I got back from General Synod less than a month ago. My body is finally starting to settle back in from the trip to Cleveland where I spent day after day listening, discerning, voting, and engaging as a delegate on behalf of the Michigan conference. It was my second time as a delegate, and no less charged with passion, responsibility and frustration than the first. Synod is an unparalleled gathering in the life of our denomination: many people, many tasks, lots of worship, time for study, shopping, mingling and very little time for sleep. It was good to reconnect with friends from seminary, to see people from the UCC summer camp I attended as a kid, to see fellow youth group members I grew up with at Claremont United Church of Christ now serving on the denominational Board of Directors as adults. It was good to see a resolution go in front of the national church for the South Dakota Conference to make reparations to the Lakota people by returning land.
It was even better to see the Synod body vote in almost unanimous favor of that resolution, to watch the wrongs of history being righted before my very eyes. It was powerful to witness the collective body wrestle with language in addressing the human rights violations in Palestine. It was disheartening to hear folks who know very little about what they were talking about stand at the microphone with religious conviction, using God's name as if they were experts needing to address the crowd. Synod is a lot of things but boring isn't one of them!
One of the things that hasn't left me since coming home is how grateful I am to be your pastor.. When I tell people from around the country what kind of ministry we are doing at FCC/Koinonia, people let me know in no uncertain terms just how lucky I am. I don't say that with vanity. I say it with a humble acknowledgment that somehow I've landed the best gig there is. That we are a risk-taking congregation when it comes to worship and social witness, that we are seeking to be actively anti-racist and in solidarity with communities of color as a historically white church, that disability justice is becoming more of a priority, that we are open and affirming without apology especially regarding transgender people, that we engage in ministries of compassion and justice for those on the margins of society, that we have innovative, artistic expressions that fill our worship services with vitality, that children are at the heart of our Koinonia community, that emotional health and care are visibly seen and palpably felt in our membership, that intellectual honesty and theological challenge are core values of our faith--all of this stirs up such pride in me. I can't help but talk about this place with a sense of passion and gratitude.
I know this isn't the church for everyone. I know some folks have had to walk away because our church was/is too progressive or "too political" (whatever that means--though I suspect it has something to do with privilege being challenged). I know some people take issue with pastoral leadership for personal reasons. There is pain in that for me, for us. Truth be told that pain can get louder than the pride for me on some days. But all I have to do is talk with my colleagues and friends around the country to be reminded of just how good we have it here.
I'm grateful to be back home. I'm grateful this church is where I live, move and have my being. With you.
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