things god forgot to put into the Bible (#4)

[we all believe in you]

A community for those struggling with mental illness developed by survivors of mental illness because... we all believe in you.

"We All Believe in You is a rapidly growing movement developed to de-stigmatize and  de-mistify mental illness. WABIY serves to put a face to a typically faceless struggle as many live in the shame and anonymity of their disease. It is the goal of WABIY to use art, honesty, education, and community  to abolish pre-existing ideas and beliefs about mental illness. And above all, for those that are struggling with mental illness to know that they are not alone and We All Believe in You."

(from the WABIY website)

Featured on:

CTV News

http://www.weallbelieveinyou.com/

things god forgot to put in the Bible (#3)

(inspired by a comment made by a nine-year-old)

Loading dishwashers is one of those things in life. There are people who load them willy-nilly and there are the people who load them the right way.

Of course, my right way of loading a dishwasher is not the same as your "right way" of loading the dishwasher. In fact, your way of loading the dishwasher is barely acceptable. And then there's my colleague who does an absolutely abominable job of loading the dishwasher in the staff kitchen!

And people wonder why I'm stressed out at work. Imagine how God feels when he sees all of this!

On a more serious note, have you ever heard anyone say, "God loves straight people but not what they do..."?

guess...

I sent an email to a pastor a few months ago, asking if lgbtq+people are welcome in their church and got an amazing reply, which I read during my break at work.

Later that evening while doing housework, I was thinking further about the reply and realized that I couldn't remember if the pastor had indicated what they believe about same-sex marriage.

That rather puzzled me. When I later checked the email, it turns out they had made one off-hand remark about it.

Now I'm going to ask you to read the email, edited only to remove identifying details and the one specific sentence that offhandedly indicated a specific theological belief.

Based on the pastor's reply, can you guess what theological beliefs are held about same-sex marriage?

things god forgot to put into the Bible (#2)

things god forgot to put into the Bible (#1)

[subversive meals: an analysis of the lord's supper under roman domination during the first century, by r. alan streett]

The last supper under Roman domination during the first century

Subversive Meals examines the Lord's Supper within the sociopolitical context of first-century Roman domination, and concludes that it was an anti-imperial praxis. Although the Christian communal meal looked much like a typical Roman banquet in structure, with a deipnon and a symposion, it was essentially different.

The Roman meal supported the empire's ideology, honored Caesar and the gods, reinforced stratification among the masses, and upheld Rome's right to rule the world.

The Christian meal, on the other hand, included hymns that extolled Jesus as Lord, prophecies that challenged Rome's ideological claims, and letters-read aloud-that promoted egalitarianism and instructed believers on how to live according to kingdom of God principles. Hence, the Christian banquet was an act of nonviolent resistance, or what James C. Scott calls a "hidden transcript"

Description from Amazon

Very interesting read. Fairly scholarly. Would have liked to read it again, but it was an inter-library loan and needed to be returned. Nonetheless, it is intriguing to understand Jesus' words from a completely different perspective and whether one agrees with it or not, it does make one think about communion / Eucharist today, and how far it is from being an act of nonviolent resistance...

In many places, it seems that the church, corporations, and government are aligned and allied in holding onto power and maintaining the status quo.


Subversive Meals: An Analysis of the Lord's Supper under Roman Domination during the First Century
R. Alan Streett
2013

the table of hospitality (2)

The people who feel welcomed are the people for whom you have set a table of hospitality.

Source: Doug Paul, edited.

What does such a table of hospitality that welcomes others look like?

How do we set  a table of hospitality that is welcoming to aboriginal people? People who are unhoused? Men and women who live with mental health challenges? People who identify as lgbtq+? Those who live with disabilities? Youth?

I think of two small things that happen at my church:

First, occasionally we substitute the Kenyan Rite for the usual Apostles' Creed. This not only helps us to think more about what we are saying, as the words are not the usual words, but the Kenyan Rite emphasizes different things from the Apostles' Creed. (see more commentary on this, including a great example from a Maasai prayer book).

Secondly, we have held a Standing Stones service in place of the usual Sunday morning Eucharist. The Standing Stones service is a gathering of Aboriginal and Non-aboriginal People to explore God in an Aboriginal Context (read more), and is very different from what we usually do, both in format and in content. I hope that we will be able to repeat this experience several times a year.

