“Whole and Radiant: Rediscovering the Balance Our Church Needs”
By Rev. Dr. Stephen Moon
In a world that constantly pushes us to take sides—to choose either tradition or innovation, justice or holiness, action or contemplation—the gospel invites us into something far richer: wholeness.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) today finds itself at a historic crossroads. Many of our inherited churches—often white, Euro-American, and shaped by centuries of faithfulness—are aging, shrinking, or searching for renewed vitality. At the same time, a beautiful movement is stirring across the denomination: new immigrant fellowships, artistic worshiping communities, racial justice collectives, and hybrid models of church are emerging like spring shoots after winter.
These two movements—seemingly opposite—are not competitors. They are, in fact, complementary energies that, when embraced together, can restore vibrancy and vision to the Body of Christ.
☯️ Yin and Yan: A Biblical Dance of Difference
Borrowing from ancient Eastern wisdom, we might call these dynamics Yin and Yan:
- Yin: gentle, intuitive, emotionally rich, rooted in silence and symbol, often found in new worshiping communities, immigrant churches, artistic expressions, and those attuned to the Spirit’s inner movements.
- Yan: structured, action-oriented, intellectually firm, expressed in systems, order, polity, proclamation—often visible in legacy congregations, committees, and governance bodies.
We see both energies in Scripture:
- Mary and Martha (Luke 10): one listens in stillness, the other serves with urgency. Jesus praises the stillness—not to diminish service, but to affirm spiritual balance.
- Elijah meets God not in fire or wind, but in the gentle whisper (1 Kings 19).
- Jesus teaches with authority (Yan) but also withdraws to pray alone (Yin). He flips tables in righteous anger—then weeps over Jerusalem.
The Bible reveals that divine power is expressed not through dominance, but through paradox: “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise… the weak to shame the strong.” (1 Corinthians 1:27)
🔄 The False Choice—and the Better Way
Too often, churches try to conform everyone into one mold. But what if the future of the PC(USA) is not about one “winning” over the other?
What if God is inviting us into a holy synthesis—where the best of both streams can heal the division, energize the weary, and bless the generations to come?
- Imagine if an immigrant congregation’s contemplative prayer and prophetic art were honored alongside a white legacy church’s budget acumen and polity experience.
- What if an older church hosted a New Worshiping Community in its space—not to supervise them, but to co-create a future church that neither could become alone?
Yin communities bring emotional honesty, community-based leadership, and a deep sense of hospitality. Yan communities bring governance wisdom, stability, and long-standing commitment to mission structures. Together, they form the ligaments of the Body of Christ, holding us in tension—but also in love (Ephesians 4:16).
🌱 A Call to Wholeness
Dear leaders, elders, and members of inherited churches: this moment is not the end of your story. It is the beginning of a larger one. You are not losing a church—you are gaining a spiritual family made of many tongues, many gifts, and many textures.
Dear siblings in emerging, minority, and intercultural communities: you are not second-tier ministries. You are prophetic voices. You are the moonlight to the sun. The whisper to the shout. The art that teaches the heart.
Now is the time for mutual invitation—not token partnership or assimilation—but real shared leadership, real co-discipleship, and real co-mission.
🙌 Practical Steps Toward Yin-Yan Synergy
- Shared Leadership Models – Elevate immigrant or artistic leaders into presbytery commissions and congregational leadership.
- Mutual Spiritual Formation – Hold retreats where silence and proclamation are both honored.
- Co-Mission Projects – Collaborate on projects like food justice, mental health, or youth formation.
- Cross-Cultural Pulpit Exchanges – Invite one another to speak and lead in each other’s spaces.
🌄 One Body, Made Radiant
Let us not fear the unfamiliar, but embrace the mystery. Let us not grasp at control, but open our hands. Let us become a people of Yin and Yan—gentle and bold, wise and curious, structured and spontaneous.
The church of tomorrow is already emerging. Will we recognize her? Will we honor her gifts? Will we walk toward one another—not as guests, but as family?
Let us become, through the Spirit, a church that is whole and radiant.
