paper should be no more than 20 pages, 12-point font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins. The

Transcription

1 March 19, 2018 The Ordination Paper requirements, Central Association, Mass Conference, UCC The candidate should write a paper demonstrating their theological and pastoral expertise. The paper should be no more than 20 pages, 12-point font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins. The ordination paper should be written in conversation with the United Church of Christ Statement of Faith. The paper should demonstrate a candidate's ability to articulate the historic Christian faith and locate his or her own faith in relation to the ecumenical and Reformed tradition.

2 Pilgrimage and Ministry Jesus saved me for the first time when I was in my early thirties. My family didn't attend church at all when I was growing up, and for that first part of my life I had no interest in traditional religion. We had a great appreciation for the beauty in creation but gave no thought to its source. It wasn't until my Mom had a heart attack and we weren't sure if she was going to make it, that I started to think about whether there might be something more than this life. Mom pulled through and life continued, but it wasn t the same. I started reading about different religions. I read that C.S. Lewis was a Christian and that even some of his children's books involved his faith. So, when I decided to investigate Christianity, I re-read The Chronicles of Narnia to see if I could find those references. I did see some of them and they really intrigued me, so I read The Screwtape Letters. Mere Christianity was next, and it was at that point that I decided I needed to find a church and someone to answer all my questions. I had a Christian co-worker at the time who invited me to her church, which was a non-denominational evangelical church, and I started attending there regularly in the summer of They had answers for all my questions and I found Jesus there. I was welcomed into that community of faith and it felt like I had found a whole new family. I was baptized on Dec 2, 2001 and joined the church. I served in several different ministries, including working with the youth, becoming a Stephen Minister and leading Bible studies. The Bible was the cornerstone of my new faith. I read it almost every day and read it through a few times in those first few years. It was when I was reading the scriptures that I felt closest to God and heard God's voice most clearly. 2

3 It all fell apart when I came out as a lesbian to both myself and some folks in the church in the spring of I stepped down from ministry and started seeing a Christian counselor. I continued going to church, but it was no longer a joy. It was a struggle. There was a lot of talk at coffee hour about the fight for marriage equality and people were signing petitions to fight against it. My family was wonderful and fully supported me during this time, but I was back to questioning everything I thought I knew about the church and God. Now I had new questions and the answers I was getting were less than helpful. I saw a new side of the Bible and how it could be used, when I was told what it said about people who were like me. The thing I loved the most became something I didn't even want to pick up. Jesus saved me for the second time during this struggle. I questioned many things, including God s love, but during the darkest times I knew Jesus was with me. I kept attending church sporadically and continued to talk with my Pastor about what the Bible said and what that meant for me. I decided toward the end of 2006 that I needed to find another church home where it might be possible for me to have a family. Though my church was more than happy for me to stay with them, it was so that I could be changed, not because they accepted me. I checked out the local UU congregation, but I missed Jesus in the worship. I found the UCC website and the list of churches that welcomed gay and lesbian people, and that led me to Hadwen Park Congregational Church (HPC), which soon became my new church home. Worship at HPC was very different, and it was a hard adjustment at times. I joined the choir at HPC so that I could learn more about the music that seemed so strange to me. It was the friendships I made there that kept me at HPC during that first year. I found HPC was the welcoming place that I was looking for. I served on diaconate and the music committee as well 3

4 as church council. What I enjoyed most about my time on diaconate was visiting our homebound parishioners and helping to prepare and serve communion. When HPC became a Field Education site for Andover Newton Theological School (ANTS), I volunteered to chair the Teaching Parish Committee (TPC) for our student. I really enjoyed that experience and the insight it gave me into the Field Education program at ANTS. I preached several times at HPC during our pastor's vacations, and though it was nerve wracking at first, I found I couldn't wait to do it again. At the urging of Pastor Judy Hanlon and my wife, Gail, I applied to the MDiv Program at ANTS in 2010 and was accepted. I completed my Master s in Divinity in May of 2016, having done two years of field education during that time as well. Jeremiah 15:16-20 has been a scripture close to my heart since I first became a Christian. It put into words how I feel about scripture (15:16) and later in my journey gave me space to question what God was doing (15:18). It became the verse I went back to again and again when it wasn t clear where my life was going. The opportunities to do pulpit supply during the summer and my time as a student minister at Franklin Federated Church (FFC) have really clarified things for me. I love to put together a worship service and preach. As much as I enjoy writing out sermons, I ve found that I love to preach without notes; I feel a greater connection to the congregation and it allows more room for the Spirit to direct what I say. FFC gave me the freedom to bring my love of art into working with the Affirmation class. I was able to help them develop their Statements of Faith in a more visual form using collage and watercolors. I have learned more about who I am as a minister and what my style of leadership might look like by observing the differences between HPC and FFC over two years of my field education. 4

