i'm taking a course on friends theology and practices.  last week, we read a couple of texts about george fox and the beginnings of the friends tradition.  honestly, it made me sad.  it began with a measure of arrogance and impatience that birthed a schism that - even before george fox died - already had the forming of schisms within itself.  there was a dedication to truth at the cost of unity.  i can still see that in quakerism today.


two years ago, i took a course on anglican theology and practices.  one of the sessions was on king henry and the beginnings of the anglican tradition.  honestly, it made me sad.  it began with a measure of immorality and nationalistic concerns ruling over the church.  there was a dedication to unity at the cost of truth.  i can still see that in episcopalianism.


studying church history is such a strange and often difficult thing.  none of the actors are blameless and none of the events are as holy as you might want. if you are honest, you are left with a series of antagonist, arrogant, and self-seeking acts that somehow God corrals into something good.


and i do - i want to be living church history.  i want to be a revolutionary.  but somehow, i want to do it without any of the brokenness and ugliness.  i want to assume that my new community in midtown sacramento can escape the brokenness of every single Christian movement in history.


but....like studying it, living church history is a strange and often difficult thing.  none of the actors are blameless and none of the events are as holy as i often want.  if i'm honest, i'm faced with my own antagonism, arrogance and self-seeking acts that some how God will use to make a work of art.


i want midtown friends to be some idyllic missional hub and to enact every wonderful idea i had in my too many years in seminary (as well as avoid the pitfalls i swore against).  but the truth is God takes brokenness and makes beauty.  and if we are going to be a living part of church history, we are going to be broken and bruised and sometimes ugly - but beautiful in the only eyes that count.


so here's to living church history.