There is a lot of talk these days about the structure of our beloved church. One of the chief topics for this summer’s General Convention will be the report of the Task Force for Reimagining the Episcopal Church and the suggested actions that come

from their work. You can read about what they’ve been discussing and learning right now at http://www.reimaginetec.org. Their main goal is to help the Episcopal Church look at its systems and structures to determine the ways in which they help or hinder us in our mission. The mission of the Episcopal Church is taken from the Anglican Communion’s Five Marks of Mission: 1) Proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom, 2) Teach, baptize and nurture new believers, 3) Respond to human need by loving service, 4) Seek to transform unjust structures of society, 5) Strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

The obvious reason for this Task Force’s existence is that a lot of people have started to wonder out loud if we are our own worst enemy. The Church structure tends to be bulky, slow, and very expensive to maintain. That’s not to say structure is all bad. The Church’s structure is what allows it to preserve the traditions of the church and pass on the faith to the next generation. Without structure and organization we’d be a random and chaotic group of folks unsure of which way to go.

That latter point is one for debate, however, because history also shows us that we can organically identify mission needs and goals, only to lose sight of them in favor of the more mundane aspects of institutional ministry. Somewhere in between the two is the creative intersection of nimble mission and supportive institution. Thus, the need for the Task Force and its great task. What does a Christian institution look like, or rather, what does it need to look like in the 21st Century? You may or may not be surprised to learn how difficult a question that is to answer.

As I have been studying the prophets once again in preparation for our Wednesday night series and I have been struck by the

prophetic voice throughout our history. The instructor for our series, Walter Brueggemann, is making a case that the Israelites moved from a production economy under Pharaoh, through a radical time of refocusing under Moses, and then after settling in the Promised Land created their own production economy, primarily under the reign of King Solomon. The Prophetic voice, while varied among the great prophets, has within it a unified call to caution around institutional favor of economies that seek to support the powerful, and the control of the institutional world, be it a monarchy as in those days, or in a modern nation state. Repentance for times we get in God’s way is the other part of the prophetic call.

While there is great value in the stability of institutional leadership, one of its hallmarks is it can easily foster into a system which creates and institutionalizes injustices of various kinds. Sometimes it is purely because of the distraction of institutional life that we ignore the more important mission of the institution. It was the work of the prophets to call people back into a more ideal relationship with God that focused on God’s ways of justice and mercy over economies of wealth and power. Jesus himself brought a similar message to the first century world in the face of the Roman power, the greatest the world had known to date. Jesus’ call is for justice, mercy, service, humility, and all the rest of it. He struggled with the institutional powers that be, both inside and outside of religion. So naturally, once he had been resurrected and empowered the disciples to continue his work, what did they do? They laid the groundwork for ultimately created what is today recognizable as the institutional Church, of which we are one of the oldest (and proudest).

I don’t say this in a way that means I have any less love for the Church as we know it. I would not be a priest in this Church if I were against institutional religion. That being said, however, I too sense the tensions between operating and maintaining institutions and carrying out the work they exist to do. As we witness the cultural dismantling of institutions all around us we cannot help but address the challenges and opportunities that exist for our own beloved institutions. This is not just a question we wrestle with on an macro-institutional level, but even here “on the ground” in the local parish. In light of the Anglican marks of mission, what does a 21st Century parish look like?

That is somewhat rhetorical, but it is not a purely rhetorical question. At some point it is a question in desperate need of an answer. I have heard some interesting ideas lately that seek to answer such questions, at least in part, and I am looking forward to participating in the discussions at General Convention as an alternate Deputy from this diocese. It is something we each need to think and pray about, constantly seeking the discernment of the Holy Spirit to help us. I hope to offer a forum on this and other topics facing the Church in advance of the General Convention at the end of June. In the meantime, if you are so moved, do pray about and study this issue. It is important and timely, and it is a necessary part of being faithful stewards of the Gospel that has been entrusted to every one of us.

Tom

Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.