These are small ways in which to shift and expand the table of hospitality.

the table of hospitality

Imagine you have a seafood allergy and some acquaintances invite you to dinner.

And then this happens:

How would you feel?

---

The people who feel welcomed are the people for whom you have set a table of hospitality.

Source: Doug Paul, edited.

[inclusive community]

Recently we went to a high school open house here in Edmonton, and this poster caught my eye:

(photo by rob g)

The text says:

Our school is an inclusive community where the fundamental dignity and rights of the person are honored and where those who identify as sexual and gender minorities are welcomed and supported as children of God.

And I wonder, if a Catholic school can say this, why can't the church I attend say the same?

[forensic jesus]

"Back in 2002 a forensic artist used Semite skulls found in Israel to reconstruct the face and head of what a first-century male from Palestine would most probably have looked like."

Paul Alexander from Evangelicals for Social Action challenges us to put a picture of this Jesus up in our churches:

Their goal is to have one million churches with this picture on display.

What do you think? How would people at your church respond? Personally, I'd like to see a slightly friendlier looking version of the forensic Jesus instead of the slightly stunned version that the scientists drew up.

How do you feel about referring to the typical pictures of Jesus as the "European Jesus"?

Forward this post or the link to the full article to your pastor, and ask them to consider adding forensic Jesus to the church walls...

Read the whole article here. They also have a higher resolution version of the picture available there.

an apology from pope francis

On the occasion of the Holy Thursday rite, held at the Castelnuovo di Porto refugee centre in Italy, March 24, 2016.

---

I  just want to say

On Holy Thursday
I washed your feet
Muslim Hindu Christian
men and women

on Holy Thursday
I kissed your feet
strangers in this land
children of the same god

Forgive me
for living the truth
that so many of God's people
deny

poem by rob g
This is a false apology poem
in the style of William Carlos Williams.

---

As Bishop Yvette Flunder says in her tweet below,
Christianity is useless without demonstrating authentic radical love.

Source of Twitter screenshot.
Read the official AP story.

This is a false apology poem in the style of William Carlos Williams.

jesus and the thief

4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

John 12:4-6 NIV

So Judas is a thief, stealing from the common purse.

If the writer of the gospel knew this, wouldn't at least some of the others have known it? And perhaps Jesus himself might have known about it? Yet Judas was still in their midst, still a disciple...

As was Thomas who doubted like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind, Peter who later refused to publicly acknowledge Jesus before others, Matthew who as tax collector had exploited God's chosen people on behalf of the oppressive Romans, Simon the zealot (might some label him a terrorist today?), James the son of Zebedee and John his brother and the other two fishermen disciples who surely are liars (though some call it telling fish stories) ...

What's with that? What kind of church was this Jesus guy building? No wonder we threw out that nasty business of putting up with everyone and are back to being holy as God is holy.


HT to Maureen whose mention of Judas and the common purse in her sermon, inspired this post.

[towards mental wellness - articles]

Excerpt of illustration by Brian Liu

The Winter 2016 issue of Regent College's The Regent World digital magazine is focused on mental wellness and is well worth reading!

http://world.regent-college.edu/
(this is a "current issue" link, which I will update once the next issue is released)





List of articles:

Companions on the Journey: Sharon Smith & Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries
Link

A Theological Reflection on My Experience of Depression
Link

"Me Too." A Hospital Visit
Link

Writing in the Margins: A Conversation with Matt Malyon
Link

Managing Mental Health While Pursuing a PhD: Interview with Rachel Krohn
Link

Holding on to Your Faith in the Dark Night
Link

brief update

This is just a quick update to explain the recent lack of posts. I had spent a lot of time working on the uncertain spaces article, the abbreviated version which appeared in the Anglican Messenger, and the related video. So I think my brain is taking a little break. As well, I have been busy working on our income tax.

However, various ideas are percolating and will eventually end up here.


rob

[asset mapping for straight white folks and others with privilege]

What Jamila says here is also true for any sort of privileged people who want to take positive action -- asset map and then utilize your assets to create real impact for the liberation of others...

