Over the past two years, the Commission for Faith and Action has funded $20,00.00 of Reconciliation grant requests.  This has helped congregations expand their reconciliation reach and imagination through educational and service trips, support for Caminante, leadership development, multi-church VBS, musicals, meals, relationships with first responders, and integration of neurotypical and non-neurotypical persons, and Careportal ministry.  The grants have been so successful that the yearly Reconciliation Special Offering has not kept up with demand.  The gifts by Oklahoma congregations each September to this special offering are divided 50/50 with the denomination so that Oklahomans are supporting the denomination’s Reconciliation Ministry, and that of congregations in our Region.

This spring, the Comm. for Faith In Action will publish a “Reconciliation Series” on the Region’s podcast.  Each episode will focus on one of our 2023 Grant recipients.

Thank you for supporting our Reconciliation Ministries.

2023 Grants

• Enid Welcome Table
• Caminante Boca Chica
• Enid Joint Disciples 5 Church Vacation Bible School
• FCC Stillwater Jamaica Mission Trip
• Central Christian Church, Christian Church of the Covenant, University Place Christian Church Enid, Hero Fund
• FCC Midwest City Careportal
• Central Christian Church, Enid, Teen Neurotypical / Non-Neurotypical Integration

2022 Grants

• FCC Claremore, First American Museum Trip
• In the Spirit Christian Church, Tulsa, Emerging Young Leaders Justice
• FCC El Reno, No Justice, No Peace Opera
• FCC Midwest City, Christmas for Others
• Caminante Boca Chica
• Enid Welcome Table
• Enid Joint Disciples 5 Church Vacation Bible School
• Central Christian Church, Christian Church of the Covenant, University Place Christian Church Enid, Hero Fund

Learn more about what these congregations are doing in their community.  You can download the 2023 Grant Reports in PDF format.

• Caminante
• Careportal: First Christian Church, Midwest City
• Joint Hero Support: Central Christian Church, Enid
• Teen Neurotypical and non-Neurotypical Integration / Socialization: Central Christian Church, Enid
• Enid Welcome Table
• 5 Church Vacation Bible School, Enid: University Place Christian Church, Iglesia Cristiana El Shaddai, Christian Church of the Covenant, Central Christian Church, First Presbyterian Church

2022 Grant Reports in PDF Format

• First Americans Museum Trip: First Christian Church, Claremore
• Christmas for Others: First Christian Church, Midwest City

What does it mean to be reconciled?

by Marilynn Knott, Chair: Commission on Faith in Action

The only reference to reconciliation in the Hebrew Bible is in 1 Samuel 29:4, when David was on the outs with King Saul and had joined the Philistines. He had proved himself with the one who had welcomed him to fight for the Philistines, but the Philistine leaders did not trust David and ordered him and his army to be left behind as the Philistines went into battle. The Hebrew word ratsah* translated as reconcile in this scripture, means to be pleased with and accept favorably. The leader of the Philistines could do neither regarding David.  As society spread among many cultures, the need for reconciliation grew. For example, the Apocrypha records six instances when reconciliation was addressed.

Reconcile is only used once in the Gospels in Matthew 5:24: leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. The Greek word used here by Jesus is diallassó, which means change enmity for friendship. In this instance, Jesus is addressing believers. We must take that counsel seriously as faith groups living in a worldview of divide and conquer.  Our behavior is a witness to the validity of the one we follow.

Paul and the other early Christ-followers had to deal with reconciliation as they entered the many cultures around them in following Jesus’s instruction to go into all the world and teach the good news of Christ. Much of that good news targets building the Kingdom of God, the Beloved Community.

Paul also uses various Greek words now translated as reconcile, like katallassó, which means to decisively change, to the same position, and the word apokatallassó, which means to reconcile completely, to change from one feeling to another. While this was 2000 years ago, and we have in many ways since gone into the whole world, we have not yet attained the beloved community worldwide. Thus, the word Reconciliation, and more importantly, the act of Reconciliation, is more necessary today than ever. The words of Paul regarding this issue still resonate today.

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) recognizes the last Sunday in September and the First Sunday in October for Reconciliation emphasis. Yes, we suggest that a special offering be taken on those Sundays with the funds dedicated to reconciliation, which is important. We must, however, take time on these Sundays and always consider the challenge we have in bringing the whole world into a Beloved Community. How is your congregation working toward that goal? What special needs can you identify in your community? How do you plan to address them? How can we decisively change racism, poverty, and violence against one another? How can we change enmity for friendship?

*All translations were gleaned from Strong’ Concordance using the NRSV Bible Translation