Ripples on the River – August 2019

This 2019 General Assembly energized me more than other recent Disciples gatherings.

It wasn’t because we met in Des Moines, although it wasn’t that bad after thunderstorms cooled off the heat wave.

There wasn’t a huge crowd, but at least we didn’t feel lost in the big arena.
It wasn’t because of the inspiring music, even though worship was a highlight.
I appreciated the powerful preaching, but there was something more than the preachers who gave me hope in our denomination.

The honesty in our Church energized me: acknowledgment and confession of our racism past and present, recognizing sexism and the homo/transphobia that deny the humanity of all God’s children.

Church business sessions didn’t bore me. Instead I heard the voices of people who challenged us as we addressed domestic violence, the plight of migrants, and the need to grow in our understanding of transgender and gender-diverse persons.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom—we celebrated the success of our 2020 Vision a year early with 1,004 new church starts! New Church Ministry reported 61% are still active congregations, which is better than past generations of church plants.
I was energized by hearing about what we’re doing in mission in our own local communities and in countries around the world. Disciples of Christ support mission co-workers and our mission partners in their courageous witness and service, risking their lives in places from the Congo to Chicago, from Indianapolis to Indonesia.

That’s why I’m proud to be a Disciple of Christ. We may not be the biggest church group around, but right now we’re among the boldest followers of Jesus.

In Christ, Ron