Tag Archives: UCC

A Prayer for the Church in Divisive Times

25 Tuesday Jun 2019

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Spirit of God who hovered over the chaos of the forming planet-

You created humanity to co-create with you. Yet we still haven’t absorbed that co-creating means absorbing and embracing the messiness that comes with renewal and change.

You ask us to carry your precious ekklesia. We hold it too tightly. We are reckless and drop your gift as we see it shatter in millions of pieces.

Forgive us if we have damaged the Church that Christ has gifted us.

As we approach yet another controversial issue, we worry: will this either shatter the hearts of those who have been excluded or shatter the covenant which holds a multi-faceted Church into further broken pieces?

Whichever way your Spirit is blowing, ensure that transformation of hearts happens alongside of this vote. May those who can only see a scripture of exclusion see how God’s love extends beyond pages of text. May those whose hearts are broken in pieces because they feel hated know the love found in you, Holy Comforter.

May our definition of covenant continue to grow. And may our hearts continue to transform and repent when needed.

However this resolves, do not allow us to be noisy gongs or clanging cymbals. May we be bells which resonate love in each toll. Allow our claps be held until the time in which we can all see one another through the eyes of God.

Amen.

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Protect the Environment: A Liturgy for the “Be The Church Series”

23 Thursday May 2019

Posted by in Be the Church, Liturgy, Pop

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Call to Worship
One: Whether we live near mountains or in the plains-
Many: We are one in Christ.
 
One: Whether our winters are balmy or our summers are cool-
Many: We are one in Christ.
 
One: Whether we live on the East Coast, West Coast or somewhere in the middle-
Many: We are one in Christ.
 
One: Whether we live in urban dwellings, nestled in the suburbs or surrounded by a rural landscape-
Many: We are one in Christ.

One: In a spirit of unity, caring for one another-
Many: We are one in Christ.
 
Invocation
God of Creation, Divine Painter of Countrysides, we stand in awe of your handiwork.  From the bold geysers out West to rich red deserts of the south, your work creates a sense of wonder within each of us.  From the delicate snows of the north to the playful autumn foliage out east, your designs enliven us.  As we celebrate your creation today, we remember all of the times we experienced your presence in nature. We rejoice knowing that your hands made this spectacular earth and everything within it. Amen.

Prayer of Reconciliation
One: Sometimes, we forget that this earth is completely yours.  Sometimes, we neglect to remember that these lands were made by you for all humans.  Sometimes, we think we know better and believe we are entitled without remembering whose hands made this creation.
Many: For the times we neglected to remember you when rejoicing at creation-
For the times we neglected to care for creation when given the opportunities-
For the times we neglected to remember that you formed each human in your own image-
Forgive us God.  Help us to remember whose hands made the soil, the foliage, the birds, the snakes and each and every person on this planet.  Amen.

Assurance of Grace
One:   The cascades of God’s grace falls upon us always.  We stand in the flow of God’s mercy no matter where we abide.  May we rejoice that this grace pours upon us.

Scripture Readings: Genesis 1:1-31 & Psalm 65

Invitation to Offering
One:    We are always connected to all of creation.   Through the call of God’s Spirit, we are asked to care for the work of God’s hands.  We care for this work through our time, talent and treasures.  Let us offer our treasures in this time and space.

Prayer of Dedication
Through our financial treasures we can Be the Church.  Through these gifts we can care for your entire creation.  May your wisdom carry us as we use these gifts to strengthen your kin-dom.  May the winds of your Spirit propel us to use our gifts of time and talent to build a heaven-like earth.  Amen.

Benediction
One:   As we look upon each tree, each flower, each bird, each bee and each human, let us see our God reflected in creation.  As we look upon God’s world, let us share the love of Christ.  And as we love one another, may your Spirit give us the strength we need to care for each and every piece of creation.
All:     Amen.

*****

Worship service Be the Church: Protect the Environment written by Rev. Michelle L. Torigian

(c) 2016 Rev. Michelle L. Torigian.  Free to use with attribution.

