BLOG SERIES: The RE REsearch REview
Riverlocks and the Three Denominations:
A Fairytale That Is Saturated with Bears, Meaning, and Truth
and That Ends Really Well
Once upon a time, Riverlocks decided she needed a new denomination. Her old denomination was good, but Riverlocks had started to feel like she had outgrown it. And so, she went to the denomination store to see what she could find.
The first denomination she encountered was “E.” Now, “E” came highly recommended. In fact, before Riverlocks went to the store, she was pretty sure this would be the denomination for her. And “E” seemed very familiar. It had the same theology, the same structure and, generally speaking, the same polity as her old denomination. It was nice being in the know. “E” even invited Riverlocks to share a quick snack with him, but while the snack looked like it should be appetizing, Riverlocks was surprised to find that it didn’t taste as good as it looked. Not only that, but it was rather bland and loaded with artificial ingredients. Plus, it was too cold. All of that made meal-time conversation a little awkward. Riverlocks also wanted a denomination that would stretch her and cause her to grow, but “E” was beginning to feel like it would be nothing more than a lateral move. What it gave in some areas (egalitarianism), it took away in others, so the end result was negligible. And the longer Riverlocks looked at “E,” the more she began to realize that “E” just wasn’t the right fit. Lateral moves made her feel cold.
It wasn’t long after Riverlocks had left “E,” that she found “C.” And “C” looked spectacular! So, Riverlocks sat down at the table to take in what “C” was serving and she loved it. “C” was definitely reformed and egalitarian and very engaging. Riverlocks thought she might have found her home, but the longer Riverlocks sat talking to “C,” the more uncomfortable she began to feel. Sitting in “C’s” chair gave her “C” perspective; and while Riverlocks loved the common ground they shared, she wasn’t sure what to do with their differences. And that made Riverlocks nervous. Joining “C” would be a big step, but Riverlocks now feared that it would be too big of a step. Worse, all sorts of questions began to arise. Would she ever fit in with “C” or would she always be an outsider? Would joining “C” would require too many changes? Where was “C” headed in the future? These were big questions, and Riverlocks wasn’t sure what to do with them. So, when all was said and done, Riverlocks decided that while “E” was a nothing more than a lateral step, “C” might be a step too far. There were a lot of things Riverlocks loved about “C,” but the more she sat in “C’s” chair, the more uncomfortable she felt, until finally, the chair broke; and Riverlocks knew it was time to move on.
Riverlocks was discouraged. She had found one denomination that was a step too far and one that was not nearly far enough. There was really only one more option on the table; and at that time, this option didn’t seem too appealing. There was an “EC” denomination, but it had issues. Riverlocks wondered if it was too flashy and lacking in substance. She feared that “EC” may be weak in addressing the cultural issues of the day. She had heard that the average church membership in “EC” was 400, and that was not Riverlocks’ experience at all! And on top of all that, Riverlocks feared that “EC” perhaps suffered from a lack of diversity. Was there enough color in ECO? Were they interested in reaching immigrants and refugees? Was there any economic diversity in “EC” or was everyone upper middle class? Just thinking about these issues, made Riverlocks ready to move on. She even thought about going to Tennessee (just for kicks) to take a gander at the Church of God of Charleston, Tennessee, which is not to be confused with the Church of God of Chattanooga, Tennessee, which is not to be confused with the Church of God of Cleveland, Tennessee. But
Riverlocks just didn’t have the strength to venture down to Tennessee. And as she pondered what to do, she realized she was exhausted. Thankfully, Riverlocks saw a nearby couch and slumped down on it. Riverlocks was almost asleep when she heard a bear of a voice say, “Someone has been lying on my couch!” Riverlocks opened her eyes and said, “Yes, and I am still here!” “Good,” said ‘EC,’ “I feared you had run off! How can I help you?” There was warmth in his voice, and soon Riverlocks and “EC” were engaged in a lively conversation. And as the conversation went on, Riverlocks started to see things from a different perspective. Yes, “EC’s” website looked flashy, but their people were real and wonderful and filled with substance and depth (and incredible heart). And while “EC” may not be as skilled at engaging our culture on difficult issues as perhaps “C” was, they made up for it by treating all people with compassion, grace and dignity. And while there are many big churches in “EC,” there were also lots of small ones (which made Riverlocks very happy). And as for the lack of diversity, “EC” was well aware of the problem and was hard at work to correct it so that the whole denomination could be more inclusive. Yes, it is a bear of a problem, but they desperately want to turn this weakness into a strength. It seemed to Riverlocks that while “EC” was not perfect, it was moving in the right direction. But enough about the problems, when Riverlocks saw all the benefits that “EC” offered, benefits to help her grow and flourish, she got all excited. In fact, she felt compelled to call some friends to come and look at “EC” with her. She called Allocks, Kellocks, Deblocks, Marlocks, Meglocks, Joslocks, Johnlockes and Davlocks. And when all these locks heard what “EC” was all about, they also got all excited. And everyone agreed: this denomination felt just right—not a step too far, not a step not far enough, but one with just the right amount of stretch and purpose.
And when asked what it was that attracted everyone to “EC,” Allocks spoke up, saying:
“I love that it is a confessional church; a church that delights
in good theology and in the great confessions.”
And Meglocks noticed something rather interesting and said:
“It has all the same values that we do!”
Kellocks loved that “EC” was a young denomination:
“It brings lots of fresh energy and isn’t locked into
meeting the same old problems in the same old way.”
Johnlockes said:
“I love that ‘EC’ has lots of resources to help us so that we can flourish and grow.”
Joslocks said the same thing, but also added:
“While some denominations give lip service to being egalitarian,
in every service I watched,
‘EC’ had women involved in all aspects of their services.”
Kellocks also loved that while it was a legitimate denomination:
“It functions more as a partnership where every church
helps the other churches in the presbytery
to reach their potential and to flourish.”
Davlocks and Deblocks also had a strong opinion:
“All the people we talked to in ‘EC’
are warm and caring and extremely friendly.
What better advertising do you need?”
And Marlocks may have given the best accolade of all when she said:
“They seem like us.”
And everyone could not stop talking about how “EC” would let us be us.
In short, the first denomination was too cold, but “EC” tastes just right.
The second denomination was a bit too uncomfortable, but “EC” fits us perfectly.
And the third denomination, “EC;” O, that one propels us to be the church God has called us to be, and what better words can be said to describe a denomination.
And Riverlocks knew she had found a new home, so she went right over to “EC.” O, did she ever give him a giant bear hug!
And here’s the best part. It really happened.
The End