[this little light -- purpose built lamps for a great cause]

A friend of ours gave me this funky little lamp, which you see here on my desk at work.

The lamp is made by "This Little Light Handmade Lamp Company", based here in Edmonton. Alberta. Here's what their site says:

We take materials that have been discarded and rebuild them into unique, one of a kind lamps. The process of crafting each lamp is a metaphor for how love can take something broken and make it beautiful. Each lamp is hand crafted by individuals living out stories of Hope, Strength, Resilience and Courage. Whether someone is transitioning back into society after years of incarceration, recovering from addiction, or getting back on their feet after a season of homelessness, This Little Light provides the opportunity for people to discover their second chance.

They currently sell six styles of lamps. You can see them all online, as well as buying them at Park Lighting if you are local to Edmonton.

This Little Light

Park Lighting












(prices as listed on 2016-02-02. subject to change)

[our job is to bring people together]

I have trouble following American politics, and this is not an endorsement of Bernie Sanders, but
I love the message and the images in this ad:



Our Job Is To Bring People Together - Bernie Sanders video


"Our job is not to divide. Our job is to bring people together."


If we do not allow the Bible to divide us up by race, by sexual orientation, by gender...

When we stand together as black, white, indigenous, gay and straight and woman and man, when we stand together and demand that the church works for all of us, rather than the few, we will transform the world we live in...

a joy to hear their voice and be in their presence

After previewing my video on uncertain spaces, a friend wrote this to me:

Hi Rob:

I have so many thoughts upon hearing this that it is hard to respond. My foremost thought (about your video) is that I loved to hear your voice. It is so you.  I guess that is what I want to feed-back to you.

If we really love people then all those things about them that might cause us "concern" are not so important. It is just a joy to hear their voice and to be in their presence.

So when can you and I get together to talk? D.

Hear the voice which inspired his comments.

an apology from the Mesa Arizona Police Department

In memory of Kayden Clarke, age 24, killed by Mesa Police Officers who were sent to follow-up on reports that he was suicidal, when he allegedly lunged at them with a kitchen knife. Mesa, Arizona. February 6, 2016.

Kayden's video of his service dog calming him during an Asperger's "meltdown" went viral last year.

---

we just want to say

Suicidal
from being trans
or having aspergers
but illegal in either case

we two kings responded with guns
and (reportedly) stun guns
at least one of us trained
in mental health crisis intervention

Forgive us
for killing you
we were called in to uphold the law against suicide
but really we just wanted to go on admin leave

poem by rob g

---

Read the story here.

See the video of Kayden and his service dog.

Twitter.

This is a false apology poem in the style of William Carlos Williams. If you are new to my blog, be aware that this is a social commentary blog. Most posts are rather frank and some are hard-hitting. Read more about this blog.

how your church sign looks to outsiders

Just hype? Actually, a study done of 16 - 29 year-olds found that these are the top three words associated with Christians....

The bigger question is: what words would you like to have associated with your church?

How could you make this a reality?

uncertain spaces and declared spaces: an introduction (video)

A key video to watch if you and your church value and embrace diverse people:

I recommend watching full screen if possible, as the graphics are important.
(click here to watch video if your device does not show the video above)

---

Read the full article on uncertain spaces, with additional examples and stories.

Check out all "uncertain spaces" posts on this blog.

[the only place?]

Rachel Held Evans recently said this about the church:

You can get a cup of coffee with your friends anywhere, but church is the only place you can get ashes smudged on your forehead as a reminder of your mortality. You can be dazzled by a light show at a concert on any given weekend, but church is the only place that fills a sanctuary with candlelight and hymns on Christmas Eve. You can snag all sorts of free swag for brand loyalty online, but church is the only place where you are named a beloved child of God with a cold plunge into the water. You can share food with the hungry at any homeless shelter, but only the church teaches that a shared meal brings us into the very presence of God.

(source)

---

And I think, yes! and then, I think, hmmmm, maybe church isn't the only place where these things happen....


You get ashes smudged on your forehead while running to catch the subway ...


We sing 40 in a stadium to the light of phone screens...


Someone calls me beautiful in a chat window...

