The Good News St. Paul United Church of Christ 31654 Mound Road Warren MI 48092 586/264-4777 www.spuccwarren.com stpauluccwarren@gmail.com hope is the pool of cool water found on the driest, hardest days of the journey, where i can be refreshed with life; the needle and thread held tenderly in your fingers, as you cradle me on your lap, gently stitching my soul back together; the parcel in the kingdom i purchased when i said 'yes' all those years ago, and no matter how many times i have lived 'no' since then, the deed is still kept safely deposited in your heart; the smell of the warm bread just out of the oven and placed on the table set with glory, telling me you have been waiting for me to come home. hope simply is... (c) 2013 Thom M. Shuman The Pastor s Study August 2015 Pastor Terri In my travels these last weeks, I have been flooded with thoughts of the various meanings of home and the hopes I have (that we all may have!) for the future. The first week of my time away was spent as a Michigan delegate to General Synod in Cleveland, which in addition to busy days full of meetings and decision-making for the Church is like a big family reunion, as we reconnect with friends and colleagues we have known in other ministry and geographical settings. It was bittersweet for me this year, as I likely will only attend as a visitor going forward, if I am able to attend at all. My next stop was with an old friend in Sturbridge to plan her daughter s October wedding, which I will officiate and I was reminded how good it will be to return home to friends who are far more like family. This feeling increased with every stop I made, as I reconnected with those I love over and over again with Nick and Samantha and the girls, of course, but also with two first cousins I hadn t seen since I was three years old. The three of us look enough alike to be sisters! And then there was my time with Patsy and Ruthie, who send their love to all of you who welcomed them so warmly last spring! Ruthie has weakened considerably and I fear it may be the last time I see her alive. But even in that, there is hope, because while she is a fighter who will never give up on life, her SURE and CERTAIN hope is that when her time here has come to an end, she will return home to God and to those she loves who have gone before her. That hope brings such peace for her and for us all doesn t it? And isn t that the ultimate truth of our faith that whether we live or die, we are always home in the presence of our loving God? It doesn t matter where we live or worship or with whom God is our home. Whether I am at General Synod with beloved colleagues or in Maine or Massachusetts with family and close friends or here in Michigan with you who I have come to love so dearly at St. Paul I am home, because it is in God that I live and move and have my being. Changes and transitions and New Beginnings are not always easy, but if we can trust in the sure and certain and SIMPLE hope that God is with us wherever we go and whatever we do, we will get through it especially when we have each other to rely upon and to share Christ s love. Thank you all for being my home these past years and for sharing Christ s love so extravagantly with me and with one another. May we continue to be home for one another as long as we are together (and beyond!) and may God s promise for the wellbeing of our future wherever we are be our prayer. With Love in Christ
Page 2 Notes From The Consistory President Erich Regier We held an expanded July Consistory meeting for all members of St. Paul to attend. Rev. Dr. Renee Jackson, Southeast Area Minister of the Michigan Conference, came to our meeting to help explain and answer any questions St. Paul had on the New Beginnings process. Mostly, this is going to take some time with whatever decision we decide. In the coming months, we will need to look for an interim pastor or a transitional pastor to take Pastor Terri s place once she retires. This person would most likely be part time, to meet the needs of St. Paul. The two groups that we formed at out last New Beginnings meeting have had a couple meetings. These groups will provide information to the rest of the congregation during a coffee hour, in the future. This will give people a chance to ask questions, and have an informal conversation about the future of the church. This Consistory meeting had an abbreviated agenda, so when Dr. Jackson was finished answering all our questions, the Consistory finished up with only items that needed a decision. The Congregation voted to approve releasing funds to have the church roof replaced, plumbing fixed, pavement replaced by the back door near the dumpster, and some added funds to help with the monthly bills. The paper work for the roof is all set. We are just waiting for our turn. The good news is that we were able to find a company to take the old gutters down during the time the roof is replaced and then put them back up. The gutters are in 8 foot sections and will be stored inside of the church during construction. They are copper gutters and we do not want them to walk away. The Parsonage has a potential buyer. We have been working on getting a title for it. We just received a clean title and are waiting on an official offer. We also cannot have anybody take ownership of the parsonage until Oct. 1 st. Things are moving along, sometimes not as fast as we would like, but things take time. All the more while that we take the time and enjoy the things and time we do have. LET'S FILL UP THE RUMMAGE STORAGE ROOMS!! Semi-Annual Rummage Sale SAT, OCT 10 Donations of almost any kind are welcome: furniture, household and decorative items, kitchen items, jewelry, sporting goods, baby gear, children s and adult's clothing and shoes, toys, books, CDs, etc.
