You have heard it said, "speak softly and carry a big stick." But I tell you, "grow more carrots!"

There are sticks, and there are carrots.  You can prod an animal from behind with undesired consequences, or you can draw them from the front with desired rewards.  I train my cats to stay off the food preparation area in the kitchen, but they always want to be sniffing around in whatever I’m doing.  It’s a training that takes a long time to master.  I usually use a combination of “sticks” and “carrots” with them.  For one of my kittens, though, whenever I impose a consequence, it only serves to make her more adamant about doing whatever it is I’m telling her not to do.  Perhaps you know people like that… perhaps you are a person like that!  I have learned instead to reward my other kitten Ayla until Serafina notices and discovers how to earn treats of her own.

In the world’s way of operating, we have sticks and we have carrots.  We tend to go first to the sticks.  Negative consequences and enforcing the rules seem to be the easier choice.  If we don’t agree with one another, we can simply declare who is right, usually by majority vote, and declare that everyone else should comply.

In the Church of the Brethren, we have always been suspicious of others who try to tell us what to believe or do by way of coercion or shaming or enforcement.  We have seen the harm that can be done when hierarchy, rather than love, is at the center of our decision making, at the forefront of our discernment.  And more than that, we trust the Spirit’s moving and the persistent activity of God’s love to be more powerful than any power we humans have at our fingertips.

So as we begin to prepare for District Conference and Annual Conference (yes, they are coming soon!), I have been thinking about this:  Our sticks are tiny and ineffectual in the Church of the Brethren.  Very little of what we do can we agree on, let alone enforce.  The center of our denomination, the moderator, changes every year, because it is not primarily about any one person’s individual power.  It is the Spirit’s power moving among the gathered body that we trust.  Even District Ministers (gasp) have very little in the way of enforcement or punitive consequences at their disposal.  Brothers and sisters, I am convinced: this is how it should be!

We are a priesthood of believers.  Our power comes only from the movement of the Spirit among us.  Is it messy? Yes!  Is it frustrating? Yes, for everyone (in case you thought it was just you).  Is it strange?  Very often, yes.  Is it beautiful? In God’s eyes, I believe it is.  Is it radically healing?  I am counting on it!

Our task is not to be honing our sticks or deciding who has the authority to wield them.  Our task is to grow lots and lots of carrots, through the yeast, salt, light, mustard seeds of the kingdom’s logic.  Our task is to grow carrots to share and to enjoy, in the Love of our Lord and the Good News of our Christ.

What does that look like in your corner of the world?  Here are a few thoughts: Meet your fellow Brethren folks in your area. There are good people out there!  Listen deeply to the desires of your peers in your neighborhood.  The need out there is great.  And plan to attend District Conference and Annual Conference.  Let’s grow more carrots together; many hands make light work!

The Church of the Brethren's polity is based on the principle of the priesthood of all believers. This means that all members of the church are equal in the sight of God and have a responsibility to participate in the life and work of the church.
The Church of the Brethren's polity is also based on the principle of consensus. This means that decisions are made by the whole church, and that all members are encouraged to participate in the decision-making process.
The Church of the Brethren's polity is designed to promote unity and cooperation among its members. It is a system that allows for the expression of a wide range of viewpoints, while still maintaining the unity of the church.
The Church of the Brethren's polity is a reflection of its commitment to peace, simplicity, and service. It is a system that is designed to promote the common good and to build a more just and equitable world.

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