Sunday.

Loneliness is not an indicator of one’s negative value, as a matter of fact; loneliness can actually be a good sign. Most people who begin to go to deeper levels of spirituality experience a pervasive loneliness. As they grow closer to God, sometimes they may even feel that God is farther away. The examples in the Bible of this are generally referred to as "desert experiences"...Jesus in the wilderness being tempted by the devil...or on the cross when the Son of God cries out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" Tough words aren't they? It is in the loneliness that God draws us away from every other source of strength...even away from ourselves, so that we rely only on him. The prophets in the OT always went into the desert to be with God and it would be weeks before God spoke to them...they would be hungry, thirsty, close to death and then God would send a raven with some food, our some rain to refresh and when the prophet was totally reliant on God, God would speak. Sometimes the “desertion” by your friends and family can be the best thing; to allow you the space to seek after God in your loneliness.

Too often we think the opposite of loneliness is to constantly be with others. Loneliness can even come in a crowd. Others view loneliness as the opposite of joy. Ultimately, our joy is our own responsibility, not that of others. In my own experiences, my focus on my own loneliness, to learn something in the silence, is what led to joy. Joy, not always happiness, but joy, is what leads me deeper in my relationship with Christ. Trust in the presence of God as affirmed by Holy Scripture. Experiences will often fail you, but God’s Word is always trustworthy. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5 KJV). Lonely? Look, God is with you!

Why We Worship the Way we Do: Part Six

The highest point of worship is the celebration of the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion, also called The Great Thanksgiving. The word Eucharist (Matthew 26:27 et al) is the Greek word meaning “thanksgiving.” The New Testament most often refers to this as The Breaking of Bread (Acts 2:42 et al).

The early church celebrated this rite every week as they met together. The responsive reading of Lift up your hearts, etc., is an ancient prayer of Thanksgiving or sursum corda, meaning, “to turn your hearts.” Similar extemporaneous words from the celebrant were used as early as 155 A.D. and set as rule by the third century as a way to ensure the faithful did not receive the body and blood unworthily (I Cor. 11:27-29). Our Great Thanksgiving with the Elder’s Prayers captures both of these traditions as we prepare to receive the bread of heaven and cup of salvation. The Word’s of Institution are the very words of Christ as recorded by Holy Scripture when he instituted the Lord’s Supper. The early Church believed that it was the saying of these words that made the Lord Supper real. These prayers and words are structured to bring the church through a re-presentation of the drama of our salvation. We give thanks for our creation, preservation through the cross, and our walk of faith. More than just an ordinal or ordinance (something ordered that we do merely as an act of commemoration), Holy Communion is a sacrament whereby God meets us in a very intimate setting, and bestows upon us a means of grace. It reaffirms the seal he put upon us at our baptism. I personally believe Christ's own teaching and that of the early church in seeing communion as more than a memorial of a past event. In the prayer of consecration, bread and wine become our spiritual food – the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ…his Real Presence.

The Disciples of Christ celebrate an open table, which means that our communion is open to all baptized believers. Communion of young children is offered at the discretion of the parents. We believe this is one of the most intimate times of worship available to the believer, thus we encourage you to use this time to focus upon the Lord. Following Communion, we say the Lord’s Prayer; the order suggested by Chalice Worship (our denomination’s book of worship) and concludes with the Great Mystery of our faith or the Summation. Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. Based on Colossians 3:3, these are the essentials of our faith in which we share as heirs with Christ (I Cor. 15:12-25; Rom. 10:9).

Finally we receive a benediction from the celebrant. Benediction means “the good word.” It is this point in the service that we are dismissed. More then just permission to leave, the word dismissal comes from the Latin missa est, meaning “Go, you have been sent.” This is why our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters call their service, the mass from the word missa. Our bulletin seeks to be very clear about our duty as we call this portion of our worship: Going Forth to Serve God. Worship has not ended as we leave, it simply continues in a different venue.

Why We Worship the Way we Do: Part Five

Following the Invitation to Discipleship, or the opportunity to receive Christ as Lord and Savior, we transition from the Service of the Word to the Service of the Table. This portion of the service occurs in two parts. It is a response back and forth with God. This week’s focus is the first part, or The Invitation to Stewardship. We bring God our gifts and God blesses them and returns them to us for the edification of the Church. The ancient Church brought not only their tithes and offerings, but bread, wine and oil. These gifts of bread and wine were blessed for Holy Communion and the oil blessed for anointing of the sick by the Elders.

