Day 9 - Part 2

The next bit of reading I've turned to is a report from a consultation sponsored by the World Council of Churches regarding the structures of the ecumenical movement for the 21st century.

Two things strike me in the early reading: 1. On a global scale, what is "normal" for us at MPC is far from the "norm". We might know a Muslim or two, but many in this world are surrounded by Arab culture. The levels of wealth we take for granted are exceptional on a global scale, and the levels of poverty that the majority of the world takes for granted is unimaginable for us.

So, for a project such as we're about, one of the significant questions we need to grapple with is "Which World?" Do we mean Appleton? The Fox Valley? The US? The globe? Do we mean Presbyterians? Mainline protestants? Christians? Believers? The larger the circle is drawn,the more complex the interactions, but is it possible to live in the smaller boxes?

Second thing (I guess it's related) is that there is much attention given to the fact that the "axis" of Christianity is shifting in two ways: from North to South, and from denominational/confessional Christianity to less organized, less centralized, more congregational forms. The interesting thing is that a congregation is on the margins of BOTH those developments: we're Northern, and we're denominational. And neither are something we can easily change. Part of me says, "so we're not the center of the world anymore...get over it!" but again, the question that gnaws is just what IS our context? So we're a denominational church in the North--should we just pack it in and sit on the sidelines, or is there a way in which we are uniquely called to be faithful either BECAUSE of or IN SPITE OF the larger currents?

You all can join in anytime if you'd like!