A twenty dollar bill. One of the great feelings in the world is looking in the pocket of a jacket you haven’t worn in a while and finding a twenty dollar bill. Found money!

I’m wondering if the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) isn’t like that twenty dollar bill you find in the pocket of a jacket you haven’t worn in a long time. You had no idea it was there, but once you find it, you are so glad that you did. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) the “best kept secret in the world” I would have a lot more than the twenty bucks I found in my pocket.

The truth is that we are not good at telling our story or even describing in a fluid manner what we love about our church. I am soon beginning a new series called “Discover the Disciples” in which I hope to equip my church people to better articulate what they love about our core values and why this is the church for them. I also hope to share with visitors and those not familiar with our core values why I believe that we are a church that is perfectly positioned to be a meaningful church experience, one that shapes us for wholeness in our life and the world. .

Here are some common questions about our denomination. Oh, one word about that word- the “D” word. I wonder if movement is a better way to describe what we are. Okay, enough about the “D” word.

“Your logo looks like a wine glass with an X. Are you all against drinking?” (No, but drink responsibly of course)

“Are you kind of like Presbyterians? or Methodists? or Lutherans?” (In full disclosure, many of our people answer this question with a “kind of”)

“Are you liberal or conservative?”

and my favorite… “Are you a cult?”

To contrast some of these common questions, I asked on Facebook for people to describe Disciples in seven words of less. There were some great responses. Here is a sampling:

Accepting, evolving, questioning, respectful, supportive, Christ like, home

Y’all come! We love the table!

All welcome, freedom of interpretation, grace spoken

Priesthood of all believers; an Open Table

You are loved, welcome, forgiven, and whole

Loving, forgiving, questioning, supportive, all are welcome

being true to the love of God

Dang, this is good stuff. Sign me up! We shouldn’t be keeping this a secret. Not just for personal reasons, but for communal reasons as well. We need more people who are shaping their lives around this ethos. We need more people who are telling the story of our churches using these phrases and terms. We need the fresh wind of this spirit.

I’m looking forward to this series, not only for our congregation, but for myself as well. Because I need to be reminded that there is a place at the table for me as well. Now, that’s good news.! That is a story we need to be telling.