Friends share a meal with Jesus at the local pub....

jesus and "this lot"

How easy it is to ignore the way of Jesus and to find ways to hate people...

[why does god hate me? a short film]

Why Does God Hate Me? is a video of the experience of a boy growing up gay in a very conservative evangelical family.

I share it for a very specific 1 1/2 minute long segment: the part where Matt's parents take him along to protest at a gay pride parade and he wanders off for a few minutes. Watch the expression on his face, both when he talks with a man named Isaac and then when he is back at the edge of the parade a few minutes later.

Click here to see video on YouTube, starting directly at the 8:37 mark.

The section of particular interest goes from 8:37 to 10:06. That having been said, it's a pretty good video overall.

Watch the whole video on YouTube

What are your first impression? What does his expression communicate? How was this an important moment for him?

[key statement by presiding bishop michael b. curry]

“Many of us have committed ourselves and our church to being ‘a house of prayer for all people,’ as the Bible says, when all are truly welcome,” Curry said in remarks he later made available to Episcopal News Service.

“Our commitment to be an inclusive church is not based on a social theory or capitulation to the ways of the culture, but on our belief that the outstretched arms of Jesus on the cross are a sign of the very love of God reaching out to us all. While I understand that many disagree with us, our decision regarding marriage is based on the belief that the words of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians are true for the church today: All who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female, for all are one in Christ.

“For so many who are committed to following Jesus in the way of love and being a church that lives that love, this decision will bring real pain,” he said. “For fellow disciples of Jesus in our church who are gay or lesbian, this will bring more pain. For many who have felt and been rejected by the church because of who they are, for many who have felt and been rejected by families and communities, our church opening itself in love was a sign of hope. And this will add pain on top of pain.”

---

Bishop Curry's statements were being made in the context of the Primates 2016 meeting at the end of last week, where it was later voted to put temporary sanctions against the Episcopal Church.
Read the entire article here.

key principles

The key principles page is a collection of principles for helping us live in ways that embrace others instead of excluding them.

Click here to access my page of key principles.

Note: because the page of key principles is a "page" and not a "post", this post is being added so that when you select "key" in the right-side list of categories, it will include the link to the key principles page.

coming soon...

... something even better than a lemon blueberry cake!

Perhaps not as tasty, but definitely more challenging, I'm in the last stages of production for a short video introducing "uncertain spaces". Watch for it on this blog in the next week or two.

[to the bride of christ - video]

To the Bride of Christ video.

HT to Chris Roth for making me aware of this video.

merry christmas!

welcoming the baby born on the margins,
outside of the circle, 
the one with arms wide open!

wishing you all a merry christmas 

rob g

[photo session with a twist]

An interesting experiment done by Canon, showing the power of labels...




Link to video 

[the gift of fragility]

Jean Vanier, in Living Gently in a Violent World: The Prophetic Witness of Weakness, writes:

I am interested in an ecclesial vision for community and in living in a gospel-based community with people with disabilities. We are brothers and sisters together, and Jesus is calling us from a pyramidal society to become a body.

and

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1 that God has chosen the weak, the foolish, and the crazy to shame the clever and the powerful; he has chosen the most despised, the people right at the bottom of society. Through this teaching we see a vision unfold in which a pyramid of hierarchy is changed into a body, beginning at the bottom. One might ask if that means Jesus loves the weak more than the strong. No, that is not it. The mystery of people with disabilities is that they long for authentic and loving relationships more than for power. They are not obsessed with being well-situated in a group that offers acclaim and promotion. They are crying for what matters most—love. And God hears their cry because in some way they respond to the cry of God, which is to give love.

These quotes are from Chapter 1, The Fragility of L'Arche and the Friendship of God. Read the rest of the article based on chapter 1.

Living Gently in a Violent World: The Prophetic Witness of Weakness is a new book by Stanley Hauerwas and Jean Vanier.

Find out more about the book on the IVPress website.

winter

Just a quick note to say that there will be fewer posts for a while, as I am working on a new presentation, which I will post here once it is completed.

church of the illiterati

This church declares itself clearly as a place that welcomes and embraces those who can't read.

