Jesus asked a man who’d been lame for 38 years a powerful question in John 5, “Do you want to be well?”  Early this past June, we partnered with the Center for Formation, Justice, and Peace to humbly and soberly look at three assumptions that were present in the formation of the American evangelical movement and that have remained persistent for a long time.  We took the name of the conference from that same question Jesus asked the man and ask it of the church: “Do You Want To Be Well?: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Healing for the Church in America”.  It was an online conference casting a vision for spiritual healing from Christian nationalism, racism, and patriarchy.  And it was powerful, even more so than we thought it could be.

We recorded it, and have made it freely available to any who, like we do, love the church and want her to be healed and to be well.  In the conclusion to the introductory talk, we said ‘“Do you want to be well?’ Yes, we want to be well. Jesus is beautiful, we want him to have a clearer witness. The Kingdom of God is gorgeous, we want it to come more fully into the world and more fully in America.”  Amen!  I know you want that too, literally for Christ’s sake, and also for the sake of so many people who might not know the air they are breathing might be toxic.

I encourage you to watch the videos or listen to the recording in the coming weeks, and then let’s talk about it together.  Watch it on your own or with a friend or small group, and we’ll have a conversation about it online on Wednesday, October 2nd 7-8:30 PM (ET).and also in-person at the Coracle Ministry Center (in south Arlington) on Saturday, October 5th from 7-8:30 PM (snacks at 6:30!).  Also, please spread the word about the conference and these conversations so others can join in such an important and timely discussion. Just forward this post.

Jesus told Peter that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church.  Amen! It’s true, and thanks be to God!