I recently completed “Boundary Training” in fulfillment of the requirements of the Associations of the UCC for clergy with standing. While I can’t say I was really looking forward to it, it was a good day well spent with fellow clergy. The conversation was frank and open and the issues were real and relevant.
This iteration of the workshop is new. A committee of several pastors, conference staff, and active laypersons has revamped the structure of the workshop leaving in a couple of the best pieces of the older version while adding some new ones. All in all, it is better than the one I did three years ago which was better than the one from three years before that.
Still, I found myself disappointed. It is such a rich opportunity that perhaps my expectations and hopes are unrealistically high. The larger topic of how we construct relationships that are not only safe but deeply satisfying is one that has consumed much of my professional life. It is not enough that we as clergy don’t misuse our power and privilege; it is the mission of the Church to be a source for health and healing in all of our relationships.
The core of my problem with “Boundary Training” is that it is about boundaries. Given the history of how this requirement came to be and given the larger cultural concerns that make it continue to be necessary, it is not at all surprising that we want to make it very clear where the line is so that no one can step across it and claim they didn’t see it. If we are to be righteous we must know what constitutes a transgression.
But as Paul has taught us, we are not saved by the law. We are not given license to violate the law, but simply obeying will not bring us into the fullness of Christ. Within the context of the workshop we began to consider what it means to be accountable. This moved us much closer to what I see as the heart of the matter, but accountability is a complex concept and would take a more robust paradigm than the ones we were using for us to become able to fully realize it.
I have a sense that there are others who share my longing to go further and deeper. To that end I am inviting all St. Louis area clergy join me in an extended conversation. I am happy to give it a place and a structure. If we are few we can meet at my office and if we are many we can easily find one of our church’s meeting rooms. I suggest we meet on a Wednesday morning in the space left by the vacationing Ministerium. That may not work well but we can find what is best for most of those who are interested.
If you are interested in joining the conversation, simply email me and I will be sure you remain informed of plans to gather. You can contact me at MLRobinson@charter.net.
