Why I Am Standing for Moderator of the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)?
I am posting this from my web site: www.carlmazza.org. It’s a bit long, and maybe more than most want to know!
Setting down my vision, and a "platform" as such has been a challenging job, indeed. I have tried to be candid in expressing the essentials, but this is also a road which is made as we journey together. I would love to hear from you... your own hopes and vision, and discussion around mine!
Since this is the long version... you can always skim to the bottom for the “bottom line.”
It was through Presbyterian Mission that I was introduced to a living God, and to the loving community of faith of the Presbyterian Church. My first exposure to Presbyterians was as a troubled teenager, homeless with my family, angry and alienated. A group of young people, their youth leader, and a dedicated pastor befriended me - their witness and love and introduced me to a warm and vibrant personal faith in God through Jesus Christ. I owe to these persons, and to the church which nurtured all of us, a great debt of love. In my ministry I have tried to return to the church, and to others who are experiencing alienation and homeless, the same blessing of hope which was extended to me in my need. I feel a strong call to stand for Moderator so that I can share this passion of my ministry with the church that I love. I can offer a unique perspective on the importance of mission and evangelism - it is a deeply rooted part of my heart and my personal journey with the Lord.
Presbyterians are people of strong faith, opinion, and personal commitment. This same zeal and passion which is our hallmark is also that which can alienate us from one another. The world needs us desperately because it needs to know the life we have found in Christ, and the redeeming power of it. It is the good news which calls us together as the church. We hold in our hands the power to bless the world. The energy of this calling is far more intense than anything that could divide us. We are the agent of the most significant force for change ever known.
In my 27 years of ministry with Meeting Ground, I have learned the powerful dynamic that God calls us to witness in loving community. This means, not that we are all the same, but that we stand together in our diversity and use it as a powerful advantage to accomplish our purposes. I have also learned that this is a fragile accomplishment at times, and that wishful thinking is not enough to create a strong unity. I don't have all the answers to achieving reconciliation or resolution of differences, but I have learned that often in our helplessness we can find grace to come together -- in ways we don't fully understand, in love. We have faith that God will give us the courage to risk – to form new and potent transforming relationships with all, and to be authentic and candid in our dialogue and action.
At Meeting Ground we experience this amazing grace in action. To do our work, we must bring together churches and individuals from widely diverse faith perspectives - conservative, liberal, evangelical, radical - moving beyond "labels" in the desire to do our mission, for which we all yearn deeply. I want to do all I can to promote the peace, unity, and purity of the church by inspiring and encouraging our growing, grassroots desire to be missional - especially to those among us and in our world who are homeless, living on the margins, outcast and yearning for that love, hope, and justice which only comes through the passion of a committed community of faith.
I believe our Presbyterian Church, while not the largest of denominations, is unique because of its strong historic service to the Gospel and to the need to witness and evangelize with power, persistence, and passion. I feel we are poised on the edge of a "new thing," thirsting to say yes to a fresh moving of the Spirit to renew this commitment in creative and energetic new ways.
If the church loses this heart, and seeks its redemption elsewhere, it will fail in its calling. We are at a crossroad as a denomination. God is calling us to radical transformation, which must begin with the creation of sacred space among us in which honest, authentic, and open relationships and dialogue can take place. We seek this unity for a purpose: as salt of the earth. It is not only our beloved church that stands at a crossroad, it is our world.
Presbyterians have a rich and unique tradition. We are a people of faith, hope, and love. Yet, we are also a people whose median age is 58 years for members and elders, and the trend continues to move older. Almost all members (97%), elders (96%), pastors (93%), and specialized clergy (90%) are white. Our racial-ethnic makeup has changed little in the last three decades. Yet, our society is changing rapidly, and while we desire to be present with the world in our life and witness, it is clear that we have a long way to go. We are challenged at this time in our history to "lose our life in order to save it."
We must be candid in our understanding of ourselves. We cannot substitute personal piety for failure to do justice; or claim an institutional purity which silences those who wish to be candid and honest in seeking to be faithful and true to God and themselves. We must accept the grace to work for the unity that empowers us for mission. It is the Gospel to which we are called, not to religion.
My expectations and hope for myself and the church in my service as Moderator:
- Serving together with all to be faithful and energetic in meeting with all, listening carefully to all, and praying with all for the peace, unity, and purity of our church. I will encourage sacred space, a place of safety and togetherness to speak in whole terms that which is on our hearts – our most sincere beliefs and longings.
- Serving together with all to encourage us to move beyond a dutiful toleration and forbearance of our deepest differences, toward a willingness to unite in love around those things which are essential and precious to us all – even our life and commitment to Jesus and the deep desire we share for authoritative evangelism and world-transforming mission.
- Serving together with all to challenge our ways of being a church, emphasizing the need for candid, authentic, and sincere building of relationships and seeking communion among us as a people.
