From the General Presbyter

My favorite marketing expert Seth Godin, in his Blog entitled “Dancing with Belief,” invites the reader to ask these five questions about any belief system we subscribe to:

• Is it working?
• Is it helpful?
• Is it true?
• Do you need it to be true?
• What would change your mind?

I am thinking specifically about a couple of things. First, this election and what the two presidential candidates say they will do for America. As Barack Obama said yesterday, that alone will cause arguments at Thanksgiving. The Second is the tug of war between those who want to regather in the church and those who feel safer not meeting in person indoors. The above questions apply to the reasoning behind each one’s assertion.

Example: is the arguing and threatening working for the congregation? Are the entrenched positions helpful? Are the beliefs around the virus true? Do we need our side of the argument to be true so we can be right? What might change our mind about our positions on this?

I might add a sixth question for congregations: Is it worth fracturing the family, friendships or the body of Christ?

– Jackie