What face of God is missing?

What’s missing? Perhaps even more important, who is missing?

What face of God is missing when people of color aren’t represented, for example.

Or members of the LGBTQI community. Or women. Or those with views different from our own.

If we are going to cultivate communities of authenticity we need to stop and ask what or who is not there. This is especially important when making key decisions or wanting to engage entire communities. The wisdom of the community, the entire community, is crucial.

What or who is missing? 

• Who isn’t represented around the table?
• Whose voices are not being heard?
• What experiences are we not honoring?
• Why are some issues or topics more normative than others?

Church today – at its best – asks these types of questions often. It seeks to involve everyone. It celebrates diverse experiences and viewpoints. It values the relationships and encounters of doing things together.

Relational power, not authoritarian control.

Experience, not rigid doctrine.

Living traditions, not fixed commodities.

Transformation, not status quo.

God’s extravagance desires to live itself out in humanity. Many times, we need to take a moment and see where God’s diversity isn’t breaking through. God’s many faces are much more abundant than we can possibly know. Let’s do all we can to ensure as many of those faces as possible can participate fully in today’s communities of faith and worship.

Communal faith, not autocratic ideology.