Whiteboard: A Distinctly Disciples Identity

I realize that there are plenty of folks who think that title is laughable.

There are all sorts of people out there who say that when it comes to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) there is nothing "distinct" about our identity. Those same folks would argue that our free church tradition and our realiance on the conscience of the individual believer mean that "you can believe anything and be a Disciple" which means there is no core identity there at all.

With all due respect to the army of strawmen I just drew up, I humbly disagree.

I think there is something distinct about our Disciples identity. Something that truly makes us who we are and distinctly sets us apart from other Christian groups and denominations.

I also realize that there are plenty of folks who look at that title and think they already know the answer I'm going to give. They think I'm going to spend an entire sermon talking about Christian Unity as our Distinctly Disciples Identity. They are banking on me talking about the early days of our Christian movement when frontier preachers like Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell would declare that "Unity is our Polar Star!"

But, with all due respect, I humbly disagree there too. In fact, I'm becoming more and more convinced that such a traditional notion of what it means to be a part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has managed to confuse the means with the ends.

After a faithful, faith-filled conversation with one of my mentors (the Rev. Mark Miller-McLemore) at this summer's General Assembly I stand firmly convinced that our Distinctly Disciples Identity is tied to a single word; a single, misunderstood, often overlooked word. The Rev. Mark Miller-McLemore convinced me that our Distinctly Disciples Identity is rooted in humility.

That's right, humility.

The ability to say, "I don't have all the right answers, and even though I disagree with some of what you said, I want to sit down with you and keep talking. Because I'm pretty sure that if we do that, then we're going to get closer to the truth of what God is working toward."

Okay, nobody actually talks like that, but you get what I mean.

Come join us this Sunday as we flesh out this idea even further; as we humbly come before our Lord, break bread with one another, and seek and celebrate God's love.

I'll see you Sunday!