A CHRISTIAN PRACTICE
Pastors and lay leaders in churches have a built-in resource to assist them in developing an anti-racism ministry. Every Sunday, built into our liturgy, is a place for the confession and assurance of pardon for our sins. Despite our society’s tendency to want to focus on judging each other, the Christian church begins by saying we are not perfect, but we can grow from that confession.
SCRIPTURE’S STORY
When you reflect on the stories of our faith community in Scripture, God has always chosen to work through imperfect people and communities. A striking example is David. If you review hi story, can you think of any of the ten commandments that David didn’t violate. His affair with Bathsheba not only involved adultery, but false witness and even murder. The turning point came when Nathan confronted him with his sins and he was willing to confess rather than deny them. That same theme is reflected in the stories about the disciples that Jesus chose as the base of building his church. Even though it is under-emphasized in today’s church, grace, not moral superiority, is the center of the church.
DON’T DENY OUR HISTORY
While our nation is embroiled in a debate about whether we remove Confederate statues or not, the church’s theology directs us to recognize our own history, good and bad, and confess it so that we can grow in love. Imagine researching your church history, and then confessing the sin in your history while praising God for continuing to offer a graceful future. Yes, the church has made and continues to make plenty of mistakes. The Good News is that we don’t have to be defeated by those mistakes. Grace is more than forgiveness. It is a future that recognizes the sins of the past but is loved into possibilities.
BRIEF EXERCISE
Thinking of both your church’s history and your current status. Thinking of the contrast between the Gospel and the experience of racism in our church and society. Write no more than five statements of sins of racism that exist in our lives.
Now try to compose a confession of sins for the congregation that is both honest and proclaims the presence of grace for your congregation. Do that several times over the next couple of weeks and see if one of them might be used in your liturgy.
