Hopeful Review

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
² The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
    the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    the spirit of counsel and might,
    the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
³ His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

Isaiah 11

During 2013 the United Church of Canada encouraged it's congregations, members and adherents, and anyone else who might be interested to enter into what is called the Comprehensive Review. http://www.united-church.ca/communications/news/general/131217?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UnitedChurchNewsInfo+(News+and+Information+%7C+The+United+Church+of+Canada)
This was mandated at the national meeting called General Council in 2012 in recognition that the wheels are coming off our denomination. That might sound like a strong statement but supposedly part of the review process is honesty. Everything, we're told, is on the table in terms of our assumptions about how we do church. We're not alone of course. All mainline/old-line denominations are struggling and they, like us, are aging and finding themselves with a whack of real estate in locations where congregations are no longer sustainable.

 I don't know about you, but I think the name is terrible. It's something that a federal government would cook up to soften the blow of down-sizing departments. We could use something a bit more stirring and biblical and Christian.

Just the same, this review is a good thing in my estimation, because otherwise we will fade away like the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland. We still have more than the grin left, but it's all getting a bit hazy.

What would we lose if the United Church up and died? A Christian entity which has upheld justice as a central biblical and faithful concept and practice. I  do feel that at many key times in Canadian history we have been a voice for the voiceless. Even when we screw up, such as Residential Schools, we take responsibility for our wrong-doing and do our best to make amends. We have gone first over and over again, taken the heat, then watched others come to similar conclusions.

What can we hope for in 2014? That this rather halting and ponderous initiative comes into focus and galvanizes us. That we unapologetically speak of Christ as the centre of our life and being. That we understand that making disciples within every congregation is the key to health and wholeness. That we actually act on the conclusions and recommendations of the review, if we decide they make sense.

What do you think of this enterprise? Are you proud to be a United Church member? Do we have much of a future?