From the Disciplegram June 5, 2013 PLAIN INGLISH There is, it seems to me, a kind of continuum concerning our congregation’s keenness about the merger of First and Disciples Christian Churches. There are those thrilled by the prospect, eager to get on with the process, exhilarated by the possibilities. Folk at this end of the scale speak of the re-union with an exclamation point! Then there are those in the vast middle, most unambiguously in favor, but with less fervor. Their support is more than lukewarm but less than full boil, including a few judging it the best of some not so stellar options. And then there are those at the opposite end, of the opinion that this is surely the worst idea since the Edsel, an ill-conceived scheme guaranteed to hasten the demise of not one church but of two. As your designated leader, I wake up most mornings with the attitude that it’s fullspeed ahead, that United Disciples of Christ has the potential of becoming something new, a unique witness in the Bartlesville community, what neither congregation could have become on its own. I’d be less than candid, however, did I not confess to finding myself now and then at every place along the continuum. Whether this is accurate or not, I attribute my spasmodic vacillation to grief. Grief is a response to loss, particularly the loss of someone or something to which a bond was formed. We grieve the passing of loved ones. We grieve the death of pets. We grieve the loss of property. We grieve the termination of institutions. Personally, I am grieving the end of both First and Disciples Christian Churches. Both live on in the current membership and in our memories. Both have illustrious histories. But neither will ever be what it once was. Our provisional name reminds us that we are not who we were. The most faithful funerals are those at which we celebrate the deceased. We mourn, but we do so with joy. My prayer for myself—and for all of us—is that we can grieve with thanksgiving for what was and hope for what can be.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Jun 2013 19:37:36 +0000
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