With regard to the tithes and offerings, the Church believes that the tithe is the Lord’s. More than an Old Testament command, our Lord affirmed the tithe and the writer of Hebrews underscored its importance. The tithe is a spiritual principle of first fruits.

While all that we have belongs to God, this act is an expression of faith. Giving the first tenth of our substance is an act of faith declaring that God is first in all parts of our life. He releases the tithe into the church in order to release His ministry into the world. Through the tithe we also express our confidence that He will bless and sustain us through what remains.

When the offerings have been received, we join in the procession of the Tithes singing the Doxology or its official title, Old Hundreth, in that is a paraphrase of Psalm 100. It is one of the oldest hymns in the Protestant Church dating before the Reformation, although it has a counterpart in the Roman Church that is similar, entitled the Gloria in Excelsis.

Why We Worship the Way we Do: Part Four

From the very beginning of the New Testament church, worship was always expressed corporately as a liturgy, which comes from the Greek “leitourgeia” meaning, “work of the people.” This work involves a specific structure for worship and takes the church on a journey to the throne room of God, and there in His presence, allows us to offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. This discipline of liturgy with scripted and non-scripted prayers opened the people to the move of the Holy Spirit while preventing the whims of the worshipper to take precedence. Thus, the major focus is on the one God in three persons, the God of creation and order. God’s people benefit from this work of adoration as the bonds between each other and with God are strengthened. This four-part liturgy, includes, The Gathering (hymns and prayers), The Service of the Word (Scripture and preaching), The Service of the Table (bread and wine shared) and the Departure (Going Forth to Serve God).

We have already talked about the particulars of the Procession and the Reading of Holy Scripture. After we have heard God’s Word read, those who have been called by God and appointed by the Church are to explain and expound upon this Word. We call this person by many names. Some call this person the preacher, the pastor, the minister, the priest, the teaching elder, or even, from the original language of the Bible, the “presbyter.” Most of these names reflect various functions of the office, but the job of the preacher is to speak God’s Truth from Holy Scripture. This is a frightening task. In the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), to be an ordained preacher “with standing,” which means that whole Church has approved or ordained this person to preach, is a long process and can be very difficult. The sign of ordination is the stole, the long piece of cloth worn around the preacher’s neck. The preacher does not work alone. The Holy Spirit, the Bible and the prayers of the people who are listening all play apart in the proclamation of God’s Word. At the conclusion of the sermon, an invitation for people to respond is offered. This is where the Church declares the faith by a creed or, most commonly in the Disciples Church, we make the invitation for those present to affirm the greatest creed: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Lord and Savior of the world.

Why We Worship the Way we Do: Part Three

“Your word is a lantern to my feet and a light upon my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

As the congregation symbolically comes to worship in the procession of the Choir and worship leaders, the hymn of praise ends with the Invocation. This opening prayer is the intentional request that the presence of the Holy Spirit be in our midst. It is were we “invoke” God to come and be among us. We believe that God is always with us, but in worship we recognize the presence of God in a very special way and our attentiveness to God’s presence.

As one takes their seat in the Nave, or what we know call the Sanctuary, you will see in front a lectern on your left and a pulpit on your right. “Lectern” comes from the Latin word “to read.” From this lectern is read Holy Scripture. The Gospel, Greek for “the Good News,” is the story of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is not read from here, but is read from the middle of the Sanctuary. This symbolizes three things: first, the Gospel of Jesus is to be the heart of the community, remembering that the heart is central to giving life to the body. “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life” (John 6:63). Secondly, it reminds us that Jesus still comes to be among His disciples as teacher (see Matthew 18:20). Thirdly, carrying the Gospel out to the people reminds us that we too must carry the Gospel out into the world. “Go out to the whole world; proclaim the good news to all creation” (Mark 16:15).

After each of the two lessons the reader says, “The Word of the Lord.” To this the congregation responds, “Thanks be to God!” More than an automatic response, this acclamation of the people confirms their agreement that what we have just spoken is, in fact, the Truth of God. The Gospel retains an emphasis of being the words of Christ as the Minister proclaims it to be “…the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ.” The people offer their allegiance and loyalty to Christ as they respond, “Praise be to Thee, Lord Christ!”

