27 More To Go!

As part of my first interview with the search committee, I was given a walking tour of the facilities. I was shown the Church School classrooms, the small Chapel, the fellowship hall, Sanctuary and Narthex.

For those unfamiliar with the term "Narthex," it is the vestibule leading to the nave of a church... for those unfamiliar with the term "Nave"... ok, this could go on for a while.

The Narthex is the front entryway into the Sanctuary. It is the place where worshipers are greeted on Sunday mornings, given a bulletin for the service and welcomed inside. It is also the place where several portraits of previous pastors hang on the walls, keeping a watchful eye over all of the coming and going.

As I stood in that space with two members of the committee, I remarked on how magnificent it was to be in a church that was (at the time) 370 years old.

"How awesome it will be to come back for the 400th anniversary," I said.

To which I received the response; "What do you mean, 'come back?'"

And so the running joke has been that to answer God's call to be Senior Pastor of Newman Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Rumford, Rhode Island, I was to plan on being around for 30 years.

Today, as I write this entry, it is November 15, 2016... our three-year anniversary as pastor and congregation. How time flies...

Over these past three years we have experienced together the good and the bad. We have worshipped together, prayed with and for one another, cried on each others' shoulders, and worked alongside one another to further God's mission in the world.

Being the church today is not easy... yet faithful members of this church continue to show up and do our best to do exactly that... be the church.

I am truly blessed to be the pastor of a congregation which includes those of you who have been eager and willing to share personal stories of how God is at work in your life... including those moments where the Holy Spirit has entered in, speaking to you, filling you with the breath of God and reassuring you that no matter the difficulties that come before us, everything is going to be ok. To hear of those experiences not only warms my heart but solidifies my trust in the God that is leading us to share in ministry in this place.

We have packed a lot of ministry into these three years...and yet there is much more to do.

This past Sunday evening, we gathered for an impromptu prayer service to be present with one another following the previous week's presidential election. Those in attendance spoke of personal feelings, struggles, anger and fear. And a resounding thread in our conversation was the need for community in a time such as this.

In answer to this need, we will now gather weekly on Sunday evenings at 7:30pm to pray together and to be community...supporting each other, listening to each other and being present, standing up and standing for one another.

Friends, a big part of being church together is creating and sustaining this type of community. To be the church is to be in relationship with one another, helping each other through the tough times and celebrating together the good. It is jointly taking a look around our community and the world and seeing how it is that we are being called to share God's love and peace with those in need.

This past week has provided us far too many examples of how some of our friends, our loved ones and our neighbors (perhaps even ourselves) have quickly become those in need. Hate-fueled violence continues to rock our nation. Racial tension is still on the rise. Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny... they are all playing out in the streets of our cities, the halls of our schools, around the tables in our homes. And we, as followers of Jesus, must do something about it.

The world will not change overnight. Our nation will not become safer in an instant. But that cannot deter us from doing our part. Now, perhaps more than any other time in our recent history, we who claim to follow Jesus are called to live according to Christ's teachings and truly seek to bring about peace in our nation and in our world.

Alone... not one of us will accomplish these things. But together... together in community, sharing in ministry, we will do incredible things!

In the days that come, prayerfully consider how it is that you will live out your faith in such a way that the lives of others will benefit. Prayerfully consider how it is that our stillspeaking God is leading you to act, to educate, to promote or protest. Prayerfully consider how it is that you will be a part of shaping the world for generations that follow.

And once you have settled on what it is that you must do... go forth, do it big and do it together.

I give God thanks repeatedly for the ministry we have shared over these past three years. And, "God-willing," I look forward to what we will accomplish together in the years to come. 27 more to go!

Blessings,
Pastor Timoth

While Our Children Slept - Their World Changed Forever

Last night, we tucked our boys into bed with a false sense of hope that when they awoke, we would have an opportunity to share with them something incredible. It was my hope that when they opened their eyes, a new world would have dawned where they would continue to feel safe and where the possibilities were truly endless as yet another glass ceiling had been shattered.

I named it as a false sense of hope because that's exactly what it was.

