Living in coronavirusworld 220: Matthew 25 Church

 12/1

House across from Morningside

The beginning of our virtual Presbytery meeting is taken up with  more than usual technical hassles getting people into the room and connected. So it is. But once underway, it picks up its own flow and goes smoothly apart form the random interruptions that come from  people not muting themselves sometimes at awkward, annoying and even amusing moments. 

There is no denying the impact of Covid on the life of Presbytery. Even before Covid, membership had fallen by 9%. Only 70% of congregations were paying per capita. Since Covid, only 40% have paid their per capita, reflecting the congregations’ own financial crisis due to loss of income.  

Some congregations have handled the crisis well, however, making creative use of streaming worship services and events. Covenant Congregation, for example, has become a truly international congregation that now has a 2AM Bible Study to accommodate cross ocean participants. 

Our special guest is Rick Ufford-Chase, up until recently Co-Director of Stony Point Conference Center. Rick shares his reflections on the future church. He tells how they had come up with the Matthew 25 initiative that is now gaining traction in the church. Of the  three periscopes that make up the chapter, he’s most drawn to the third,  the judgment of the nations. It calls us to both stand with those who are marginalized, excluded and oppressed and also to introspection as well. Very specifically he sees the church called to:

* nurture vital congregations

* dismantle systemic racism 

* bring an end to poverty

He has come to see the second pericope as badly misunderstood. Christians in Latin America helped him to see that far from a parable about the Kingdom of God, the parable is actually an accurate description of who multinational corporations are. When it speaks of the third slave as being afraid, the slave was afraid of becoming like the master. Jesus came to bring about new rules. We must ask ourselves what are we called to do? What is our capacity? And do what we can do in a way that would be pleasing to God.We must use our power and privilege when called upon by people who are at risk on their behalf. And the church’s mission, to be legitimate, must take seriously and act concretely towards reparations. Nothing else is valid.

Santa

Snowmen

Mike Geffner’s Inspired Word  World (virtual) open mic grows by leaps and bounds every week. The schedule falls two hours behind and somehow I get flustered and forget words to my own songs. That is embarrassing and upsetting.Over and over again this world demands  patience.