ay be missing the rain because we've been blessed with an uncommonly beautiful day... but this will soon pass." That said, most folk take full advantage of the sunshine and head for the even greater outdoors of Cape Cod or Maine or even just hiking the woods and mountains of the region. It is a stunning season and I don't begrudge anyone the diminished worship attendance the beauty of the Berkshires breeds at this time of year. In fact, it gives me time to pause and reflect...And what I've been thinking about - in attention to all that stuff about the Beats and Dylan - might be summarized like this: in our Reformed tradition there are differing thoughts about where authority is to be found in our faith communities. I know, I know: I am the master of the obvious. Nevertheless, one of the truths I have gleaned in my 28 years of ordained ministry - and one of the perennial problems in our way of being the Body of Christ - is found precisely in these competing notions of authority. For brevity's sake, let me summarize the challenge like this:
+ Some folk assign authority to the Scriptures (and only sometimes to tradition.) This differs significantly from t
he perspective of our Roman/Anglican cousins in that they fully embrace the authority of tradition, scripture and the office of ordination. Not so in our wing of the Reformation: clergy here are "teaching elders" - nothing more - but certainly nothing less. Some people, therefore, listen carefully to the ordained teachers, but not everyone because given our commitment to the "priesthood of ALL believers," we have insisted that scripture (and tradition) can be - and should be - interpreted by individuals as inspired by the Holy Spirit.
he perspective of our Roman/Anglican cousins in that they fully embrace the authority of tradition, scripture and the office of ordination. Not so in our wing of the Reformation: clergy here are "teaching elders" - nothing more - but certainly nothing less. Some people, therefore, listen carefully to the ordained teachers, but not everyone because given our commitment to the "priesthood of ALL believers," we have insisted that scripture (and tradition) can be - and should be - interpreted by individuals as inspired by the Holy Spirit.What this means, of course, is that fundamentalists and biblicists can insist that their opinions are equal to those who have studied context, language and history. Our radical theological democracy is often a stumbling block. I know that other traditions have their own problems - especially with clericism - but this is our wonderful and complicated reality. And while I continue to work at what we call biblical and liturgical literacy, critical and engaged interpretation is essential lest scripture become yet another idol.
+ Another setting for authority is found in the formal and infor
mal power structures in a congregation. This is true throughout Christianity, but has a unique manifestation in the Reformed tradition where popular election to a church office is sometimes unrelated to either spiritual maturity or even participation. "Let's elect/appoint X to this roll on church council and maybe he/she will start to come back to worship again!" (I can't tell you how many times I have heard such absurdities in the mistaken notion that giving somebody an office or job will bring them back into the fold. NOTE: this is ALWAYS a failure and often a tragedy waiting to happen, too.)
When it works best, authority given to the power structures of a congregation are best based on commitment, spiritual wisdom and gifts as well as a proven record of building up - not tearing down - the Body of Christ. This goes south when random people are either assigned a task/slot that they have no interest in filling, or, when a total contrarian is put into a position of power without being tested. There is a reason why tradition and scripture speaks of deacons and elders: deacons are those who have been called to serve and build up the Body of Christ; and elders are the wise ones who have developed gravitas and compassion through a life of service. You may call these time-tested spiritual offices by other name, but awarding then without a track record is always a mistake.
mal power structures in a congregation. This is true throughout Christianity, but has a unique manifestation in the Reformed tradition where popular election to a church office is sometimes unrelated to either spiritual maturity or even participation. "Let's elect/appoint X to this roll on church council and maybe he/she will start to come back to worship again!" (I can't tell you how many times I have heard such absurdities in the mistaken notion that giving somebody an office or job will bring them back into the fold. NOTE: this is ALWAYS a failure and often a tragedy waiting to happen, too.)When it works best, authority given to the power structures of a congregation are best based on commitment, spiritual wisdom and gifts as well as a proven record of building up - not tearing down - the Body of Christ. This goes south when random people are either assigned a task/slot that they have no interest in filling, or, when a total contrarian is put into a position of power without being tested. There is a reason why tradition and scripture speaks of deacons and elders: deacons are those who have been called to serve and build up the Body of Christ; and elders are the wise ones who have developed gravitas and compassion through a life of service. You may call these time-tested spiritual offices by other name, but awarding then without a track record is always a mistake.
