A Special Word

Dear Friends,
I would like to take a little rest from my running commentary on our Mission Statement to say a few things about this coming weekend. This weekend will be a special one for us.

On Saturday, the Golden Gate Association of the Northern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ (that's a mouthful) will be having its Fall Gathering at our church. We will hear from Tim Nonn from Petaluma UCC who is an activist working on the Sudan crisis. This summer he made a whistle stop tour (the Comma Train) of the United States to foster awareness of the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. He will speak during worship of his experience. It would be wonderful to see us there in force. Worship will be between 10 and 11 am. Please call the church office if you plan to attend.

Sunday is the first Sunday in November. This means that we will have the Samoans with us at the 10:30 service and we will share in communion. Also, we will have a special visitor: Rev. Ben Bohren. Ben is the regional minister of the Northern California-Nevada region of the Disciples of Christ denomination. Ben will be preaching on Sunday, using Acts 2:43-47 and asking the question, "What Does Your Church Stand For?" After 10:30 worship Ben will share with us concerning The Disciples, their history, organization and culture. Ben says of his current ministry with the DOC region, "… the willingness of this region to step out in faith and honestly say YES to God's transforming power and action really touches my heart and soul. I cannot think of a place that I would rather be serving in ministry." Ben's visit is sponsored by the committee set up by the Council to explore a relationship with the Disciples (more on that below).

Also, on Sunday I will be presenting the last of my reports on the Ministry of our church at 9:45 am at the Stewardship meeting. During that presentation we look at where we have been as a church and look forward to where we might be going. It is pretty interesting, if I don't say so myself. Hope to see you there.

I look forward to seeing everyone this weekend.
Love, David

Musings Along Lifes Way

Our Church's Vision and Mission

Warm and welcoming,dynamic and diverse,we come together with open arms to renew our spirits, challenge our minds, and celebrate Christ in our midst. Excited and enlivened by the Holy Spirit we are transformed. Reaching out, we become what our hearts can see.

Our Mission Statement, volume 3

Warm and welcoming, dynamic and diverse, we come together with Open arms
to renew our spirits,
challenge our minds,
In his letter to the Romans Paul writes, that the church is to help people to "not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God." (Romans 12:2) Transformation lies at the center of our church's Mission Statement. What is it to be transformed? How will we know when we are renewed?

"to renew our spirits": Spiritual renewal is ongoing. We can never say that we have finally arrived at a complete understanding of our faith, that our spirits have been renewed and we are done with our spiritual growth. Spiritual growth and renewal is not something we can check off our list as in, "Yep, I've done that now I need to buy some groceries." I find that I am constantly challenged by life. New situations arise that need new responses and as I pray through these challenges somehow (and it does seem miraculous at times) I find the resources I need to meet the challenges that I face. It seems that Spirit is constantly renewing my spirit as I move through life. I wonder how it is for you?

"challenge our minds": The usual understanding is that doubt is the opposite of faith, that we want more faith and less doubt. However, I wonder if we might look at doubt as a friend to faith. I know that over my life I have believed many things. I also know that as I have grown and used my mind to question those beliefs, I have watched my faith grow. It is as if my beliefs are containers for faith. As doubt works with faith and as my mind is challenged the old containers are simply outgrown and discarded. It is like a hermit crab with her shell. The old is discarded and the new taken up. The challenged mind is a renewed mind, more responsive to life as it comes to us, not hard nosed but supple and aware of Spirit's movement as we meet life.

Part of the mission of First Congregational UCC, Santa Rosa, is to attend to the transformation of our members and friends. In Christ's light we find our spirits renewed, our minds challenged.

Blessings,
David

Musings Along Lifes Way: Our Church's Vision and Mission

Warm and welcoming, dynamic and diverse, we come together with open arms.

This statement moves to the heart of who we are as a church. This statement tells us who we are and who we are becoming. Following Jesus' lead, we want to keep our doors open to all. This spirit of welcome is caught in the words, "Warm and welcoming." By God's grace we think of ourselves as a people of welcome. Our arms are open as we welcome all. With all of the United Church of Christ we often repeat, No matter who you are, no matter where you are on life's journey, you're welcome here.

