When I think about how to lead a church as a Senior Minister in these days, I am continually drawn to part of our identity statement as Disciples of Christ: “We are Disciples of Christ, a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.”
I believe this is a most important statement, because perhaps more than anything else, this is what our world needs today.
We need a movement.
Not a gathering of good people;
not a philosophy class;
not a social club;
not an assembly of worshippers;
not a group of day-dreamers;
not a church of well-wishers;
and not thoughts and prayers.
We need a movement.
We need a movement of goers and doers—going and doing all that we can, when we can, where we can, with all that we have been given:
working for wholeness in a world that is fragmented;
working for justice in systems of inequality;
working for generosity in an environment of greed;
working for grace in a culture of prejudice;
working for peace in a country of violence;
working for truth in a nation of politics;
working for hope in a state of despair;
working for love in a world of hate.
And the love must always be Christ-like:
Not a love that expects anything in return;
not a love that conditional, prejudicial, exclusive or elusive;
not a love that is self-serving, self-seeking or self-absorbed.
But a love that is always self-expending, self-giving and self-denying;
a love that is forbearing, forgiving and free;
a love that is gracious, grateful and generous;
a love that is encouraging and empathetic;
a love that never gives in, gives up or gives out;
a love that is positive and pure.
It is a love that is forward-thinking and forward-marching, going out to give hope to those the world leaves behind.
It is the love that Jesus modeled, taught and commanded.
It is the Love that is God.
It is the love that can heal sick religion, restore a distorted morality, and rebuild a broken world.
It is the love that tears down walls that divide and barriers that exclude.
It is the love that has the power to change the world.
Just Love 