Our children awoke this morning, oblivious to the events which occurred while they slept. They had no idea that during the night, millions of people were celebrating a victory that the candidate they supported now claims. They had no idea that millions of people voted to support one man's rise to power on a platform of bigotry, misogyny, racism, shaming, pure ignorance and hatred.

They were asleep. Innocent. Safe.

They awoke not knowing that their family, one that loves them more deeply than they will ever comprehend, now begins to live into a future that is uncertain.

Because the man elected last night is a man who finds it acceptable to degrade millions of people simple because they are black, brown, female, Muslim, queer, differently-abled...and he is a man that has found millions of others who think the same.

How very disappointing!

I am disappointed in our nation, in the millions of people who believe that this man is somehow a model for our country... for our children.
I am disappointed in a system that has enabled millions of people to grow up thinking it is acceptable to treat others as less-than-human.
I am disappointed that generations of hard work enacted by so many on behalf of so many others is now about to be undone.

How incredibly scary!

I am fearful as to what it now means for our children to have someone elected that does not respect and is not willing to honor our marriage and therefore our family.
I am fearful for our children's future in a nation that now not only tolerates but celebrates bullying behaviors.
I am fearful for all of those who do not fit into society's boxes and therefore are seen as "other."

What will keep them safe?

For our children, and millions of others, their world WAS much safer yesterday than it is today. That's the reality!
Yes, our family has endured bullying behaviors, we've endured homophobia. We've seen how cruel some people can be when encountering differences in the world. And we've seen just how ignorant people can be. Yet I'm afraid the worst is yet to come and our children will be affected the most.

And I won't stand for that!
I won't be silent when the lives of those I love are under attack.
I will not look the other way.

And I pray that others will join me.

Because you see, it's not just about our children... it's about all children yet to fully comprehend the decision made by millions of adults...many of whom they look up to.

So I will commit myself, my work, my life to ensuring a safe place for all of these children.
I will dedicate my time and my energy to ridding their world of bullying, of ignorance, and of xenophobia.
I will continue to make promises to our children that no matter what is happening in the world, I will do everything I can to keep them safe.

And I will succeed! We will succeed! Our children will be safe!

Because...
   ...I believe in and worship a God that continues to encourage me... to encourage all of us to live in such a way that ignorance and hatred are overpowered by love and justice.
   ...I believe that when we encounter those moments in life that drain us or cause us to question our own safety, the God I worship enters in and tells us not to be afraid.
   ...I believe in and worship a God that is ever-present and one that does not dwell in darkness but gives us all the ability to cast it aside and prove time and time again that love prevails.

And as our children grow, I hope to introduce them to this God.
I hope to provide them with opportunities where they can learn to trust in something bigger than just themselves.
I hope to walk alongside them as they see how beautiful life can be when we love one another fully.

And then I will tuck them into bed at night with a true sense of hope for the days that come...for a time when love will prevail!

The Sanctity of Gay Clubs

In my early 20's I found the interior of the local gay clubs to be life-changing, a sacred place in fact. Perhaps I didn't have the words at the time, but what I experienced when entering the clubs was a sense of peace. I was free to be the man God had created me to be and I was safe from the harsh world outside the doors that sought to marginalize (or harm) me and others like me.

The clubs of my youth provided a rare sense of freedom and safety not found in other places. Sadly, that is no longer the case.

With more and more information being shared following the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, a shockwave is rippling across our nation and around the world.

Those that up until this weekend had sought the same sense of freedom and shelter within the walls of gay clubs are now carrying something within them, especially if they choose to enter the clubs again.

FEAR

It is the same fear that now fills our schools, our churches, our places of employment...a fear that has been felt in far too many homes and neighborhoods. It is a fear for our safety and the safety of those we love.

This shooting, the deadliest in our nation's history, adds exponentially to that fear.

At the time of writing this, 50 people are dead, many others are injured . 

50 PEOPLE ARE DEAD!!!!

50 people have been gunned down... in a place where just moments before they were enjoying the freedom and the safety that such a club provided, with the beat of the music in sync with the beat of their hearts.

And in an instant, one man's decision silenced those beats. 

