Ponderings

Occasionally we catch a glimpse of the kin-dom, often most visible in the rearview mirror.

Last Sunday we received a wonderful group of new members at EUCC. As I was putting together the service, I knew that this was a large group (11 adults plus lots of partners and children - with two adult baptisms!). The morning was full and rich and utterly delightful.

Mia Ulmer (Birchtree Studio) was on hand to take pictures and I on Tuesday morning I had the opportunity to revel once more in the wonder of our community. Mia captured the essence of day, simply beautiful pictures of a precious people. The pictures are a treasure. I printed them for the bulletin board, but couldn’t quite let go. I decided to drop them onto a page together and then the full beauty of the morning began to become clear.

The diversity of this group of new members – age, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, family configuration – is stunning.

We talk a lot about diversity at EUCC. While we celebrate the baby steps, we lament the chasms that still divide our wider culture, so evident on Sunday mornings.

We don’t simply tolerate diversity, we revel in our differences knowing that it is our differences that enable us to most fully experience God. Because we recognize that the fullness of God is revealed in the diversity of God’s people, we know that our exclusions impede our experience of God.

Still, too often we find ourselves in monochromatic and age-segregated combinations on Sunday mornings. When I view the UCC “still speaking” television ads, I worry that we might be guilty of false advertising. Diversity may be our goal, but not our achievement.

As I stared at the page of new members, however, I was stunned to realize that for one brief moment in our history, a truly beautiful rainbow of humanity was witnessed at EUCC. The long awaited day of the Lord, the kingdom of God, when there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female… for one brief moment, we saw it.

This vision, this hope for the world, is what we are asked to support with our annual pledges. You will be receiving an envelope in the mail (yes – with a stamp!) asking for your pledge of financial support for EUCC for 2008. Your pledge isn’t to support the building or the staff, though it will do both. Your pledge is to empower this vision. Your pledge is necessary because God’s world cries out for this kind of witness.

Occasionally we catch a glimpse of the kin-dom of God. And at EUCC we have. Thanks be to God!