What IS Reconciling in Christ?
Six years ago—on September 8th, 2019—our congregation took an important step: we voted to become a Reconciling in Christ partner congregation. That decision came after lots of prayer, conversations, and learning together. We just celebrated our six-year anniversary and held our annual Reconciling in Christ Sunday, but I realized that I’ve never really paused to explain what this whole “Reconciling in Christ” thing means for us. Many of us were here six years ago; many of us, including me, weren’t. But we all need this reminder. (Also, including me.)
At its core, Reconciling in Christ (through an organization called ReconcilingWorks: Lutherans for Full Participation) is really simple. Their first value says it best: “We believe that God values and embraces each person as a beloved child.” That’s it. That’s the heart of it all. To be Reconciling in Christ means we believe that God’s love has no exceptions—no ifs, no buts, no asterisks. God loves everyone, and so do we.
Their second value reminds us that “the Spirit gives a diversity of gifts for the common good.” In other words, we’re not all the same—and that’s the point. Our differences are actually gifts from God that make the body of Christ stronger. Diversity isn’t something we just tolerate—it’s essential for the work God calls us to do.
And the third value is this: “Jesus Christ calls us to work for justice.” In baptism, we promise to “strive for justice and peace in all the earth.” Justice means telling the truth—about the world, about ourselves, and about the ways the Church hasn’t always lived up to God’s vision of love and welcome.
And here’s part of that truth: people of color and LGBTQIA+ people have too often been excluded, harmed, or told they don’t belong in the Church. Reconciling in Christ isn’t just about being welcoming—it’s about actively working for justice, making sure everyone knows they are fully loved by God. For some of us, that reminder has always been obvious. For others, it hasn’t. So yes, this work does give special focus to those who have been pushed aside. That’s not favoritism—it’s faithfulness.
Pastor Athena Thomasson-Bless, our guest preacher for Reconciling in Christ Sunday, reminded us on Sunday that it’s called “Reconciling” in Christ, not “Reconciled.” The work isn’t finished. God has already reconciled us to Christ—that’s grace. But we’re still learning, still growing, still reconciling to one another.
When visitors ask me what Reconciling in Christ really means, I usually tell them this: We make it more complicated than it is. We wonder who’s in and who’s out. We debate the right words. We think we need to agree on everything. But it’s really simple: God loves you. God loves me. We’re the ones who complicate it. Reconciling in Christ means we’re committed to helping the world know that love.
This is how we, as Emmanuel, live out God’s love.
With gratitude and hope,
Pastor Ethan
P.S. You may notice I didn’t used the acronym “RIC.” Our Council decided not to, since acronyms can feel like insider language. Saying “Reconciling in Christ” keeps the focus where it belongs—on the ongoing work of love and welcome. So let’s help remind each other to say it, because the words we use matter. And I am thankful to our council leaders who called us to this, and have been good to remind me.
Special Offering for ReconcilingWorks
ReconcilingWorks is the organization that coordinates Reconciling in Christ and supports us (and nearly 1,500 other partner communities!) with resources and connection. They’re not an official churchwide body, so they rely on gifts from congregations like ours. We’re collecting a special offering through October 5th. If you’d like to contribute, please mark your gift for ReconcilingWorks or Reconciling in Christ. Thank you for helping us live out God’s love in this way!