5 I applied to the CPE program at Baystate Medical Center (BMC) and was accepted to the Summer 2017 extended program, which ran from April to August. BMC is a 750-bed facility with 57 bassinets. It s the only Level 1 trauma center in western Massachusetts and is home to the second busiest emergency room in the state as well as the 176 bed Children s Hospital. During my time at BMC I was assigned to three patient care units for pastoral visits, the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit, the Heart-Vascular Critical Care unit and I shared the inpatient oncology unit with another student. When I was on call, I covered the whole hospital. My experiences in CPE were both difficult and wonderful in that God was there in the midst of them. Being present with families during some of the hardest times in their lives was a great privilege. As one of our CPE presenters said, It s our foundation of faith that gives us the strength to be there for others when they are in need. My spiritual practices of journaling and Bible art journaling helped me to stay grounded in scripture and in touch with God and therefore more present at the hospital. CPE also helped clarify my thinking around the question of where God is during suffering. I am currently the interim Directory of Christian Education at HPC since our DCE had to step down due to personal issues. It s a part time position and is giving me some great experience working with the kids and youth and organizing volunteers for the Sunday school program. My current vision of ministry is that of being a part-time solo or associate pastor in a small-town church. I really enjoyed the preaching I did in some smaller congregations, and I don t think that a church must be a certain size to make a difference in its community. 5

6 Theology I chose to respond to the doxological version of the Statement of Faith for several reasons. The first is that it reminds me to be continually praising God. The use of the nongendered God or Creator instead of Father or He is something that helps to enlarge my image of God beyond human form, to include the One who created all things with a word and it reminds me that I need to incorporate more varied language about God in everything that I write. I also like that it portrays God in action; calling, seeking, judging, bestowing and promising. We believe in you, O God, Eternal Spirit, God of our Savior Jesus Christ and our God, and to your deeds we testify: The "We" that starts the doxology reminds me that our faith doesn't happen in a vacuum and it is not just a personal thing. My faith is nurtured and built up as part of a community of faith, usually a local church. People can certainly come to faith outside of the church, but to grow into the fullness of our faith, we need to be part of a community. God is eternal and isn t bound by time. The Trinitarian notion of God as Father, Son and Spirit helps me enlarge my view of God, particularly when I use some of the other names that are found in scripture. Using Creator, Word of God and Spirit of Life gives me a slightly different picture of God. The Trinity also holds firmly in front of me the mystery of how God can be all those things and yet not solely defined by any one of them. The image I hold of God informs everything else in my life. I cherish an image that includes the mystery and power of the Spirit that hovered over the waters of creation and the One who spoke and created order out of chaos. 6

7 "Our God" speaks to me of the personal relationship that God desires with every person. God is not just a God far off but is also a God who is very near to me. God is an everpresent help in time of trouble and the one who knows me best. Through the Spirit that speaks to my heart when I forget about God s love and compassion, God is always with me. The Spirit reminds me of who God is and who I am in God s eyes (Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you - Isa 43:4a). God s abiding Spirit assures me that I don t need to face any challenge, however large or small, alone. In the darkest of nights, there is hope; not because of anything I can do, but because God is with me. One of the most powerful things a person of faith can do is to testify to the ways God has worked in their life. In the non-denominational evangelical church where I was baptized, it was common to have folks stand up and tell how God saved them or worked in their lives. Inviting people to talk about how they see God working in the life of the church and in their personal lives builds up the community of faith. The Biblical authors were writing to testify to the deeds of God as they knew and understood God. I consider the Bible my sacred text and an important part of my walk with God. The Bible shows me examples of God using very imperfect people to accomplish great things in the world. For me, the books of the Old Testament are where I find God. There are many things I love about the Gospels and Epistles but when things aren t going well or I m doubting what I m doing on this crazy journey, I open the Old Testament. I go looking for the God who knit me together in my mother s womb, the Creator who sends the rain and the snow in their seasons, who created a world where the trees of the field clap their hands in praise. I m looking for the God who spoke to Job out of the whirlwind after everyone else told him to give up, curse God 7

