WHAT’S RIGHT ABOUT DISCIPLES

Romans 1:8-17
Mark 8:27-30

INTRODUCTION

A couple of weeks ago, I attended an Elders Meeting in which a report was given by the Chair of the Search Committee. The report included a list of 14 observations that had surfaced during the many surveys, discussions, and interviews conducted by this committee. Included in the list was the following statement:

“We don’t have a good sense of what it means to be a
Disciple. We need to be clearer about what this means.”

It is my goal today to address that statement. If you are a member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), hopefully the sermon will stimulate your thinking about why you have chosen this church and will help you to articulate your response in your own words. If you are not a Disciple but are thinking about it, hopefully the sermon will address your questions about who Disciples are and what they believe.

Disciples are not a major denomination in this part of the U.S., the Southeast. Consequently, many people have little or no idea of who Disciples are. Often, I have to clarify our beliefs to close acquaintances because they have confused us with another church: “Are you the guys who don’t use any instruments in worship?” “Do y’all handle snakes?” One lady became indignant with me because we use the word “Christian” as part of our name. She informed me that all churches are Christian and no one church can claim that title! My efforts to explain our beginnings fell on deaf ears. Ask the average person on any street in Atlanta, “Who are the Disciples?” and you will receive a blank look and a shrug of the shoulders.

I agree with the observation made at the Elders meeting; we Disciples often have difficulty articulating who we are. So -- let me tell you why I choose to be a Disciple.

I. OUR CONFESSION OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR

The basis for membership in any Disciples’ church is the confession of Jesus as Savior and Lord. In the words of Paul, we believe that “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” (II Cor. 5:19). We share Simon Peter’s confession at Caesarea Philippi: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mk. 8:29; Matt. 16:16).

The confession of Jesus as Lord is the only requirement for membership in a Disciples’ church. Absolutely nothing else is demanded – no creed, no additional beliefs tacked on, no ritual, no confirmation. This is a very important statement about who we are! It is our deep conviction that nothing should prevent a person who has faith in Jesus Christ from being a member of the church.

Our confession of Jesus as Lord is the basis for our efforts at Christian unity with other church groups. All the differences that divide churches into denominations are secondary to the oneness we share as result of our common faith in Jesus. Thomas Campbell, a founder of our church, stated this fact in his “Declaration and Address”:

“… the church of Christ upon earth is essentially,
intentionally, and constitutionally one; consisting
of all those in every place that confess their faith in
Christ … according to the scriptures.”

Our confession of faith in Jesus Christ is the basis for the open invitation at our communion table. All Christians, regardless of church affiliation, are invited to partake of communion with us as a way of accenting our unity in Christ. This openness at the table is part of the joy and celebration of being a Disciple. I don’t think I could ever again belong to a church that excluded people from communion because of denominational differences!

This is the place we start as Disciples: our confession of Jesus as Lord and Savior. Nothing else is required to become a member of a Disciples’ church.

II. NO CREED TO DEFINE US AS A CHURCH

In addition, I sense that Disciples are doing something right in our insistence upon having no creed to define us as a church. An old slogan is still popular: “We have no creed but Christ.” A creed is basically a list of beliefs or doctrines that spell out the theological position of a group. Granted, the absence of a creed makes some folks nervous. Some prefer that all beliefs and doctrines be clearly set forth for all to see where we stand theologically, ethically, and socially as a church. But Disciples traditionally have shied away from creeds.

There is a reason! It is that, historically, creeds have tended to become tests of fellowship. Individuals who could not in good conscience subscribe to some portion of a creed could not therefore be members in good standing of a group. Thus, creeds have tended to be exclusive, shutting out of the church those who differ. Diversity is squashed by creeds; orthodoxy is regarded as essential; uniformity is demanded.

