Efrem Smith Responds to Session 8

Efrem Smith is an anointed leader and preacher. His thoughts and sermons drop like truth bombs. He has a prophet's passion and calling to be about reconciliation between people, between races, and the Church. Because of our friendship and partnership with Efrem, because we have sat under his teaching and have heard his heart, Willow is both one step closer to being the Blessed Community God calls us to be and more aware than ever of how far we have to go .

Pastor of The Sanctuary Covenant Church in Minneapolis, Efrem serves his community in many ways. But, he also serves the Kingdom at large, as a member of Youth Specialties’s CORE seminar training team of and as a speaker with Kingdom Building Ministries. We were blessed to have him with us this spring sharing with the leaders at SHIFT, Willow’s Student Ministry Leadership Conference. Efrem also hosts the radio program, “A Time for Reconciliation” and is author of the book, “Raising-up Young Heroes.”

Here’s a truth bomb from Efrem and the Spirit.

The Ability to Take Flight
 
As I listened to the words of Richard Curtis, I saw this picture of the church in my mind…a large plane going down a runway preparing for take off. This picture must have been taking place at the O'Hare Airport in Chicago, because I could also see a line of planes waiting in line on the same runway to take off. Each plane, including the one moving at a fast pace on the runway, is full of people. A diversity of people: gifted, resourced, each with unique skills and abilities. The major issue, and I know that this sounds crazy, is that the plane moving down the runway at a very fast pace is not lifting up off the ground and taking off into the sky. It's a dangerous thought that a plane could be going down a runway and never take off. Though not as much a dangerous thought there are those planes just sitting there on the runway not moving at all. As I continued to listen to Richard Curtis and Bill Hybels, I felt in my spirit that this picture of these large airplanes where a picture of the church when it comes to addressing issues of poverty, disparities, and multi-ethnicity in the world.
 
Now, I want to say right now, is that in no way do I want to paint a picture that the church is doing nothing. I'm moved on a regular basis by hearing stories of how churches are making an impact in various places on the continent of Africa as well as other places around the globe. Yet, I still couldn't get away from this, at least for me, crazy image of the church being these airplanes on a runway either moving at a fast pace with the dangerous thought of never taking off or sitting on the runway stuck in line with no immediate timeline for moving down the runway and then no guarantee of taking off.
 
I believe like airplanes at an airport there are a number of churches of various sizes with people in them. People that God desires to use to impact lives and transform communities. Some churches are busy just running down a runway of programmatic ministry. Others are like planes that are stuck in line on the runway. There's someone up front giving out information, letting people know the reasons why there not moving yet. Then there are the planes that are still at the gate with mechanical problems, and then the ones that haven't arrived yet. When it comes to the church making an impact in an ever-increasing multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and urbanized world there are many Christ-centered communities that are not taking off, stuck on the runway, still at the gate with mechanical problems, or delayed for some reason.
 
Okay, I've been working this picture/metaphor for awhile now, what am I really trying to say is: For me, as an African-American Senior Pastor of an Urban and Multi-Ethnic Church, I struggle with why the church (especially in the United States of America) is not better prepared to engage a world which still struggles with issues of class, race, poverty, and sickness. Again, I would never want to come across as if the church is doing nothing, because this is not the case, but the division which exist in the North American church across race, denomination, urban/suburban, and class has to me a direct impact on our ability to address poverty and injustice.
 
When sociologists want to prove that there is still a race issue in our country that actually point to the Christian community. Can you believe that? They often say, "Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America." Wow!! We as the body of Christ are used to proclaim that there is still racial division in America. This issue is directly related to our ability to address poverty in the world. Why would I say this? Well, in Minneapolis, Minnesota where I pastor, there was a report that was recently released called, "Mind the Gap." This report told stories and gave statistics that showed that by percentage Minnesota just about leads the nation in class, place, and race disparities in areas such as employment, education, health-care, and housing. There is still a deep connection between poverty and race.

Now think back to the videos shown during the interview between Bill Hybels and Richard Curtis. I think in all of them, the poor people were black and brown, the people wearing red noses, going to visit the poor people, and the two men discussing all this were white. Now picture this: even though we've come a long, long way black, brown, and white people still don't get together like God would desire us to in corporate worship and mission. But as Richard Curtis said, I have a "passion about optimism." I also believe that as pastors we ought to be, "guiding the vision" of reconciliation, healing, justice, and transformation.

I hope you don't read within this blog cynicism and anger. I really believe with all of my heart that the church can be used by God to bring about the Beloved Community around the world. I just believe that more work should be done in becoming the Beloved Church as well. We cannot ignore the connection between poverty, race, class, and the need for a Christ-centered, multi-ethnic, and reconciling community. The Beloved Church will produce the Beloved Community around the world. We can't afford for the church to be stuck at the gate, on the runway, of just running at dangerous speeds unable to take off.

Ray back again with some questions for you. First, how do you respond to Efrem’s words and heart?

Second. Efrem concludes his post by saying “more work should be done,” and I couldn’t agree more. But here’s what I want to know, what is the “work” that you can or will do? What step or steps can you or your church take towards becoming the Beloved Community?