Well, maybe.  Their sign does raise several questions:

If this really is a church for people who cannot read, what does it matter what the sign says? Or would it be better to call it "the church of non-readers"? Now it is possible, of course, that this church has specifically used the name "Illiterati" to reclaim the name, perhaps similar to the way queer has been reclaimed by some lgbtq+ groups, or like the church which calls itself the Scum of the Earth Church.

And then one might ask, how would someone who doesn't read know this is the church for them? Would some kind of image be helpful? Or would people find out about it via word of mouth and radio ad campaigns?

And does the Church of the Illiterati embrace everyone? We don't know, as they haven't said. And this means that overall, they are still an uncertain space. Except to non-readers. Maybe.

[transgender day of remembrance 2015]

The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder on November 28th, 1998 kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Rita Hester’s murder — like most anti-transgender murder cases — has yet to be solved.

Read more about the Transgender Day of Remembrance.

The 2015 list of people killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice.

thesis / antithesis

[red works photography]

redworks.ca profiles the amazing work of Nadya Kwandibens, an Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) from Northwest Angle #37 First Nation in Ontario, Canada.

I love her vision statement:

We, as Indigenous people, are often portrayed in history books as Nations once great; in museums as Nations frozen stoic; in the media as Nations forever troubled. These images can be despairing; however, my goal seeks to steer the positive course. If our history is a shadow, let this moment serve as light. We are musicians, lawyers, doctors, mothers and sons. We are activists, scholars, dreamers, fathers and daughters. Let us claim ourselves now and see that we are, and will always be great, thriving, balanced civilizations capable of carrying ourselves into that bright new day.

Love the photos on her site too! Check it out at www.redworks.ca!

[st. lydia's dinner party church]

St. Lydia's is a small church in Brooklyn, where the service takes the form of worship happening around a dinner shared together. It is particularly counter cultural in Brooklyn, where the pace of life is fast, meals are often eaten on the go or standing up and often alone, kitchens and eating areas are often too small to accommodate many people.

However, even in my city, in the churches I've been part of, communion is usually done in pews or going up to the front in rows. Having the eucharist as a real meal eaten together is unusual, and would be especially meaningful if eating with non-family members.

I also like the way that they make some declarations right on the home page. Along with affirming GLBTQ, they refer to dispelling isolation, reconnecting neighbours, and subverting the status quo.

Read more about St. Lydia's:
St. Lydia's website.
Article in The Atlantic
Article in Faith and Leadership

[if the gospel is truly good news...]

If the gospel is truly good news, it has to be good news for everyone, for it is either an inclusive gospel or no gospel at all.

Prejudice, paranoia, the politics of exclusion - all these little systems have their day, and there are moments when they appear to prevail, but the church, we know from experience, will eventually do the right thing once it has exhausted every other alternative. We who struggle today know that a social gospel and inclusive gospel are the consequences of a hopeful gospel. In a world surrounded on every hand by bad news, we turn now to the reasonable hope of the gospel, the good news toward which scripture, Jesus, and the Spirit all point.

Peter J. Gomes in The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus (2007). Page 207.

historical example of declared space

The Jewish temple in Jesus' day was definitely a declared space. In fact, each literal space in it was declared as to who could enter and be in it.

The progression was from the Court of the Gentiles, to the Court of Women, the Court of Men, and then the Court of the Priests.

jesus visits the new synagogue...

Jesus visits the new synagogue and has a suggestion:

Ah yes, the ubiquitous "everyone welcome" sign. That's all it takes to encourage people to come, isn't it?

Of course, with the Jewish temple, not everyone was welcome in the same way. Nor is everyone welcome the same way now. More on that in an upcoming cartoon.

See my article on uncertain spaces for a different take on the usefulness of the "everyone welcome" sign.

exploring uncertainty and embrace at your own church

As discussed at length in a previous post, which I highly recommend you read first, uncertain spaces are those which have not clearly articulated if and how they value and embrace diverse people. In contrast, a declared space has clearly articulated if and how it values and embraces diverse people. Uncertainty about a space - especially a church - can be a significant barrier to new people who are looking for a church home. This is of particular interest to churches that want to be more welcoming, especially as much conversation about being welcoming addresses what happens once the newcomer is in the church, rather than the barriers that keep people from entering. (If you have not read the article, I suggest reading it first).

