"On New and Risky Paths"

I’ve been co-opted to go to Synod 2011, held this year in Newcastle. My most recent Road Directory that included Newcastle was printed in 1990, so that would account for my getting hopelessly lost last time I drove up there. Besides, the spine was falling apart on this venerable, well-thumbed, stained Directory so it has finally sunk into my slow brain that a new one might be a good idea.

Journeying into unknown territory requires travelling on new and risky paths and that is the theme for the Synod of the Uniting Church in Australia this year. The cover of the Agenda shows a stick man walking on a road leading to mountains where it climbs and twists. Down from the mountains, the road divides into two, one heading into thick bush while the other disappears into a labyrinth city of dark mazes.

Should the traveller find his way through either the bush or the city, he will find himself at crossroads. One road sends him off to a dead end, another over a cliff (aaaagh!), while on the remaining road he will encounter spikes in the middle of the path. Surviving that, he will have to cross a stream (glug!) before the road winds on into open space.

Our Synod has some new and risky paths to travel. There are too many Presbyteries each trying with shrinking resources to replicate managing increasing needs. As in other Synods interstate, some will have to come together to share the road. Our Boards of Education and of Mission have also had to merge resulting in the pain of some loss of resources including the ELM centre. We will have to work smarter because we will have to work with less. As one minister used to say, “We can’t keep robbing St Peter’s to pay St Paul’s.”

Not that these challenges ahead of us are anything new. Our readings from the Hebrew Scriptures tell the story in the Book of Exodus of God’s people travelling on new and risky paths. The route from slavery in Egypt to the promised land of Israel was every bit as contorted as that depicted on the cover page of the Synod agenda. God’s people grumbled and wanted to turn back. They rejected leadership and broke all the laws but God saw them through sea crossings and wilderness, nourishing them all the while until the survivors arrived at their promised destination.

The Gospels reflect this Exodus journeys with the first disciples of Jesus wending their way with him on new and risky paths, with Jesus himself taking the greatest risk of all.

Coming to mind are words from our Uniting Church creed –

“We are a pilgrim people,

always on the way to a promised goal;

on the way Christ feeds us with word and sacraments,

and we have the gift of the Spirit

in order that we may not lose the way.”

We do not necessarily want to go down new and risky paths, but that is the way of discipleship, and best of all Jesus leads the way.