8 and die; the God who seeks after a wayward and stubborn people and cares for them even when they turn away. I treasure the Bible, and so when I read it, I keep in mind that it was written by specific people in a particular place and time and it reflects how they experienced God. Even though it was written so long ago, there is a lot of truth in the Bible and its stories are still relevant today. One of things I really appreciate about the UCC is the Still Speaking campaign and how it speaks about the idea that revelation from God didn t end when the biblical canon was declared complete. All our founding traditions emphasize the Bible as a source of authority. The Christians had the third principle, Bible as the sole rule of faith and practice. The Evangelical Synod of North America was known as a people of the Bible, and the Congregationalist Pastor John Robinson gave us this: There is yet more light and truth to break forth from God s Holy Word. I think God raises up prophets in each generation to speak to the churches and the Spirit helps us, as we read and study the scriptures, to understand the Biblical truths that are more universal and relevant to the world we live in today. The Bible is an amazing book that is challenging, complex, disturbing and worthy of our time and attention. I feel like I need to engage more deeply in the debate over how people can see Scripture as either authoritative and/or foundational without taking it literally. In order to do this, I need to increase people s knowledge of the Bible and the many ways to interpret it. You call the worlds into being, create persons in your own image, and set before each one the ways of life and death. God as Creator is one of the most powerful images of God. In the beginning, God's Word went out in power and things happened. God spoke and brought all things into existence. The 8

9 great diversity that is found in the universe speaks to me of the breadth and depth of God s creativity. God created humans in the image of God and I think for most of us, we only have a small grasp of what that really means. I love that God created all these things and then looked around and declared that it was good and in the end, very good. When God can look ahead through the eons and see that where we end up is very good, it reminds me that God isn t going to give up on us and that we really can change for the better. God is all powerful and is not bound by time, so God knows everything that happens and will happen. God created us and gave us the gift of free will. For all of us to exercise our free will, God chose to step back and not directly affect the world anymore. Instead, God works through people of faith to impact what happens in the world. God is good, but God isn t our fairy godmother who will fix everything that s wrong with our lives and prevent anything bad from happening to us. I believe that God is always with me and can help me get through the dark times in my life. God allows me to choose how I m going to live my life, even when I make bad choices, and even when those choices move me further away from a relationship with God. You seek in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin. I believe that God loves all people and that God actively works to bring all people into relationship with God. God seeks out both those who are wandering without purpose and those who have made choices that move them further from God. Every person has the capacity for good and evil inside of them. People weren t originally created that way, but when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit of the tree, humanity gained the knowledge of good and evil. (Gen 3) I think the way that shows up in people is that everyone must struggle to do what 9

10 we know is right. Paul writes about the struggle in Romans 19, For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Paul says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." I understand that to mean that the goal of our lives is to reflect the glory (or character) of God into the world so that others can see it and come to know God. Whenever I fall short of that high goal, I have sinned. Sin includes both things I do (that I shouldn t) and things that I leave undone that I was supposed to do. People can sin both individually and corporately, or as a group. I need to be aware of the action of the groups I am involved in and understand that I have a responsibility in that area as well. I can t pretend it didn t happen because it wasn t something I personally did. Living our lives to reflect God s glory also gives our lives a purpose larger than ourselves and helps us stay outwardly focused. I can reflect God s glory in many different places and in many different ways. I think when I choose to shine for God in the many and varied places where I end up in life, it helps others see God in ways they may never have before. When I live authentically as a person of faith, I show others that God can love them without them getting it all together first. You judge people and nations by your righteous will declared through prophets and apostles. The Bible describes in Matthew 25 a final day of judgment, when each one of us will stand before God. In Jeremiah 17:10, God says I the LORD test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings. I believe that we're 10

