It has been my experience that there are many different means to an end. This is not always the case to be sure, but it often is true. And it is in within these differences that we get derailed into conversations arguing one better than another. There is no doubt that some would be better than others, but there is also much value in understanding that sometimes different is just different. Such, I believe, is the case when it comes to following what those of us desiring to follow Jesus know as the "Great Commandment". It's the " go into all the world and make disciples" directive that he left his followers with just before he left this earthly dwelling.
The difficulty, in my opinion, is that the directive itself is fairly wide open. It's hardly a field guide. It's not very descriptive. It's simply "go" and "make" with a few specifics like baptize and teach thrown in. To be honest, the history of those who have followed that moment have proven that not even the specifics are specific enough to avoid controversies and schisms. It's been my experience of 20 years in the pastoral arts that this section of the Book of books is about as helpful as an IKEA diagram.
There, I believes, lies the problem of creativity and diversity within the expression of the Christian church. We have been taught to believe that different expressions of "church" are an expression of rebellion and condemnation. Could it be just "different"? A close examination of the earliest of followers in "church" gatherings would illustrate how different the expressions really could be. The gathering of followers in Jerusalem with a heavily Jewish influence surely expressed themselves differently than those of the Greek cities. And yet, in our culture that claims a value for creativity and individual expression, we look sideways at anyone seeing the "go" and "make" through different lenses.
As we begin this journey of creating a community known as "Common Table" we have many thoughts and ideas as to how it might look...but really it is one of the great " I don't knows" of my life. The only thing that I do know is that we will take what the community offers and form an expression of worship, serving, going and making that may not make sense to those who want sameness. I have a feeling though that it will make sense to those who are seeking and searching outside of the usual places. Out of the many criticisms that exist for the church today, one common theme for people is that they feel that the church should, could, be "different". My prayer for this community as it gets off the ground is twofold; that it will be faithful, and it will be different.... Not better, just different.
