God’s Word – A Conversation About Scripture

In 2019, Karen Armstrong published her book The Lost Art of Scripture: Rescuing the Sacred Texts. I started reading the introduction and I immediately knew this was the going to answer some of my questions regarding the whole of scripture, not just the scriptures we find in the Bible. There were two things that stood out to me immediately. First, Armstrong makes an argument that all the religions of the world use different names of the Divine or Transcendent, and second, in all of these religious traditions, including Christianity, the concept of the Divine was seen as, “ineffable, indescribable, and unknowable—and yet was within them: a constant source of life, energy, and inspiration. Religion—and scripture—were, therefore, art forms that helped them to live in relation to this transcendent reality and somehow embody it.”

I am about to embark on a new spiritual journey with my Spiritual Director (the individual that helps me sort through my own theology, spiritual practices, and how I live those out). What has prompted this change in direction is the concept of embodying the transcendent. What we read in the Bible and in other scriptures points to greater spiritual truths that we all must wrestle with in our own lives. Ultimately, we are called to live in a particular way that speaks to the God-ness in each of us. How we incorporate these concepts into our daily living speaks to how we see and know God on a deeper level.

As a pastor, I want to continually grow in my faith. I want to understand major themes in scripture from every angle, including my own lived experience. But sometimes life gets in the way of doing the work. Spiritual practices help to bring our focus back to those things that are most important in our lives. Living from a place where God is at the center of it all requires me to do things differently. I have to be willing to be still and quiet more frequently. I have to be willing to listen for God's still speaking voice, and to not be content with how things have been, but to continual look for ways to grow, change, and be transformed into a more robust image of God.

Reading scripture is difficult even for the most devoted in the church, but to embody scripture can feel like an impossibility. If, however, we see all scripture as pointing us toward lives of compassion, then the reading of scripture becomes a part of how we see God working in the world to bring about Shalom.

I have been challenged to engage in a weekly practice of “forest bathing.” Yeah, I didn’t really know what that was either. Forest Bathing is a Japanese spiritual practice that involves sitting, walking, or standing in nature—preferably a forest—just to observe the natural world. The idea is to be mindful of all that is happening around you, the feel of the wind, the insects and other wildlife present, how the trees are moving, what kinds of things to do you smell, and so much more. By engaging your senses out in the natural world, you are allowing the very essence of God to permeate your whole being. This is one way to embody the divine.

This week we will look at the Bible from the perspective of the written word that tells us something about the Divine, and how these words are inspired by their very human interactions with the natural world, which told them a lot about God and how God works in the world. When we look at scripture, we are looking at the inner workings of what God created; how we think and feel about life and all the various circumstances we find ourselves in. By reading scripture, we also get a different sense of the world around us. While we may not be able to imagine what life was like during the time the Israelites were wandering in the desert or building the temple in Jerusalem, we can imagine our own beginnings. We can see how life has changed and transformed for us over the last 200+ years in the United States.

In the United Church of Christ, we say that God is still speaking. What is God saying to you in this moment? What kinds of things do we need to be aware of in our world? Are we moving in the right direction? Do we have a sense of the divine or transcendent in our lives? If not, how can we better connect with the source of all life?

These are just a few of the questions we can ask ourselves when talking about what scripture means for us today and what spiritual practices will draw us closer to understanding God and how God works in the world.

34th General Synod of the United Church of Christ

I cannot recall ever having written anything about General Synod in a Blog Post. Sounds kind of boring, really. But Synod begins on Friday AND the Indiana-Kentucky Conference is hosting the event. So, I have a lot invested in this Synod because it is in our back yard. And it isn’t boring at all – it is super exciting.

This is a time when ministers and lay leaders from across the US come together to the business of the denomination. We hear resolutions of witness – issues that other folks are passionate about and desire the UCC as a whole to support – and we debate the issues recognizing that God is in the midst of it all. We share in times of worship, and there are lots of workshops for those who are in attendance who are not delegates. There is also the SWAG HALL, as I call it. This is where you can go and find all kinds of free goodies as well as purchasable items from a variety of vendors. And for the first time ever, we are hosting Alcoholics Anonymous meetings each night during Synod. There is much to celebrate and be excited about.

