My experience at the Duke Summer Institute
Opening
This
is my first time attending the Duke Summer Institute and I didn’t know what to
really expect. Not only my first time at Duke but also my first time to the
state of North Carolina. Upon entering the campus and the opening dinner
reception I was amazed by the diversity of people, types of
churches/ministries, and the array of denominations that were represented.
Hearing John Perkins speak about reconciliation which he has given his life’s
work for was monumental for me. I say that in the context of a church plant in
the middle of Los Angeles California which is considered to be the great
melting pot, but in many cases are just as separate as it has been from years
past. With the backdrop of the Belhar Confession and a future freed of racism
this conference has this precious pearl that I have found. I have found the
kingdom of God being intentionally lived out in many different context across
the globe. I have met brothers and sisters from the country of Georgia, Uganda,
Korea, China and even in the urban city Queens, New York. Men and women whom
have dedicated their lives to living missionaly in their own respective
contexts.
As
God would have it, I was getting breakfast and about to take my seat in the
restaurant when John Perkins who was sitting by himself asked me to come and
sit with him and share a meal together. For that next hour and half I was able
to absorb this long rich history of a man who has given up his life for this
work. One of the most profound things he said to me in his humorous way was
that he couldn’t believe that people really pay him to talk about
reconciliation when all he really needed to do was point them to the scripture
that talks about it. He said the problem is that the church wants to
“commercialize” the word/concept and pay him to talk about it. On the surface
it was a really funny conversation but when I dig a little deeper to that
thought it makes me think about the civil rights movement and how laws and
rules had to be enacted in order for people to do what scripture commanded
“love your God with all your heart…and love your neighbor has yourself.”
God
has interrupted me this week! He has confirmed in my heart what I had been
hearing for years. This institute was sort of the consummation of that word.
“You will plant an urban multi-ethnic church that embraces the whosoevers and
impact your community.” The church has to be he heartbeat of the community.
When the heart is well the community is well. When the heart is sick the
community will be sick and die. God has called the church to be the community.
We are to be the word made flesh. I am captured by the gospel of John (message
translation) when it says that the word became flesh and moved into the
neighborhood. Dr. Hays, Dean of the Theological seminary said that the
scripture teaches us that the word of reconciliation embodies us. It means we
are to live out the calling of breaking down the walls that divide us
economically, racially, politically, and socially. This has huge implications
for the RCA in regards to the Belhar Confession. I grew up in a traditional
black Baptist church and “fell into” the RCA. My experience with the
denomination has been one of the most riches and fulfilling to this point. The
relationships that I have built, and the support from the local California
Classis that I’ve received, is much more than I really expected. I say that
because leaving my Baptist roots I was hit with reverse racism stating that
“Why are you going over there with those white folks.”
There
needs to be a reconciliation of not just race, gender and class, but also a
reconciliation of generational gaps. The older church feels devalued in what
they can offer and the younger church feels like the older church doesn’t want
to change. That dividing wall causes a young church that worships in a older
church’s facility not to work well together because neither group feels valued.
Lament
After
hearing Dr. Sanders speak on Lament and open with Marvin Gaye and close with
Tupac Shakur took me back to John
Perkins’ book that I’ve been reading for the past few weeks when he speaks of
the dying of the Civil Rights Movement. After The Civil Rights movement through
the hippie era there was no change in the conditions of poor people. The
establish system did not change the living conditions and participating in the
system did not raise the community out of its degradation. So this subculture
developed called hip hop which was a form of preaching where these unknown
street prophets were speaking truth to power in this prophetic voice. “Don’t
push me cause I’m close to the edge I’m trying not to lose my head.” It was a
group crying out of their frustrations and brokenness. Crack became prevalent
and began to tear families apart. These young teenagers found a voice in the
middle of the storm and found that they could actually get paid to do it.
Hope
The
church is the heart of the community and the people are the life blood. As we
move in and out of the heart by way of the streets in our community and engaged
our neighbors we bring healing and are healed as we minister out of our own
brokenness. The blessed Hope is a beloved Community where the blessings and
talents are. I believe the church is the heart. When the heart is healthy the
body is healthy. When the heart is sick the body is sick just as the beloved
community that we hope for. If we as the people of God have not been reconciled
or that word of reconciliation has not been embodied in us we will cause the
body/community to be sick and die. The focus of the ministry should not be to
grow a mega church, but to heal a community.
Pastor Peter Watts
The Rock Church
