Last week I had the privilege of attending our denominational RCA (Reformed Church in America) City Classis meeting in Philadelphia and was deeply impressed and inspired by my experience!
I must admit, I half expected to be sitting through two days of boring meetings and stuffy conversations, but what I was met with could not have been more different. Our peers and colleagues within the classis gathered from all over the nation, sharing information and experiences of things that felt like they truly matter, not only to the church as a whole, but to our society in this very moment.
Pastors from Minneapolis shared about their church’s responses to immigration and ICE involvement in their city and generated meaningful conversations of how the Lord calls us to care and react to the treatment of the “least of these” — both in perspective and in practicality.
We heard about missions and ministry giving aid in the Middle East. And our host church (Resurrection Philadelphia) shared unique and inspiring ways they have been incorporating and celebrating artists within their congregation in order to connect their community with creative reflections on the revelatory spiritual experience of the creative process.
I left our classis meeting feeling profoundly encouraged that we share a denomination with leaders, elders, and churchgoers who care about meaningful, complex, and creative topics in our world and are willing to take risks to dialogue with one another about how to foster love and service to our communities and beyond. It feels an honor to share in faith with others who seem deeply committed to supporting one another well while urging each other to grow, reflect, and dream for the Lord.
With gratitude,
Allison Motsenbocker