Previous Post – Praying For Miracles
At Little Flowers Community we slowly defining in greater detail what it means for us to be a missional community of Christ in our context. Given our conviction that “the primary place the discern God’s will is in the context of the Christ-committed community”, we take a great deal of time to pray, study, discuss, explore and experiment around any issue that is significant to the community. This might come through our exploration of Scripture, wrestling with the implications for our lives. However, it is often the result of circumstances in the life of the community that lead us into this process.
Mennonite Church Canada has been going through a very similar process. Over the last few years, they have identified several areas where certain dynamics have led to the need for conversation and consideration. They list the following as central:
- a) Unity and Diversity in the life of the Church;
- b) Being a Peace church;
- c) Confessing and witnessing to Jesus Christ as Lord in a religiously pluralistic context;
- d) Human sexuality in the life of the church;
- e) Ecological concerns from a perspective of faith.
Human sexuality tends to be the topic on the forefront (both for the national church and for Little Flowers Community). Mennonite Church Canada has responded by entering into a multi-year process called “Being A Faithful Church”. Core to this process is the commitment to discern together God’s truth and will. This is a constant task of the Church, one that will not end as long as sin remains. In other words, we must always be asking the hard questions about what we believe and what the implications of such belief are. They have identified three possible results from this process:
a) The church can repeat again what it has said before:
Example from the Bible: Jesus’ reference to part of the shema as the greatest commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength, and your neighbour as yourself.”
Example from church history: Mennonites reaffirming their understanding of pacifism in spite of the persecution against them from without, and the pressures from within in the 16th century and during World War I and II.
b) The church can modify what it has said before, given some new spiritual understandings. This would normally mean that it can move further but in the same direction that it has moved before.
Example from the Bible: Jesus’ desire to fulfill and not to abolish the law with his six references to: “You have heard that it was said … But I say to you…”
Example from church history: Mennonites slowly moving from an understanding of “non-resistance” to “non-violent resistance.”
c) The church can change what it has said before because new perspectives have become apparent and compelling, and shifting the relative authority of canonical voices has been discerned to be necessary.
Example from the Bible: The understanding of the “chosen people” to include the Gentiles in a new way, which in turn changed the understanding of circumcision and food laws in affirming what “seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us.”
Example from church history: The church’s defense of slavery not being justifiable, and the equal role of women in the ministry of the church to be good.
This is not to say that arriving at any of these three ends makes the understanding right, only that such possible outcomes are possible and defensible. In other words, we have to be open to any of the three ends as we faithfully and humbly seek God’s wisdom.
The process document goes on to clarify:
“There is always tension between sufficient wisdom and spiritual surprise as the church is intentional about discernment. Therefore, the church will not (cannot) know which of the three outcomes it will experience. Spiritual/biblical discernment ultimately is an exercise of faith in and submission to the work of the Holy Spirit in the midst of God’s community. The church always engages discernment on the foundation of what it has discerned before. Discernment does not mean that we are adrift or that there is no anchor. We are confident in the past presence of God with us, and the sufficiency of the wisdom that has been discerned. Discernment does not presuppose change, but it is open to surprises engineered by the Holy Spirit. This means that while the foundation is solid, where discernment will end up is not predetermined. It is open to the inherent tension of sufficiency and surprise. The church need not, however, fear. A discerning community will come to the point where it can say “it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…” (Acts 15:28). And this is the trust and faith that allows the church to be the church, engaging its God-given vocation of confronting sin and engaging obedience. Conversely, a church that avoids, refuses, or cannot engage its vocation of ongoing discernment cannot be the church.”
Consider the implications of that last sentence. Faithfulness to Christ and to the mission He has called us into, requires ongoing discernment- not borne out of fearful uncertainty, but out of humility and obedience. And above all, out of love, for failing to do so not only fails to love God, but fails to love others who live with (and often suffer from) the implications of our misguided, shallow or casual beliefs. Now, I would temper that statement with the boundless grace of God that works in spite of our failings, but I understand the need for strong wording here.
This just barely brushes the surface of what is involved in the “Being A Faithful Church” process is doing. Click on the link in the previous sentence to find more detailed resources. Again, this is a process that parallels what we are doing at Little Flowers Community. It is hard work, at times frustrating and confusing, but overall, deeply rewarding and exciting.
What does discernment look like in your community?