- Serving together with all to challenge us to put all forms, traditions, and ways on the table, and to take what is best and meaningful as the basis of for new ways of being church and doing mission.
If I am elected Moderator, this is how I envision the church to be different at the end of two years:
More diverse: particularly extending the boundaries of our community to be more inclusive of persons who struggle at the margins of society: persons who have experienced homelessness, persons struggling to survive on low-incomes, those who are dispossessed or alienated from church and society.
More unified in being missional: extending the boundaries of what we mean by "parish" and "community" - focusing on creative and energizing mission, redemptive service that makes a difference in the lives of persons who are hurting, commitment to a more just society in economics, environment, social dignity, and equality of rights - including the right to housing, education, healthcare, and the right to live with dignity by one's own means.
More committed to creative mission, based on justice: mission that brings the gospel and the power alive in a mutuality of service. One that includes those being served in service, and gives to all equally the power to be givers as well as receivers. Mission that is focused on building community and relationships, not simply providing goods and services. Mission that transforms the church as well as the lives of all persons involved.
More radical in its message: moving forward to our roots - to the person of Jesus, the power of the Gospel, and our unity in these.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
The young evangelists
Nazareth College spring-break mission trip left yesterday... they were with us for holy week, 15 strong. I was so moved by their spirit and faith: they spend a week of their long awaited vacation time to bunk in our community building, make appointments for showers, and work hard with the toughest jobs we have. This year they refurbished the women’s dormitory at Clairvaux Farm, spring-cleaned the donation barn, served lunch at community kitchen, landscaped and painted.
Yet the most remarkable care they accomplished was not the grungy work, but the relationships they took time to build and the communion they made possible among us last week. I think of....
- Steve carrying 4-year-old Noah on his shoulders, and patiently listening to his excited stories about Ninja Turtles... and Noah declaring proudly to everyone that “me and Steve are buddies.” It means a lot to a kid struggling with homelessness, needing a dad and being the man of the family...
- Robin struggling to find a path to conversation with Jimmy – living in the woods, angry, aggressive, and raw – taking advantage of a small bit of friendliness to unload his fear and loneliness...
- Danielle, Kate, Laura, and others carefully decorating an Easter cake as the centerpiece of a party for the families... intentional joy, sharing the hope and optimism of their faith in the details of their task... and what a great party it was!
- Todd in quiet and earnest conversation with Patience at the dinner table: finding life experiences in common, though worlds apart in their stations in life and opportunity available for their futures...
I once heard about a test for the effectiveness of our evangelism, as follows: Are the people you seek to reach happy to see you come, and sad to see you leave?
Our farewell to the young evangelists from Nazareth College was warm and tearful, yet beneath the sadness, a joyfulness even in saying good-bye. It was the same for everyone, homeless and housed, young and old.
What Gospel message?, one may ask.... sounds like a week of good deeds, however commendable...
On the contrary. It was Holy Week. They left us with certainty of an absolute truth: Jesus lives. He was with and among us every day. And we all think that and know that, even the non-religious folk in our community, usually tough and cynical. The eloquence of the Nazareth College young people told the good news of the man from Nazareth amazingly well.
Yet the most remarkable care they accomplished was not the grungy work, but the relationships they took time to build and the communion they made possible among us last week. I think of....
- Steve carrying 4-year-old Noah on his shoulders, and patiently listening to his excited stories about Ninja Turtles... and Noah declaring proudly to everyone that “me and Steve are buddies.” It means a lot to a kid struggling with homelessness, needing a dad and being the man of the family...
- Robin struggling to find a path to conversation with Jimmy – living in the woods, angry, aggressive, and raw – taking advantage of a small bit of friendliness to unload his fear and loneliness...
- Danielle, Kate, Laura, and others carefully decorating an Easter cake as the centerpiece of a party for the families... intentional joy, sharing the hope and optimism of their faith in the details of their task... and what a great party it was!
- Todd in quiet and earnest conversation with Patience at the dinner table: finding life experiences in common, though worlds apart in their stations in life and opportunity available for their futures...
I once heard about a test for the effectiveness of our evangelism, as follows: Are the people you seek to reach happy to see you come, and sad to see you leave?
Our farewell to the young evangelists from Nazareth College was warm and tearful, yet beneath the sadness, a joyfulness even in saying good-bye. It was the same for everyone, homeless and housed, young and old.
What Gospel message?, one may ask.... sounds like a week of good deeds, however commendable...
On the contrary. It was Holy Week. They left us with certainty of an absolute truth: Jesus lives. He was with and among us every day. And we all think that and know that, even the non-religious folk in our community, usually tough and cynical. The eloquence of the Nazareth College young people told the good news of the man from Nazareth amazingly well.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
The urgency of our mission
The following day, I visit a soup kitchen where more than 200 people, about two thirds of whom are children, come to eat four times a week. The mothers of the children seem competitive, and almost frantic, to make sure their children get their share. A child I meet, a five-year-old boy named Emmanuel, tells me he's "in kiddie garden." His mother says he hasn't started yet. "He starts next year."