Be the Church Liturgy – Initial Week

23 Thursday May 2019

Posted by in Be the Church, Liturgy, Pop

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Call to Worship
One: Whether in the peak or the valley of our existence,
Many: We are the church.

One: Whether in the nighttime of our grief or the noontime of our joy,
Many: We are the church.

One: Whether sorrow surrounds us or excitement drives us,
Many: We are the church.

One: Whether two or three.  Whether fifty or seventy.  Whether one or two hundred,
Many: We are the church.

One: In a spirit of gentleness, humility, patience and love,
Many: We are the church.

Opening Prayer (unison)
Creator of Christ’s Body, Unifier of All, we join together this morning knowing we are not alone.  We do not walk solo in this life.  We travel with one another and you.  Through words, songs and silence, may your Spirit open us to the Divine and human company on our journey.  May we see that we are all part of one body, honoring differences in appearances, voices, views and gifts.  Amen.

Prayer of Reconciliation
One: We were created as individual parts of a body yet connected by spiritual tissues, tendons and ligaments.  We attempt to be the church as separate entities, neglecting that the Christ reminds us that two or three are required to be the Church.  In that fight to live divided from our neighbors, we hurt the entire body.  The body aches to work as one.

Many: Like the individual parts of the body attempting to work separately, we don’t work well on our own.  Our spiritual joints become dislocated, and our muscles begin to hurt leading to pain which reaches from one end of the body of Christ to the other.  In our weariness, give us the healing we need to move forward as one body.  Amen.

Assurance of Grace
One:   No matter how far we try to remove ourselves, we will forever be part of the Body of Christ.  We will forever be part of God’s family.  God extends healing to the body, restoring each connection with grace and love.

Scripture       1 Corinthians 12:12-13
Ephesians 4:1-7, 25-32
Matthew 18:18-20

Invitation to Offering
One:    We are many different parts of the one Body of Christ, of Christ’s Church.  As part of this body, we are called to share our gifts of time, talent and treasure.  May we take moments to embrace the giving of our treasures to God’s kin-dom.

Prayer of Dedication
We are ecstatic for the gifts that you have given us.  In our excitement, we give a portion back to you and your Church.  May we strengthen the Body of Christ, each cell, each ligament and each tissue in order to make the body whole, happy and healthy.  Amen.

Benediction
One:   As we go forward help us to remember that we are your church.  We are the body of Christ.  We are never alone or and live in holy interdependence.  May the God of connections, the Christ of wholeness and the Spirit which energizes us bring us together to make this world a peace-filled place.
All:     Amen.

*****

Worship service Be the Church written by Rev. Michelle L. Torigian

(c) 2016 Rev. Michelle L. Torigian.  Free to use with attribution.

Cutting Evangelism

06 Friday Oct 2017

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A couple of days ago, we got word that my denomination, the United Church of Christ, was going to engage in additional cuts to jobs as they were restructuring departments.  It broke our hearts that many of our colleagues with whom we’ve worked closely would be no longer be partners in our journey together.

Word has been released that many of the positions cut focused on communications and publishing.  I had worked with some of these amazing staff members on various projects, and it saddened me to know that they would no longer sharing their talents with the denomination.

Now, I understand that there isn’t as much money flowing upward to the denomination.  With each of our churches growing smaller, individual congregation are not able to send as much money to the denomination, and the current structure is not sustainable.  I can imagine that these choices were extremely distressing to the decision-makers who are faithful people yearning to always make the best decisions possible for the denomination.

But I also know this: with less people attending church, the materials published by the denomination is a primary way for us to communicate and spread the good news of God’s love, grace, and acceptance.  I know cuts needed to come from somewhere, but I am saddened that this is the department that is receiving drastic cuts.