11 all responsible to walk faithfully in the light that we have. That doesn't mean everyone must believe the same thing or do the same things with their lives, however it does mean that each person should do the best they can, given their circumstances and personal history. Thankfully, it's the One who knows me the best and loves me the most, who will be coming to a conclusion about how well I lived my life. Justice and righteousness were the calls of the Old Testament prophets in the Bible; Isaiah 1:17 learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression and Jeremiah 22:3 Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed and I believe that is still what God is declaring to believers today. Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah in Luke 4 at the beginning of his ministry, He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed. As I live my daily life, the Spirit not only empowers me for ministry and helps me to see where God is at work in the world; I think that the Spirit also helps me to see where I am falling short in doing the work of God. In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Savior, you have come to us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the world to yourself. God came near; this is the mystery of the Incarnation and the incredible love that was behind it. The first chapter of John talks about the Eternal Word that became flesh and dwelt among us and that it is through Him that grace has become available. God, in order to show us how much God loves us, sent Jesus to live with us; to make a way back to God for us. The authors of the New Testament use several different metaphors to explain what 11

12 Christ did for us on the cross. In Mark 10:45 Jesus says, the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Humanity is seen as a captive that has been ransomed from the powers of sin and death through the atoning work of Christ. The author of Hebrews writes about Christ as both sacrifice and high priest (Heb 10:11-14). John s gospel (John 10:14-15) talks about Jesus as the good shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. In Eph 2:16 and Col 1:20, the authors see the death of Christ as reconciling the world with God. Col 2:13-15 and Rev 12:10-11 portray the death of Christ as a cosmic victory over the powers of evil. John Calvin acknowledged many possibilities of the meaning of Christ s death. If the death of Christ be our redemption, then we were captives; if it be satisfaction, we were debtors; if it be atonement, we were guilty; if it be cleansing, we were unclean. What speaks to me when I read all these metaphors is that only God could do it. Only Jesus as the Son of God could be both our high priest and the sacrifice to cleanse our sins. Only God could love enough to become a sacrifice for all of us. I believe that the meaning of what Mark wrote after Jesus died (Mark 15:38) And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom was that Christ s sacrifice on the cross made a way for humanity to approach God, even though God is Holy and we are not. When I think of Jesus as Savior, I see His work in restoring people to a right relationship with God. On our own, in our sinfulness, we can t approach God. Through His sacrificial life and death, Jesus opened the way for us to draw near to God. Jesus endured suffering and shame and so we can trust that God understands and is present with us through our experiences of suffering. In restoring that relationship with God, Jesus also returns a purpose to our lives as we 12

13 strive to follow His example in living lives pleasing to God. Jesus made it clear that a life pleasing to God would include loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and loving your neighbor as yourself. You bestow upon us your Holy Spirit, creating and renewing the church of Jesus Christ, binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues, and races. Jesus didn t leave us alone when He returned to the Father. In John 14 Jesus tells the disciples that the Father would send the Holy Spirit, the Helper, in Jesus name. The Spirit is also called the Spirit of truth who will guide us into all truth in John 16:13. In Romans 8, Paul talks about the Spirit helping us in our weakness, because we don t know what to pray for. It is the Holy Spirit that empowers believers to do the work of the church (Acts 1:8). The church is meant to be the current incarnation of Jesus. We are supposed to be doing in the world what Jesus did - Feeding the poor, healing the sick, helping the widow and the orphan - basically, by following Jesus example and living out our faith by loving God and loving other people. I love the church, and I think that we will see a big change in how we "do" church in the near future. In some ways, we've forgotten that church is supposed to be a sanctuary for the world, not a sanctuary from the world. It's not just a place for us to feel great and build each other up; it's also a place where we can reach out to others who need help. One of the big changes that I think will happen soon has to do with our physical church buildings. One of my favorite places in the world is the church sanctuary, early on a Sunday morning before anyone else is there. There's a feeling in the still, quiet space of the sanctuary, an expectant waiting, like the Spirit is hovering over that space, waiting to descend upon the 13