Why We Worship the Way we Do: Part Two

In the New Testament, the Church would gather in synagogues and in people’s homes for worship. The earliest archeological evidence of a building used solely for Christian worship is in 257 A.D. By the early fourth century, pagan temples were stripped of their idols and consecrated for Christian worship. In these early churches, there were no pews and people gathered and stood as a crowd throughout the services. The elders and bishops led worship from a raised area called an “apse,” an architectural term meaning “vault,” or a “chancel,” meaning “rail,” an area reserved for instruction. These areas often featured vaulted ceilings and rails to both enhance the sound and protect the preachers from pressing crowds who had come to hear the Gospel. As the early choirs led processions into the church carrying the Gospels, the candles, the cross, the chalice and the bread, the crowds made way to allow the procession to come through the center of the church.

This center aisle led from the Narthex doors all the way up to the Chancel, an area also called a “Sanctuary,” meaning “holy or set apart,” symbolic of the Jewish Temple’s Holy of Holies. The center aisle symbolized the seeker’s journey on the straight and narrow road that leads to salvation (Matthew 7:14). Today, we refer to the whole room as a “Sanctuary” and the area where the Communion Table, Lectern and Pulpit are placed as the “Chancel.” This procession down the center aisle was a symbolic act of the entire church coming in to worship. On special days, the congregation would often gather with the choir and clergy outside of the church and process through the streets, into the church building and down the center aisle. As the years passed, the center aisle became a sacred space and worshippers gathered on opposite sides of the room to remember that they were supported on either side by fellow Christians in this journey, as well as surrounded and aided by the angels and saints above (Hebrews 12:1-2). The leaders of the early church officiated many rites and acts of worship from the center aisle as a sign that worship is done among the people and by the people, rather than for the people and to the people.

Why We Worship the Way we Do: Part One

“I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’ (Psalm 122:1)

Everything we do in Church has a purpose. How one acts and what one does in Church says a great deal about what one believes and practices. Whenever we hear the National Anthem, men take off their hats and everyone places their hand over their heart. It is a sign of respect, a tradition that honors what it means to be a citizen of the United States of America. Likewise, what we do in Church honors Christ and our gestures, words, and actions convey our honor and respect to God. Over the next several weeks we will highlight aspects of our worship service to help explain what we do, why we do it and what it teaches.

We are in God’s house, not our own and many believe that we have a right to worship God however we choose to worship God. You may have the right to buy your wife a power tool for Valentine’s Day, but will your wife appreciate it as much as if you bought her roses? In the same manner, worship at FCC refocuses us in ways that some may not see as important. Worship is not an event for our entertainment or from which we are to GET something. It is an event to which we come to give of ourselves. Our worship seeks to refocus our lives away from serving ourselves to serving God.

When one enters FCC, one enters the Narthex. The large gathering area was anciently a small closet where worshipers might offer prayers of confession before going into worship, recalling the words of Christ in Matthew 6:6. Over the years, it has become a gathering area to meet and greet one another and prepare for worship. We call this room the Sanctuary, but in the early church it was called the “Nave,” from the Roman word “navis” meaning, “ship.” We get our word “Navy” from the same root. The early church often identified itself as a ship under sail. It is an ancient symbol used by the early Christians to designate a place to gather for worship. The Church is portrayed in sacred art as a ship moving heavenward with its pews seen as ancient galley benches where all the members are thought to be pulling together.

The World says, "Easter is over." But its NOT!

What a tremendous celebration of the Resurrection of Christ. The sanctuary was filled with the scent of spring, the sound of brass and the sight of every pew filled. The proclamation of the empty tomb was heralded in word and song at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The extra chairs are now put away, the flowers went home with the donors in an effort to make sure they come back next year in flower gardens and the familiar sound of the organ will replace the orchestral sounds of this past week. For many, it is finished…again. Easter is not just a day! It is a season. Easter proper is 40 days long as its celebration responds to the 40 days of prayer and repentance through Lent. The day of Ascension, when Christ ascended into heaven to take his seat at the right hand of the Father, marks a turning point as 10 days after that, the Church celebrates the Day of Pentecost, the definite end of the Easter season. These 50 days of are a continuation of the Church’s celebration of Christ’s victory over death. The death, burial and resurrection of Christ are connected and inseparable in understanding the Gospel message. Without the death the resurrection is impossible, without the resurrection the death is meaningless. Themes of the power of Christ’s resurrection will continue as the readings for each Sunday reveal the scope of God’s redemptive power. Sin is vanquished, death itself is defeated, and the victory is God’s. As children of God, we are heirs of this storehouse of grace. We are forgiven. We are transformed. We, like Christ, will be raised again to new life. We are an Easter people. It is our faith. It is the Good News. Thanks be to God.

