union avenue christian church |
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Welcoming Disciples Through the Decades Romans 13:1 – 12; Psalm 114 The major hospitals (and some high rise apartment buildings) in New York City have elevators that stop on every floor – automatically – from sundown Friday evenings to sundown Saturday evenings. This is a consideration for the Orthodox Jews who worship, walk and visit on the Sabbath, but are not allowed to do so much work as turn on a light or push an elevator button. There are parking lots in Ohio that are equipped with grassy knolls and railings to tie horses. This is in consideration for the many Amish who shop at major centers but travel by horse and buggy. There are still some states which will not allow liquor to be sold on Sunday, and many which curb those sales until after 1 pm in deference to the temperance movement of the church in America of the 1920s and it’s residual influence today. Are these all absurdities…irrelevancies…over-working at practical considerations for a diverse American society? Who says we must be so tolerant? The Apostle Paul – writing his letter to the newly organized congregation in Rome referred to some of the same type of issues. Much of the meat that was sold in those days had been butchered in pagan temples. For new Christians — and many of them having been stalwart Jews — eating meat that had been tainted by pagan rites was difficult for them to tolerate. So, at their church suppers, some wouldn’t eat the meat. Others scoffed at the absurdity of such a concern. Paul said the table of welcome had to be big enough for all. God would care for the judgment — whether the concerns were relevant or not. Additionally, new Christians were celebrating and worshipping on Sundays — called the Lord’s Day — which was different from the habit of the Sabbath (sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday). Restrictions for the Lord’s Day were nothing like those of the Sabbath. The question became whether the Jews — who had become Christian — could be let loose from the restrictions of the Sabbath, and whether Christians — who had not previously been Jewish — needed to adhere to the proscriptions of the Sabbath rules. Believe it or not these were MAJOR issues for this new congregation. Ridiculous…absurd… irrelevant concern about practicalities? Perhaps. But they were big enough to be dividing an energetic and faith-filled congregation. In this week’s staff meeting, Alice Stifel read a portion of Dr. George Alexander Campbell’s recollection of how he had succeeded in his 20-year ministry here at Union Avenue during the early part of the last century. One of his most important contributions was to help the congregation not get overcome by small and petty issues, but to keep eyes and hearts and hands centered on the mission of Jesus Christ in the midst of this congregation. That’s exactly what Paul was writing to his new Christians in Rome 2000 years ago as well. The reasons, however, are not because of practicalities. The reasons are theological. Diversity is God’s way. And if diversity is God’s way, then it must be ours as well. It is not just tolerance or swallowing our amazement that other people could be, think, feel, look, act, or have values different from us. It is the realization that we will NEVER be able to get ahead of the mind of God — who not only tolerates differences but also has intentionally created them. Even though we cannot get ahead of God, God is always pulling us to catch up. As children of God, our job, therefore, is to steadily grow in understanding the heart and mind of God, to be on the edge, pushing the envelope, as they say, in expanding the table of welcome as a faith community and discovering what door of expansion God has for us each day. Let me share some of the ways I believe this has happened through the years at Union Avenue Christian Church. Even before Union Avenue was born out of a union of two churches, there was a concerted effort by churches to care for orphans in this country. The St. Louis Christian Home was the first effort of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Out of that work, the National Benevolent Association was created, primarily to care for orphans and widows — vulnerable groups of people who needed the love of God as expressed through the ministry of the church. They needed a place of welcome. Union Avenue has always worked hand in hand with the National Benevolent Association, and will continue to do so as they begin to reform and create new management and leadership. The congregation has done this not because it was a denominational enterprise but because at the heart of the ministry here has been the seeking of those God is drawing in and the extension of invitations to the table of welcome. The children cared for by NBA today are not orphans; they are not tiny babies needing loving new parents. They are — for the most part — youth who have been scarred by family abuse, psychological disease, hard assault on anything that could be considered normal. More than ever, these children need to know the welcome of God and the church. Later in the ministry of Union Avenue, the first deaf