"You have to remember," says one of the priests with whom I share my thoughts about these meetings, "that for this little boy whom you have met, his life is just as important, to him, as your life is to you. No matter how insufficient or how shabby it may seem to some, it is the only one he has"-an obvious statement that upsets me deeply nonetheless.
- Jonathan Kozol, Amazing Grace
Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.’ - Luke 14:23
I think about the eagerness of the children of our community to join a prayer circle. Whether it is before a meal, or at the end of a meeting, as soon as the circle begins to form the kids are in it with enthusiasm. More often than not, they are the ones who lead in prayer. This fellowship, everyone holding hands together, is a powerful symbol of the Gospel.
I have been grappling with defining a short theme which will summarize my reason for standing for Moderator of the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The most suggested, and the one which has been our core at Meeting Ground for years, is: “the table. ” “There is always room for one more at our table.” The symbol, of course, is the table itself – but the meaning is best expressed in the symbolism of “room.”
How often this is a figure of Jesus’ own ministry. Synonymous with the story of his birth is the phrase “no room” at the inn. His most powerful parable, the Good Samaritan, is the simple story of a social outcast who purchased room in an inn to help a wounded traveler. Most frequently, is the space Jesus made in his life, heart, and in his relationships for everyone – persons of all social standing, but particularly those who were hurt, outcast, desperate, and alienated. Jesus employed the use of the space of his life, room in his heart, as the most powerful symbol of his own mission. If it was his, then it must be ours.
Among the powerful examples, the great banquet is literally the story of a table at which there is room due to guests not showing up. The emphasis is on filling the empty seats, and final command is that the room be utilized by combing highways, byways, and hedges for those considered least worthy and welcome so that “the house may be full.” It is interesting how Jesus moves from filling a table to filling a house.
My long ministry with Meeting Ground has taught me a lot. Two things stand out above everything, however. The gospels come alive, I think because so many of the persons and relationships experienced in mission activity are so similar to those we read in the gospels. There is the clear realization that mission is not so much a program, but people – ourselves, our faith in life, and our relationships with others.
Yet, the parable also implies urgency. The table must be filled, and the command to do it is clear and unequivocal. The persons of our community at Meeting Ground often face life threatening situations, but the urgency is also about a quiet, loud cry to recognize the importance, the deep significance of their life.
"You have to remember," says one of the priests with whom I share my thoughts about these meetings, "that for this little boy whom you have met, his life is just as important, to him, as your life is to you. No matter how insufficient or how shabby it may seem to some, it is the only one he has"-an obvious statement that upsets me deeply nonetheless.
- Jonathan Kozol, Amazing Grace
Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.’ - Luke 14:23
I think about the eagerness of the children of our community to join a prayer circle. Whether it is before a meal, or at the end of a meeting, as soon as the circle begins to form the kids are in it with enthusiasm. More often than not, they are the ones who lead in prayer. This fellowship, everyone holding hands together, is a powerful symbol of the Gospel.
I have been grappling with defining a short theme which will summarize my reason for standing for Moderator of the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The most suggested, and the one which has been our core at Meeting Ground for years, is: “the table. ” “There is always room for one more at our table.” The symbol, of course, is the table itself – but the meaning is best expressed in the symbolism of “room.”
How often this is a figure of Jesus’ own ministry. Synonymous with the story of his birth is the phrase “no room” at the inn. His most powerful parable, the Good Samaritan, is the simple story of a social outcast who purchased room in an inn to help a wounded traveler. Most frequently, is the space Jesus made in his life, heart, and in his relationships for everyone – persons of all social standing, but particularly those who were hurt, outcast, desperate, and alienated. Jesus employed the use of the space of his life, room in his heart, as the most powerful symbol of his own mission. If it was his, then it must be ours.
Among the powerful examples, the great banquet is literally the story of a table at which there is room due to guests not showing up. The emphasis is on filling the empty seats, and final command is that the room be utilized by combing highways, byways, and hedges for those considered least worthy and welcome so that “the house may be full.” It is interesting how Jesus moves from filling a table to filling a house.
My long ministry with Meeting Ground has taught me a lot. Two things stand out above everything, however. The gospels come alive, I think because so many of the persons and relationships experienced in mission activity are so similar to those we read in the gospels. There is the clear realization that mission is not so much a program, but people – ourselves, our faith in life, and our relationships with others.
Yet, the parable also implies urgency. The table must be filled, and the command to do it is clear and unequivocal. The persons of our community at Meeting Ground often face life threatening situations, but the urgency is also about a quiet, loud cry to recognize the importance, the deep significance of their life.
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