20 Sep Reclaiming Our Treasures

Dear Westwood Church Family,

When we became a Reconciling United Methodist Church, we adopted the following statement:

In an address aimed toward the whole United Methodist Church, the President of our Council of Bishops, Tom Bickerton, challenged us to “be the architects of a renewed, revived and reclaimed United Methodist Church.” In a season of tension and division in the church, I am excited about what Westwood UMC brings to add to the conversation.

For too long, loud voices have preached a version of Christianity that is out of sync with what we believe about Jesus and his teaching–a distorted version of our faith that prioritizes judgment over welcome, exclusion over inclusion, and that protects traditions rather than gives itself over for the sake of others.

In all the decades of my life, we have also experienced a decline in the cultural and political power of the church. Churches that were close to the center of US American power in the 1950s and 60s now find ourselves just one of many diverse faith communities in a pluralistic culture where fewer people identify as religious. At the same time, we have begun to acknowledge and dismantle oppressive power structures in the church and elsewhere. We have recognized that there’s work to do to overcome institutionalized sexism and racism, as well as oppression against LGBTQ+ folks. In our denomination, for decades, disagreement about our understanding of human sexuality has been leveraged as a wedge to divide us against one another, with our LGBTQ+ kin paying an unjust cost for our fight.

So, when even our denominational leaders ask us to be architects for a renewed, revived and reclaimed church, I am happy to start to dream. I’m glad to look forward to a future church that has never yet been possible. This invitation points us not toward despair at our inevitable decline, but hopefulness about what we are holding on to, and what God is making possible with us.

I find such hope in the great treasures of our tradition. Though they are sometimes buried under layers of institutional fears, we hold gifts that have the power to point us toward liberation! Our scriptures tell stories of freedom, of community, of grace, and of undying love. Our history is woven through with faithful saints and prophetic witnesses who have held up a faithful flame of the Holy Spirit’s guidance for our communities–and the power of their witness is made more poignant because of faithfulness in the midst of oppression. There is an empowering unruliness about the way the Holy Spirit continues to move in our midst, giving authority to movements of justice and compassion through the gathered community, without waiting for our institutional approval.

I’m excited that we’re doing this architectural work together, now. In the Loft this fall, conversations about decolonizing Christianity help us make sure that what we’re designing is truly liberating. In the Sanctuary, we are focusing on “reclaiming, reviving, and renewing” and what that looks like for us.

I am excited about what’s happening in our congregation, too. We continue to practice doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly. We thoughtfully engage meaningful questions of faith. We share the gifts of transcendent music, generous intergenerational community, rigorous study, and thoughtful preaching. May we, in our life together, reclaim the gifts that are at the powerful heart of our faith: amazing grace, expansive love, undying hope.

grace and peace,
Pastor Molly