An (e)strange(d) Tuesday
Tuesday June 14, 2022 was a typical ministry day for me, but one I will never forget.
The day started by being on a Zoom call with the Resonate Global Mission (Christian Reformed Church) Community of Practice for Urban Ministry. This wonderful group of people serve in urban contexts across the US and Canada and do amazing work. Over the last number of years the members have become like a family. One participant on this call described the group as the oxygen that allows her to do her work. It is beautiful community that bears each others burdens, learns from one another, and collectively seeks the shalom of the cities where we live, work, learn and play.
After that Zoom call it was time for our weekly staff meeting. My co-worker Jessica (Resonate Mission Network Developer) and I meet each week to discuss the business of the Anchorage Urban Training Collaborative and Reclaim (an emerging congregation in the Christian Reformed Church). We discussed Reclaim's upcoming service. The service is what we call "A Work of the People Service."(1) In those services members bring a song, thought, verse, etc. to share in a potluck type format that reflects the practice Paul teaches in I Corinthians 14:26-33. These beautiful services help our community to live into our desire to be the body of Christ to each other and practice the priesthood of all believers.
After staff meeting I drove downtown to the Office of Children's services where I volunteer as a chaplain. In this role I encourage and support the State social workers that strive to protect children that are in unsafe or abusive homes. This week that looked like talking with managers about future trainings on stress management and offering onsite meditation and mindfulness sessions. It also included sitting with staff and hearing their stories and encouraging them.
After leaving my chaplain responsibilities behind, I drove over to the chapel where members of Reclaim were preparing for a memorial service for one of our members who died unexpectedly. When I arrived people were caring for the family. Others were moving furniture and setting up the room for the service. Texts and calls were being made to others to gather all that was needed for the memorial. The scene was a beautiful picture of the body of Christ caring for each other.
June 14, 2022 was a pretty typical Tuesday. Nothing strange. However there was something estranged about it.
More than 3000 miles away the Synod of the Christian Reformed Church was gathered on the campus of Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI. The primary matter being discussed was a report on Human Sexuality that views adultery as any unchastity including adultery, premarital sex, extra-marital sex, polyamory, pornography and homosexual sex. That report was accepted and a day later made a matter of confession. Put another way, members, in particular clergy, must now agree to this understanding of adultery as a statement of their faith. I agree with nearly all of the this statement, but the confessional status poses real issues for me.
Let me put this in context. I was born just over 49 years ago, and baptized in Holland Heights Christian Reformed Church. I've been a member of the CRC my entire life. I've been a pastor, youth pastor, elder and Resonate Network Developer in the denomination. I was ordained as a Commissioned Pastor in 2008. I was raised in a Pastor's home. My dad served CRC churches as a staff pastor for 34 years. The Christian Reformed Church is DEEP in my DNA.
The day started by being on a Zoom call with the Resonate Global Mission (Christian Reformed Church) Community of Practice for Urban Ministry. This wonderful group of people serve in urban contexts across the US and Canada and do amazing work. Over the last number of years the members have become like a family. One participant on this call described the group as the oxygen that allows her to do her work. It is beautiful community that bears each others burdens, learns from one another, and collectively seeks the shalom of the cities where we live, work, learn and play.
After that Zoom call it was time for our weekly staff meeting. My co-worker Jessica (Resonate Mission Network Developer) and I meet each week to discuss the business of the Anchorage Urban Training Collaborative and Reclaim (an emerging congregation in the Christian Reformed Church). We discussed Reclaim's upcoming service. The service is what we call "A Work of the People Service."(1) In those services members bring a song, thought, verse, etc. to share in a potluck type format that reflects the practice Paul teaches in I Corinthians 14:26-33. These beautiful services help our community to live into our desire to be the body of Christ to each other and practice the priesthood of all believers.
After staff meeting I drove downtown to the Office of Children's services where I volunteer as a chaplain. In this role I encourage and support the State social workers that strive to protect children that are in unsafe or abusive homes. This week that looked like talking with managers about future trainings on stress management and offering onsite meditation and mindfulness sessions. It also included sitting with staff and hearing their stories and encouraging them.
After leaving my chaplain responsibilities behind, I drove over to the chapel where members of Reclaim were preparing for a memorial service for one of our members who died unexpectedly. When I arrived people were caring for the family. Others were moving furniture and setting up the room for the service. Texts and calls were being made to others to gather all that was needed for the memorial. The scene was a beautiful picture of the body of Christ caring for each other.
June 14, 2022 was a pretty typical Tuesday. Nothing strange. However there was something estranged about it.
More than 3000 miles away the Synod of the Christian Reformed Church was gathered on the campus of Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI. The primary matter being discussed was a report on Human Sexuality that views adultery as any unchastity including adultery, premarital sex, extra-marital sex, polyamory, pornography and homosexual sex. That report was accepted and a day later made a matter of confession. Put another way, members, in particular clergy, must now agree to this understanding of adultery as a statement of their faith. I agree with nearly all of the this statement, but the confessional status poses real issues for me.
Let me put this in context. I was born just over 49 years ago, and baptized in Holland Heights Christian Reformed Church. I've been a member of the CRC my entire life. I've been a pastor, youth pastor, elder and Resonate Network Developer in the denomination. I was ordained as a Commissioned Pastor in 2008. I was raised in a Pastor's home. My dad served CRC churches as a staff pastor for 34 years. The Christian Reformed Church is DEEP in my DNA.
Also deep in my DNA are the words of Jesus. When asked what the most important commandment was Jesus responded “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets” (Matt. 22:37-40 NIV).
The ruling of Synod fails, in my opinion, to love LGBTQ+ people as we love ourselves. The ruling makes ones sexuality a primary identity in matters of faith, not our identity as beloved children of God. The ruling rejects the LGBTQ+ people I know and love - including my daughter and her wife, a beloved theologian I've learned much from, colleagues, and friends.
In some way or other the my workday Tuesday was done under the banner of the Christian Reformed Church. I am a pastor of that denomination after all. In light of that, I wonder if the reality of the work on the ground, in the real world - on Zoom calls, in State office buildings, chapels being prepared for funerals, and worship services was considered when this line in the sand was drawn by Synod. I further wonder about how many of the delegates that voted yes to this confessional change are in relationship with LGBTQ+ people. Where they able to name the persons this decision effects?
On Tuesday June 14, 2022 my church of nearly 50 years made a decision to exclude me as an affirming pastor, or so it seems. On that day nothing strange happened. It was just a normal ministry day. But now we - my denomination and I - are estranged.
Joel Kiekintveld
Footnote:
1 - The word liturgy means, a work of the people.
