Congregational Theology
Thursday, August 25, 2022
10:48 AM
Congregational life in the form of program development, evangelism and integration of new members, event planning, mission initiatives, and the administration of finances, building and staff is a product of a congregation’s theology.  When congregations reach a place of saying “What Next” in terms of their whole congregational life or a part of it, they often pursue lines that may or may not satisfy them.   One strategy is to work harder at doing what they have already done.   One common strategy is imitation—to look at another congregation or other congregations and seek to replicate that which appears to be the successful aspects of another congregation’s life.  Some congregations seek consultants.  
The strategy I’m suggesting is different.  I’m suggesting that the congregation work from the inside out.  I am suggesting that First Christian Church--Fort Worth (FCCFW) seek to discern and articulate its theological character first and from a theological foundation develop ways to embody core theological convictions.  
Our Disciples Inertia Resists Congregational Theological Consensus-Making
We need to admit that something within most Disciples congregations resists this sort of consensus-making.  Where some congregations could rely on their denominations belief statement(s) as a unifying congregational theology, Disciples generally lack denominational doctrine.  Our “anti-creedal” conviction was born of the individualistic philosophy that gave us birth.  The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) gives priority to freedom over orthodoxy. Some congregations align themselves with a clear theological framework such as evangelicalism. However, our commitment to an open table is not just about the bread and cup shared in worship.  It is a template for our approach to other ways of being.  And finally where some congregations would derive a prescriptive theology from a founding or key formational pastor, Disciples have a history of skepticism toward authoritarian leaders.  
We believe strongly in the unity of the Church—a conviction born from our witness to the destruction brought by divisions among Christians.  So, we hold two volatile theological commitments together.  On the one hand, we prioritize freedom and on the other hand we value unity.  It’s easy, well it is easier, to have unity if everyone believes the same thing.  And it is easy to have freedom if we are willing to let each one go their own way.  
Holding them together is a challenge.  We do so, generally speaking through tolerance, affection, One common story that is told and retold that reflects these two commitments together goes something like this:
Even though we disagreed with each other, we still went to the table together.  
Or maybe you’ve heard people say, “We agree to disagree but disagree agreeably.”  
What’s wrong with this approach? Nothing per se. However, congregations do have to come to consensus or at least majority opinion on some decisions: who will be called to serve as ministerial staff?  What will the budget be?  Even tasks that are assigned to individuals, like praying the prayer at the Lord’s Table, assumes some theological consensus.  Elders pray in first person plural “we” language, not person singular.  
We resist the theological work often because we assume it is prescriptive rather than descriptive.  We assume that it is the work to define what a congregation should believe—about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, salvation, church, etc.  However, such a prescriptive approach to theology does not help guide a congregation making decisions much more than having no theology.  
Exercise
Define a faith-based practice at your church.
Identify a practice at First Christian Church that you sense emerges from or reflects your faith?  Giving examples is tricky.
If I give an example that you do not have, 
discussion tends to revolve around why “we don’t do that here.”  OR “why don’t we do that here?” Neither gets   
If I said—FaithWay Church sends people door-to-door with church literature, group discussion gets bogged down in why we don’t do that.
If I give an example that you do have, 
Discussion tends to gravitate to the value (or lack of value) that practice has.  
It can be something of a “force” as we might see in a magic trick where the magician knows how to manipulate the card so that you choose the one she want you to choose.  
 So, it’s best I not give an example and let you wrestle with it.  (Use quarterly foot washing as the example if absolutely need to OR nomination of elders).  
What is something we do at First Christian Church that either comes from our faith or that shows our faith?  
Something we do weekly?
Situationally?
Annually?
As a group, try to describe this practice—the what and the how not the why—of the practice.  (On each fifth Sunday, we gather at Sundown.  The elders wrap large, thick sheets around their waists.  They use draw warm water into pitchers.  They pour the warm water over the bare feet of the congregants one at a time over basins and dry the feet with the large towel.  OR Each year the board forms a nominating committee made up of seven members—three on the board, four not on the board—the nominating committee is asked to identify three new elders each year.  The Committee begins by examining the qualifications of an elder. They brainstorm possible candidates.  They pray over the ones to ask and the ones to ask after that should the first invitations not be accepted.  
Discuss what is the significance of this practice for you?  (NOTE:  It doesn’t have to be significant and if it isn’t you can say so).  
What expression of faith is under the surface of this practice?  
What are we saying about God when we do this?
Complete the sentence:  We believe in a God who _____________ therefore we [insert the practice].
We believe in a loving Jesus Christ who showed his care and concern for his Disciples by washing their feet therefore we remind one another of Jesus’s love by washing one another’s feet.      
Understanding Context
How do we read documents theologically?
Imago Dei--How do you read these documents while keeping in mind that we each person is created in God's image?
Stewardship--How do you read these documents while keeping in mind that all of creation belongs to God?
Vocation--How do we read these documents in light of the sacredness of secular vocation?
From Dorothy Sayers's essay on Vocation, "In noth­ing has the Church so lost her hold on real­i­ty as in her fail­ure to under­stand and respect the sec­u­lar voca­tion. She has allowed work and reli­gion to become sep­a­rate depart­ments, and is aston­ished to find that, as result, the sec­u­lar work of the world is turned to pure­ly self­ish and destruc­tive ends, and that the greater part of the world’s intel­li­gent work­ers have become irre­li­gious, or at least, unin­ter­est­ed in religion. 
But is it aston­ish­ing? How can any one remain inter­est­ed in a reli­gion which seems to have no con­cern with nine-tenths of his life? The Church’s approach to an intel­li­gent car­pen­ter is usu­al­ly con­fined to exhort­ing him not to be drunk and dis­or­der­ly in his leisure hours, and to come to church on Sun­days. What the Church should be telling him is this: that the very first demand that his reli­gion makes upon him is that he should make good tables." 
From <[link]> 
 Grace--How do we read these documents while keeping in mind God's gift of forgiveness and pathway of repentance toward a better way?  
Downtown Fort [link]
Fort Worth Community Needs A[link]
Texas Health--still in process for 2022.  [link]
Tarrant County Community Youth Development Program.  [link]
Other Community Assessments.  [link]
So the goal of crafting these discussion question is to craft questions in a way that does have so much baggage.  Honesty questions that invite spontaneous response.  Some questions I’ve asked in other contexts:
Who is someone at this congregation who has helped you grow in your faith?  What did they do?
What experiences have you had at this congregation where you were formed as a person of faith?
If a new Christian committed to your congregation’s way of being faithful, what would their discipleship look like in five years?  
Has there been a time when you felt your faith challenged at First Christian Church?  What happened?  How did you resolve it?  
Do you have a favorite Bible story?  If so, what is it about that story that draws you?  
Do you have a passage of scripture that feels meaningful to you?  If so what is it about that scripture that draws you?    
What Holiday does First Christian Church do particularly well?  
How have you heard Jesus described?  
What makes First Christian Church a Disciples congregation?  
From <[link]> 
Cannon
   Congregation
Context