Journey to Mosaic trip<\/a>. \u201cThey took me out to coffee and asked how we could begin to take steps as a local church to model racial reconciliation,\u201d says Asimakoupoulos. He then asked Greenidge to join him.<\/p>\n\u201cA dialogue sermon is a creative way to go about unpacking a sermon text,\u201d says Asimakoupoulos. \u201cIt’s more than taking turns delivering each point of the message. It’s a conversation about what the passage says and means to each preacher. The congregation gets to eaves drop on this conversation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope that members of our mostly Anglo congregation will begin to identify tangible ways of building community with people in our city who are different than they,\u201d says Asimakoupoulos. \u201cWe don’t have many African Americans in our community, but we have many Jews, Hindus and Muslims. We also have many agnostics from whom we tend to stand at arms length.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asimakoupoulos noted that the Hebrew word \u201ctov\u201d can be translated not only as \u201cgood and pleasant,\u201d but also \u201cright or correct.\u201d He added that, \u201cIt goes beyond feelings to something God expects of us because true unity happens not only when we feel all warm and gushy towards one another, but more so when we do it because it’s the right thing to do, even if we don’t feel like it.\u201d<\/p>\n
That the two pastors are longtime friends is important to communicating the message, Greenidge says. \u201cThe best platform for making significant advances in racial reconciliation is to begin with those who have built or have begun building bridges of friendship,\u201d he explains. \u201cThis provides the foundation for authentic exchange, which in turn can open the door to understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n
The two have been friends for 17 years, dating back to when they met at an Evangelical Covenant Church Midwinter Pastors Conference. Greenidge recalls that he was a \u201cnewbie\u201d and \u201clooked lost.\u201d Asimakoupoulos and his father invited Greenidge to join them for lunches and dinners. That would be repeated in the coming years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had no idea such a simple invitation to a meal would be so impacting,\u201d Asimakoupoulos says. \u201cNow that my dad is dying of bone cancer, Henry’s comments encouraged me in the midst of our dialogue sermon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asimakoupoulos shared with the congregation that the two men actually had met prior to their Midwinter meals at an event that seemed to be a preview of their future friendship. Asimakoupoulos was speaking at a Presbyterian men\u2019s retreat at which Greenidge, who was a member of the denomination at the time, happened to be the worship leader. \u201cHenry introduced me to that great little praise chorus, \u2018Give thanks with a grateful heart.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cThe other thing I remember about that weekend was the topic I had chosen to speak on,\u201d Asimakoupoulos recalls, \u201cthe unlikely friendship of David and Jonathan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greenidge says one of Sunday\u2019s highlights came when he spoke to an adult Sunday school class. \u201cI shared parts of my journey and then had a question-and-answer time. I sensed real openness and a desire to grow and expand their thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to sharing conversation on Sunday, the men also harmonized on new words written by Asimakoupoulos to the refrain of the old gospel hymn I Need Thee Every Hour<\/em>: \u201cI need you, Oh I need you\/Brother how I need you\/United, we are stronger\/than when we limp alone.\u201d<\/p>\nReport This Post<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MERCER ISLAND, WA (January 15, 2008) – Worshipers at Mercer Island Covenant Church \u201clistened in\u201d on the conversation of pastors from two congregations as they delivered a \u201cdialogue sermon\u201d that modeled racial reconciliation on Sunday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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The event came about after Mercer Island members Bobette Scheid and Joan Selvig attended the North Pacific Conference\u2019s first Journey to Mosaic trip<\/a>. \u201cThey took me out to coffee and asked how we could begin to take steps as a local church to model racial reconciliation,\u201d says Asimakoupoulos. He then asked Greenidge to join him.<\/p>\n