Greetings from Montreat:
I am here for a conference titled “Church Unbound,” which is being led by some of the top thinkers and writers focused on what has become the theme for us this summer: What, if anything, do we need to change about the church for it to be a vital force in this pluralistic century?
The keynote speaker is Brian McLaren, who has drawn great attention and some controversy to his ground-breaking ideas about how we understand the role of Christ and the kingdom of God (among other things). This afternoon, I also participated in a stimulating session focused on multicultural churches. I am here by your good graces and I will do my best to soak up as much as I can for your – and the church’s – use and benefit. (In case you’re worried about expenses, the conference I attended last spring was covered entirely by the Presbytery.)
A theme of the conference is the story of Lazarus, Christ’s friend, who died and was brought back to life by Jesus. As we know from scripture’s various accounts of resurrection as well as Paul’s writings, we must die, first, to be resurrected. To live in Christ, we must die to what keeps us separated from God. It is a question worth pondering for everyone: To what should we die – what parts of ourselves need to die – for us to be transformed in Christ?
When Jesus resurrected Lazarus, he said, “Unbind him” because he had been bound in cloth and prepared for burial. At this conference, we are asking: what will it take to unbind the church? An equally good question, one we at Caldwell have a remarkable opportunity to explore as we continue to journey together.
See you Sunday.
John