Yesterday a friend from Wales sent his FB post to me: It was recognizing the ministry of a Pastor from Pakistan who was now exercising her ministry gifts within the framework of the British Methodist Church. In this post he makes the heart wrenching point with humor that we Christians from Pakistan grow up in the beauty of a united church and then when we arrive at places like The United Kingdom, we discover we were Anglican or Methodist, etc.
Being a part of the Episcopal Church was a very difficult decision for me. It felt like I was denying my faith in Christ in order to proclaim Christ and to carry his work forward. My faith ancestors back in the 1800s were right, how can the missionaries be right about Jesus when they quote the scriptures and tell us about this Jesus who prayed that we should all be one so that the world would know that the father and son are one, and be so divided themselves? This questioning gave birth to the movement of uniting various Christian traditions into one, starting first with the Church of South India and then the United Church of Pakistan.
I thank my Lord and Savior that today Jesus is using me once again to bring all various traditions and expressions of Christian faith together. The Table is the place where all various expressions meet, dine together, celebrate our differences, and find the nourishment in something Jesus asked us to do in His remembrance. What we are doing is not just preaching and making nicely worded ideological statements; we are living out our faith. My heart is warmed when we can say that The Table and the First Baptist Church are hosting a picnic this Saturday for the community of Shelton and its adjoining areas, everyone is welcome. I feel healed when we can announce that Grace Bible Church and The Table are in partnership to offer a Blessing Box to the people of downtown Shelton. I am overjoyed that the Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church is leading our Bible Study this Wednesday as we have been led by her book for the last few months. I am humbled that the Pastor of Black Rock Church is part of our Counsel, offering us wisdom as we move forward. Every Sunday when I concelebrate with Fr. Dennis with words that are written by Jesuit priests, my soul is refreshed. And it does not stop just with the religious, eight restaurants and one foundation have joined us in doing the work Christ has given us to do. Friends, we are not preaching and teaching about Jesus, we are living Jesus.
Now, I can tell you, I feel strongly, I have once again fallen back into God’s Grace. I thank God and I thank you all my dear friends in Christ for the restoration of purpose in my life. Let us continue to live out Jesus’ prayer and with our actions heal and restore the world he did not come to condemn but to save.