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Jumpstarter 2 of 10

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Question 2

Dean says, “Somehow the Church of Jesus Christ lives through all these…there’s a sense of ownership”; what does it look like to “own” the church’s story (Crusades, Constantine, etc.) without either excusing it or distancing ourselves from it, and what does that ownership reveal about God’s patience and purposes?

Another way to ask: What does it look like to “own” the church’s history (Crusades, Constantine, etc.) without making excuses or pretending it isn’t ours? What does that kind of honesty show about God’s patience and plans?

Direct Answer To “own” the church’s story, Dean suggests we confess the church’s public failures as “our story” (without defending them), while still recognizing our local congregation may not have done those acts. That ownership reveals God’s patience in sustaining the church through “all this mess,” and it also exposes how we can see the same temptations (like power) inside ourselves.

Support from Transcript:

Dean notes, “Somehow the Church of Jesus Christ lives through all these… And there’s a sense of ownership.”
He gives a concrete example: trying to tell a Muslim, “that wasn’t us,” and the response: “Yeah, shut up. You were the Crusades. You were Constantine.”
His humility point: “Yeah, that we did that and that was really bad… it gives us a humility.”
Yet he keeps congregational distinction: “Still, I’m congregational. My church never did that… but nevertheless, it’s part of our story.”
He ties this to self-examination: “If I’m honest with it, I can see Constantine in myself.”
He believes the Spirit still works: “the Holy Spirit works with all this mess, calls humanity all the way up to today.”

Discussion Follow-ups How does owning the church’s sins change the way we talk to outsiders? What church failures are hardest for you to say, “That’s part of our story”?

Jumpstarter 2 of 10