I started out as a PR person in my younger days.  I worked for non-profit organizations, sending out press releases, crafting newsletters, finding additional ways to spread the word about our message and mission.  This year, I was working a few hours per week for a local non-profit.  When restructuring was done for that organization earlier in the summer, my position was cut as well.  (I still work full-time as a local church pastor but last year was offered an additional part time job utilizing my PR skills.)

So with marketing and communications cuts by all types of non-profits, we are slashing efforts to send out any good news into our world.

Evangelism (or PR and communications for God) is one of our calls as people of faith.  Evangelism isn’t our efforts to convince people to believe what we believe but to simply spread the word about God’s unconditional love and grace.

Mark 16:15 notes that Jesus said to his followers “‘Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.”  We too are given this directive – whether by our preaching, our teaching, our mission and justice work, or our writing.

I know that the people who remain in the department are remarkable, and they will use their gifts to their full potential.  But recognizing that 21st century Church is mostly being done beyond each of our local church walls, I still need to ask: are one or two or three people in our organization enough to share this radical message of love and justice?

So progressive Christian writer friends – this is a call for us to find new mediums or create new avenues to share the good news.  With marketing, communications, and church continuously evolving, let’s ensure that we are continuously sharing our gifts in these areas as a primary goal instead of burying these talents outside of our shrinking congregations.

A Labor Day Prayer

02 Saturday Sep 2017

Posted by in Current Events, Holidays, Pop, Social Media

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God of our coming in and going out: this world which was originally designed by you is beautiful but has spiritually rotated away from your intentions. We have been given the assignment of work, but there are workplaces corrupted by unfair practices. From harassments to unequal pay, from limited benefits to wages that can’t support families, labor and earnings are difficult subjects for us to face.

So we remember the workers who are harassed and bullied at work. Give them the courage to stand up for what is right. Give them new opppetunies when workplace harassment is abusive.

We remember the workers who desire to be hired but who have been overlooked because of who they are. We pray for them as they endure discrimination.

We remember the workers who do not make livable or equal wages. May they be strong and courageous in standing up for what they need, and may we create systems where wages are fair.

We remember the workers who cannot find jobs. May they find work that not only sustains their homes but sustains their souls, and may they feel dignity as they continue on the journey of searching.

We remember those who have been laid off. Keep their spirits and confidence high hat they may find work in the immediate future.

We remember the workers who feel stuck in their positions.  Create a sense of newness in their current jobs or allow them to see a new path on which to travel.

We remember those who can no longer work due to disability. May they find avenues in which they find purpose even when their bodies and minds are in pain.

We remember those who are retired. May this current chapter in their lives create opportunities which bring them joy.

We remember the parents who stay at home caring for their children. Give them renewal in their work whether it’s cooking, carpooling, or wrapping their arms around their sick child.

We remember those whose work places them in harm’s way and ask for their protection.

May we each realize our own power and use this power to serve the world, not to serve ourselves. May we see you, God, as we walk down hallways, eat in cafeterias, join in contentious meetings, try something new, or look towards retirement.

Amen.

A Post-Synod Prayer

06 Thursday Jul 2017

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God who fits into the spaces that seem too small to exist,
The demon of exhaustion has embedded into my soul after the past week.
What a gathering of our denomination with its highs and lows!
Gathering information. And more information. Wrestling with your call, Dear Holy.
Knowing that we all have so much work to do.

Now we are home.
Now we resume everyday life.
Now we try to infuse the ideal into the normal,
To marry the theoretical and practical-
If that is possible.

God of all connections and spaces,
I miss my friends,
My support, my kin.
Like the disciples, we have scattered across the miles-
From California to Connecticut and beyond.

So here in the silence of everyday life,
I give thanks for the extraordinary days,
The exciting conversations,
The laughs that lasted for hours,
And the friendships that will last forever.
Amen.

An Extrovert in Hell

30 Friday Jun 2017

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“Why am I back to my room so early,” I asked myself. “I should be out socializing with someone. I wonder what everyone else is doing? Could it be I should have gone to the one mixer or another?”

It really wasn’t that early. Ten o’clock at night. Most people would be craving time to themselves at a later hour. But the extrovert finds their batteries charged when being around other people.

