Our Statements
Guiding Scripture from the Board of Elders
Strategic Plan Development
“26Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called
into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among
you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. 27Isn't
it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture
overlooks and exploits and abuses, 28chose these "nobodies" to expose
the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? 29That makes it quite clear
that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God.
30Everything that we have--right thinking and right living, a clean
slate and a fresh start--comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. 31That's
why we have the saying, "If you're going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet
for God." I Corinthians 1:26-31 (The Message)
The MCC Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Strategic
Team Purpose
(Below is a sample of the full Team Purpose statements.
To access our full statements of purpose, click here.)
MCC’s Statement of Direction challenges us “to proclaim a
spirituality that is liberating and sufficiently profound to address the
issues of our chaotic and complicated world.” Leadership and
participation in ecumenical and inter-religious work is a critical
component in fulfilling this call. As ecumenical/inter-religious
partners, we unite across denominational and religious lines to advocate
an inclusive and genuine respect for the sacred worth of all people; to
reduce human suffering; and to establish justice, peace and equality in
the world.
Ecumenical / Inter-religious Guiding
Scriptures
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is … to dwell together
in unity!” Psalm 133:1
“…what does God require of you but to do
justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Micah 6:8
God has been up to something unique with MCC since our
beginnings. We are an inclusive and diverse church for all
people. We do welcome, affirm and celebrate the goodness and worth
of LGBT people and the Queer community. And yet, we are still
more.
We are compelled to work for justice for all creation,
including environmental protection, peace, and the end to poverty,
racism, oppression for LGBT people, etc. From our beginnings, ecumenism
and inter-religious work has been a part our existence. The work done by
previous generations of MCC ecumenists has laid the foundation for what
we will build in the 21st Century.
There is a need to articulate a theology of Ecumenical
and Inter-religious work for MCC. MCC has an ecumenical calling to
the whole Christian Church. MCC has much to learn from our
Christian colleagues and friends.
We are encouraged to move beyond fear of mutual dialogue
with people from non-Christian traditions in ecumenical and
inter-religious work. We must hold as sacred the equality among people
of goodwill and sincere faith, respecting their religious
traditions. We can then become partners in addressing the evils
that continue to plague the human family. This is what it means to
“build bridges that liberate and unite.”
MCC functions under a wide umbrella of Christian
understanding that requires tolerance for difference and continuous
learning and dialogue. More than ever, we are aware that Christians have
multiple understandings of Jesus and live and work in a religiously
pluralistic world. If we expect to be honored as Christians, then
the Buddhist, the Hindu, the Jew, the Muslim, the Agnostic, the
Humanist, and all others must also be heard, respected, and
honored.
MCC’s ecumenical / inter-religious work should not
be (covert) stealth proselytizing or an attempt to convert.
Rather, it must be a work that involves mutual respect so that we can
hear what the other is saying even as we wish to be heard. The vitality
created by this mutual respect serves to enhance our experience of the
sacred. In such an environment honest relationships are built, and
friends working together can make a significant difference in the world.
We must be prepared for radical openness and inclusivity. If we believe
the answer to the question, “Would Jesus Discriminate?” is
“No!”, we must live that out and be faithful participants in
the global Body of Christ and the whole human family.
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