In the January 2007 issue of the Herald there are several articles that have been included to help the church prepare for the 2007 World Conference. I hope these articles will be thoroughly perused and discussed throughout the worldwide church.

One of the articles is titled “Discernment: A New/Old Path.” Its authors, Donna Sperry and Carolyn Brock, explore different aspects of the spiritual posture and process of discernment as we may practice it individually and in groups. In addition to personal applications, it provides a foundational understanding for implementing more intentional approaches to discernment at the upcoming World Conference.

I want to stress the importance of not just casually reading the article, but actually absorbing and practicing the concepts presented in it. It is vital to the health and forward movement of the church that we enrich our capacity to function as a prophetic people who more completely apprehend God’s will. A prophetic people are a spiritually astute and discerning people.

The other article has actually been introduced to the church before. The International Leaders Meeting (ILM), before the 2004 World Conference, engaged in extended dialogue regarding the true nature of the church throughout the world. Representatives of the group then drafted a statement, “We Are One, We Are Many,” which was read to the Conference and has been used in various settings since then.

As I have prayerfully reflected on direction for the church, especially in terms of further clarification of our identity, message, and mission, I have been prompted to spend a significant amount of time with the poetic phrases and representative voices woven into this statement. I believe the words, images, lamentations, and hopes contained in it offer some valuable gems of truth that have not yet been fully discovered by the church. Those truly desirous of discerning God’s reconciling and redeeming hand at work in the church today are invited to prayerfully ponder its contents with a sense of adventure and openness to new insight.

I will offer one thought to assist on your quest for what is waiting to be discovered in the “We Are One, We Are Many” statement. There is an ideology running rampant in the world today that assumes that lock-step uniformity is the primary ingredient of unity. It is frequently expressed in zealous attempts to define truth arising from a very human bias that “my” culture and worldview are superior to others.

In terms of the church, it is so easy for us to be captured by the mindset that one’s particular experience and “way of doing things” should be the norm for all settings. This is especially true among those who have been raised with the belief that there is only one “true” way of doing church.

While there are foundational aspects of our faith, beliefs, and practices that bind the church together across cultures, we must continue to explore how the insights, questions, and hopes of diverse cultures can contribute to the fulfillment of Christ’s vision for the church. The “We Are One, We Are Many” statement is a gift to the church that beckons us to broaden our understanding and appreciation of what truly defines the Community of Christ throughout the world.

Somewhere in my distant memory I recall a wise person once saying: “People have many viewpoints, but God has many points from which to view.” I invite you to explore the statement, “We Are One, We Are Many,” not with the intent of reinforcing your current viewpoint, but with the discerning faith to “go and find” some of the many points from which God views and acts in creation.