Now an immediate response to this tragedy is of course to join our hearts in praying for those affected. Praying for their families and friends. Praying for the city of Orlando. Praying for the LGBTQ community. The Latino community. The Muslim community. Our nation. All affected by this devastating event.

But seriously... no matter how strong our faith may be, no matter what power we attribute to prayer... it is not enough. Yes, we must do as Paul wrote to the Thessalonians... we must PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. But it is not enough.

We must speak out!

We must stand up!

We must bring an end to the violence!

Let's stop talking about gun legislation and instead actually do something about it!

Let's stop being afraid of our neighbors, our gay neighbors, our trans neighbors, our Muslim, Jewish, mentally ill, drug addicted, chronically unemployed, homeless neighbors. 

Jesus was not afraid! Why are we?

We cannot give in to the fear!

Yes, it is ever-present. I carry it within me. 

I have it within me many times when I am out in public with my husband and our children. 

I have it within me many times when I step into the pulpit of our Open and Affirming church.

I have it within me many times when I live out my faith and speak the truth of the Gospel.

But it does not stop me! It will not stop me! And it should not stop you either!

Now, more than ever it is clear that our world is in desperate need of peacemakers... Gospel-living, kingdom-bringing, justice-seeking peacemakers that are determined in our work and ministry to bring about the change that will keep our families and our friends safe no matter where they are.

The feeling I had when I entered those clubs many years ago is the same feeling that I have now when I trust in my faith and God's work in my life. It is the same feeling I have when I focus on what it is that Jesus has taught us and how he served as a model for us all in how we are to live. 

I feel safe in my faith.

I feel free to live, trusting that God is ever-present with me.

But I also feel the nudge, stronger than before, to be a voice against the violence, against the injustice, against the absolute craziness in our world that would allow someone to gun down 50 strangers. 

Spend the necessary time in prayer... and then make a choice to do something.

Our voices must be strong! They must be heard! 

Far too many lives depend on it!

Here are a few organizations doing great work to bring about change. Consider getting involved with them.

Religious Coalition for a Violence-Free Rhode Island

Rhode Island State Council of Churches

Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ

Two vigils have been planned for this week.

Tuesday, June 14 - 6pm

     Roger Williams National Memorial 

     282 North Main Street

     Providence

Wednesday, June 15 - 8:30pm

    Rose Larisa Memorial Park

    701 Bullocks Point Avenue

    Riverside

What shirt will you wear?

Facebook reminded me this morning that I shared THIS CARTOON one year ago today.

I really appreciated this a year ago. Still appreciate it today. As the data continues to flow in, those that work to discern God's dream for the church are seeing this shift. And led by the Holy Spirit, they are living the Gospel in unique and inviting ways that are making the church healthier than it has been for some time.

However, healthy today is not the same understanding of healthy 20, 30 or 50 years ago. Our foreparents in the faith lived in a very different time and the institution that we have created (and call the church) was different for them than it is for us today.

Jesus' message is still the same. Yet, over the years, some have drifted away from that message, contorted it to meet their own needs and in turn, have hurt others and hurt the church. It's up to us, those of us who love Jesus AND love the church to live the truth of the Gospel and work to prevent those that have been (are) causing harm from continuing to do so.

Christianity is not dying.
The church is not dying.

Do you know why? Because Jesus lives! His teachings are just as relevant today as they were 2000 years ago... maybe even more relevant.

What has changed? We have. Our desire to live independently as opposed to living within community. Our need for self-gratification as opposed to caring for the needs of others. Our self-centered, self-motivated living is counter to the Christian Gospel.

And that is what needs to change. That is what needs to die.

And then our faith, our lives... and just maybe the church... will be reborn...will be resurrected!

Have we gone so far as to stop believing in the God we worship and God's ability to make all things new?

Perhaps we're content worshiping a God that is made in our image... one that suits our needs, our desires...instead of worshiping the God who created all things, the God who re-creates still, the God who made US in God's image. Imago Dei!

If we do nothing, the church WILL die. It's like the wisdom shared by my childhood dentist in regard to my teeth; "If you ignore them... they'll go away." If we ignore the church...it will go away.

