Reflections on the General Assembly

           
            It was an honor and privilege to serve as a Young Adult Steward at the recent general assembly of the National Council of Churches in New Orleans, Louisiana.  To be present at the table of dialogue, representing not just myself but also the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and how my thoughts and convictions about Christianity, Justice and Ecumenism were shared in light of the tradition of which I belong.  If I could sum up my experience at the General Assembly in one word, it would be “relationships”.  Relationships are the key to embodying the unity God has already given to God’s Church.  At the General Assembly, I was able to form relationships with my fellow Young Adult Stewards and many others who see our unity and diversity as gifts from God, as opposed to stumbling blocks towards unity.

          The time I spent at the General Assembly was a reminder that my own personal faith journey has been an Ecumenical one. My faith has increased and deepened over the years because of the Holy Spirit working through members of the body of Christ; people who gave witness to the gospel through the lens of their faith tradition.  This assembly brought opportunities for fruitful dialogue, by having formal conversations through the Cafe’ and informal conversations between sessions.  I encountered participants who were individuals that took seriously Christ’s command for “all to be one” and the gifts their traditions had to offer to the entire Church.

          The study paper that I choose to engage in during the Assembly was Christian Understanding of Unity in an Age of Radical Diversity.  One of my favorite statements from the paper was this, “The goal of the ecumenical movement is not to unite those who are diverse – that is the goal of political parties and governments.  The goal is to celebrate the wondrous diversity of our God-given oneness as God’s people, Christ’s body, the Spirit’s temple.”  I could see this truth embodied through our holy conversations, when breaking bread together and worshiping as one at the assembly.

          This experience gave me the opportunity to meet new friends, who I have always been in connection with as sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus.  The group of Young Adult Stewards that attended this General Assembly this year came from a variety of Christian traditions.  To be able to form relationships with them that have lasted long after the end of the assembly is priceless.  It is because of the gift of relationship that we have with each other and our Lord that I rejoice and give thanks.  Bonding with my fellow Young Adult Stewards gave me hope, not just for the future of the Church and ecumenism, but for the mission of the Church that we are engaged in right now.

          The paper of Unity in an Age of Diversity also stated that, “the church must turn again to scripture and tradition in order to hear what the Spirit is saying to us.”  I can affirm that across, denominations and generations, this is being lived out.  As a member of the body of Christ, I pray that the experiences and relationships formed at gatherings such as the General Assembly of the National Council of Churches may be more common in local communities.  I know that Ecumenism is alive and well across the country; those of us that gathered together for this Assembly have now been scattered back out into the world. Commissioned to proclaim and witness, with all Christians, God’s gift of unity and diversity that shines a beacon of hope in a broken world.

Do we need "New Fire" for Ecumenism to work among Young Adults?

Today and tomorrow I am taking part in the New Fire Young Adult Gathering in New Orleans, Louisiana as part of being a Young Adult Steward for the National Council of Churches, USA Centennial Gathering.

New Fire is a "network" that is trying to define who they are and the role they can play in Ecumenical Young Adult Ministry.  Personally I think New Fire has much potential in being a network that helps to facilitate and support ecumenism on a grass roots level by providing awareness, outreach and seed grants for local ecumenical projects.

After spending a day with New Fire, I hope that they can refine their message and spread it!  Then congregations and organizations would be aware of a network that can support cooperative ecumenical ministry to young adults at the local level.

A concern that I had was the fear that in order to be effective ecumenical and not risk offending anyone at the table we need to "water down" who we are.  I firmly believe that in order for ecumenism to be effective and for true unity in the church to be realized we need, to then, be open and honest with one another.  There is the potential that New Fire and organizations like it could intentionally or unintentionally be anti-denominational.  This would be a result of a "watering down" process for the sake of "unity" which I believe would be disastrous and create a false unity with little or no direction.

We need to be who we are so that we can appreciate the unity and diversity that is present throughout the body of Christ.  New Fire should not also have to feel that it needs to reinvent the wheel in regards to fostering ecumenical relationships.  Many Christian denominations are either in full communion or are in partnership with one another.  New Fire can serve as an agent that makes local congregations aware of the visible unity that already exists among them. They can take advantage of the agreements made by their denominations on the national level that are intended to strengthen ministry at the local level.

I see much value in New Fire and the potential it has to contribute to Ecumenical Adult Ministry in the 21st century.  My hope and prayer is that they truly want Christians to be who they are, offering and sharing their tradition as a lens and witness to the gospel.  In spite of differences, when we engage and do ministry together, I believe young adults would then respect both our authenticity and our traditions.  They would be open to learning and exploring more, walking with Christians who are both genuine and welcoming.

For more information about New Fire got to  http://www.faithconnectsus.org/