congregation in St. Louis — the Silent Bereans — were here. Meeting in the chapel, with their own pastor, this congregation truly made a significant contribution to the deaf community and impacted the lives of many, many people. I don’t imagine the institution of the Silent Bereans was a practical decision — but a theological one — God was pushing us to understand the needs of some of God’s children that were not being cared for in other places. Even though that congregation is now only one man, we do have a responsibility to him. The good news is that we now are able to have an interpreter one time a month — so Gary will be so much more a part of the congregation. Fifty years ago, Union Avenue hosted one section of the Festival of Religion and Arts. This festival was the first of its kind in any U.S. city. Architecture, art, music, drama, liturgy and literature were all highlighted. I don’t know that this was the seed, which would later begin to bloom astonishingly during the ministry of Tom Stockdale, but it may have been. Historically, the universal church has made significant links from artistic expression to good theology. When we remember that our whole being — not just mind but body and spirit — have been loved into creation by God then, of course, it would make sense to encourage all art forms within the faith community as thank offerings to God and as ways to use the fullness of gifts God has given us. Our Protestant heritage, unfortunately, (that which was influenced by the Reformation) seemed to place a pall over artistic expression and rather than expanding the table of welcome and inviting the diversity of gifts moved us backward in time. I believe I have told you of my first visit to the Cathedral in Geneva, Switzerland. That cathedral was built by the Roman Catholic Church but was taken over by the Reformers in the 16th century. However, a small chapel has been left for Roman Catholic believers. The chapel still has beautiful and rich tapestries, seat cushions, liturgical paraments, colors bouncing through the stained glass, myriad of images, hues of color, and varieties of textures. The larger sanctuary is gray, cold and has hard seats. One of the errors of the Reformation, in my judgment, was in thinking that God sees in black and white, rather than technicolor. Union Avenue has for years been pushing that table of welcome to artists, and looking for ways to include all forms of artistic expression. Again, not for practical purposes, but because God’s vision of the world invites and demands it. Our history has had some glitches, and acknowledging them is essential — more so that we will not repeat them than flail around in our own remorse. Union Avenue Christian Church was not known for its leadership to integrate the congregation even as the neighborhood grew with people of color. Union Avenue also was unable to make a united statement within the last 20 years to invite a non-Christian congregation to share space in this building. Surely, God’s heart ached during those times — for us and because of us. The table of welcome in those days seemed to be in a room with closed doors. I am unaware and was not able to discover through a modicum of research when and how Union Avenue pushed through the edge waters of women in leadership. I know when we called our first woman Senior Pastor. I know that we have had women Associate Pastors. I don’t know if we were ahead of our time – or lagged behind – in the involvement of women at other significant leadership roles even though Disciples, generally, can be proud of that heritage. Union Avenue, to my knowledge, has not wrangled about the inclusion of gays and lesbians in ministerial and leadership roles. We have just moved quietly into inclusiveness. This may be an issue we want to discuss sometime – so that our modeling can help other portions of the church and greater society. Many of God’s family are vulnerable and in need of greater inclusion at the table of welcome in this country. Just because we provide safe space and community support does not translate into the greater church or society. We have a gift we should be sharing openly with great affirmation. I believe God will always be pushing us to expand the table. God’s dining room is larger and immensely more diverse than we can ever imagine. And just when we think we have it in focus, we will be pushed to see another intricacy of difference, another fold in the broadness of God’s heart, and another impetus for us to open our hearts. Union Avenue Christian Church — a welcoming place — welcoming Disciples through the Decades. Yes. The challenge as we begin another year together is for us to keep in mind that God is going to surprise us again…push us again…challenge us again to see those vulnerable people. God is going to push us and challenge us to reach out to those portions of God’s family who are in great need to be welcomed at the Table of Love…the Table of inclusion…the Table of Grace… and we are going to be about setting those placemats, silverware, chairs and place cards with their names — not because it is good thing or practical effort but because God wants it to be. SW |
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