Stuck and loving it

This post is from the defunct blog "Dying Church"

I haven't posted in quite a while because I've been preoccupied. I just returned from my first residency of a D.Min. program at Gordon-Conwell. A few things happened there that gave me a lot of hope. We were sitting around the room the first day introducing ourselves. I met all kinds of people - an Anglican pastor from Ontario, pro-Bush supporters, even someone who was just ordained a prophetess to the nations in a charismatic group. Oh yeah, there was also a pastor of an emerging-type church from Portland. I wondered what we were all doing in the same room. We tend to gather in tribes, and view others with suspicion. This even happens in the emerging church. I've been disappointed as I've sensed the same type of exclusion-ism take place there, no matter what the issue. But for two weeks, I was stuck together with people who believed and acted differently than I do. How refreshing to be forced into it. And how refreshing to find that it was a joy to be stuck together. Part of what I need to die to, I'm sure, is my tendency to see what God is doing only in those who resemble me. The Kingdom is much bigger than I realize.

Comments

[George]

I'm assuming from this post that you are not a Bush supporter. When you hear Bush talk about his faith and how he is humbled by the prayers of the people on his behalf do you think he is genuine?

[Darryl]

There are many people who are genuine in their faith that would not make a good President. I'm not sure that I'm against Bush, but I'm a little wary of the idea that if you're a Christian, you should be pro-Bush.

[Alison]

I'm not sure you have to be pro-Bush if you're a Christian, but you do have to be anti-Kerry. This year it's not going to be about who I'm voting for (in fact, I don't even want to vote at all), but about who I'm voting against.