 Pastor’s
Page
So much to
think about...so many pulls É so many voices in our culture, in our world,
calling for our attention. And calling for us to make moral choices – about
how we use our money, about how we respond to war, about how and for whom we
will advocate for greater justice, and more.
This morning I skimmed
the front few pages of “The Rocky Mountain News,” as I finished my coffee.
The head-lines demanded that we consider the rising costs – both human and
financial – of the war in Iraq, that we respond to human rights violations
in Burma, that we consider the political battle over whether to provide
health care to the children of this nation, and more.
In my mail today I
received a letter from the National Office of our denomination, asking that
all churches make their congregations aware of the “Pastoral Letter on the
Iraq War,” which has been endorsed by all UCC Conference Ministers and the
Presidents of the Seminaries of the UCC (on ucc.org or our UCC bulletin
board). This awareness precedes the International Day of Peace that will
occur on September 21, on which day people of faith and hope will engage in
prayer, protest, or hands-on work for social justice to bring greater peace
to our world.
Another mailing, this one
from our Rocky Mountain Conference office, commends our church on our giving
to Our Church’s Wider Mission, which supports both local churches in our
Conference, and the work of the UCC across our nation and the world. It
reminds us of our covenant with wider church, and praises our congregation
for “setting an example for others that they, too, might ‘run with
perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer
and perfecter of our faith.’” At the same time, it sends a subtle message
that there is always more funding needed, and it would be a wonderful thing
to increase our OCWM giving.
At a luncheon for Iliff
alumnae/i that I attended last Monday at Two Rivers, the speaker – an expert
on applications of faith in the modern world – described the ways faith has
in the past – and in the present – intersected with persons’ contemporary
lives. He noted that people in the liberal church have recently ceded to
those of a more conservative theological bent the right to engage in public
discourse and set political agendas, and suggested that people of faith in
the former group might want to re-think that choice.
So, how do we – each of
us individually, and as members of a faith community – respond to these
competing demands, which may challenge us politically, morally, spiritually,
and faithfully? What do we sign, and what do we refrain from offering our
support to? What is worthy of our protest, and what is not? How do we use
our money in ways that are faithful? When do we speak up, and on behalf of
what values?
These are – or should be
– crucial questions to us as people of faith. My hope is that we will each
continue to pray – to reflect – and to act, based not solely on our secular
values or political persuasions, but out of hearts, and minds, and spirits –
and that we will keep our hearts, minds, and spirits focused first and
foremost on our Christ, the One we call the “head of the church,” and the
One who calls us daily to serve our God in all that we do. Pastor Sharyl
Righteous Readers
Do you enjoy leading worship? Do you enjoy having a chance to “ham it up”
from time to time? Our “Righteous Readers” are a group of people who have
volunteered to read or participate in some of our special sermons – those
involving scripts, dramatic readings, or other non-traditional
presentations. You never need to memorize anything – we always have
something on paper for you to work from. And you’ll only be called on to do
this occasionally – maybe every other month or so, and only if you’re
available. You will be asked to show up early on the morning of the special
service, so we can do a brief rehearsal with everyone else who’s
participating. Everyone who’s been part of this group in the past has had a
great time, and lots of fun! Interested? Want to know more? Call Pastor
Sharyl (242-0298) and let’s talk!
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