Canada needs more United Church

You may be familiar with the Chapters-Indigo campaign to promote Canadian authors: "The World Needs More Canada." Well, in an absolutely shameless bit of borrowing I want to declare that Canada needs more United Church of Canada. I'm not suggesting more United Church of Canada congregations - although that might not be a bad thing. Certainly not more United Church buildings. But at this point in its history Canada desperately needs more of what the United Church once brought to our nation.

Few people know better than an historian about the dark days of our story and the various ways we betrayed the unique song that God wanted to sing through those Protestants who were prepared to identify themselves as liberal-evangelical at the turn of the 20th century. Heaven and history know that, particularly in our desire to identify ourselves as part of the cultural mainstream we actively supported - or remained silent in the face of - various trends and events which were contra-gospel in nature. For some of those we have repented and for others we need to continue to repent and lament. However, there are so many bright moments in our story as well, by God's grace. (To get a good view of that story read Don Schweitzer's newly published: The United Church: A History).

Every appearance is that 2012 will continue the trend of "structural meanness" in Canada. That means that, while Canadians as individuals, and even some corporations and companies, continue to increase their support of worthy causes, our society and governments seem increasingly dedicated to making that support increasingly crucial. As a pastor, particularly at Christmas, I am witness to tremendous outpourings of generosity. For instance, the youth group at our church raised over $400 to support a couple of local families and, during the break when many teens would be doing other things, the gathered to do the shopping wrapping and delivering. All across Nova Scotia and the rest of Canada, scenes like that were played out in gift giving, special meals, collections for particular causes and so on. That's individual generosity. However, at the same time, we know that in a very few days the CPP increase that seniors will see will be more than swallowed up by inflation and increases in electrical rates and corporate tax rates will drop from 16.5% to 15%. That's an example of structural meanness.

The "liberal-evangelical" vision that formed the United Church was, of course, limited in scope by the late Victorian era in which it emerged. But it can be updated without major distortion. "Liberal" here predates the appropriation of that title by more narrow political aspirations. It means open to a variety of viewpoints and the creation and maintaining of spaces in which those perspectives can encounter one another in openness and respect; a space in which diversity of opinion and commitment need not necessarily lead to hostility. Canada needs that: not just between Christians but as a society that is changing in ways the United Church's founders could never have imagined. That "liberal" commitment gives us the tools to overcome our vast fear of the other.

"Evangelical" has been stolen by a much narrower view point that leaves many United Church folk (and those who think like us) quite cold. Instead of a behaviour that echoes "one hungry beggar showing another where to find bread" it has become synonymous in many people's minds with lobbing the "gospel goodies" that I have from my solitude into yours because you need what I have. So United Church folk have often morphed their evangelism solely into action, telling one another that our deeds will attract others to ask about our motivation. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen too often (if at all). Our service to society and individuals is accepted as yet another form of good deed. Praiseworthy perhaps, but not pointing to God. The "evangelicalism" of the founders of the United Church was unashamedly oriented towards God's praise and, for many, the realization of God's rule in the social structures and systems of this world. (You might check out http://www.astheology.ns.ca/UpcomingEvents.html )

That's the sort of United Church I think Canada needs more of. But that means that those of us who call ourselves "United Church" need to do a better job of letting our particular sense of God's light shine. Our country needs us. Our God calls us.