This is me tonight. Here I am- needing to get up at 7 and go all day tomorrow. I’ve been going over 10 hours today.  But this extrovert finds missing out on social occasions to be hell.

When it comes down to it, I’m tired. My body needs rest. Dear Michelle: it’s perfectly fine to miss a social event to spend quiet time with a book, blogging, or sleeping. It’s time to find balance to my day.

A prayer for the extrovert in hell:

God of the gaps and empty spaces, including the sabbath hours and silent seconds, quiet the hearts and minds of extroverts yearning for more time with people. Help us find strength in our alone moments as much as our social time. Give us peace when we are out of our element… like being solo and finding ourselves surrounded only by the sounds of humming air conditioners.

Amen.

Being Remembered 

29 Monday Jun 2015

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Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.

For just a little while today, the voice of my grandfather lingered here on the earth.

Bits of his story were heard.  His struggles were uncovered.  His trauma validated.  The hearts of survivors and the souls of the victims were recalled for moments on the United Church of Christ 

Surviving the Armenian Genocide of 1915 remained with my grandfather from the time he was six years old.  Images of death flashed back into his head now and again throughout this life.  In his final two years, he abided in silence, confined to a wheelchair post-stroke.  I often wondered what he relived in his head, haunting him, as he waited to die.

…in everything by thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

So today, I thank my denomination.  For me, this was the most personal resolution brought to General Synod that I can remember.  This is my larger church body affirming what atrocities my grandfather saw and that my kin endured nightmares while awake.
Today, more people learned about this hideous piece of history.   My sisters and brothers tweeted and voted and spoke on a well-buried piece of history.

Rejoice!

Maybe my country won’t call this a genocide.  Maybe some people would rather focus on politics than justice.  But today, the people of God stood up and named it for the injustice that it truly was: genocide.

And maybe if we keep calling injustices what they truly are, they will never happen again.  

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

May hope abide.

Never Orphaned – A Memorial Day Prayer

19 Monday May 2014

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Gerry J. Gilmore [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons U.S.: Army Col. Carolyn Jones prepares to place some rose petals into the reflecting pool at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial’s annual Memorial Day observance, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., May 26, 2008.

Never Orphaned – A Memorial Day Prayer
Based on John 14

For the families who have been torn apart by war-
You are not orphaned.
For the wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends wondering how their loved one will return-
You are not orphaned.
For the child who barely knows her father,
And for the child who lost his mother-
You are not orphaned.
For the mothers and fathers who receive the news of their child’s injury or demise,
And for the courageous who lost a piece of their body, soul or mind in battle-
You are not orphaned.

In a world torn apart by war,
In a world where conflict rides heavy,
And where we wonder how we’ll make it through another day-
God is here.

Encircling us in every moment is the peace which Christ left with us.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, bringing us comfort to make it until the next moment
To make it one day, one hour or one minute at a time.

And so we love.
We love those who return fragmented, traumatized by what they have seen
Or what they’ve had to do to survive.

We love those who no longer know how to relate to their spouse
After months of deployment, wondering how their marriage will survive.

We love those who long to see their loved one
After six months and a third deployment.

We love those who have external and internal wounds from wars
Ten, twenty, forty or seventy years ago.

Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.
For wherever you abide, God is there.
Wherever you journey, the Divine walks with you.
And so do we.

Christ’s peace is left with us. Christ peace continuously is given to us.
Do not be afraid. Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Never will you be orphaned.

Written by Rev. Michelle L. Torigian

Proper Pastoral Care and Limiting Laws: the UCC and North Carolina

29 Tuesday Apr 2014

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IMG_2866Let me introduce myself…

I am a straight ally who left one denomination for the United Church of Christ (UCC) because of the marriage equality issue. Back in 2005, before I entered the ministry, I felt that I would be a stronger pastor and better reflect God’s light on the world by publicly supporting gay marriage and LGBT ordination. If I had to continue to bite my tongue every time someone asked me what I thought of gay marriage, I could not be an authentic person of faith. In leaving one denomination, I discovered that the United Church of Christ was a denomination who widely opened their arms to people of all sexual orientations and gender expressions and those of us who supported our friends.

