Looking Back on 10 years–
Room for All, Choose Hope
Fear?
In a world marked with fear; fear of what happened, and what will happen, hope often seems far off.
However, Jesus offers us this wisdom:
When you hear of wars and rumors of wars…
Do not be alarmed. (Matthew 24:6)
Looking Back
I recently had the honor of reading through the meeting minutes of the humble beginning days of Room for All.
A group of people shocked and hurt by the 2005 trial of Norm Kansfield gathered to ask the question, What now?
They stood at a crossroads of fear and hope. However, The Spirit moves, and Jesus speaks;
Do not be alarmed.
The Spirit moves and Jesus speaks, compelling the founding board of Room for All away from fear and instead, toward action, toward engagement, and conversation, toward justice and toward welcome.
They chose hope.
The founding Board hoped for a new future for the Reformed Church in America, but also had to deal with the disappointment of a painfully slow moving ship.
The disappointment feels unbearable at times.
When the Church Herald rejects RfA’s advertisement in the spring of 2006.
and despite the RCA’s reports on desire for dialogue on homosexuality, RfA was not allowed inclusion in the General Synod announcements.
Our futility might rise, but the Spirit moves once again, and welcomes us to a place of hope.
Welcome
As Room for All celebrates 10 years of work in the RCA for full inclusion of all God’s people. I am honored to be a part of God’s work amidst the people of God who faithfully trust the Spirit of truth and wisdom, who listen closely to God’s call to bring light into the dark and scary places of our current dynamic.
I celebrate the work of Room for All but realize that the RCA still has a long road to welcome.
At a March meeting in 2006 the board gathered and cast a poignant vision for the RCA in the next 10 years. As a newly ordained minister in the RCA, I resonate with this vision, I celebrate the success and movement and want to dream together with the whole church, the ways we might continue to make this vision they listed a reality;
To make the church a safe place for all people, a place where people’s sexuality and its expression is seen as a gift of life and a gift from God, that the RCA will experience new life because it has come a radical and full understanding of God’s grace. And a vision that all the marginalized will have room, no one will feel alone, and deep hurts will be healed.
I hope for a RCA that will see who she really is: a baptized community, dearly beloved by God, marked as Christ’s own and compelled by the Spirit to include all people into her work of bringing the light into the dark places of our world.
We are constantly moving forward, in reflecting on their success in 2006, the Board proclaims this hope in their meeting;
“The RCA is moving along on the wave of the culture and, like-it-or not, is moving toward greater inclusion.” (September 2007)
Like it or not, the hope of a fully welcoming RCA lives on in the hearts of many. Hope lives on and is marked by Jesus’ words:
Do not be alarmed.
Do not be alarmed as you work for justice, pray for peace and seek to live fully into God’s call to be a community of grace and welcome.
Do not be alarmed.
I am with you.
Choose hope.
Rev. Paige Convis lives in Schenectady NY. She is currently serving as the Pastoral Resident at First Reformed Church, Schenectady. Paige has lived most of her life in the great Midwest where she attended Trinity Christian College and Western Theological Seminary. Paige is an all-around church nerd, she loves sacred music, Advent and Reformed Theology.