At first thought, it might seem easy to cease being an uncertain space: declare where you are at as an individual or a community in terms of how you value and embrace people.

The process of creating such declarations, along with being a growing experience for the community, can be difficult and potentially divisive at the same time. It will involve conversations and dialogue about where one’s community is actually at and where it wants to be, which is entirely intertwined with where the community’s members are at and where they want to be. And it can result in the discovery that what might have seemed like a fairly homogenous community on the surface, has a lot more diversity when one digs deeper.

This post is intended to be a starting point, a help in exploring where your church is at and where it might want to go. Ideally, work through it with a group so that you can benefit from one another’s insights. Note that this document is a work in progress and may be expanded upon in the future.

an authentic ethic of inclusion...

I came across this nugget in Yvette Flunder's Where the Edge Gathers: Building a Community of Radical Inclusion:

An authentic ethic of inclusion must reach from the center to the farthest margin and work its way back. When we reach for the ones who are the least accepted, we give a clear message of welcome to everyone. Jesus modeled this type of radical inclusivity when he openly received those most despised by society and the religious establishment.

Where the Edge Gathers, pp 25-26

What does it mean to reach from the center to the farthest margin?


Can you imagine Jesus raising money to give to missionaries and mission agencies to do the work for him, and then mostly in the form of evangelism, poverty relief and development directed at worthy groups, as helpful as this is to some, and then considering his role finished?

Can you imagine Jesus helping an existing ministry to the urban poor by hosting a church service and providing a meal once a month, or serving meals and helping at drop-in centers, as important as this is, and just going to the synagogue the rest of the time?

These are not the farthest margins. And Jesus isn't an "at arm's length" kind of guy from what I've seen.

So along with sending out missionaries and helping urban ministries, shouldn't there be some kind of tangible, personal way that we are specifically reaching to the farthest margin?

Wouldn't it make sense to take some kind of concrete action in partnership with the least of these?

How can we follow Jesus in embracing the ones "most despised" by society and the religious establishment?

an apology from Senior Deputy Ben Fields of the Richland County Sheriff's Department

To the unnamed black female high school student at Spring Valley High School who was violently assaulted by Deputy Ben Fields for refusing to get up and leave after being written up for not putting away her phone. Columbia, South Carolina. October 26, 2015.

---

i just want to say

Sitting at your desk

you wanted to use your phone

teacher said no

but you didn't listen

your parents didn't teach you right

so I taught you a lesson

about learning

while black

Forgive me

for teaching you the back flip

in math class

I should have dragged you down to the gym first

poem by rob g

---

Read the story here.

This is a false apology poem in the style of William Carlos Williams.

[twelve key points about radical exclusivity]

Twelve key points about radical exclusivity from yours truly, written as the opposite of the twelve points of radical inclusivity:

1.
Radical Exclusivity is and must be conservative.

2.
Radical Exclusivity recognizes, values, loves and celebrates the people at the center.

3.
Radical Exclusivity does harm in the name of God.

4.
Radical Exclusivity is intentional and creates ministry at the center.

5.
The primary goal of Radical Exclusivity is to be the one and only true church.

6.
Radical Exclusivity maintains existing ways of seeing and being.

7.
Radical Exclusivity requires ambiguity, control and power.

8.
Radical Exclusivity is based on shame and fear.

9.
Radical Exclusivity ignores and devalues the margin.

10.
Radical Exclusivity must be linked to preaching and teaching.

11.
Radical Exclusivity demands conformity.

12.
Radical Exclusivity is best sustained when the members of the community are kept under control of the leadership.

adapted by rob g

---

See also twelve key points about the radical inclusivity model.