14 saints of God during worship. I understand the love folks have for their buildings and the history they represent; however, I think the time is coming when holding on so tightly to them is going to cost the church dearly. How much of our time/talents/treasure do we pour into our buildings? Is that the best use of those things? I think increasingly in the coming years, the answer will be no. I think the Spirit's renewal of the church will look different, and we're going to miss it if we're too focused on our buildings - no matter how beautiful they are. Sacred spaces where we can worship are important, but it s not the buildings themselves that are sacred; what makes them sacred is that they are places where we meet with God. Perhaps it s time to take our sacred spaces out into our communities; to worship in the park in the summer and in the community room downtown in the winter. Maybe the church meets together for worship on Sundays twice a month, and on those other Sundays, gathers to serve together somewhere in the community. Congregations can share buildings and the cost of maintaining them perhaps across denominations or faith traditions! We can make podcasts of the sermons available, so folks can listen wherever they are, and on weeks when we don t meet on Sunday, there can be a weeknight service that includes dinner for the church and the community. Bible study can have both in-person and online components to make it easier for folks to fit into their schedules. I m not sure what church will end up looking like, but I m sure it will be different, and we need to be open to where the Spirit is leading. You call us into your church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship, to be your servants in the service of others, to proclaim the gospel to all the world and resist the powers of evil, to share in Christ's baptism and eat at his table, to join him in his passion and victory. 14

15 I think all believers are called by God to be in relationship with God and to be integral parts of the church. One of the things I appreciate about our Christian Church and Evangelical traditions is the focus on empowering laity and de-emphasizing the role of clergy. I think it s the job of the minister to help build up the church by teaching and preaching, administering the sacraments, and caring for the congregation so that they can go out into the world to do their job of proclaiming God s love. All those roles are important ones, and I think sometimes we lose sight of the fact that they are equally important. Each person whom God calls is called to be a disciple. As disciples, we walk lifelong journeys of faith, over time discovering what gifts God has given us and what God is calling us to do with those gifts. We grow in our relationship with God and as we mature in our faith, we seek to bring about the expressions of God s kin-dom in the world. We work for justice and righteousness for all people and help those who are in need, and in so doing, resist the powers of evil that are at work in the world. I believe that evil is total self-centeredness; caring nothing for anyone or anything besides yourself and misusing the freedom God gave each of us to choose how we act. As we grow in our faith, God turns our attention ever outward toward those in need. Communion is one of two sacraments in the UCC. We gather around the table as the people of God to remember that Jesus sacrificed Himself for us, to give thanks for all God has done and to experience His presence with us. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (1 Co 11:26). Bread and wine (or juice) represent the body and blood of Christ. The body of Christ is represented in the whole loaf of bread and cup of wine and the breaking and pouring symbolize the costliness of Christ s sacrifice for us; the breaking of His body and the shedding of His blood that reconciled us to 15

16 God through the forgiveness of sin. The presence of Christ in Communion underscores for me the importance of having an open table. People who are seeking Christ, but aren t yet sure of their faith, can find Him in that bread and cup. All should be welcome to the table; so I believe that it s the job of the church to be sure that, as much as possible, all are able to participate. It isn t our table, it is God s table. Perhaps that means being more intentional with gluten-free options, or clearly saying when you use grape juice vs wine. I think it definitely means helping visitors understand how your particular congregation takes the elements so that they don t feel so out of place that they miss the presence of Christ. As an evangelical, I was fully immersed when I was baptized, so I was new to the idea of infant baptism when I came to the UCC. Assisting with the Affirmation class at FFC has helped me to clarify how I feel about infant baptism/confirmation vs baby dedication/believers baptism. The sacrament of baptism is an outward, visible sign of the grace of God. We baptize with water because it s a symbol of cleansing and life in the Bible. People are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; whether that happens as an infant, youth or an adult isn t the important part. In each case, there is a time when that individual makes a personal declaration of faith in God and they become a member of the church. In each case, that person becomes part of a family of God that nurtures them, helps to teach them about God and grows their faith. In each case, God works in them the power of forgiveness, the renewal of the spirit and the knowledge of the call to be one of God s people. 16