Page 3 Shirene Cece-Clements & Gail Popyk This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! Psalm 118:24 Covenant News June 26, 2015: MARRIAGE EQUALITY DAY!!! On this day the Supreme Court of the United States finally recognized, in the words of an old song, that all (people) are slaves until all (people) are free. Until we all have the right to marry those we love, then marriage ceases to have meaning for the rest of us, and on this date everyone gained a basic right that should have been available to all from the founding of our country. There will still be challenges to the validity of the law, and roadblocks as to how it is implemented, but we have now taken a giant step closer to God s kingdom in which the only law is love. Roadblocks are already going up. For instance, Gov. Snyder recently signed into law (without any fanfare that we saw) a law that allows private welfare agencies doing adoption placements to refuse adoptions to same sex couples even if the agencies receive funding from taxpayers (in other words, from us folks, no matter what we believe). Given the many recent events in which hate and division have led to so much violence and heartache, it is sad to see some individuals focusing on division but wondrous to know that we are making progress. On the topic of progress, the Open and Affirming Coalition of the UCC held a 30 th anniversary celebration prior to the recent General Synod. It was 30 years ago that the General Synod of the UCC called for LGBT equality. At the 30 th anniversary celebration this year, the Coalition announced a new initiative: the 100% Initiative. The UCC is the largest LGBT affirming denomination in the world, with 1,300 ONA congregations and ministries representing over 250,000 believers. Our work is not done, however. There are currently approximately 5,000 UCC congregations in the United States. The goal of the Coalition, and our denomination as a whole, is for every congregation to prayerfully and mindfully choose to become Open and Affirming, if it can find that radical welcome in its soul. Of course, St. Paul UCC chose that designation on November 17 th, 2013. Jesus said in the Sermon the Mount that we should not hide our light under a bushel but instead put it on a hill for all to see. Perhaps in this case, the more apt metaphor is that we should not hide our light in a closet but put in on a hill top so that others might find their own path to a welcoming truth. It is not our role to push others to that truth, but to live by Christian example and model a life of radical welcome. AND NOW.an announcement that brings us great joy! On August 1 st, Bonnie Meek and Loretta Miller were joined in holy (and legal) matrimony by Pastor Terri at St. Paul at 3:00 p.m. The reception was private but all were welcomed to the ceremony. Loretta and Bonnie held a holy union ceremony eight years ago to consecrate their love before God, but of course the repressive laws of our state did not allow them to have that ceremony recognized as a legal marriage. We rejoice with them that now they can experience the same basic right the rest of us have taken for granted. Congratulations Loretta and Bonnie! Happy Birthday!!! 9 Cindy Weiler 11 Betty Wolgast 25 Pastor Terri August 2 Gail Popyk 9 Cindy Weiler 16 23 Marge Murrell 30 Dick Schuster
Page 4 HOME BOUND Anne Pyciak Edith Anthony Virginia Park Marilyn Dopp Mable Adamson Esther Hornyak Mae St. Clair Joan Pinegar Dorothy Zink Ruth MacRae Wally Paczkowski Residents of Evangelical Home & Other Residences CANCER Bonnie Fagon Barbara Delmoral Shirley (Anne) Jean Donna Eugene Hardy Lynn Tom (Lisa) Carol Anna (Bonnie M) Nancy (Barb M) Lillian (Barb M) Ruthie Howell (Pastor) Howard Dubois Karen (Barb M) Sherry Schact Irene Marian (Bendik) Yaeger Hannah Aunt Debbie Mary Fritz Lorrie Berry Rachel James PLEASE PRAY FOR St. Paul UCC New Beginnings Process Sonja Gray (Lorri) Ned (Marge) Linda Gerri Thatcher (Mary F) Rev. Gene McCornack Tommy Council (Mable s grandson) Brandon Ebel & Family Margaret (Barb M) Reva Brezin-Prosnitz (permanent kidney dialysis) SPUCC Community Supper Those Serving our Country Washington Decision Makers Michigan s People & Economy People Who Seek/Need a Community of Faith Safety for People of the World Seminarians and Members in Discernment PFLAG Ruth Ellis Center The Warming Center Sacred Conversations on Race Libyan Refugees Nepal Earthquake Victims We continually strive to keep our prayer lists updated. We are familiar with most of the people on our lists, but not all. Many people on our cancer list are our members friends or family members. If you know someone on our lists, please take a moment and let Barbara Stephens or Cindy Weiler know how they are doing. Thank you for your help. New additions will be lifted up during our community prayer time in worship and at Monday morning prayer. Each Monday, updated copies will be available on the black countertop. Emergency requests will continue to be called down the prayer chain as they are received. The names on our HOME BOUND and CANCER lists will be ongoing. The names on our PLEASE PRAY FOR list will remain on for a month. If a name is removed and you would like it to continue on the list, please let Maria know.