My sense is that not one of us want to simply do nothing. We want the church to exist. What we need to determine is for what purpose? Do we want the church to simply exist to meet our own needs? To be our private/primary social circle? To allow us positions of power that we couldn't (perhaps shouldn't) be invited to anywhere else in the community?

Or do we believe in the institution that was created to work collectively, meeting the needs of those in the world who lack the resources for daily living that we hold abundantly?

Make a decision!

If you want to call yourself a Christian, then put on the "Christian" shirt and invest yourself, your life in living Christ's Gospel.

Or...

Move aside. Align yourself more truthfully with the organizations in the world that will meet your needs. And let those of us who trust in God's Spirit guiding us to lead the way and bring about the change in the world to which God is calling us.

Step aside and let those whose hearts are filled with the life and teachings of Jesus Christ be about the work of the church. Watch from a distance if you must. And then when/if you are ready... ready to die to self and to get out of God's way, come back and join in the ministry to which Jesus points us.

But all in all, be truthful... truthful to yourself and truthful to God.

Where do you align yourself? What shirt will you wear from this day forward?

I was a United Methodist

Growing up, I didn't have a whole heck of a lot of experience with church. My family boasted our Portuguese Catholic heritage although I recall only once attending a Catholic mass with my family. It was also the same day that we attended worship at the local Baptist church. As my mother, my step-father and his four children walked into either sacred space, I'm sure we were looked upon as a "good Christian/Catholic family." If only they knew... (but that's a post for another day)

As a youth, I naturally gravitated to wherever it was that my friends were hanging out. And it just so happened that the place they were hanging out was the local United Methodist Church, attending their youth fellowship program. So I went. I ate their snacks. I played their games. I probably even sang their songs and sat with head bowed, eyes closed as they prayed their prayers. But I cannot recall any connection... to the church, the religion or their God. To my friends? Yes! But that was the only connection.

I continued on that path for a while, attending youth fellowship and growing my friendships.

That fellowship and those friendships also took me to a United Methodist summer camp. Actually, a summer Confirmation camp. The week culminated in (apparently) my meeting the requirements of being confirmed in the United Methodist Church. Although what I took away from that week was notably far less than the camp counselors would've hoped.

But nonetheless, I was confirmed a United Methodist and became a member of that local church. Though I'm not sure I attended church beyond that point.

Fast forward a few years. I'm living back in my hometown, attending college and working at a local fast food restaurant. There I met the wife of a young, vibrant Methodist pastor that encouraged me to give the church another try. I went to worship in their church. I was even drafted as a camp counselor one summer... the summer I engaged one of the biggest struggles of my life.

It was at that Methodist summer camp where I experienced my own conversion experience. I had been struggling for some time to find a balance between the God that was being introduced to me through the United Methodist Church and the inner understanding that I was significantly different than the neatly-organized, boxed-in identities of those whom I was told God loved. I am different. I am different because I am gay.

I continue to give thanks to that young, vibrant United Methodist pastor not only for inviting me into an opportunity that led to my personal conversion experience but also for sitting down in his office with me, answering the heavy question that was on my heart. "Tell me what the church says about homosexuality."

His response, which I love still this day was yet another question. "Do you want to know what the church believes or what I believe?"

He didn't even need to go further. His words assured me that no matter what the denomination may believe or teach, not everyone in the church was in agreement. If the church taught that someone like me, created by God as unique in a system that sees anything outside of the "straight" box as abnormal WAS abnormal... then perhaps that church is not for me.

It was there that I released myself from a relationship with the United Methodist Church. As the years turned from that point forward I lived into a call from God to ministry in the Christian church and knowing that the United Methodist Church was not going to affirm me for who God has created me to be, I took a different path. And today, I give thanks to God for the United Church of Christ, for the lead we have taken as a denomination on so many levels and for affirming me in my ordination to the Christian ministry.

As more and more information comes out from the current United Methodist General Conference, my heart breaks. Those who are still within the United Methodist Church who yearn to live and be in ministry as their true selves are hurting and being hurt. I fear for those ordained members who have come out as openly LGBTQ, making themselves very vulnerable in the midst of a divisive conference. I pray for the local churches torn apart by this dialogue. And I weep for Christianity, again centered in the public eye, revealing our flaws and assuring those outside of our churches that we are truly as hypocritical as they project.

