Monthly Archives: July 2013

Churches in the Tomb

24 Wednesday Jul 2013

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Completely void of light. Darkness envelops us. There is no way to our old lives, but we can’t find our way to resurrection…

I wonder if many of our churches are stuck in the tomb. Holy Saturday won’t end and we continue to wake up each day as if resurrection will never come to fruition.

We can no longer go back to the way we used to do things. Sure, our former ways of living was enjoyable, familiar and gave us great strength. But the church is like the pre-death Jesus: it will never come again. Have we taken the time to grieve for our old ways? Do we actually believe there is new life and that new life means completely letting our old lives go?

Rolling back the stone to the entrance to the tomb and grasping resurrection takes courage. It’s allowing ourselves to give the past to yesterday and take very little with us into the future. In dying and exiting the tomb, we are setting aside the hard-heartedness that comes with loss and walking into the sunlight with faith.

Life rarely thrives in damp, shadowy caves. Many plants need sunlight to flourish. Likewise, leaving behind the tomb for the lighted resurrection world will give our churches a chance to grow.

What will we leave behind in the tomb as a church (individual congregation, denomination and Mainline Protestantism) in order for us to spring up in the bright beams of resurrection? How can living into resurrection create a spirit of thriving?

General Synod Lesson #2 – – Seeing the True Diversity of the UCC

02 Tuesday Jul 2013

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There is no one unified Christianity. (Note: There never has been. See Christian history.)

Now, others in the faith believe there is one true belief. There is one way to salvation. There is one way to relationships. There is one way to handle situations. There is one way to look at the Divine, Christ and Communion.

Not so.

When it comes down to it, our experiences become our filter. No one person can see the way another one can. Our race, gender, class, sexual orientation, disabilities, education and a number of other filters the way we process our beliefs and see the world.

When I sit here seeing these resolutions debated, whether because of the content or alphabetizing a list, I don’t see complete uniformity.

And I thank my God for this.

In many of our communities, there is a misconception. Those in our churches often see “the UCC supports” in newspaper articles and other press materials. But this isn’t fully true. The United Church of Christ gathers together to vote on issues. Some of these issues have much disagreement. When the UCC takes a stand on issues, it has taken their stance from a resolution at a previous General Synod. The majority has affirmed the position, but it never represents all UCC churches or congregants.

As I sit here, I know there is a great diversity of people sitting around me. I thank God for this. It forces me to open my eyes to the experiences of my neighbors. It forces me to reevaluate my beliefs and strengthen my position on issues. But sitting here, I am forced to keep in mind that those who oppose what I believe are humans. I see their faces. They are part of the Body of Christ along side of me.

If you ever get the chance to attend the UCC General Synod or the assembly of your denomination’s believers, take it. Your eyes will be opened to the relational God in your midst. You’ll see a denomination which reflects a diversity of beliefs. If you are open to celebrating your faith with a wide diversity of neighbors (and awareness that we are all made in God’s image), you will most likely feel that the United Church of Christ is for you. We reflect the true diversity of Christianity in a spirit of unity.

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