"And So It Goes"

Sometimes it's hard to "move on." I know that I've been stuck over the last few days. Woodchucks! Woodchucks love living under the tool shed in the corner of our back yard. We had a family of these critters when we first moved here seven years ago. But then they either moved or they became more subtle in their movements. At least we hadn't noticed them again until this summer.

We inherited the tool shed from the previous owners. There is evidence that they had also dealt with the attraction of the tool shed to the neighborhood wildlife. And, we've known that we needed to do something more to plug up the gaps under the floor. Clearly, the time was now.

So, we called the pest control company to come and remove the woodchucks. For a fee that caused us some extended hyperventilation the pest control person (PCP) would come, set traps and remove the woodchucks to a forested area a safe distance away from our home. The contract was signed, the trap was set, and over a period of two days two woodchucks were safely caught and set free in a new home.

Meanwhile the problem of plugging the gaps under the tool shed weighed on our minds. We needed to coordinate this effort with the removal of the woodchucks, of course. We also needed to develop a design, a schedule, a budget, in short, a plan that we could work around work schedules, weather, limited labor skills and a desire to do it as cheaply as possible.

It was all so paralyzing. I could think of little else. In meetings, sitting at my computer in my office, driving along the road, lying awake in the middle of the night I went over all of these things in my mind. Stones. Pavers. Edgers. Leveling the tool shed. Getting enough dirt for the landscaping. Over and over again in my mind. It seems simple enough. But I kept getting stuck. The more I thought about it the more complicated it got.

I was willing to buy the stones, the pavers and the edgers. but I absolutely didn't want to buy the dirt. But in order to get enough dirt without buying it, I needed to take it from another part of my yard. I could do that if I decided to extend the width of our driveway (another longstanding project). But did I really want to do that too?

...And so it goes...

I run into many situations in ministry where the foundations of our decision making and problem solving similarly consist of so much shifting sand.

I know of a small country church that is searching for a new pastor. They want the new part time pastor to help "grow" the church by providing a presence in the community, building the Sunday school, conducting adult Bible studies, all for $12,000 per year!

They are particularly interested in redeveloping the Sunday school. They had three to five children in attendance at worship nearly every Sunday but were awaiting the arrival of the next pastor before starting any programs for these children.

But what if someone in the congregation decided to do something to teach the children some Bible stories, or help them to memorize some prayers or teach them some hymns. It might take an extra fifteen minutes either before or after worship (maybe during the coffee hour).

The church might find that they have a nascent Sunday school developing through one person's plan to share the Church's faith and tradition with some children in an uncomplicated, straightforward manner.

Addressing the issues that present themselves to us in today's global culture boggle the imagination. One round of letters to the editor in the Syracuse papers recently has involved the issue of interfaith relationships. Words such as pluralism, multiculturalism, and tolerance signify the breakdown of the American way of life to some people. They represent the only hope of world peace and justice to others.

Yesterday, I met Jill Carroll, director of the Boniuk Center for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance at Rice University. The Boniuk Center was founded by a grant from a millionaire (after whom the center is named) who thought that he could transform the world and bring about complete interfaith tolerance if he produced and distributed Religious Tolerance lapel pins to everyone in the world.

Jill and other staff of the Boniuk Center decided that there might be a better, more realistic plan to achieve this goal. They developed the Amazing Faiths Project based upon the premise that if they brought people from different faith perspectives together for a simple meal and a carefully planned and moderated discussion of various issues of faith, then a new culture of mutual respect and cooperation would develop. These discussion would not be interfaith dialogues, but rather conversations among people of different faith traditions about life. Based in Houston, TX the program has spread to other cities in Texas and beyond. InterFaith Works of Central New York is planning to bring this program to the Syracuse area.

Interfaith cooperation like any kind of cooperation between races, genders, ethnicities is difficult. Reports from the Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan, to the United States prove this premise. But starting with a simple plan, having dinner together, just might start something totally new.

At the end of his life the prophet Moses received the Word from God that he passed onto God's people. The message was the choice between life and death. Such choices rarely present themselves in life' big events. Most often these choices come in the mundane moments of deciding whether or not to opt for hope and possibility or for the fear of anything new or different.

Do we encourage the new member who has different ideas about how to keep the books, or organize the church growth program or church supper? Or do we dismiss them with the seven last words of the church ("We've never done it that way before!")?

What if we really wanted to have the services of a full time pastor, even though we were a small church with a budget to match? We learned that we could call a full time pastor if we were willing to share pastoral services with another congregation. Things progress. Both churches are more than willing. The job description is developed. The decision is nearly made. There is one problem. Both churches worship at the same hour. The churches have the choice. What is most important, calling a full time minister to this new two-point "charge" or keeping the integrity of their existing schedule of worship? Which priority brings the greater promise of life rather than death?

Choices. Deciding to make them, or not. As we Develop an idea, make a plan and take one step at a time we just might find that suddenly the shifting sands under our feet have become a firm foundation upon which we can build a new life of faith and faithfulness.