As I read the voices of those engaged in these United Methodist conversations I pray that healing can happen, that folks can be aware of God's presence in the midst of it all and that the Gospel can shine through.

Sure, I could sit back and scoff at those that are not ready to embrace the full inclusion of my LGBTQ siblings. I could go off on the ignorance, the lack of educated understanding of what is at play. I could even simply ignore it all because I am sitting in a denomination that affirms me, that has ordained me... an openly gay man. Why should I care about those outside of the United Church of Christ?

But I don't do these things. Instead I long for, and I hope to work toward a time when all who claim to follow Jesus will exist in such a way that we no longer demean those different from ourselves. I hope to work toward bringing about more and more glimpses of the kingdom which Jesus spoke of where love of God, neighbor and self prevails. I hope to raise our children in a world where these debates are a thing of the past, a world where all are valued for the person God has created them to be. That is the world of which God dreams, I believe.

So to those in our Christian family who are aligned with the United Methodist Church... God be with you. God be with you in this time of difficult conversations, this time of uncertainty. God be with you as you seek to not only speak your truth with love but also to listen intently to those, God's beloved who disagree. May the Spirit move in and through us all.

The PROBLEM with your theology is...

An Open Letter to Disrespectful “Christians”

On Saturday, our church had representation at the PrideFest in Providence, Rhode Island. We had a booth, take-aways, our banner and a variety of warm friendly faces from our congregation greeting those that passed by. As I stood in front of the booth, I would often engage with those who were reading our banner or looking at our rainbow doors. I’d start the conversation quickly as I know that most street fairs pull for our attention in a million different ways so I needed to get to the heart of the conversation as quickly as possible. “Do you go to church?” is the question that I asked followed by; “Why not?” since the majority of folks answered “no” to my first question.

The responses ranged from “I don’t know” to “I’ve not found a church that is actually as welcoming as they claim to be.” I am making a huge assumption in that those I encountered probably identified with a sexuality other than heterosexual…but I can’t be completely sure.

This exchange went on throughout the day with many folks willing to engage in healthy conversation, learning about our church and challenging me to convince them that our church is truly as welcoming as we say it is.

But then the healthy engagements came to a grinding halt.

When I asked my next conversation partners if they were part of a church, the woman laughed and said “yes” as if I was offending her for asking. She then began to question the t-shirt I was wearing. It is a red shirt with the words “Love the sinner, hate the sin” written down the front. Each of the words has a line through it… except for the word “love.” The concept of the shirt is that the phrase “love the sinner, hate the sin” has all too often been used to cause harm to members of the LGBTQ community and that by leaving the word “love” as the only focus it shows us how we are to live. We are to simply love!

This woman and her male companion continued to question my shirt, the church’s banner which claimed that “Jesus didn’t reject anyone. Neither do we” (a slogan borrowed from our denomination, The United Church of Christ). They questioned my own personal theology and whether I believed in substitutionary atonement (Jesus dying as payment for our sins). They asked if Hitler is in Heaven…why does everyone always use Hitler for that example? 

They went on and on, grilling me on Old Testament law and New Testament commandments. And I think I was doing pretty well, solid in my faith, solid in my theology, respectful in the exchange. That is until the young man said this…

“The PROBLEM with your theology is…”

And that’s where I shut the conversation down.

Up until that point I had been willing to engage with these conservative “Christians” in their little game of Christian theology trivial pursuit. I had been respectful in listening to them share their theology even though it was very different than mine. I never said they were wrong. I never said I was right. I listened and responded. Until they insulted me.

To say to someone; “the PROBLEM with your theology is…” is basically saying; “I don’t care what you believe… it’s wrong!” How does that attitude spread the Gospel?

I told the couple that I was done. Having now been insulted, I was no longer going to play their game. I gave them the church’s information and invited them to contact me to set up another time where we could sit down and have a respectful conversation. But in that moment, I was done.