A Church, A Church Our church is not just a building sitting in the middle of a community on Mound Road. Hopefully, it is a place where families come to worship on Sunday morning AND a place of comfort for anyone who might be in need of a listening ear or an offer of some kind of help. I feel here at St. Paul s, we fit that calling in many ways. Do you know the many ways that we do? Thanksgiving and Christmas 2014, we filled 5 food baskets and donated special gifts to families with children. Since January 2015, our food pantry fed 19 hungry families, our gas cards filled up 12 empty tanks, our baby pantry diapered 9 babies and helped clothe 5 little ones (some referred by St. Mark and Lutheran Social Services). Page 5 Barbara Stephens Our First Wednesday of the Month Free Community Suppers average 35 people, some of whom hadn t had a meal in days. We answer daily phone calls from moms and families asking for help. For some, this is a very difficult call. Whatever the need might be, we try to listen and show understanding. St. Paul is a very small congregation, but a very supportive one. It takes many hands and loving hearts to make our church. Everyone has a special talent that they do well. We all come together in spirit and love to serve our community, as God would have us do. Sunday, August 30 OCWM SUNDAY TOGETHER We Are Changing LIVES! Free Community Supper Wednesday, August 5 4:30-6:30 pm Mable Adamson Esther Hornyak Virginia Park Mae St Clair Edith Anthony Ruth MacRae Joan Pinegar Dorothy Zink Marilyn Dopp Wally Paczkowski Anne Pyciak
Page 6 Dear Members of St. Paul UCC, "And do not grow weary while doing good, for in due season you shall reap if you do not lose heart." Galatians-6:9 The truth and assurance here really speaks volumes to me. I also love the words because they apply to everyone. With that said, it doesn't guarantee that everyone believes it when they read it. So many are deceived by the old cliché', one step forward two steps back. I think I even mentioned it before and I say it again because of how often I hear it and how bad it irks me. I don't care what rises up while going forward. All the trials, hardships; they rise up to grow us and if we do not lose heart, a breakthrough is coming. Hopefully it doesn't seem as I'm preaching, I just feel very passionate about this absolute truth. I believe my thinking was transformed to this way of insight when I viewed another that was doing all the wrong things and on the surface, seemed to receive every blessing. I'm on the other end observing this and thinking to myself, I'm doing everything in my power to do right but I was mistaken about what would come from it. To put it simply, I was very discouraged. Eventually this individual and I started to build a rapport. The craziest realization came to light. You would have to hear him to understand how down and hopeless he actually felt and especially how he saw me in the same identity as I saw him. I believe it took this to allow me to push forward and what a true tragedy it would've been to entertain the deception of one step forward, two steps back. In closing, I want to share a very beautiful poem that was sent to me by a very encouraging person. Unrelated to what I've already said, but these words also speak volumes to me. "Christians" by Maya Angelou Brandon Ebel I'm shouting "I'm clean livin." I'm whispering, "I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven." I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble And need Christ as my guide. I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I am weak And need His strength to carry on. I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting that I have failed And need God to clean my mess. I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartache, So I call upon His name. I'm not holier than thou. I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's grace somehow! If you would like to write to Brandon or send him a card, his address is: Ebel, #752523 Thumb Correctional Facility 3225 John Conley Drive Lapeer, MI 48446
Page 7 Pastor Terri A REPORT FROM GENERAL SYNOD 30 UNEXPECTED PLACES I was honored and blessed to be a delegate at the 30 th General Synod of the United Church of Christ from June 26-30 in Cleveland, Ohio. In addition to a variety of significant business on our own structure, we studied and debated several resolutions, some of which passed overwhelmingly, others by a narrow margin, and still others did not. Race issues in the US were addressed through a resolution on mass incarceration and the Washington, DC football team name, as well as global issues (unification of Korea and the Armenian Genocide). A resolution was passed that endorsed the need for an outer space environment free of man-made debris (Do a Google search on space junk and look at the images you will be amazed!) while another defeated a call encouraging mandatory identification of genetically-engineered foods. Synod also addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by adopting a resolution entitled, A Call for the United Church of Christ to Take Actions Toward a