Go Tell it on the
Mountain
Bill Robey - Journey of Discovery Co-Coordinator
We gathered at a Catholic
retreat center in the hills south of Spokane for our first training
workshop to begin learning how to be transformation “consultants”
working with Disciples congregations in the Northwest Region. We
were being trained by Ray Schulte, a “real” consultant
from the Center for Parish Development out of Chicago.
There were seven Disciples
at the workshop among about three dozen Presbyterian consultants-in-training
from congregations all across Washington, Idaho, and Montana. To
be honest, we felt a little outnumbered, especially since most of
the Presbyterians seemed to know each other.
Nonetheless, Charlotte
Hoppe (who arranged this Disciples/Presbyterian partnership to begin
with!) helped us all feel welcome. She and Rick Melin, her Presbyterian
counterpart, quickly set about to allay any concerns about the disparate
numbers. This was to be a joint venture into ecumenical cooperation!
For two long days we
sat through presentation after presentation from Ray, absorbing
as much as our tired bottoms would allow, and being reassured that
his help would always be a phone call (or an email) away. But after
two days, we were still Disciples and Presbyterians.
Then, at the close of
the second day, Ray invited us to end the hard day’s work
with a short prayer service. When he asked where we should hold
this service, someone suggested we move to the retreat center’s
outdoor chapel. The chapel is located on the crest of a hill overlooking
a beautiful valley.
Gathering there, Ray
invited us to join hands in a circle and to give voice to our prayers
as we felt moved to do so. Prayers began to echo across the valley;
beautiful prayers; heartfelt prayers; prayers by Disciples and Presbyterians,
holding hands. At the appropriate time, Ray began to sing and we
all joined him in singing the Lord’s Prayer.
As we finished and opened
our eyes once more, the most magnificent sunset imaginable took
our collective breath away. No longer were we Disciples and Presbyterians,
we were simply all God’s children, standing in the glory of
God, doing God’s work. That work is now unfolding as nine
Disciples congregations in the Northwest Region are well into the
“Journey of Discovery” transformation process.
This
is what happens when our Region reaches out to join in ecumenical
partnership with other denominations and faiths. We see our “polar
star” burning brightly in the heavens and we are telling it
on the Mountain!