What did they think they were going to prove? Did they think that I, a gay Christian man, an ordained United Church of Christ Pastor, was somehow going to change my view of our God and think that I was somehow wrong in thinking that God loves me?

Did they think that by telling me that there is a problem with my theology that I was going to grovel at their feet to be spoon-fed more of their hate-slinging?

Did they think that by trying to make me feel as if my theology is wrong that they were somehow advancing the Kingdom of God?

The Jesus that I follow is a man of respect. He challenged people in order to help them grow. He spoke the truth to power because he saw power being misused and misrepresented. He lived a life of meaning, encouraging others to discover how they could align their faith with their life. And yet he never insulted people, saying that he was right and they were wrong…end of story, no more discussion.

Jesus engaged in healthy debate, healthy dialogue. And we should too.

To claim Christianity as our faith and then to go about our lives causing harm to others, insulting them, talking behind their back, making a mockery of those trying to authentically live out their faith is a slap to Jesus’ face.

The movement that began with Jesus is one that is meant to bring people to a life-fulfilling relationship with a God who loves them. It is meant to provide a new lens through which we are to see the world… a lens of compassion and justice. The movement is meant to bring about change in the world through respect.

So to my disrespectful “Christian” conversation partners… I’m still waiting for the phone call to find a time to meet. Until then, I hope that God can find a way to enter in and crack open your hearts in a way that allows so much love and compassion to flow in there will no longer be room for hate. That is my prayer for you, for myself and for all who wish to live our lives following Jesus. May we love one another as God has shown us. And may we advance the Kingdom of God in doing so.

It's time...

It's not quite a week since Epiphany. Christmas has come and gone. The Magi's gifts have been given. Our homes have been stripped of any holiday glitter and the sanctuary is once again emptied of the decorations. There are no more wreathes, no poinsettias, no candles in the windows. Had we not been present in this Sacred Space during the Advent and Christmas seasons, we would have no idea what we missed.

But I was here. I did see the Meeting House decked with boughs of greenery and symbols of the season. I did find myself surrounded by the warm, welcoming candles. I did feel the power that this time of year presents. And now it is all gone.

The morning after Epiphany (the first day that the Sanctuary was emptied of its decorations), I sat in one of the pews and looked around.

It doesn't seem possible that Christmas is over.
It doesn't seem possible that Lent will soon be beginning.

I've just celebrated the adoration of the Christ Child and now I must prepare for what comes next...his death.

It's too soon!

I want to savor the experience of hearing the story of his birth once again.
I want to capture the brilliance of the moment when the congregation sings Silent Night.
I want to hold on to the light present in the faces of our children.
I want to stay here...safe, warm, comfortable.

As my eyes pan across the front of our worship space, it's as if a voice were calling to me. My focus lands on the cross, the symbol of our faith, high above the choir pews. It calls out to me in such a way that the blurriness of this new seasons seems to come into sharp focus.

It's time...

It's time to move beyond the wreathes and the candles.
It's time to move beyond the Advent and Christmas hymns.
It's time to move beyond that which is safe, warm and comfortable.

It's time to turn the focus from Bethlehem to Jerusalem.

Jesus will age very quickly in these next few weeks. No longer will he be the Holy Infant. No longer will he be the toddler receiving the gifts of the Magi. He will be grown and steeped in his ministry, focused on the future and working diligently to bring us all along.

It's time...

It's time to leave the manger behind.
It's time to move beyond Herod, the shepherds, the angels and the Magi.
It's time to focus on a new task.
It's time to spread the word, to share the Good News.
It's time to speak the truth to power.
It's time to overturn the tables in the temple.
It's time to teach our faith to the younger generations.
It's time to challenge the status quo.
It's time to feed the hungry clothe the naked.
It's time to release the prisoners and bring sight to the blind.

It's time to be an active part of Jesus' ministry in the world.

And then it is as if the voice calls to me once again... All that we have experienced along our Advent and Christmas journeys has prepared us for what is to come. We could not be about the work and ministry that Jesus shares had we not understood that which he represents, that to which we were witness in the experiences surrounding his birth.

And now I understand. And now I am ready.

It's time...