In writing this post, I acknowledge that some of you reading this will not agree with my position on gay marriage. In fact, you may be a member of a United Church of Christ and still believe that a marriage is between one man and one woman. (Yes – we have many in our denomination who still believe in this view of marriage. The UCC is filled with people with a variety of perspectives. Being in covenant with one another, we worship God together even if we disagree.)

And then you read that the UCC has filed a lawsuit against the state of North Carolina. What does this mean? Here’s what it could mean to a pastor: with the state’s current law on marriage, a member of the clergy could face jail time if they were to perform a wedding ceremony without filing a certificate for marriage. The clergy member would have to hold back their belief on marriage and religion based on what the state is dictating. Technically, a law like this could open doors which would limit other rituals or care that a pastor deems spiritually necessary.

Think of it this way…

What if there was a law that said that I as your pastor could only do hospital visits Monday through Friday? What if I couldn’t visit you in the hospital as you lay dying on a Saturday? What if you couldn’t have the peace of a pastoral presence in your final few hours because the law told me otherwise?

What if there were laws restricting churches to baptizing people over the age of 12? No child is allowed to be baptized for any reason – including children who may be in hospice care.

What if there was a law that said only men could be ordained? If a church were to hold an ordination ceremony for a woman, those involved would go to prison for two to three months.

What if an elderly man and woman wanted to have a marriage ceremony before God and their families but did not want a legal ceremony in order to protect their estates?

What if your beloved pet dies, and you yearn for closure. However, there was a law in your state that only allowed for humans to have funerals. Any funeral-like ritual that would be held for a pet would be considered illegal, and I could be arrested for giving you the best care possible.

I do not want to be told that I can’t or that I must perform a certain ritual that would bring peace to your lives.

By filing this lawsuit, the United Church of Christ is still not indicating that all members agree or must agree with marriage equality. We will never be a denomination that forces our members or churches to agree on an issue. Instead, I defer to this statement by the Indiana-Kentucky Conference of the United Church of Christ:

For us, as one of the founding religious traditions of this nation, the principle of free exercise of religion is a paramount value. Because we are not a hierarchical church, the freedom of every clergyperson to conduct the rites and sacraments of the Church according to the dictates of conscience is essential to our identity and our faith practice.

The church is protecting our autonomy as individuals and churches within the covenant of our denomination. Through this lawsuit, they are advocating on behalf of your religious freedom. And they are advocating for my religious freedom too. They care about your relationship to God, and they do not want your pastor to have government-forced limitations in the way they give pastoral care. Donald Clark Jr., general counsel of the UCC expressed “We didn’t bring this lawsuit to make others conform to our beliefs, but to vindicate the right of all faiths to freely exercise their religious practices.”

I’m not sure about all of you, but I deeply want to practice my faith based on my relationship with God.

This lawsuit will never force you to believe in marriage equality. It will not force a pastor to perform a same-sex wedding. It won’t force you to love your neighbor who happens to be gay – no matter how much Jesus loves them. You do not have to go to the wedding or even wish them congratulations. The only thing a ruling in favor of this lawsuit will do is continue to protect all of our freedoms so that we may practice our faith as we see fit.

Granted, rituals that hurt another person or oneself (physically, emotionally, spiritually) should continue to be restricted. But a ceremony that includes two people freely making a covenant with one another and presided by an officiant who freely believes in the ritual hurts no one. It is not taking the rights away from anyone else. It’s bringing peace and love into the hearts of the couple and those who are actively part of their lives. I truly believe it spreads more love into our communities.

With this lawsuit, the United Church of Christ still does not talk on behalf of the churches. Instead, the denomination talks to the churches, offering another way of looking faith and expanding the way Christ moves in our world.