Last week in this feature, we posted “We Need to Talk” about a church in Lincoln, Nebraska, where political divisions erupted over the screening of a film called Bad Faith: Christian Nationalism’s Unholy War on Democracy. This is Part Two of that story, so if you haven't read “We Need to Talk,” please do.
Gabriel, the pastor of that church, canceled the screening because it was clear that the community was not ready to engage the issue, which some saw as partisan. In place of the screening, Gabriel planned a community discussion for the whole congregation.
He was nervous. He knew his congregation was “purple” (Democratic and Republican), but he did not expect such opposition to this issue; Christian Nationalism concerns all Christians, whose faith is being co-opted by a political machine hungry for power.
He was also nervous because he had a busy pastor’s week already: committee meetings every weeknight, wedding on Saturday, worship Sunday morning. He just didn’t have time to plan another event, let alone one as delicate as this.
Nonetheless, the report I got Monday morning was this:
“It could not have gone better.”
Whew!
How did this happen? What turned a tinder box into a holy flame?
Covenant, storytelling & listening, and ritual.
During the event, people were reminded of their deeply shared commitments; they were offered a container in which to express themselves and hear others; and they were invited to create together a symbol of their hope.
We offer below some specifics about how Gabriel’s church moved through these elements and hope that your community can adapt them for your own difficult conversations.
1. In a large group, everyone present agreed that they had covenanted to be a community of presence. Gabriel reminded them of the covenants in the Bible; churches covenant as well, with one another and with God.
2. Then, in small groups, congregants told their stories and listened to others’ stories. This is where, with any hot-button issue, things can get messy. Structure and guidelines are key. There were timekeepers and instructions not to “cross-talk.” The movement of the discussion was rooted in the structure of ancient Psalms of lament: lament, remembrance of identity, hope, and action.
3. To conclude, the full group came back together and participated in a ritual of hope and unity. Holding one chalice with red finger paint and one with blue finger paint, Gabriel acknowledged the importance of both blue (the liturgical color of Advent) and red (the liturgical color of Pentecost). He poured the blue and red paint together into one chalice to make purple paint as the congregation sang “They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love.” Congregants were invited to dip their hands in the purple paint and, with it, write their hopes for the church on a piece of canvas.
While this community’s experience is complete in itself, you might also look at the practices below when you are planning a similar gathering:
This practice of kindness and reverence provides a good start to a meeting when you want to insure that people matter at least as much as the items on the agenda.
Listening is key to community engagement. This practice can turn diversity of opinion into learning.
We’ve mentioned this resource before but there are so many good practices in it, we want to refer you to it again: “Practicing Democracy at a Local Meeting”