With A Little Help from Our Friends

I love the United Church of Christ. This statement may or may not surprise you. You may think that as a person serving on a UCC Conference staff I would be expected to make such a statement. Or, if you have known me for awhile you may be surprised that I would be so effusive in my praise. Nevertheless, I'll say it again. I love the United Church of Christ.

And this is what I love about the UCC today. It continues to amaze me how God blesses us in the UCC with the freedom to follow our own faith journey while also presenting us with friends that are willing to walk along side us, to teach, guide, correct, and encourage.

Dee responded to my blog posting about the tragedy at Virginia Tech, "We must comfort each other and trust in our God." I think this comfort and trust building is at the center of our life together in the United Church of Christ.

John Thomas provided a litany based upon this Sunday's Gospel lesson from John to provide healing and hope for all of us that profess a Resurrection Hope. Here's a link for those who may not have seen this prayer. http://news.ucc.org/images/vatech_prayer.pdf

Tim Downs, Southeastern Conference Minister, generously offered to help our Susquehanna Association Committee on Authorized Ministry, in supporting and guiding a student from Ithaca who attends an Atlanta seminary, through the In Care process on our behalf.

Chris, a case manager for the UCC Pension Boards, willingly and cheerfully took on the job of researching and advocating for one of our pastors who is trying to secure health insurance for her family. It's her job, yes, but she handles it as a friend who cares.

Jim Ziobro, pastor in Homer, and Pat Robinson, pastor in Sidney, agreed at the last minute to host an evening gathering in their congregations for a program offered by missionaries, Wayne and Ingrid Wilson. They did this with less than a week's notice. The opportunity to share in our mutually supported worldwide ministries was embraced by their congregations, these pastors (and all that hosted throughout the Conference), as well as the missionaries themselves.

And, there are the people whom I asked to help to raise money for the UCCNY Capital Funds campaign. Not everyone felt called to ask people for money. But everyone I asked expressed their willingness to give as well as their appreciation for the work and ministry of the Conference and of the UCC.

These are all commonplace occurrences, to be sure. And, other churches probably experience the same outpourings of love and caring. Yet, I know it happens in the UCC. Over and over again, we show our willingness to help, our desire to give, our commitment to try to get our life together -- our mutual freedom and accountability -- right.

We are not alone. The next UCC congregation may be many miles away. But we are as close as a moment of prayer, a call on the telephone, a letter, an email, even a blog posting. Indeed, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.

Blessings,

Rick