+ Another locus of authority is sometimes called "the church" - or the Body of Christ - and here, too, there is health
y and destructive power depending on how you define "the body." If the church/body means merely the membership list, this is authority based upon the lowest common denominator. If the body means the company of the committed, it is prudent to ask: who is defining what commitment looks like? Do you see the challenge?
y and destructive power depending on how you define "the body." If the church/body means merely the membership list, this is authority based upon the lowest common denominator. If the body means the company of the committed, it is prudent to ask: who is defining what commitment looks like? Do you see the challenge?Some Reformed paths have worked to blend these polarities - like the Church of the Savior in Washington, DC - so that there is a rigorous 2-3 year "orientation/candidating" period before church membership can occur. During this time, a person not only documents his/her skills, discipline and interests but also commits to full participation in a study/training course. Here the company of the committed has a clearly defined and objective standard of measurement.
Other branches of our Reformed tradition, notably the United Church of Christ, hav
e gone in the opposite direction and professed: whoever you are and wherever you are on life's journey, there is a place for you here. This path celebrates a radical sense of grace in the hope that in time a person can be trained in the more demanding ways of Christian discipleship. It, too, warrants caution and care but can help people who have been wounded by religion find a way of trusting God - and the church - again.
e gone in the opposite direction and professed: whoever you are and wherever you are on life's journey, there is a place for you here. This path celebrates a radical sense of grace in the hope that in time a person can be trained in the more demanding ways of Christian discipleship. It, too, warrants caution and care but can help people who have been wounded by religion find a way of trusting God - and the church - again.I understand and honor BOTH extremes - discipleship and grace - and tend towards the grace side of the equation. Where this becomes problematic, however, is when the body is not patient about nourishing spiritual commitments. To be a congregation of radical grace means that we don't all move at the same speed. It means that the "church" doesn't speak together with one voice in public - people do what the Spirit calls individually or in small groups - because not everyone is in the same place.
What's more, you can't force another into your commitment: you can only invite because anything else is a guilt-trip. Such 
is the complication of this path and not everyone likes it. I suspect that one of the reasons we don't like giving the body maximum time and space has to do with control:
is the complication of this path and not everyone likes it. I suspect that one of the reasons we don't like giving the body maximum time and space has to do with control:+ If our spirituality of authority genuinely embraces grace - and gives people the time and freedom to ripen and mature in the Spirit - then we will not make others conform to our mold of social action, piety or institutional participation. the model is walking the Labyrinth, yes?
+ We will give up pushing people into our pet projects. Rather, we offer the invitation and trust that the Spirit will do the rest. We give people time to make their way on their own journey even as we walk together.
Sure, for potlucks or work days you have to RECRUIT - phone calls a
nd organizing are essential - but not so with bigger projects: if somebody doesn't want to be a part of the Afghanistan project, if another doesn't get why we are doing a river clean up, if the whole movement towards radical hospitality is frightening...
nd organizing are essential - but not so with bigger projects: if somebody doesn't want to be a part of the Afghanistan project, if another doesn't get why we are doing a river clean up, if the whole movement towards radical hospitality is frightening...... in a body born of grace, time and space must be shared with generosity and patience. There really are no SHOULDs in this model - no bullying or fear-mongering either - just Christ's invitation and the trust that God really is in control. It is like Christ's call to the feast... For most of my life, I have wanted to live into this way of celebrating and honoring authority in the body of Christ, but haven't always let myself trust God fully. Now it really is time to let go so that I live as if God is God.
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