These words take us deeper. When you look at Jesus' life, you see that he lived and breathed gracious hospitality. Even though there were powerful people who opposed Jesus' extravagant welcome, he always embraced those who were often shunned. In the reign of God that Jesus spoke of, he declared there is room for all—children (Luke 18:15-17) and those who are hungry, thirsty, homeless, ill, poor, grieving, persecuted, and in prison (Matthew 25: 31-46 and Luke 6:20-26). Jesus put faith and hospitality together: "Whoever receives one whom I send receives me" and those who received Jesus, embraced God (John 13:20).

Our warm and welcoming attitude is the foundation of our togetherness. Our welcome makes us a diverse community. As God embraces all, so do we and guess what? There are more of us and we are different, wonderfully so. There is a dynamism as different people come together. Energy and life is created as we come together. Something new is born in community.

Our welcome is all about coming together with open arms. In the resulting community we discover that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. That is, as we are together, as our hearts are open and warm, as we bless our diversity, we find ourselves in a profound expression of community; we are a church whose one foundation is Christ. Christ is in our midst. But, that's for another day. For now:

Warm and welcoming, dynamic and diverse, we come together with open arms.

Blessings, David

Musings Along Life's Way: Our Vision and Mission Statement

Making God’s Love Visible
Warm and welcoming, dynamic and diverse,

we come together with open arms

to renew our spirits, challenge our minds,

and celebrate Christ in our midst.

Excited and enlivened by the Holy Spirit,

we are transformed.

Reaching out, we become what our hearts can see.

Over the next few weeks, I have decided to write about our Vision and Mission Statement. This statement is meant as a concise statement as to our values and purpose as a church of Jesus Christ. It is divided into two parts. Part One is our Vision, a simple phrase which holds the overall purpose of our particular gathering of God's people. This statement reads, "Making God's Love Visible." Part Two is our Mission. I will write about our Vision this week, and our Mission over successive weeks.

Usually when people speak of vision, they are speaking of an over-the-horizon/not yet kind of thing. "We aren't there yet, but we hope to be soon," would be a way of stating this conventional approach to vision. Stated in this way a vision is a commitment to the future, off and away, decidedly "not yet." What you'll notice about our statement of vision is that we are already doing it, we are in the process of making (it is happening now) God's love visible. There is a quality of "already" in our statement even as it acknowledges that we are in process and that the fulfillment of our vision is "not yet." This is what makes our vision statement interesting -- it is already and not yet. There is a taste of this in John Robinson's famous words in his farewell sermon to the Pilgrims as they set sail from Holland in 1620: “God hath yet more light and truth to break forth from God’s Holy Word." This statement, at the core of our denomination's God is Still Speaking Campaign acknowledges the truth that is and affirms the truth yet to be revealed.

Our vision statement states well who we are and who we are to be. "Making God's Love Visible" we celebrate the concern, caring and love that we experience in community, in worship, and around Circles. "Making God's Love Visible" we pray and work for peace and justice in Iraq, in Burma and in the 9th Ward of New Orleans. "Making God's Love Visible" we celebrate the humanity of all people, the divine spark of grace that resides in all, "no matter who they are, or where they are on life's journey." Making God's Love Visible we embrace our identity as an Open and Affirming, God is Still Speaking church, remembering that God's radical hospitality, God's all encompassing love is inclusive of all.

Next Week I'll write a bit about our Mission Statement which begins with the phrase, "Warm and welcoming, dynamic and diverse, we come together with open arms.

Blessings,
David

David will be participating in the Sonoma County Vigil and Interfaith Fast for Peace

This Sunday and Monday David will be participating in the Sonoma County Vigil and Interfaith Fast for Peace. This is NOT a political event and specific policies/roads to peace will not be lifted up - merely the strong spiritual desire for peace. Members and Friends of our congregation are invited to participate. Information is available below.

Sonoma County Vigil and Interfaith Fast for Peace

October 7 & 8, 2007

All those who long for peace are invited to join in a

Vigil and Interfaith Fast for Peace
First we will gather for a Pre-Fast Prayer and Meditation Vigil Sunday, October 7 5:00 - 6:15 pm Courthouse Square Santa Rosa
Then we will Fast for Peace Fast according to your Faith tradition and spiritual convictions, seeking guidance to bring Peace to our World.
Some will fast in unity with Islam's Ramadan tradition, from sunrise until sunset on October 8. Some may fast from sunset,

October 7 until sunset, October 8.
Then we will gather for a Potluck Meal to Break Our Fast
Monday, October 8 7:15 pm Unitarian Universalist Congregation 547 Mendocino Ave. Santa Rosa. We recommend bringing vegetarian dishes, to accommodate dietary observances by others at the meal.