DOES GOD HAVE A BETTER IDEA?

OUR WITNESS

We seem to experience continual examples of church fights, splits, and splintering of the Body of Christ in our society. Without intending it, the current church seem to mirror society’s capacity to spit, scratch, fight, and argue. It’s as if the church is saying to the world, you have it right, we only need to decide who is the strongest or cleverest and who can win the battle. The idea that we can be ambassadors of reconciliation seems to have faded from the scene. The theological challenge this presents is at all levels of the church.

A BIBLICAL CONVERSATION

I want to propose a design for a biblical conversation that could take place in a church, a regional meeting, or even at an ecumenical meeting. It is based on the premise that the Bible can offer us inspiration and guidance for how a church responds to the society around us. What I am suggesting is that we read back into Scripture the story of the church. That when we talk about Israel or the behavior of the disciples or other figures in the biblical story, we are also talking about the church. When they act faithfully, we see the image of a faithful church and when they betray their faith, we see this clay pot that contains the treasure of the faith. I’m going to offer one story but this can be applied to other biblical stories as well. While this could be done as an individual meditation, it will be much richer if it takes place in a gathering of the community.

JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS

You might want to encourage people to refresh their memories by re-reading the story of Joseph contained in Genesis 37-50.

Next, in no particular order, ask those before you to call out some of the less than noble behavior and characteristics among the brothers in the story. For example, they might suggest that the brothers exhibited envy when they spotted their brother coming to where they tended the sheep. Keep a list of the characteristics as they are identified.

Then have people suggest some of the more noble characteristics that emerge in the story. For example, someone might mention the integrity that Joseph evidenced in relation to the wife of Potiphar.

A METAPHOR FOR THE CHURCH

Now, recalling that this is an early story in the life of the people of God, ask them to look at the story as a metaphor for the church. Allow people to rise and speak to a parallel that exhibits some of the less than noble but also the noble characteristics of the church. What you are doing is to allow the group to paint a picture of the contemporary church in our society. Remind them that this is a time for confession and not accusation. “When I see this happening in the church, I think it exhibits this characteristic from the story of Joseph.”

GOD IS IN CONTROL

Now call attention to Joseph’s conclusion about what God was doing with respect to the behaviors in the story. Invite them to make some comments about what this might mean about how we are to behave as a church and what God might be doing behind the scenes.

Finally, conclude with a period of prayer in which participants are invited to speak their prayers aloud on behalf of the One Body of Christ.