"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." 

~ 1 Peter 2:9

Over the past few months we have been exploring what it means to be the church, using as our guide the six "great ends" of the church found in our Book of Order. The purpose of this exploration is to help us gain a greater awareness of our identity and calling as Presbyterians as we seek to become a more faithful presbytery. In this column I close out my reflections with the sixth and last of the Great Ends, or purposes, of the church: "The exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world" (F-1.0304).

Of all the ends, or purposes, of the Church, this is perhaps the most challenging. The others - proclaiming the gospel, nurturing faith, maintaining worship, preserving truth, and promoting social righteousness - all concern things we do. Exhibiting the Kingdom of Heaven, however, involves who we are. As theologian Darrell Guder notes, exhibiting the Kingdom of Heaven to the world happens as we practice and pursue the other ends of the church. It is not a separate activity, but is the cumulative effect of all we do.

But in another sense, the call to exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven addresses how we practice the other ends of the church. The witness of the church is inextricably tied to the quality of life within it. If we love one another, as Jesus commands, then our witness will reflect that love. If we welcome one another, then our witness will be inviting to those outside. If we practice humility, seek reconciliation, and act with integrity within the church, then our witness to the world will bring healing and have authenticity.

As Guder expounds,

The love that God has for the world, and which causes Him to send His Son, now becomes the primary characteristic of the community that the Son is sending into the world....  What [God] intends is a community that is a continual exhibition of the in-breaking kingdom of heaven, an ongoing demonstration of the grace and healing rule of King Jesus.  - The Exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the World, p. 42

 
Presbyteries have gone by various names in recent years. At one time we were called "judicatories," emphasizing our role as a court of the church; later we became "governing bodies" to highlight our role in governance. Now we are called "councils" reflecting our role as a community of relationship and conversation. None of these fully captures our identity and purpose. In many ways we function as the heart of the Body of Christ - that organ that circulates vitality and life-giving nutrients through the body, alternately pulling in the blood from the veins and pushing it out through the arteries. We are also the "heart" of the church in a different sense - in that we embody the courage and will of the gathered community to lead congregations to do the work of Christ in the world. And what is true of our physical bodies is also true of the church as a spiritual body - if the heart is healthy, the whole body is healthier; if the heart is weak, or diseased, the whole body is debilitated.

Which is why the great end to exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven to the world bears directly on our practice as the heart of the church. Not only in our meetings, but also in our other roles of supporting and coordinating mission, overseeing and connecting congregations, training and deploying leaders, and establishing a vision for our common work the degree to which we show the love and grace of Christ to one another directly affects our common witness to the world.

So as we move forward in transforming our presbytery into a more missional, more responsive community let us not just focus on the tasks we must perform; let us also focus on the quality of our life together, the integrity of our actions and witness, and on the love of Christ that binds us together. Then we will more perfectly exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.