THE GROUP WITH A DIFFERENCE
Galatians 5:29-6:10

July 14, 1968

Rev. John Ii. Buchanan

There is perhaps no more fascinating topic than the study of people in groups.
"Group dynamics" is one of the namos given to it, and it has to do with the way groups of
poople function in various situations. Increasingly it is an important subject for the
ficlds of psychology and psychiatry. One of the most important new schools ef paychiatry,
for instance, practices what is called "conjoint Therapy". I+ begins with the assumption
that individuals can only be understood in relationship with other pooplc, i.c. within a
group. I+ proceeds with the assumption that if individuals are going to be helped and
healed, it can best happen in a group. Therefore whole families are treated by these
Psychiatrists, not just the one individual who appears to be having a problon.

Groups of people tend to develop their own personality: Boards of Directors, Scout
Troops, fomilics, committees, fraternal organizations, bridge clubs - each tonds to develop
its ow peculiar characteristics, its om mystique, its own esprit-—de-corps; its own per=
sonality. But within each group 211 kinds of fascinating things occur botwoon individuals.
Interestingly - much the same thing gocs on betweon separate individuals, regardless of the
type of group under discussion. For instance, two groups such as tho Womens’ Temperance
League, ond a Saturday night poker club appear at first to be as difforont in terms of goals,
valucs and personality as any two groups cam be. But within cach one of these two, the
new-school psychiatrists tell us, the very same kinds of things are transpiring betweon
individuals. The vocabulary is different: the topics discussed are different but the in-
dividuals come out doing the same things to each other. ;

One of these psychiatrists has written a good and fumny book ontitled Games People
Play: in it the author contends that you and I, regardless of the group we are in at the
moment, are constantly playing games. Combat is really a better word, for the author's
suggestion is that those are very serious games, the fundamental purpose of which is to gain
some strategic advantage over the other person. ‘All sorts of games aro described - all
with tho intont of putting the other person down, and rewarding the playor with the atten-
tion ond offection of the group; but most importantly with a sonse of powor ond prestige.

I could illustrate from the lifo of this congregation but that might got a little
sticky , so let me use a group with which you have little connection, and with which I am
intimately involved - groups of ministers. Whon ministers get togethor, particularly if we'ro
strangers, wo always play a number of precise games. Everyone knows the rules, although
thoy're not written down, and everybody plays. The contest begins with WSDYA? : “What
School Did You Attend?" Now if you are uninitiated in the intricacies of theological
education, this can got a little complex. Princeton scores well; Harvard and Yale the same.
My school, thc University of Chicago also has great prestige ~ but is plagued with a repu-
tation for radical liberalism. Therefore, when I play with a Princeton graduate, I must
quickly make some adjustmonts. To score woll against him I merely drop the comment that two
professors of mine, whom hoe will immediately recognize by name — have gince moved to Princeton
I do well with that one bocause he's left with the obvious conclusion that I had the great
scholors at Chicago, he didn't have them because Princeton wasn't good cnough to gat them
while ho was there: thercofore - well = the conclusion is obvious. There oro may variations.
in WSDYA. But then we move on to HMMDYH: "How many members do you have?" Again, there are
ways of componsating for ‘a smaller memborship than your opponent's such as: "He just clemed
our rolls lost year." Even better is: "We're not much concerned with statistics" - or
"Wie try to make membership moan something, so I guess we only got really committed people."
That onc puts you on top, no matter how small your mombership. From there we go to WWYBLY:
"What Was Your Budget Last year?" ; DYPTB ~ "Do You Plan to Build?" and so on, ad nausoum.

os

It happens cvory time: ovorybody plays, and ordinarily there is a winner: one individual
emerges with attention, affection, power - and on inflated ego.

llow if you're honest, you will sce that you play the same kinds of gamos all tho
wo: UDYM] -— "Where docs your husband work?"; WHYGSLN — "What was your golf score last
u. at?! : TYR -— "Have you read?" -— DYS "Did you sce?"

It's fascinating to observe, although as a close friend of minc observed, "Once you
r:-lize what's happening, you're a little afraid to say anything to anybody!" It's fs-" °°
iv‘s fun to play and observe: but at the samc timc it becomes a helpful tool in u-* wt Lite,
ourrciv.3 and other people. Most of all, I believe, it's a method of getting at this ag
old problom of relationships between people in the church.

Dictrich Bonhocffor was no personality psychologist, but listen to what he wrote.
He quoted Inke 9:46: "And an argument arose among them as to which of thom was the groctest",
and then observed, "... no Christian Community ever comes together without this thought
immediately omerging as a sced of discord." ond later in the same essay: "... from the
first moment when a man mects another porson he is looking for a stratcgic position he
can assume and hold over against that person." (1)

The book I-am quoting is Life Torcther, a little manual Bonhocffcr wrote for an
underground seminary established by the Confessing Church in Germany during World War II.
It has 2 remarkably contemporary ring to it: "Where is thore a person who docs not with
instinctive sureness find the spot where ho can stand and defend himsclf but which he
will nevor give up to another, for which he will fight with all the drive of his instinct
of solf-asscrtion?” (Ibid. p.91) He observed "...a11 this can occur in the most pious
environment..." "...the Christian community must acknowledge that this cxists within
it..." ond finally: "It's the struggle of the natural man for sclf-justification. He finds
it only in.comparing himself with others, in condemning and judging othors. Sclf-justifi-
cation ond judging others go together..." (p.91) a

That, we would say, is “tolling it like it is"; that fits the Church like an
uncomfortzble shoc; perhaps every Church, but specifically this Church as you and I go
about its life and work. "The struggle of natural man for self-justification," — that's
‘the nome of the gamo, and it ought to stick in our throats as we acknowlcdge it, and may-
bé even bring us to our knees in shame, because somewhere along the linc we've been told
42% o11 the justifying that needs to be done was taken core of by Jesus Christ, and that
of 211 the groups in the world - his group ought to be the one with a difforonce.

