“Put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.” 2 Cor 6:3

As Local Preachers we have, in the words of Paul a “ministry of reconciliation… God (is) making his appeal through us… we are ambassadors for Christ” 2 Cor 5:18-20

As the Methodist Church’s Equalities and Diversity Project Officer, in this article, I am asking both myself as a Local Preacher and you as preachers: do we discredit our ministry (God’s ministry of reconciliation) by putting stumbling blocks in people’s paths?  For instance, do we speak so much from our own experience and culture that we make it hard for those who do not share our culture to understand the illustrations we use? Do we give God a gender to such an extent that we create a stumbling block for those who don’t see God as ‘gendered’?  Do we use images only of perfection and wholeness when describing God? And do such images create a stumbling block for those whose life experiences mean that such concepts are exactly that, merely concepts?

What about the broken Christ? The desperate God? The despairing God?

In the report to Conference 2006, Time For Action – Tracing Rainbows in the Rain, we read about how our choice of words and images can create stumbling blocks, for instance for people who have had bad experiences of an earthly father – or mother.

The challenge of following Christ is challenging enough; so let us, in the Church, learn to remove any other barriers which are making that journey even tougher. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever and the message of the Cross never changes, so let’s try to be inclusive, as Jesus was.

So what did Jesus do?

Jesus went out and challenged the powerful; John 2:12-22 (turning the tables in the temple)

Jesus went out and met people’s physical and emotional needs; Mark 5:25-34 (Jesus healed a woman of faith who has been bleeding)

Jesus went out and did these things, making it clear that he was doing them to show people what God is like; Luke 5:24-26 (the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins)

What Jesus did not do was talk only to the people who were like Himself. Instead he spent time with them; he entered into relationships with Samaritans, with tax collectors, prostitutes and Roman soldiers. What Jesus did not do was to ignore the needs of the powerless; on the contrary, He went seeking them. He was proactive, as we see when He healed the man at the well of Bethesda.

Do we as Local Preachers help to meet people’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs? Are we pro active like Jesus, actively including the marginalised, the fearful, the neglected? Or do we inadvertently put stumbling blocks in their way, thus discrediting the vital ministry of reconciliation?

As I meet people in the Church, I hear stories from those who are exhausted from climbing over the stumbling blocks which we have put in their way. People who are shattered because they are always the only ones putting their neck on the line in an attempt to make the Church a safe and inclusive place. People who are hurt again and again when the language they hear used about God does not ever describe their experience. People who do not feel safe expressing their daily experiences of discrimination for fear that they will be ignored or made to feel that they are just making a fuss.  Often the people fighting the hardest are doing so as a result of personal experiences. Why should it always be the women asking for Bibles with inclusive language? Or the Black people asking for a wider–than-Europe theology? Or those with hearing aids asking for all leaders at the front to use the microphones? Shouldn’t we all be working hard to include all of them?

God moves hell and high waters (literally in Moses’ case) to ensure that people are in a place safe enough to enter into a relationship with their Creator. Is your Church a safe enough place, physically and emotionally, to enable people to take on the challenge of being reconciled to God?

Let’s work together to get rid of the stumbling blocks which are discrediting our ministry. Let’s get rid of those stumbling blocks which are preventing people from having that life-changing opportunity to be reconciled to Christ.

So who is being excluded? Have you ever felt that Christians and/or Churches have been a stumbling block for you?  Were you ever not welcomed? Were you ever not taken seriously?  Did they leave you doing so much work that your spiritual life had to take second place to all your jobs in the Church? If so, you know how it feels to have Christians put stumbling blocks in the way of your journey of reconciliation with God.

The answer to the question, ‘Who are the people struggling with stumbling blocks?’ is probably most of us, at some time or another. I would encourage you to remember those feelings and then try and put yourself in the shoes of some one who is feeling excluded now because of their gender, race, sexuality, disability or age.

I believe we have to face up to these realities. Are we a Church which celebrates difference and fights tooth and nail for equality for all? If we are not, then we need to repent and seek ways of moving those stumbling blocks.

Think about your local Church. Which groups in your community have not been encouraged by your Church to be reconciled to God? Might there be stumbling blocks you are putting up? Remember, God is passionate to be reconciled to these people – He is certainly not putting any stumbling blocks in their way! There are many challenges for us as we seek to remove the stumbling blocks which exclude whole sections of our society.

So we are back to the beginning. When we wake up in the morning, we can think, ‘How can I be an ambassador for Christ today?’.  We are ambassadors when we care, when we respect others, when we bring peace, reconciliation, love and forgiveness by our daily lives. We are Christ’s ambassadors and we are a diverse lot; whether we are black, white, man, woman, disabled by this society or not, adult or child, whatever our sexuality, we are Christ’s ambassadors and God makes his reconciling appeal through us (v. 20). Let’s rise to the challenge!

Alison Parker

Alison Parker is the Methodist Church’s Diversity & Equalities project officer. This is a part time post for three years. Alison is working with others to provide a theological context for this work, recommendations about how some of the structures may need to change and resources for local Churches to aid them in this work.

The Methodist Church can provide training and support for Churches and groups who want to pro-actively tackle discrimination.

Please do feel free to contact Alison for specific information, and she will help to put you in contact with groups and resources which may be most appropriate.

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