We are electing a new General Minister and President of the UCC at this Synod. The nominee is the Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson who is currently Minister of Global Ministries at the national setting. I had the pleasure of hearing her preach at our Annual Gathering and wow, I’m impressed. She is also a poet. Not that my opinion counts for much in these matters, but I think she will make a great General Minister and President. Oh, and did I mention, she will be the first female and the first African American female to ever hold this position.

This Synod will also mark a milestone for the IKC. This is the first time in over 10 years that we have taken a resolution to Synod. Pre-pandemic there was an urgent need in our conference to address the issue of racism in our country and in our conference. Rick Unsicker and I wrote a resolution that resulted in the formation of an Anti-Racism Task Force for our conference. The Task Force was able to facilitate Anti-Racism training for their group and for the Board of Directors. They have been developing a number of initiatives for our conference and decided to submit a resolution to General Synod regarding the issue of reparations. The resolution calls for the study of reparations. There is a clear understanding that the guarantee of 40 acres and a mule upon emancipation is no longer a viable option. However, there is still much to reconcile with our history and reparations are a part of that discussion.

There are other resolutions that are equally important. Here is a quick list of the business we are pursuing:

1. Denouncing the Dobbs Decision and Proclaiming Abortion as Healthcare

2. A Resolution Calling for a New Study by our Church on our Relationship with the Indian Boarding Schools and the Boarding Schools in Hawaii

3. Closing the Digital Divide: Calling on the United Church of Christ to Seek Digital Justice and Inclusion

4. A Resolution Urging Planning for and Implementing Electrification

5. Faithful Advocacy for Intersectional and Transformational Healing in Harm Reduction

6. Affirming Guns to Gardens and Other Gun Violence Prevention Ministries

7. A Resolution to Urge All Responsible Entities to Join in Reparations to Fund Christian Hawaiian Language Education Programs to Undo a Century of Extinction. Americanization and Indoctrination Policies Extinguished the Original Christian Hawaiian Alphabet

8. Encouraging a Plant-based life

9. Free From Plastic Pollution

10. A Resolution Supporting Public School Educators, Academic Freedom, and Equity Efforts in Schools

11. A Resolution Condemning Prolonged Solitary Confinement as a Form of Torture

12. Actively Affirming the Human Dignity of Transgender and Nonbinary Persons

13. A Resolution Calling on United Church of Christ Local Churches to Witness “A White Supremacy Free Zone” & Confronting White Supremacy

As you can see, the things that people are passionate about are vast and varied. Not all of these will make it to the floor for a vote, but many of them will. We faithfully listen to the arguments for and against and consider the matter carefully before voting. So, how does the vote affect us? Technically, it doesn’t; however, these resolutions of witness reveal the hearts and minds of others in the UCC who are doing a wide variety of ministry work. They often reflect the best that we have to offer in the UCC – a place where folks feel welcomed and loved – and provide a framework for implementation if we, too, want to share in their work.

Each of the delegates is randomly placed on a committee that will examine one of these resolutions and make any necessary changes before recommending it be sent to the floor for a vote. Some will die in committee, but those that make it to the floor will do so only after being studied, prayed over, and discussed by the committees. Corrections will be made as needed, and then it is up to the body as to whether it is supported or not. It is quite the process, really. And it is something to behold; UCCer’s all gathered in plenary, giving their attention to the business at hand, and voting their conscience.

The business side of things is certainly the main reason we gather, but it isn’t the only reason. There are other special events that everyone is encouraged to attend. The National Setting is holding a prayer walk around the state capital and ending on the front lawn of the capital. There will be lots of people involved in this event, but I was asked to deliver the opening prayer, which is a huge honor.

Here is my prayer:

God of Hope – Where are you?

We keep gathering and praying that justice will finally roll down like living streams of water, that your presence in us and others will profoundly shake lose the apathy of lawmakers under whose strain we find ourselves being crushed…and while we feel the crushing weight of apathy, we also know that there is a gravity of spirit that is ever pulling the very essence of who we are into being – sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly – but our hope will not fail, nor our compassion be diminished because our hope is in you and our compassion flows from your love for the whole of your creation. And so, we walk, we pray, and we stand on the side of love until living waters wash away everything that binds us to injustice.