As far as decisions about matters in my own back yard go, I dug a trench around the tool shed. I nailed some edging to the floor frame and filled the bottom of the trench with rocks. Then I covered over the stones with the readily available. I'll do the rest of the landscaping soon. I will use the dirt from the section of my driveway that I will extend. It will take the rest of the summer probably. But for now, the woodchucks will not find it easy to get under the tool shed.

...And so it goes...

Blessings,

Rick Cowles

"A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"

Well, it is a beautiful day in the neighborhood (mine, at least). The hazy, hot, humid days earlier in the week have given way to deep blue skies, puffy white clouds and a gentle westerly breeze.

For many of us in the Church days like this reflect the gentler schedules that we enjoy at this time of year, regardless of the setting. The congregational newsletters that I receive are "thinner". They talk about combined services with other congregations, or revised worship schedules, church picnics, retreats and workcamps, and reminders to keep up our pledges even if our weekends are spent doing other things than worshipping.

For my part, as a conference staff person, local churches that are in a time of pastoral transition continue to need assistance in going through the process of finding a pastoral leader. In the two associations for which I am primary responsibility for coverage (Oneida and Susquehanna) 11 of the 56 congregations are in the search process. Fortunately, most of these congregations have very good interim pastoral leadership to help them to grow through this transition time.

Yes, it's a beautiful day in my neighborhood, God is in heaven, and all is right with the world. I look out on my back yard and the grass is green (and doesn't need mowing for another couple of days!), the bushes are trimmed, the gardens are weeded. Yes, things are pretty good...until I think of the goffer holes under the storage shed and back deck, and the myriad other odd jobs that need doing. Suddenly, I'm thinking of going on a day-trip to take me away from it all. But then, I find myself wondering about how beautiful the day is in other neighborhoods.

It's partly cloudy in East London, Republic of South Africa, today. Our missionary partners, Dawn and Jon Barnes, are enjoying a mild mid-winter day with temperatures varying between 46-61 degrees Fahrenheit expected.

Dawn and Jon play a similar role to mine in working with pastors and churches in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa (the southeastern tip of the continent). They help facilitate clergy meetings, retreats, and womens' meetings. They help local churches address nutritional and economic needs. They's helped to start community garden that provide food and some income. And, they are very involved in the Samaritan Care Centre, a health clinic that provides, educational outreach programs and palliative care to HIV/AIDS sufferers. Click on this link for stories and articles of their work on our behalf in South Africa: http://www.globalministries.org/africa/missionaries/?country=&issue_topic=&missionaries_for_stories=barnes-jon-dawn.

In Nyala in the southern, more mountainous region of Darfur, Sudan it is 83 degrees. They are expecting rain and thunderstorms. Expectations might be different in the northern part of Darfur, where the U.N. peace keeping force was attacked by the Janjaweed yesterday.

We wonder what can stop the fighting, the ethnic conflict, the genocide. More peacekeepers with a broader mandate to stop of the violence might help. More pressure on China (one of the Sudanese government's strongest allies) might also help. Keeping our sisters and brothers in Darfur in prayer as well as their persecutors in Khartoum and the hosts of their refugee camps in Chad will definitely help.

In addition to prayer we can sign petitions of support on websites like http://www.savedarfur.org/ and give money to support the refugees and advocate for the end of the violence.

As churches we can also raise awareness and show our support by participating in such programs as Tents of Hope. Tents of Hope (http://www.tentsofhope.org/) raises our awareness and connects us with the suffering of the people in Darfur through the symbol of the refugee tent. We paint tents (or sections of tents) while we learn of the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur regions of Sudan. The Tents of Hope organization is planning a nationwide gathering of these colorful tents on the Mall in Washington D.C. in November.

The Oneida Association Global Church Committee is taking part in the Tents of Hope effort. The Committee invites all churches of the Association to join in a Mission Fair, September 13, Noon-4:00 at the Fairmount Community Church UCC, 4801 West Genesee St., Syracuse. Come for food and fellowship. (There will be a chicken barbecue plus hotdogs and hamburgers and "fixins".) Come and learn more about the crisis in Darfur. Come to paint a 12" square section of a tent that will be sent to the United Nations Refugee Camps in Chad. Once there the sections will be assembled into full tents.

In the meantime Plymouth Congregational UCC, Syracuse is also participating in the
Tents of Hope program. They will paint and display their tent during the annual Syracuse Arts & Crafts Fair, July 26-27. They also plan to take part in the Oneida Association Mission Fair.

And so, with thanks to Fred Rogers,

"It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood, A beautiful day for a neighbor.
Would you be mine? Could you be mine?..."

Perhaps in their own way, the people of Darfur are asking these same questions.

Blessings,

Rick Cowles

"On Thinking Beyond Tomatoes"

Read all about it! In the recent crisis involving the spread of Salmonella scientists believe that it's time to change their perspective on tomatoes. "They aren't off the hook," the scientists reported, "It's just that we have to start thinking beyond tomatoes."