What difference? St. Paul wasn't a psychologist cithor, but he did Imow a little
'% about people, and the grace of God, and sin and forgiveness, and this is what he
4 ld "tho ‘group in Galatia" around 50 A. D. "Lot us not be ambitious for our own reputs+i:.
for that only moans making one another jealous... Carry one another's burdons and so livo
out the lew of Christ... If a mon thinks he is 'somebody', he is deceiving himself, for
thet vory thought proves that he is nobody... every man mst ‘shoulder his ow pack'"
(Galatians 5:29-6:5, J.B. Phillips)

Poul used two very vivid images - a "burden" and a "load" or soldicr's "pack". A
burden is = crisis, a tragedy, a moral slip, a sin, an inherent failing. In the Christian
community, the weight of these was to be borne by cvery member. Notice his sharp warning
against judement - which, according to Bonhoeffer, is just self-justification in disguise.
Chvistions don't judge cach other; rathor they help and heal and bear cach othors' burdens.
.¢'s onc emphasis. The other image is o soldier's pack: everyone must carry his own;

“. mphasis shifts to individual responsibility. There are certain burdons that cach man
must si. 14er alone, no onc clse can help. In tho Christian community the personal burden
-of cach indivi lual is to bear the burdens of every other individual. It's os simple as

that. And 7 seriously wonder whethor we ever get around to this dimension of being the

- Church.

ac

Isn't it true that most of us remain protty much wmtouched by the burdons of our
follow Christians? Aren't the same petty divisions rampant here among God's group,
that flourish in any group? I think so - porhaps even more. Perhaps the nature of the

—3-

task = and the intimacy with others into which it throws us, causes us to be coven
more critical, more sclf—justifying, more adept at playing our silly little games, than
anywhere clsc.

In Bonhoeffer's book that I quoted carlicr he lists several disciplines, or
ministrics, which serve as guidelines in any Christian ‘community. Listen to them;
mcasure yoursclf by them.

First, The Ministry of Holding Onc's Tonguc. "It must be the decisive rule
of every Christian fellowship that cach individual is prohibited from saying much that
occurs to him." (p.93) If you are like me - a veteran "foot sticker in the mouth"
this is sound, practical, good advice. But more to tho point, it is the first small
step in learning what it's like in "God's Group".

Second, The Ministry of Meckness: Bonhoeffer suggests that the only realistic
way to assess your brother is by beginning with the acknowledgment that you are the
worst of sinnors. That's cxtremc: that's difficult, and threatening ond insulting;
and that's how it has to be with "God's Group".

Third, Tho Ministry of Listcning. As you may know, this is one of my continuing
concerns. We just don't listen to each other - in the church, out of tho church, in
groups, in informal conversation. You and I are so enamoured with our om opinions,
our own feclings, our own need to justify and amplify our own strategic position, that
wo don't hoar. We talk whon wo ought to listen. People come to us saying in cffect:
"My concern is vitally important to me, and I necd to share it with someone. Won't you
listen?". ind before he's oven described whatever it is, we've done him one better.

"T have to have an operation next month, and I'm a little worried..." "Don't worry;
whon I had my gall bladder removed I was on the table six hours, otc. ctc. " Ve just
don't liston.

Fourth, The Ministry of Helpfulncss. No task is too trifling, too menial for
the Christien. In this group we're in thc business of helping each other.

Pinolly, The Ministry of Bearing. It's all summed up. in this one. lce've been
talking cbout mechanics, the small methods involved in boing Christians to cach
other. But this mattor of bearing pushes below the surface into the area of. theology
and faith and belicf. In the Christian community we bear one another. Donhocffer
put it this way: "The law of Christ is a law of bearing... the brother hinsclf ( not
just his -fflictions) is a burden to be borne by the Christian."(p.101) That means
that when you and I come through these doors, and stand up here and affirm our faith in
Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, we are agreeing -— committing ourselves is 2 better
phrase — to bear — stand ~ cndure —- accept — love all the other members of this group.
As they orc - not as thoy ought to be: not as we want thom to be: but as they are, with
all the irritating characteristics, their peevishness, thoir impatience. We become one
of thon: we vow not to pick, not to criticize, but to bear. We vow to let them be
thomsclves - we can be ourselves. We are free, hore in God's group, becouse we bear
each othor. Now if wo haven't gotten around to this in Bethany Church; if this is not
a group with 2 difforence - that specific, beautiful difference, we have no business
calling ourselves a Church of Jesus Christ.

Aftor all, he was the greatest "burden bearcr of all". He came dom and walked
among us, ond strangely took on himself everything that is wrong with us. ind the sheer
weight of that hoavy load made him weep. But he continued to bear the load, even when
we rejected him and spat upon him and hung him up on a cross +o dic. The prophet saw
how it would be when ho came: "Surcly he hath borne our gricfs, and carricd our SOTTOWS.s+.«
he wos bruisod for our iniquitics... and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53)

That's what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about. That's how Almighty God
has chosen to deal with us - "bearing us". That's what God's people are all about. It
is my hope - my prayer — but more to the point, it is the urgent will ofGod, that this
be what Bothany Presbyterian Church be all about.

(1) Life Together, Dictrich Bonhooffer, Harper and Brothors, Now York, 1954, p. 90-