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God's future coming toward us

By Diane Gilliam-Weeks

As we stand on the beach this summer watching the waves, we might think about the meaning of 'advent'. In the Christian context, Advent indicates God’s future coming toward us – breaking in on us as waves roll in.

In the season of Advent we anticipate and celebrate God’s future breaking into the human dimension of time and space in the infant Christ, Emmanuel, God with us. As Christmas approaches, we remember the story of Jesus’ advent carrying God’s saving message of Shalom – the saving message of peace with justice, compassion and mercy. The message previously proclaimed by God’s long chain of prophets and ignored by humankind. We remind ourselves that it is this message, this Way, Jesus’ Way, and only this way, that will save us and save the Earth.

Though it’s appropriate to remember and honour past struggles and triumphs, it’s imagining the shape of God’s future that excites, energises and motivates us. When we catch a vision of God’s future, only then we can better convert our lives, our faith communities and our world to match it.

And so it was, we gathered in Timaru over Labour weekend to celebrate 40 years of ordained women’s ministry in the Presbyterian Church. In visioning the future for the Presbyterian Church we saw the centrality of Christ and his saving message of Shalom outshining any business models of being church.

We saw a church motivated to build strong relationships beyond itself. We saw a multicultural priesthood of all believers where relationships, teamwork and community are emphasised over numbers and dollars. We saw a dismantling of traditional powerbases and greater participation in decision making by those who will have to live the future – the young. We saw a time when nostalgia for the past is no longer projected onto the future. We saw a future that continues to value the collective responsibility and accountability that characterises the Presbyterian style of church government.

We caught a vision of a church where we all behaved as though we truly believed all humanity to be made in the image of God. And instead of schism and division we could see greater willingness to unity in diversity and a commitment to respectful dialogue when we disagree – inside the Presbyterian Church, ecumenically, and with those of other faiths. We wanted to be part of a faith community which is committed to prayerful discernment in every aspect of its life.

As our worship at our gathering to celebrate 40 years of ordained women’s ministry finished, we sang Joyce Boyce-Tullman’s words to the tune of Danny Boy:

We shall go out with hope of resurrection
We shall go out, from strength to strength go on
We shall go out and tell our stories boldly
Tales of a love that will not let us go
We’ll sing out songs of wrongs that can be righted
We’ll dream our dreams of hurts that can be healed
We’ll weave a cloth of all the world united
Within the vision of a Christ who sets us free.
We’ll give a voice to those who have not spoken
We’ll find the words for those whose lips are sealed
We’ll make the tunes for those who sing no longer
Vibrating love alive in every heart
We’ll share our joy with those who are still weeping
Chant hymns of strength for hearts that break in grief
We’ll leap and dance the resurrection story
Including all within the circles of our love.

It was our hope that this vision of the future would be received by the Church as our gift for Christmas.