Last week Christina Villa, long time staff person of the national UCC Stewardship Ministry Team, wrote a helpful meditation in the daily UCC Stillspeaking Devotional. She wrote of a childhood trip to the Statue of Liberty, how she and her family took what seemed to be hours in climbing the (what seemed to be) endless stairs to the top. Tina wrote that all she found herself thinking about was those stairs. She stared at the stairs. Her entire experience of this central symbol of what it means to be "American" involved thinking about the stairs.

"Some years later," Tina continued, "I saw the Statue of Liberty from the Staten Island ferry on a brilliant late summer day. This time was different. I couldn't take my eyes off it. There it is! The Statue of Liberty! From half a mile away, its meaning was arresting."

She went onto observe, "'Give me your tired, your poor.' That's the meaning of the Statue of Liberty. Our political arguments over immigration policy are like the stairs inside the statue. They are what you remember while you're missing the point. God's regulations about who can eat the Passover meal are like that, too. See God's pronouncements from a distance and from some vulnerable and hopeful position, like that of an immigrant approaching at last a harbor. That's how you get the point."

What's the point? Yes, tomatoes are the immediate cause of the spread of salmonella poisoning. And, warnings should be broadcast and tomatoes removed from grocery store shelves and restaurant menus. But, maybe it's not the tomatoes' fault alone. Maybe there are other vegetables or fruits that also are infected. Maybe it's a matter of where they're packaged or the materials with which they are packaged, or the place whence they are being shipped.

The price of gas in the U.S. is finally reaching international fee levels, and we don't like it. So, what's the point? Does it mean that we should increase oil production (including drilling in areas within wildlife preserves)? Does it mean that we should limit those whose speculation on Wall St. are causing prices to spike? Does it mean that we engage more intentionally in producing alternate fuels and adjust the technology of our cars and other toys accordingly? Does it mean that we just grin and bear it all? (A most recent Pew Survey reported in this morning's paper suggests that a majority of people approve of drilling for oil in wildlife reserves, by the way.)

Reports from Moscow are that another city landmark will be renovated. The huge toy store, Detsky Mir (Children's World), will be gutted and modernized. Said one official, "It has become both morally and physically obsolete." So, what's the point? In what way can a toy store be morally obsolete? Does it sell toys laced with led? Are the employees unfairly treated by management? An interesting comment, nevertheless. There are those who fear that the renovation will destroy an historic aesthetically distinctive and pleasing landmark. So, where is the point at which becoming physically state of the art crosses over into aesthetic immorality?

I can think of many of our church buildings that can be described as physically obsolete. It might also be true that their physical obsolescence has moral implications. (Handicapped accessibility comes to mind!)

One of our churches needs a new roof over the sanctuary. This church has also identified the need for new, more comfortable chairs for the sanctuary. Sometime this winter a couple of families paid for the chairs. The church council has just asked the congregation to embark upon a fund drive to pay for the new roof. The council also noted that worship and Sunday school attendance has stagnated somewhat recently. (Hopefully, there will be no heavy rains that will leak through the old roof onto the new chairs, filled by fewer people!)

The national setting of the UCC is debating whether or not to undergo a modification of the recent restructure. Some leaders have felt that making the relationship of the different covenanted ministries more streamlined and efficient, with clearer lines of leadership and authority, and reducing the unwieldy size of the various volunteer administrative boards will make the national setting more faithful in its calling. If this doesn't happen (especially reducing the size of the boards) there will be little alternative other than reducing the already bare bones paid staff. Those who stand against the proposed modifications fear a loss of voice for traditionally under-represented groups.

So, what's the point? The point is that it's all a matter of perspective. So often we become so immersed in the details that we miss the point (as Tina Villa put so well). We read in the scriptures that God's thoughts are not our thoughts, and that God wishes that we see things like God does.

The United Church of Christ is a covenantal church. We love God, we follow Jesus, we seek to grow together in all God's ways. We propose to live out this calling by extending a radical welcome to all God's people, working for justice where there is oppression, grace and peace where there is violence.

Our local congregations are called to be the church in their locations: to proclaim the Gospel in word and in deed; to share fellowship with Christians everywhere; to respect all people especially those whose pathways to God differ from our own; to identify and serve the needs of the community, especially those that are the most vulnerable.

The United States of America has as part of its oath of allegiance that we are "one nation under God with liberty and justice for all." Many of our fellow citizens hear the words "under God" and feel that we need to get prayer back into the schools and allow sculptures of the Ten Commandments in our state houses.

While these maybe worthy pursuits, my view is that God is probably much more concerned with liberty and justice for God's children than with public prayers dutifully stated by rote or badly executed statues. God is more concerned with providing for the poor, the homeless and the oppressed than with building walls to keep them out. God is more concerned with one world, than with one nation over against the others.

That's the problem with thinking beyond tomatoes. Things get more complicated. But, just maybe, like the Statue of Liberty from a half mile away, we might just get the point.

"The earth is God's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it."

(Ps. 24:1 NCH)

Blessings,

Rick Cowles