In the name of Jesus, the Christ, we pray. Amen.

Our Conference is hosting a huge event that will take place on Sunday afternoon at White River Park. We have Carrie Newcomer and the McClain Family in concert. There will be food trucks owned by minorities on site for folks to purchase food, and there will be informational vendors set up in the park with all kinds of cool stuff. This will be a great event, mid-Synod, to lift our spirits and move us ever forward.

It is an honor to be chosen to attend Synod as a delegate. Doing the business of the church is not something to be taken lightly. I am excited to participate and am honored to represent First Congregational Church, Elkhart.

Our Amazing Selves

“Within Young Leaves”

The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo

Wrapped within

young leaves:

the sound of water.

—Soseki

"This delicate observation by this Japanese poet is filled with the quiet hope that embedded in our nature, even as we begin, is our gift already unfolded. Embedded in the seed is the blossom. Embedded in the womb is the child fully grown. Embedded in the impulse to care is the peace of love realized. Embedded in the edge of risk and fear is the authenticity that makes life worth living.

"Wrapped within young leaves is the sound of water that will nourish them once they have opened. It’s already there prompting them to unfold and grow. To believe that this is possible requires a faith in currents larger than any one mind can envision. But that is not such a difficult thing to accept, for as dust owes its path to wind, we, as human beings, are asked to acknowledge that something larger encircles us and prompts us to unfold.

"There is a gravity of spirit that pulls the essence of who we are into being. Our job, like all our sister creatures, is to find the abundance of air and water and light, and to unfold what is already within us."

In case you haven’t noticed, I have fallen in love with Mark Nepo, especially his Book of Awakening. I use it now for my daily meditation guide and it always speaks to exactly where I am in my life. This reading comes from April 29th and continues to speak to me about what it means to recognize what is already within.

I have said many times in the past that I believe we are created with everything we need already inside of us. Our task, if we describe it that way, is to excavate our lives enough to uncover what those things are—all the strength, courage, and fortitude to do the next right things and to be willing to risk being our true authentic selves. None of this is easy, most of it isn’t comfortable; and yet, we do not grow, nor are we transformed into our best selves, without doing the work.

What I love about Nepo’s perspective is that we have been embedded with everything we need. There isn’t anything that we have to acquire in order to be who we are. In describing the process as an “unfolding,” he is acknowledging that we don’t come into this world unfolded, but that it is a gradual process over time. The more we live and learn, the more we unfold into what we are meant to be.

For those of us in the LGBTQIA Community, our coming out process was just that, a process. I’ve heard my whole life that being Queer is a choice—that we are choosing to sin against God. Today, I call bullshit on that notion. Yes, I just cussed. I’ve said to many people over the years, if this had been purely a choice, I would never have chosen it; none of us would. No one I know would actively choose to be hated by so many, ostracized by family and friends, intentionally become targets of hate crimes, or to even be killed because we wanted to label ourselves as Queer.

Who we are is God-given. We, too, were made in the image and likeness of God. The diversity of God’s creation is so evident if we stop long enough to pay attention to every shade of green or all the varieties of animals, birds, etc. God was prolific in God’s imagination. Every kind of living thing that is represented in creation brings some unique aspect of God into focus. This is what we celebrate. This is what we have pride in – not the haughty pride that some scream about, but the recognition that we are a miracle of creation just like the ostrich, the duck-billed platypus, or the giraffe.

We celebrate the LGBTQIA Community because of all they represent and all they bring to the table as a people. We are better as a people for all their contributions to the world. If we paid closer attention to what is already inside of us, maybe we would also recognize that it is easier to love than it is to hate. It is easier to be compassionate and to hold space for others than it is to dismiss or deny. It is easier to listen to gain understanding than it is to scream loudly about what you hate.

It is my hope and my prayer that if you struggle with issues around the LGBTQIA Community, you’ll talk with someone who can help you expand your view of the world. It takes all of God’s children to make the world a better place for us all. We all have something special to contribute to life here on earth. May we find mutual cooperation to be a more exciting and vibrant path toward wholeness as we all discover what is already inside of us.