What We Think We Think
We Disciples are quick to challenge any source of authority that does not
begin with an act of individual choice and fierce in our defense of the freedom
of individual opinion.
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) will not
provide a systematic blueprint for your personal behavior.
It will, however,
insist that you carefully study the moral and ethical teachings of Christ and
assume full moral responsibility for your personal decisions. - Adapted from "A
Handbook for Today's Disciples"
This page is an opinion page, and the opinion is that of the authors, not necessarily the church as a whole.
My Task
To be honest, to be kind;
To earn a little and to spend a little
less;
To make upon the whole family happier for his presence;
To renounce
when that shall be necessary and not to be embittered;
To keep a few friends,
buth those without capitualation;
Above all, on the same grim conditions, to
keep friends within himself -
Here is a task for all that man has of
fortitude and delicacy.
Robert Louis Stevenson
Baptism
From Don Mackenzie, Minister
University Congregational
United Church of Christ (UCUCC)
On Sunday, June 12, we will celebrate the baptism of Emma Browning, daughter of Diane Browning. I wanted to share some things about our sense of baptism because it will be different from what you are used to in your worship.First and most importantly, what we do in baptism is one way to see baptism. We do not see it as the only way. Your sense of believer's baptism and being fully immersed in water is obviously much closer to Jesus' own baptism.
When we baptize infants (which is our most common practice—though we do baptize older people too) we believe as you do, that we are following God's initiative. In fact, the idea of God's initiative is fundamental to the very idea of sacrament—both for baptism and for communion. In some ways, the baptism of an infant is an underlining of that, given the fact that an infant has no capacity to choose to follow God's initiative. So as God comes to us in the sacrament of baptism, we receive God by holding a precious new life created, protected and nurtured by God's Holy Spirit. What a moment!
But it's the same moment that you celebrate when you baptize a believer by immersion.
Our modest use of water is simply the consequence of an infant's inability to deal with complete submersion. The water is actually meant to reflect what your practice more accurately shows: through baptism we symbolically participate, as Paul says, in Christ's death and resurrection. Thanks be to God!
The Laity
The fundamental ministry within the church is that of Jesus Christ . .
By
virtue of membership in the church, every Christian enters into the corporate
ministry of God's people . . .
In addition the church recognizes an order of
ministry, ordained, under God, to assist the whole people to fulfill their
corporate ministry.
- The Design, 1978
Disciples believe in the priesthood of all believers.
To us, this means
that each believer can participate fully in the affairs of the church.
We do
not have creeds, our sacraments are communion and baptism. Each believer in
Jesus Christ is free to pursue study of the Bible and to administer both
communion and baptism as appropriate.
Early in their history, the Disciples of Christ developed a new pattern for religious leadership in their congregations. Lay elders, members of the congregation chosen by the people themselves, were given the responsibility of presiding at the table and offering the communion prayers. Thoughtfully chosen, they are set apart for ministerial functions such as praying at the Lord's Table and pastoral care of members. Their authority to lead in the observance of the Lord's Supper remains a puzzling question to some church bodies.
To the Disciples the simple and thoughtful expressions of grateful remembrance offered by the elders each Sunday seem appropriate and satisfying. The elders are their representatives, people like themselves, who gather from a week of work to lift thankful hearts to God in remembrance of the saving work of Christ. Ties of common experience closely bind member to member, and Christ is known afresh as each week this ordinance is observed in the Christian Churches throughout the world. - from Disciples History - disciples.org
Who is Church?
Recently I had a conversation with a minister of our denomination concerning a church website. It was related that a need was seen to maintain the church website "in house".
This concerned me as your volunteer webkeeper and I asked what was meant by "in house". The reply was that a need was seen for the office staff to maintain the website. Since I knew that members of that church created and maintained the website and as far as I knew they were pretty current at updating events and news, I asked why that was seen as a need since I thought church members were "in house". The response was "so news could be updated quickly".
This brings up a problem that faces all website maintainers around the globe. We can't update what no one tells us. But I digress.
The Mission Imperative of the Northwest Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Adapted from the church-wide Mission Imperative approved by the General Board, Summer 2000
In our quest to embody Christian unity, led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we believe God calls us:
Our Vision:
To be a faithful, growing church that demonstrates true community, deep Christian spirituality, and a passion for justice. (Micah 6:8)
Our Mission:
To be and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, witnessing, loving, and serving from our doorsteps “to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Our Imperative:
To be an instrument of God in the strengthening and building of faithful and effective congregations in the Northwest Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for this mission. (Ephesians 4:11-13, 15-16)
To accomplish this we shall:
- Become the Good News
- Nurturing faith
- Practicing and teaching the spiritual disciplines
- Foster Disciples identity
- Renewing congregational life
- Developing leaders
- Share the Good News
- Emphasizing ministry with children, youth, young adults and families
- Doing evangelism
- Establishing new congregations
- Creating ministries with older adults
No where have I read that the way to implement the Mission Imperatives includes creating more work for paid staff and failing to use the talents of members of the church.
Peter Drucker says that an organization begins to die the day it begins to be run for the insiders and not for the outsiders.
LoisSitting in church does not make you a Christian anymore than sitting in a garage makes you a car.
Updated January 20, 2006
