As I mentioned earlier, the church I attend went to another Restoration Movement church last Sunday evening. Most of us were there, meaning about 60 out of 100 members. We were welcomed and treated cordially. I got there a little late, but I saw that we were given the center section.
This is a big event for an ICoC congregation, of all things, to decide to worship with someone else. It’s one of those things that says, “God is here, too.” What may be a larger event is a predominantly-white church worshipping with a predominantly-black church in this city. As the birthplace of Malcolm X, it’s surprising that race relations are not much better now than they were in his lifetime. Sure there’s a veneer of progress in race relations, but it is not much more than that. I have seen passive-aggressive growing up in the South, here it is just plain aggressive.
But that is a side point for another post.
When I arrived, service had started and the bulletin stated that the message was entitled “Almost a Christian”. For the next 45 minutes, I heard “The Church” study from FP circa 1980. The difference, of course, was that it was directed at us. It didn’t take long to figure out that I was an “Almost Christian” like Festus because of instrumental music and that the church I attend is not led by Jesus.
I laughed, actually, and laughed out loud. I figured that I had done this very thing for over a decade and that I deserved to have it preached back at me. It struck me as funny because it struck me that self-righteousness can be hidden as conviction very easily. You know, you just have to laugh at yourself when the truth is revealed to you.
Afterwards, we were treated to a meal in the fellowship hall downstairs. Many of us stayed for over an hour talking to various folks. One person remarked that we should focus on what we have in common (a person from their church, not the one I attend). It seemed that talking and sharing came easily as we ate good homemade food. I spoke with the assistant minister that delivered the message for some time.
For those that do not know what I look like, you have to understand that I have long hair. It is past shoulder length. In a conservative RM church, long hair is seen as a violation of 1 Corinthians. In some ways, I was not the best person to engage in a conversation because I was already putting the asst. minister in an awkward position.
Still, he was very friendly and we talked for some time about various things. He was really engaged with a friend of mine that grew up in the conservative white churches of Christ. They talked about shoes, work, church history, and several other things. It would be safe to say that a real connection was made that will last beyond this one time event.
There’s a few things that I learned from the event that I hope will prove useful to others:
Both churches were true to themselves.
The NOCoC (the church we visited) took their one best shot to speak to the sins of us ‘Crossroaders’. I’m not sure that I would have expected anything less. I’m also glad that they did. In any fruitful talks, both sides have to be completely honest, and they were. We were considered guests, not brothers. The reasons for this were doctrinal. We have a fundamental disagreement in hermenutics and thus several disagreements on doctrine as a result. That has now been put on the table for all future events.
The OCoC (the church I attend), came as themselves. They didn’t come as ambassadors of some new great wave of peace. They didn’t come as judges of the NOCoC. They came as people that love God, they came as parents of small children, they came as folks interested in seeing how other experience God. As such, we were able to talk to other people that were also just being themselves. For all the signifigance of the service, you would not have thought it to be there. It seemed like just another Sunday night service in many ways. That is also a very good thing.
Unity is Not Easy
Expecting to be welcomed with open arms is naive. It would have been great, mind you. But both sides have much to learn to come together as brothers. The first step has been taken and more will follow.
Unity is not about winners and losers, so I don’t think of last Sunday as a victory for either church or for some nebulous concept of RM unity. It’s not a great triumphal victory for God and mankind. I get tempted to hype things in this way, but to see it for what it really is helps the cause of unity much more than patting backs. This was necessary and it needed to be done as soon as was possible. Now, there is much more to do.
I look at it this way: There are crowds at the start and finish of a marathon. There are few at the mileposts in-between. The real victories emerge at the mileposts away from the crowds. The real victories for God will come in the places between last Sunday and fellowship with our brothers in Christ.
Next stop? Probably a service with the Southwest CoC or the Kingsway Christian Church in a few months. Next stop with the NOCoC? I dunno. I’ll let you know what they preach on Sunday night when we’re not expected.
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