INVITATION TO PLAY
In the last several blogs, I have offered you a way that you can engage your congregation in an internet conversation about church conflict. Prior to that were a series of blogs by which you can engage your leadership in examining their role as your partners in confronting the issue of conflict in the Body of Christ. If you have followed some version of that plan, your leadership and congregation are ready to join you in an evening discussion that reflects on the role of conflict in the church.
As a way of setting the tone for the gathering, you are inviting people to build on your past discussions and enjoy each other as you play a game about church conflict. Invite them to share a meal together. During the meal, invite each table to identify three benefits and three costs that resulted in the major splits in church history. They can either reflect on the split in 1000 CE, the Reformation in 1500, etc. or they can choose to focus in on the various splits in the Presbyterian denomination.
RECOGNIZING CLAY JARS
Before people begin reporting in from their tables, read to them from 2 Corinthians 4:7. “But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.”
Ask them to first report the costs of the conflict and then the benefits that came out of the conflict. (e.g. The Reformation cost the unity of the church. A benefit was that people were able to worship in their own language.) After each table has reported in, ask the whole group to respond with the words of 2 Corinthians 4:7 which you can either flash on a screen or have printed copies on each table.
THE CHURCH ON TRIAL
Ask the group to identify a list of 10 issues that either have in the past split the church or are currently causing splits among churches. (It is a good idea to gather a mixture of historic and current issues.) Place the list in a visible place.
Have copies of 1 Corinthians 12:12-30 available on the tables. Read 12:12-13 aloud. Then ask half of the tables to compose paraphrases of 12:14-26 substituting three or more of the issues identified for the parts of the body mentioned but phrased in an accusatory manner. (eg. “Because you don’t believe . . . you are not part of the church body.”
“Some tables prepare a paraphrase 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 as a response to those who have judged that some group does not belong to the church body. Other tables prepare a paraphrase of Ephesians 4:1-6 as a response. Encourage them to have fun making the paraphrases as contemporary as possible.
After sharing the work of the tables and comments from the experience, conclude the evening with singing together “The Church’s One Foundation.”
