6 July 2008                                  
Carolyn L Roberts
Matthew 11.16-19, 25-30

            I spent most of the last nine days at Virginia Theological Seminary with a decidedly ecumenical group of pastors of small churches. Small churches are defined as congregations with an average of less than 100 in worship. That includes between 60—75% of the thousands of congregations in the United States, so we definitely are in the mainstream here! In addition to the time for renewal and the opportunity to be with other clergy who face common concerns—regardless of denomination—one of the most consistent comments was an expression of the need for perspective. People talked about it differently, ‘discernment’ was a term I heard frequently, but they were grateful for the chance to reflect on the ministry to which they and their congregations are called from a whole range of perspectives.

            Our readings today begin with contrasting perspectives—in this case, the “current generation’s” response to John the baptizer and to Jesus—by lifting up children’s play in the marketplace. They play the flute—it should lead to dancing—but no one follows the lead. They play a dirge—it should lead to mourning—but no one mourns. John called for mourning; Jesus calls for dancing. But one of the most obvious dynamics of our scripture is that it is a dialogue. Jesus is in conversation with those in the crowds.

            This morning, I would like to begin what I hope will be the first of occasional dialogues. I invite your reflections, your questions, your perspectives not only on the scripture we have just read, but even beyond that. What questions do you have of me? Of the United Church of Christ? Of your own faith or faith journey? You have received index cards on which you have been invited to write out your questions, and our ushers will retrieve them. I will do my best to respond to them, and may call in some reinforcements if my response sparks some additional thoughts…or I’m speechless.

            Question 1: How are things in Cleveland? I asked John Deckenback (the morning’s liturgist and Conference Minister for Central Atlantic Conference of the United Church of Christ) to respond to that question, and he made two primary points. 1) The good news is that thanks to the StillSpeaking identity campaign, coupled with the media attention to the current presidential campaign, the United Church of Christ has a much higher degree of recognition and visibility than it has known for many years. 2) The other reality is that the intensity of the past year has taken its toll on staff, (the “Press Office” is a single staff person), and the demands of rapid-response journalism have been extensive.

            Question 2: If Jesus says, “take up the cross and follow me,” how is it that “my burden is light?” Since the final verse of our closing scripture is “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light,” I chose to respond to that. Yoke refers to Jesus’ way of compassion. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” By taking upon ourselves the yoke of compassion, we follow Jesus and learn from him. Jesus is reminding his followers, burdened by the exceedingly heavy demands of their Roman occupiers, that even though they may not be able to change that political reality, they have it within their capacity to treat others with kindness and compassion.

            Question 3: Could you please articulate the connection between and the understanding of individuality of our church vs. main UCC organization? Are we required/called to follow the main organization? Unlike many other Christian denominations, the United Church of Christ is not hierarchically structured. The local church is autonomous. This means the congregation can call its own pastor, create its unique rules of governance, structure its life together in the ways that make the most sense for that particular congregation. However, UCC congregations are also in covenant with other congregations in regional Associations (ours is the Potomac Association), Conferences (five Associations make up the Central Atlantic Conference), and the National settings. Just as in a marriage covenant, promises are made between the various participants when members join a local church, a pastor is ordained, or other officers of the church take on specific responsibilities. We don’t always do the best job in living up to those promises, any more than any marriage is perfect, but they become the touchstone for our life together, calling us to live up to the best interests of one another.

            When we gather in meetings in any one of these settings, policy decisions made at those meetings are binding only on the staff for that particular setting. If the policy from a setting such as the national bi-annual General Synod addresses a particular social issue, such as stewardship of our environment, the resolution often includes language encouraging local congregations to adopt the same or similar policies. However, it is important to remember that those gathered in the larger church settings can only speak to the congregations; they do not speak for them.

            Question 4: What is your (Carolyn’s) favorite Bible verse? I don’t have a single favorite verse, but one of my most favorite passages is Psalm 139. It speaks of God’s care for us as unique, beloved individuals, regardless of where we may find ourselves.

            Question 5: (The children were given blank cards and encouraged to fill them with artwork, to be given to children in refugee camps in the Middle East. John Deckenback will spend the next three weeks visiting camps in Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon, in addition to visits in Israel and Palestine.) Could you explain more about the refugee camps (for the kids, too!) Why are children there? And how are we as a denomination helping? Again, I asked John Deckenback to speak. He reminded the congregation that he traveled to Iraq and Jordan in January on behalf of International Relief and Development (IRD), which was founded by UCCSV members Arthur and Jasna Keys. That trip provided an opportunity to see some of the camps first-hand. They are sites which provide some shelter and basic necessities for refugees from the war in Iraq, and have a high percentage of children at the camps. The conditions are very primitive.

            On this trip, John will be hosted by our UCC partner churches and agencies, as well as by IRD. He is also spending time in Israel and in Palestine to better understand the situation and concerns in that region. John reminded us that the UCC is a long-time partner in the Middle East, and has worked with roots going back to the early 1800’s. That’s not as long as some of the countries old enough to be mentioned in the Bible, but it’s clear the UCC is no newcomer, either.

*~*~*

Other questions will be answered in newsletters and in subsequent sermons.