[twelve key points about the radical inclusivity model]

Bishop Flunder, author of Where the Edge Gathers: Building a Community of Radical Inclusion, discusses twelve key aspects about the radical inclusivity model in the appendix of her book. Here are the twelve summary statements from these key aspects:

Twelve Steps: The Refuge Radical Inclusivity Model from Bishop Yvette Flunder

1.
Radical Inclusivity is and must be radical.

2.
Radical Inclusivity, recognizes, values, loves and celebrates people on the margin.


3.
Radical Inclusivity recognizes harm done in the name of God.

4.
Radical Inclusivity is intentional and creates ministry on the margin.

5.
The primary goal of Radical Inclusivity is not to imitate or change the mainline church, but rather to be Church.

6.
Radical Inclusivity requires a new way of seeing and a new way of being.

7.
Radical Inclusivity requires awareness, information and understanding.

8.
Radical Inclusivity does not hide and works to undo shame and fear.

9.
Radical Inclusivity recognizes diversity on the margin.

10.
Radical Inclusivity must be linked to preaching and teaching.

11.
Radical Inclusivity demands hospitality.

12.
Radical Inclusivity is best sustained and celebrated when everyone in the community is responsible and accountable.

From Yvette A. Flunder, author of Where the Edge Gathers: Building a Community of Racial Inclusion

---

For more information on each point, see the appendix for the book.

[where the edge gathers: building a community of radical inclusion, by yvette a. flunder]

Where the Edge Gathers is quite a remarkable book, which is really no surprise considering that it's written by Bishop Flunder of the City of Refuge United Church of Christ.

"In Where The Edge Gathers, Flunder uses examples of persons most marginalized by church and society to illustrate the use of "village ethics" -- knowing where the boundaries are when all things are exposed--and "village theology" -- giving everyone a seat at the central meeting place or welcome table. Flunder focuses on the following marginalized groups: Same-sex couples, to convey the need to re-examine sexual and relational ethics, Transgendered persons, to illustrate the importance of radical inclusivity, Gay persons living with AIDS, to emphasize the need to de-stigmatize societies view of any group of people."

(source)

Flunder's book is divided into two main parts: the first contains four chapters on community, and the second contains nineteen sermons, given as an example of "one tool that defines, reinforces, and supports the collective theology of the community." I recommend it as an excellent book on the topic.

[peace community church's artistic declaration]

Peace Community Church in Oberlin, Ohio, wants people to know that its doors are open to everyone. As part of this, they have a new mural which clearly states where it is at when it comes to welcoming people regardless of sexual orientation or skin colour.

Painted by Robert Cothran, the five-panel piece shows a rainbow ribbon coming from the left and a racial harmony ribbon coming from the right, to join around a cross in the center panel. I especially like this because the incorporation of the lgbt ribbon with the racial harmony ribbon, which I've never seen before, acknowledges the diversity of people and the fact that people can be part of several minorities at the same time.

Read more about this mural.

Read more about uncertain spaces and what some churches are doing to articulate how they value and embrace diverse people.

transubstantiation, carnivores and divorcees

St. Atkin's makes it pretty clear that they are pro-carnivore (see previous cartoon in this post). Other things are less certain, but of greater significance to this couple. Will they be welcome even though they married each other after divorcing their previous partners? Not that many years ago, the answer would have been no.  In some churches, it still is.

If you're thinking, "Divorced and remarried? Who cares!", then I ask you: "What do you care about? What matters to you?"

What things make it difficult for you to accept someone else?

Who do you find difficult to embrace?

What's stopping you from loving people the way Jesus did?

And for what things have you yourself experienced rejection?

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Read the article on uncertain spaces.

uncertain spaces

introduction

Your colleague tells you that Human Resources wants to see you right away. If you have no idea as to why, there is uncertainty ahead - perhaps combined with some anxiety or fear -- until you find out whether they are going to fire you, promote you to a special project, or just need a form signed.

You are in an uncertain space, even if just for a few moments until you find out what they really want.

Now what if you're new in town, or perhaps what's new is that you've decided you want to be part of a church. You drive by a church in your neighbourhood, and the sign out in front says "Everyone Welcome".

what does that mean - “everyone welcome”?

Did you know that a study done in the U.S. found that three of the top words non-Christians ages 16 to 29 associate with Christians are judgmental, hypocritical and anti-homosexual? (source: unChristian and article)

Which means that there’s a good chance the person driving past your church and wondering about it, is already doubting the truthfulness and reality of the “Everyone Welcome” sign. Add to that any past negative experience they've had with the church or with Christians, and the uncertainty is even stronger.

The church you drive past is most likely an uncertain space. Will it be hostile or indifferent to you? Or will it be welcoming and embracing? Most times you just don't know.