Disciples Identity: A second century Church Part Four of Four

In our final installment of our Disciple Identity series, we have struggled through the various changes in culture and how best the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) might meet these challenges. Change is inevitable. Whether or not the change is slow as new chapters are written in our history and identity or fast as some would support a more radical approach to identity and culture, it happens often when we do not even know it. As a movement that finds much of its identity in the traditions of the early church, our contemporary movement can learn much from a focused look back.

Throughout the first and second centuries, the know world power began to loose ground. As the Empire deteriorated, the structure of Christianity gained strength in the third century, as it moved away from the looseness and democratic administration of the first and second centuries. Christianity began to appeal to the entire spectrum of society. Prior to this transition, except for a few, most Christians identified with the suffering servant as they struggled against their own problems of poverty and persecution. Soon, the aristocracy as well as the peasant and merchant classes, sought a more personal relationship with the God they had heard so much about as revealed in Christ Jesus. Up until that point, congregations were rather autonomous with elders appointing one of their own who would serve a coordinator for a geographical region. The role of bishop was crucial to Christian administrative reform: bishops were still chosen by the community in the second century, but assumed more authority as they served as leaders, with elders and deacons subject to the bishop's authority. The Church had created a hierarchy for several reasons. The spiritual overseers defended the teachings of the church (contained in the universally accepted creeds), attended to the ministries of the church beyond local congregations and mentored those who would eventually take their place.

The Roman Empire was changing. New religions were crossing paths more and more as travel became easier. The economy was much less oriented around the village and was beginning to find its growth in a global market. Trade in spices, silk and precious metal would lead to the first “world bank” run by monks. Universities were being founded as those in education were looking for new methods to prepare young people for the changing world.

Does any of this sound strangely familiar? Maybe its not an issue of writing a new chapter or a new book. Perhaps, it is simply the changes that must take place as we, like the first and second century church, changed to meet the needs of a changing world with the unchanging message of God’s love through Jesus Christ. Perhaps that is the Disciple identity. The ability to model what it means to be a true community with all of the challenges in diversity, doctrine and service. As Disciples, the issue isn’t so much how we are different from other denominations doctrinally or in practice, but how we allow for adaptation and change. We model a church that is true church, aware of our sectarian history and our universal call. The bottom line is not that we believe different things ABOUT Jesus, but that all of us, no matter our opinion, recognize that we are FOLLOWERS of Jesus…Disciples.

Disciple Identity: Writing a New Book! Part Three of Four

Disciple Identity Part Three: Writing a new book

In 1933, Herbert Armstrong started a movement that would be later identified as the Worldwide Church of God. The primary publication was The Plain Truth, sent free to every household that requested one. At one time the movement boasted 147,000 members with over 1,400 ministers. Due to its unusual doctrinal beliefs that served the church very well throughout the early part of the 20^th century, the church grew numerically and financially. It had started colleges, seminaries and educational institutions throughout the world. As it grew, many of its beliefs came under scrutiny by other denominations and by the late 70’s it had been designated by most denominations as a “cult” due to its unusual beliefs about the Trinity, observance of Jewish festivals and views of salvation. Armstrong died in 1986 and after a weak leadership by his replacement; the church selected Joseph Tkach, Jr. as the new Pastor General in 1995. Over the next few years, the church made over 40 changes in its doctrine and practices and no longer is viewed as a cult, having recently joined the National Association of Evangelicals. In his book, Transformed by Truth, Rev. Tkach Jr. states simply that it was not an issue of growth or finances that prompted the changes, but a clear revelation of what was true and the need to embrace a biblical, orthodox faith. The Worldwide Church of God has suffered. With a current membership of 67,000 and over 850 churches, it has had to sell assets to survive, but reports that its financial and membership number have begun to stabilize. One result of this radical change was dozens of new denominations were founded in response to this “across the board” re-definition of the identity of the Worldwide Church of God.

