Let’s Connect Week of June 21, 2020

Center…breathe…invite the Spirit in…

Prayer

O Living God of past and future, we praise you for this present moment.

Fill us with your joy and empower us with your Holy Spirit,

that our strength may be renewed

to sing a new song of your glory

in a world which longs for your justice and peace.

All this we ask in the name of Jesus,

in whom we become

your new creation.

Amen.

~ from All Things New, written by Rev. Susan A. Blain and Rev. Scott Ressman. Posted on the United Church of Christ website. http://www.ucc.org/50/pdfs/worship-resources.pdf

Revelation 21: 1-5a (CEB)

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne say, "Look! God's dwelling is here with humankind. He will dwell with them, and they will be his peoples. God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. There will be no mourning, crying, or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Then the one seated on the throne said, "Look! I'm making all things new."

Musing

I cannot stress this enough with you, take some time and put some effort into reflecting upon what you have learned during the lock-down about mission and ministry and worship. Evaluate what you did per-lock-down in those areas. See if you have found a different, more effective way to do those things. If you do not understand that a new Jerusalem has been built and that the former has passed away you are not paying attention.

If you return to normal you will not survive long. Businesses are learning this, the government is learning this, those running for office are learning this. And churches are learning this. The worst cases are those that rushed to reopen and returned to doing things as they always have and now they are super-spreader sights with sick and dying folks. I am not making light of a very tragic situation. I am pointing out that how we did it before the pandemic will not be able to be the way we will do it as we slowly move through the pandemic.

Add to this the very real chance that George Floyd’s murder and the resulting upheaval in our society will force us to be different, is forcing us to be different and the church is no exception. I ask you, as you are preparing to draft your plan for Phase 3, what will change in your church because of George Floyd? I want to encourage you to read the history of your church, how did you get the property? Who did it belong to before your church? Who was welcome in your church in the past? The KKK was very active in Oregon and met in many churches, was yours one? What images do you have in your church? Those classic pictures of the white, fair-haired Jesus – they perpetuate a racist stereotype. If things don’t change because of the renewed focus on racism and white privilege your church will not survive.

I am being blunt, but this is the reality we are facing. People of sincere faith will look and they will not excuse racist images, a past that is not known and repented of, a present that does not take into consideration how to be involved in worship, mission, and ministry in different ways. I firmly believe that the slow and gradual decline that most of our churches have been experiencing since the 1970's will accelerate because of the dual pandemics of Covid-19 and racism. Either we understand this and begin to move in different directions or we step aside and know that we are no longer traveling the path of God, the path of Christ, the path of justice and peace and reconciliation and love.

We cannot wait. The shift has already begun. It is like riding a wave in surfing, you either figure out a way to ride it or it pulls you under. I want you to ride it, I want you to come to the new Jerusalem. I want you to know the new thing that God is doing. The wave is swelling and preparing to break. You can feel it. You know it. Now is the time to decide.

Prayer

I dare to pray: Lord, let the world be changed,

For I long to see the end of poverty, racism, greed;

I dare to pray: Lord, let the rules be changed,

For I long to see our economic, political, 

and religious structures bring justice to people of color

and the poor;

I dare to pray: Lord, let my life be changed,

For I long to bring hope where the Good News is needed.

In the strength of your spirit And inspired by your compassion,

I make this promise to work for change,

And wait confidently for the day When you make all things new

And those that weep will rejoice. Amen.

~ adapted from a prayer written by Peter Graystone, and posted on Education for Justice. https://educationforjustice.org/node/1199