17 You promise to all who trust you forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace, courage in the struggle for justice and peace, your presence in trial and rejoicing, and eternal life in your realm which has no end. Psalm 103:12 has one of my favorite descriptions of the forgiveness of God. as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us. The Psalm goes on to say, For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. Our faith and trust in Jesus and what He did on the cross, allows God to forgive our sins. When God forgives, our sins are removed from sight. They no longer stand between us and God. The unmerited favor of God is the grace that is freely given to us. As we experience the grace and forgiveness of God, our capacity to forgive others and extend grace to others and ourselves increases. The Spirit empowers us to continue to work towards justice and peace for all people even when it runs counter to what society believes. The Spirit also assures us of the presence of God in both times of rejoicing and in times of struggle. There is nothing worse than feeling like you re struggling with something that no one else knows about and no one else understands. I remember how that felt before I had a relationship with God. One area that needs to be changed in how we approach church is the idea that we should get it all together before we go to church. I think that is why a lot of folks avoid the church. As a future leader of the church, I believe we need to find ways to be open about our struggles and stop trying to put on a happy face whenever we go to church. It s time to get real so that we can help one another and let God help us all through the struggles that life today can bring. I know that when my finite span of time on earth is done, it isn t the end of who I am. I will go on to live an eternal life with God. I m not sure what that will look like, however I 17

18 imagine that it will be more beautiful than anything God has made here on earth, and that is saying a lot. Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto you. To paraphrase the Westminster Shorter Confession, I believe that the chief end of people is to glorify God and to enjoy God forever. It is an intimidating thing to feel called to serve as a minister to the people of God and want to live up to that calling in a way that will bring glory to God. The joy I often find in my preparations for that ministry is a reminder that I am indeed on the right path, and I trust that throughout this journey, Jesus will continue to save me. United Church of Christ I originally chose a UCC church because it was an official Open and Affirming church and I could be sure that I would be welcomed as an LGBTQ person. I knew very little about the wider UCC church or how the UCC came into existence. I have since learned that the UCC strives to have an extravagant welcome for all people and I appreciate that the UCC defines itself by the fact that it welcomes everyone, it doesn t list who isn t welcome. I wasn t sure in my first years at HPC whether the UCC was the right place for me; I struggled with the differences from my first church home. The liturgy was strange and the change to more inclusive language was very jarring for me. I have grown into a firm believer of using inclusive language, even though I still struggle with the language I use in spontaneous prayer. I have also learned that the liturgy can vary widely in UCC churches; it all depends on where you go. I think our ability to embrace a wide range of theology comes from our 18

19 Evangelical and Christian roots. The saying in essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty and in all things charity emphasizes a higher union through Christ for the Evangelicals and the Christian principle of Right of private judgment allows for a large range of theological beliefs. I learned in my polity class that Synod speaks to the local churches, not for the local churches. Perhaps it s my New England roots, but I really like that the local churches have the power, not the denomination itself. The traditional Congregational polity puts the power squarely in the hands of the members of the congregation. The difference between Congregational and UCC polity is that the UCC has covenantal polity; each setting of the church is in covenant with each other and with God. That keeps the autonomy of the local church while also allowing for denominational relationships. It also fits with the Christian Church tradition of Christ as the sole head of the church. If Christ is the head, then no other person or organization has that power. I think this type of polity allows the church to evolve in a way a hierarchical polity wouldn t. I see that at work in the way that resolutions make their way from local associations and conferences all the way to the national setting at Synod. When Synod speaks to the churches, it uses some very interesting language. It urges, invites, encourages and recommends certain actions to the local churches, but it s a consensual standard, not a formal standard. The standards have more of an ordering function; there aren t sanctions if you don t follow the recommendations from Synod. The UCC s focus on social justice issues, particularly at the national level, has been remarkably consistent over the years and I think that is because it grew naturally from what the founding traditions were already doing. I think having leadership from the national setting helps 19

20 the local associations and churches by giving them the information and resources they need to respond to issues of justice at the local level. The UCC also has a great tradition of ecumenical work from the Christian and German Reformed traditions. The Mercersburg movement from the German Reformed church is a major theological foundation of our ecumenical focus due to its statement that we need all the different denominations to paint the full picture of the church. The Christian principle of Unity of all believers is also implicitly ecumenical. I believe that the future of the church in general and the UCC in particular is very bright. We live in a time of constant change and turmoil and I think the UCC is structured so that we have the ability to respond to the changes that are happening in our world. The UCC s openness to a wide range of theological views and experiences enables many people to find a church home within the UCC. As we improve our ability to be connectional and work together as the body of Christ on the social issues that are defining this time in history, we ll be able to make a big difference in the world. People need to hear about the love of God and the forgiveness and grace that God offers to everyone, and that is the message I want to help bring. 20