Just Peace in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, which calls upon the UCC to study perspectives on the occupied Palestinian territories, divest from companies that profit from the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and people, boycott products made by companies that operate in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, advocate with Congress to ensure Israel s compliance with US laws, related to the $3.1 billion of military aid that the US sends annually to Israel, and in light of Israeli human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories, and continue to engage in interfaith dialogue, including with Jewish colleagues and organizations. This resolution does not call for boycott or divestment from Israel. This is an important distinction. The resolution addresses the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and its people; it does not challenge Israel s existence. Another resolution that focused on the Israeli -Palestinian conflict failed to gain enough votes. That resolution would have made the UCC the first denomination to recognize the actions of the Israeli government in the occupied territories as apartheid. That term, accurate according to the definition, was just too loaded for others. Delegates voted down a proposal to the constitution and bylaws of the UCC that would have shifted leadership of the national setting from the current four-person collegium structure to one general minister and president. Among those expressing concern about the consolidation of power in one office, the Rev. Yvonne Delk, the first African-American woman ordained in the UCC, voiced her thoughts. "At a time like this, why would we substitute concentrated power for a covenantal relationship? In a back-and-forth debate on the floor, and during a hearing two days earlier, it was an argument for flexibility and efficiency against an argument for more time and a clearer process. In the end, the arguments for time and process won out. The theme for General Synod 30 was "Unexpected Places"...which encourages us to notice God in the unexpected. It was challenging sometimes, to remember that, as folks voiced differing opinions, sometimes quite strongly, on the various issues we discussed. But human-kindness and tolerance for the differences among us prevailed and the good and faithful work of the church progressed. Continued on Page 8
Page 8 One highlight for me was that while we gathered the Supreme Court solidified marriage equality throughout the United States! We were reminded that is was 10 years ago that the UCC Synod passed a resolution in support of marriage equality. It took years of hard work, continued education, and prayers but God did appear in an Unexpected Place! One colleague wrote; With this monumental decision it reminds me how important the work of the church is to societal change. While immediate impact of resolutions and votes might not be felt yet this important work must continue, because it does make a difference. The Synod continued their prophetic witness by adopting a resolution to work against Religious Exemption laws, which have recently passed in several states (and which is pending in Michigan) which limit LGBTQ people s access to services, employment and places to live. A second highlight occurred for me during one of our early plenary sessions when two women stood up and spoke about disabilities. One woman was middle aged and mentioned sight being an area where she needs assistance. She went on to tell us many things we can do to help those with disabilities including: Ask if someone needs assistance, don t just assume; Provide rides to church; Have a hearing system in your church; Make large print bulletins 22 pt font (and they don t have to look exactly like the regular bulletins, just make it so people can read them and the hymns!); Wheelchair accessibility; Don t judge; Accessible bathrooms that you don t have to go outside to obtain access to; Invite participation of those with disabilities in worship and leadership within the church; Learn how to include those with intellectual disabilities. The five days I spent at General Synod 30 was exhausting both physically and mentally. But they were glorious days as well! Rich in music of all kinds and worship experiences that go beyond imagination and wonderful keynote speakers and the opportunity to connect with the diverse larger church and reconnect with friends and colleagues from around the country. I highly recommend to any member of a UCC congregation that they go to Synod at least once in their lifetime if not as a delegate than as a visitor. If you do, you will be hooked and become what many folks call themselves A Synod Junky! We extend our deepest gratitude to the congregation of St. Paul s. For all those who came to visit, sent a card, or said a prayer for our mother, Susan Schlemmer, we are so grateful for the friendship and love you gave her. Mom loved being a member of St. Paul s. Thank you for continuing to make her feel cared about. God bless all of you! Martin Dolley, Mark, Kathy, Sara & Stephanie Peters