Day: August 4, 2019

Community of Christ

On Sunday we attended the Community of Christ, which is the church Emma started when Brigham Young took the saints west after Joseph Smith died. I grew up thinking the Community of Christ wasn’t even in the running for “one true church” status because they’ve had so many financial troubles. In LDS church, we unofficially but ubiquitously preach “prosperity gospel,” which basically says that if you are good, God will prosper you in the land. So good Mormons are rich. And a lot of Mormons are actually rich, and the church is unbelievably rich. With that mindset it just makes sense that the church has “prospered” because it is True. At least, that seemed like an obvious connection to me at the time.

Anyway, with prosperity gospel and One True Church off the table for me, I approached Community of Christ in a completely different mindset. And it turns out, they are the only healthy restorationist church! Women are ordained, they are not racist, they are open about church history, and they are committed to humanitarian service. Go, Emma, go!! John Hamer has, through the Community of Christ, created “Church for the unchurched” up in Toronto. He was in town for Sunstone, and I made Abe go up to him and talk to him between sessions while I chased around the kids. He was so nice and open. Attending at least one service of his church is on my personal bucket list now.

I am pretty sure I heard people at Sunstone say that this man, who gave the sermon and led the Sunday school, is a direct descendant of Joseph Smith’s. He certainly had his nose and eyes!! Abe and I couldn’t get over how similar he looked.
Children were included in the service. The woman pictured was reading them the picture book, “I am human,” after which each child was given a bag of reusable quiet activities to occupy them for the rest of the sacrament meeting.
Ammon doing “quiet” activities. Of course, it’s Ammon, so these weren’t all that quiet for him…

I was stunned to see women perform ordinances. The bishop was a woman who sat on the stand the whole service, just as LDS bishops do. And here she is confirming a member of their church in a beautiful blessing, wherein she referred to the seated woman as “snarky” and “kind.” I have never heard the word “snarky” used in a blessing, much less in church! But it was so beautiful, so tender, so personal, so full of love. I am afraid I was not super polite because I kept hissing at my daughters to pay attention and watch women perform priesthood ordinances. I also took this picture.

At one point during the service, there was a coloring activity for everyone. We were supposed to draw our spiritual homes with provided paper and crayons. I have no spiritual home and drew nothing. In the meantime, Abe could only picture our home ward, over and over. It was fun to watch elderly men with white beards color their spiritual homes right alongside children who did the same.

Everything was about inclusion. Even the sacrament had gluten free bread for those who needed it, and there was water for those who felt uncomfortable with grape juice. And the sermon was super inclusive. Joseph Smith’s descendant talked about his own doubts and disbelief and the peace he has made with his own individual spiritual journey.

Honestly, two hours of sacrament was too long for Abe and me, especially after the one hour of Sunday school right before (during which time our kids attended their primary). I think Abe is spoiled by 2 hour church, and I am spoiled by no church! So we took off after the sacrament and didn’t get a chance to join the Community of Christ for their lunch afterward. I guess every Sunday they follow their 3 hours of service with lunch. It really is a community, and people like being with each other so much it seems as though they spend the whole day together! (They have up to five hours of church in John Hamer’s Toronto church, but it is totally a la carte.) Anyway, Abe and I enjoyed it very much and then took off early to eat, return home, and enjoy the rest of our day together.