June 14, 2024
Questions
My last few weeks have been quite curious ones. In that time, I have had conversations with a number of people: in and out of our church, religious and non-religious, national and international. What is curious is how much overlap those conversations had. For example, recently someone observed how much COVID seems to have affected people in ways that are still currently evident. The very next day someone in a completely different context commented on how COVID has “changed everything” and wondered if we will ever go back to “normal.”
I also had many exchanges with people about the divided nature of politics and religion in our country. Not that distinctions, even divisions, are new, but that these distinctions seem entrenched and weaponized. We attack people who are not like us. These were both people of faith, and people who proclaim no faith, and people across the political spectrum.
What really made these coincidences seem extraordinary, is they culminated in a long conversation with Robyn Wrigley-Carr and her husband Gavin. Robyn and Gavin met each other while Masters students at Regents College in Vancouver, BC. Robyn was interested in theology and spirituality; Gavin was interested in missions—passions that continue to this day. Robyn was from Australia and Gavin from New Zealand. They met at Regent and have been on a spiritual and nuptial journey together over the past few decades. They too spoke of COVID’s impact on Australia (where they call home) and wondered if some institutions would survive in ways that are recognizable. Schools and churches were the two they singled out.
They also spoke of (and this was news to me) how the major Christian forces in Australia are the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (a conservative splinter group) and Hillsong (which originated in Australia). They continued to say that most people who are not Christians assume these two represent all Christians, which is not the case. Though they say the U.S. churches are perceived as being more divisive, they think that is because we are so much larger, it amplifies the difference, but doesn’t make their churches any less divided.
They left me with two questions about our congregation in particular in this very unique context we find ourselves in. And I leave these questions with you. Do we have anything to offer people in the Pacific Northwest that they will even hear, let alone accept? And what is the future of First Covenant Seattle long term?
I have written a bit less than typical, hoping you use the time you would have spent reading another paragraph or two considering those two questions. You might even want to engage others in our church about these questions. But if nothing else I hope you will take those questions to God in prayer. God might just help us discern our answers.
With confidence in Christ,
~ Todd