Rev. Tkach Jr. may have thought writing a whole new book was what was necessary in order to be what he viewed as a faithful church. Unfortunately, in the process of “writing this new book,” figuratively and literally, he lost over 80,000 souls for whom the changes were to fast and without explanation. These changes, which in my mind were the right things to do, were done in a fashion that was neither pastoral nor wise. What is the goal? Is the goal to prove oneself correct and demand everyone adhere to the new thought? Is the goal to bring about true conversion? My goal is always to bring conversion. I don’t want people to follow Christ out of compulsion, but conversion. My desire is for a change of heart and mind, not rules and regulations. There is much that we Disciples of Christ can offer to the rest of Christendom. There is also much we could “re-member” from other families and other times of Christendom.

I pray that the Worldwide Church of God’s new book will bring great success to the mission of Christ, but I don’t think a new book is the answer. Maybe there is another option…

Disciples Identity: Writing a New Chapter Part Two of Four

The only thing constant is change. Dr. Robert Cueni, President of Lexington Theological Seminary, once remarked that successful change occurs when organizations write a new chapter, not a whole new book. When the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was founded, it was strongly rooted in Enlightenment philosophy and was strongly committed to not waiting for the Kingdom of God, but actually “building” the Kingdom of God. Campbell’s vision was that the world needed only the Gospel rationally explained to it, and humanity, as rational beings, would receive the Gospel and join in the transformation of our world into one of peace, justice and goodwill. He was committed to an isolated reading of the New Testament and wrongly appropriated his 19^th century worldview onto the writers and compilers of the New Testament. At one point, he even argued that a remnant church like the Christian Baptist movement he was leading had existed in isolation throughout the 19 centuries since Christ. Of course, as scholarship, archeology, and translations of ancient second and third century writings became available in English, our movement began to retain the teachings of Campbell that still worked and adapted the teachings which wee obviously contrary to newly revealed information. Much like most denominations, the founders and leaders of these movements are human and therefore subject to error. The Stone-Campbell movement began to write a new chapter in its existence. Many of the ideals of the founders simply did not work and many are even less fruitful in the 21^st century. Along the way, symbolically, “new chapters” of our history and identity were written. Musical instruments, baptisteries, stained glass, an organized clergy, and mission structures all became new chapters in the story of our identity. Of course, not everyone liked the new chapters, as our movement split, organized and realigned itself to meet the needs of being the one church in a diverse world.

The problem with this method is that as new chapters are written, the story becomes more and more complicated and sometimes contradictory. Can new chapters fix our identity issues in a constantly changing culture? At some point, do we not need to take a step back and re-read the whole book and re-assess the story? Are we simply writing new chapters to avoid finishing the book and closing it forever? Is it really so bad to simply begin a new story? We know who Disciples were in the past, but our denominational leadership seems reticent to cast an identity for today, perhaps because, as stated last week, the demographics are so vastly diverse. Has “diversity” become the new paradigm and the sole basis of our unity? What would a new book really look like?

Disciples Identity: New Chapter? or New Book! Part One of Four

Part One: “Right or Wrong, Demographics Decide”

Every year, the Office of the General Minister and President requests that a report be filed by all Congregations for publication in an annual Yearbook of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Generally, the congregational Minister is responsible for seeing that the report is completed and filed. In addition to information such as attendance, membership, local mission giving and group participation, we are asked to complete a demographic form of our membership. It includes items such as the number of ethnicities, levels of education, types of occupation, etc., that help the General Church identify certain trends nationwide.

During a recent visit, our Regional and District Ministers shared some interesting trends with my wife and me. Our denomination continues to grow in congregations that are identified as minority congregations. The numbers of Latino/a, African-American and Asian congregations are growing and those particular congregations are experiencing the largest growth locally. Although I haven’t studied this phenomena, I would suspect that there are different reasons for this growth and that the Disciples of Christ offers particularly unique abilities that meet their needs. For example, our focus on Communion may attract a large number of the Latin population, many having grown up in a Eucharistic-centered Roman Catholic Church.

In addition to this trend, these various groups tend to be much more socially conservative than the mainline membership of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) over the past thirty years. On issues of abortion, marriage and family, these congregations tend to reflect values that stand in stark contrast with many of the resolutions that were passed in the last three decades at our General Assemblies.

I received emails last week from two different groups asking our congregation to reassert herself on positions that have been typically identified as in agreement with General Assembly resolutions for fear that these resolutions may be reversed in the near future. I don’t think these resolutions are in danger of being reversed anytime soon, but what an exciting world we are entering.