March 25thThoughts on the Next 10 Years for Mennonite Church Alberta
Valuing Tradition and Valuing Openness to Change
Thoughts on The Next 10 Years for Mennonite Church Alberta
Valuing Tradition and Valuing Openness to Change
(a Cathedral in Cobh, Ireland and a bridge in Jasper, AB. Photo credits to Art Koop)
400 years ago, being Mennonite was not popular. There were strong state churches, some of which had already emerged from the Protestant reformation, and people largely felt that the broader Christian church had been sufficiently reformed, such that any more change would mean heresy.
It turns out that ‘not popular’ was ultimately, in some ways, good. And here we are.
Once again, although state churches are not reestablished as they once were, there is a strong movement in North America, particularly, for state-supporting churches.
I’d suggest that, once again, there are real positives to not being popular. The more strongly the support of the church is tied to the actions of the state, the less credibility we will have as witnesses to Jesus, to another way, and to another dominion beyond those of this world. I pray that we continue to focus on Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith, and not be tempted to court power structures that are not part of the meaning of being church.
Other than that, what I hope for MCA in the next 10 years is a mix of what I perceive as being the various tendencies of various churches.
I hope that we can respect the traditions and insights that we have gained in our history, while at the same time encouraging a culture of innovation in formulating and expressing our faith. This past Sunday, I heard the story of the writing of “It Is Well With My Soul,” and the story together with the song was meaningful and inspiring.
At one time, “It Is Well With My Soul,” and other now-traditional hymns, were the ‘new music.’ Are we willing to open the door to our young theologians, songwriters, videographers, game-creators, and others, to express their faith in authentic ways for their generations as well?
I hope that we can be open to new formulations and expressions of faith, and in that way to nurture new leaders for the coming years.
I pray that we can gain further insights into the deep truths of the Bible, through understanding historical context and literature, while at the same time nurturing a confidence in the love of Jesus which is accessible to people at all stages of their faith journeys.
I pray that we can grow together as a community, extending grace toward one another, while also honouring individual voices that ask hard questions and challenge us, in the ways that the prophets also challenged the leaders and people of Ancient Israel and in the ways that Jesus challenged the assumptions of his time of entry into human history.
I pray that our view of humanity is formed more by “made in the image of God,” rather than “fallen short of the glory of God,” because our approach to service and the nature of our interactions with others will reflect how positive our attitude toward people is.
I pray that we may see ourselves, too, as God sees us – as worthy of love, and as ones who belong.