Moreover, Disciples have recognized the fact that no one person or group or tradition possesses the whole truth about God or salvation. Consequently, there is built into our history a deep-seated distrust of all human claims to have captured in creeds or doctrines the mystery of God or the only way the Bible can be interpreted. Faith at the bottom line is trust in the living God – not assent to a select group of doctrines. Since no one sees the whole truth, we need the witness of others in the body of Christ.

Beyond our confession of faith in Christ, each one of us is free to work out his or her stance on particular beliefs. Concerning doctrines such as the virgin birth, the inspiration of scripture, heaven, hell, etc., our individual conclusions will be different. We differ on social issues: war, sexual orientation, the family, the role of government, etc. To be a Disciple is to be challenged to accept, love, and work with people whose views on many matters are different from yours! It is also to accept the challenge to think through your beliefs, rather than to be “spoon-fed” by an authoritative preacher!

III. THE GOAL OF UNITY WITH ROOM FOR DIVERSITY

When the Christian College was on Hull St. in Athens, the front of the administration/classroom building contained a large plaque with these words:

In essentials – unity;
In nonessentials – liberty;
In all things – charity.

These words have served as a motto for Disciples for well over a hundred years, and they say a lot about who we are. Disciples place a great deal of emphasis upon unity with all Christians; our ecumenical spirit is probably our most distinguishing characteristic. Disciples believe in trying to find ways to accent our unity in Jesus Christ, rather than accenting the differences that divide us. In almost every ecumenical effort, one will find Disciples present and active. I am proud to be a member of a church that seeks to find ways to encourage dialogue with other churches. Disciples are a participating member of Churches Uniting in Christ, and we continue to be in direct dialogue with the United Church of Christ and, more recently, one group of Baptists.

Paradoxically, although Christian unity is the “polar star” of Disciples, it is a unity that allows much room for diversity. Disciples embrace diverse theological points of view within their fellowship. Conservative, moderate, liberal, evangelical, ecumenical – one may find any or all of these mindsets in a local Disciples’ congregation. Our seminary and college professors are not required to sign any “articles of orthodoxy” because there are none. One does not have to believe just like everybody else, or even the majority, to be a good Disciple! Our church embraces diversity. The attitude that prevails is: “Even if you believe differently from what I do, we are still brothers and sisters in Christ.”

But, someone might complain, doesn’t diversity sometimes create tension in the church? The answer is “yes,” and sometimes one side may get a little louder than the other. But that’s OK too. That’s who we are!

IV. OUR LIFE AS A CHURCH IS ROOTED IN THE SCRIPTURES

Once again, an old slogan provides insight as to who we are: “Where the scriptures speak, we speak. Where the scriptures are silent, we are silent.” The Bible is authoritative for Disciples because it bears witness to the Word of God – Jesus Christ. We believe that the Bible is inspired by God; God used human beings as vehicles to convey His truth and to reveal Himself to us. Consequently, our beliefs and our life as a community of faith are rooted in the Bible. The confession of Jesus as Lord, weekly communion, congregational government, believer’s baptism, the quest for unity, the priesthood of the believer – all come from our understanding of scripture.

However, no matter how inspired the Bible is, it must of necessity be interpreted by limited, sinful human beings. Some will emphasize one portion of the Bible; others will place their emphasis elsewhere. Interpretation is inevitable, and it will result in different points of view. Still, we Disciples insist upon “the priesthood of the believer,” the right of each individual under the leadership of the Holy Spirit to interpret the scriptures without coercion from anyone as to what he or she should believe.

The role of the community of faith is vital at this point. It serves as balancing factor to those who would insist that an individual can believe anything he chooses.

CONCLUSION

There is no doubt that we Disciples are not doing everything just right. There is certainly room for improvement and growth within our fellowship.
But the things we are doing right are very right in my opinion.
I choose to be a Disciple. I am proud to be a Disciple!

Rev. Ray Austin
September 14, 2003

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For more information on Disciples of Christ practices and beliefs, go to the denomination’s web site:

http://www.disciples.org/discover/