Search and Call - Communications

And it begins…

As we set out on this journey together of what it has been for me to navigate Search and Call in the United Church of Christ, I invite you to go back and read through the first post I did in preparation. In part, I suggest this because this journey may at times not be for the faint of heart… and by that I mean that it may ruffle some feathers along the way. And… it is my hope that through my sharing of this experience, others may be equipped and perhaps a bit of change may occur.

So… let’s dig in.

For those who are not part of the United Church of Christ or those who have never had to endure the Search and Call process, either in search or in call, let me give you some grounding information.

In the United Church of Christ, our local church communities embody an experience of autonomy and are therefore able to hire and fire their own pastors. And similarly, clergy are able to apply to churches wherever and whenever they like.

In some ways, it is this autonomy that adds (in my opinion) unnecessary stress and anxiety to the Search and Call process.

What do I mean by that? Well, each faith community forms a Search Committee to receive and review profiles from prospective candidates. They read through hundreds of pages of vital information as they seek to discern who God is calling to be their next pastoral leader.

In that process, there is a lot of opportunity for communication with the applicants… as well as many missed opportunities.

When I was in Search and Call the second time, over nine years ago, I began to recognize the communication challenges within the process. One such challenge was the fact that Search Committees were well-resourced through our denomination… and perhaps too well-resourced, as I found quickly that each and every rejection letter I received was word-for-word from the denominational resourcing.

When I would open an envelope (yes, these came as actual physical letters back then) I would read the opening sentence and know immediately if it was a rejection letter.

“We have prayerfully and carefully reviewed your Ministerial Profile and we want you to know that you are no longer under consideration.”

I don’t know exactly how many of these rejections I received. However, I do know how sterile and unemotional they felt, often leaving me questioning; “Did you really? Did you really ‘prayerfully and carefully’ consider me?”

Those letters were quickly discarded… all except for one. I have to this day a hand-written rejection letter from a church that used the exact same wording. However, the fact that someone took the time and energy to write those words to me by hand… well, it felt special, so I kept it.

This experience of cookie cutter communications began to leave a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, though not as much as the experience of extremely poor communication on behalf of many churches. It became clear that many committees were neglecting to realize that they (often) were not the only church with which I was communicating. It felt as if their timeline was the only one in existence. Which, in some cases meant a bit of surprise when they heard from me that I had accepted a call elsewhere and was removing my profile from their consideration.

I had one church actually tell me at that point that I was their top pick… yet had not communicated anything to me that would signify I was even being considered.

Communication from these committees was often very little and infrequent. In fact, I am still waiting to hear back from a church that received my profile and expressed interest in me fifteen years ago. (I hope they’ve found someone by now.)

I greatly appreciate the resourcing that is provided through Association, Conference and National Staff to churches and pastors for use in the Search and Call process. Lord knows I have relied heavily upon it at times. So I thank all of those who have been such a blessing to my process over the years.

And… I also recognize that their are many ways we can do better as local churches and as candidates in Search and Call process.

Ultimately, there's great opportunity here for grace and compassion while also striving to honor the time and effort put forth by all involved.

[Photo Credit: Xavi Cabrera on Unsplash]

They Don't Trust Us

They don't trust us... and why would they?

As the news breaks of a third-party investigation report of the Southern Baptist Convention's decades-old sexual abuse cover ups, Christian churches take another hit. 

I begin by offering a content warning for what I am about to share as it will touch on the issues of sexual abuse and rape involving minors. In addition, and more importantly, I offer my deepest condolences to those who live as survivors of such abuse. Whether as part of the SBC or any other religious institution, to learn of such abuse occurring and the painstaking work that followed to ensure the abuse remains hidden is beyond disgusting.

And, for those who are watching from outside of our faith tradition... that's exactly how we are all being seen. 

The report coming out of the SBC is frankly not surprising. Churches once thought to be a place of safety and compassion have made it clear that this is not always the case. In many of the instances that have been reported over the years, clergy and other members of church staff abuse their positions of power and forever traumatize some of the most vulnerable members of their communities.

Also in many instances, once the abuse is reported... local church or denominational leadership do everything in their power to keep it quiet including, though not limited to, intimidating the victims in an effort to keep the abuse hidden. The report about the SBC makes this abundantly clear in the anger-provoking, heartbreaking details shared by a small representation of survivors of abuse in the church.

It's no wonder so many people lack trust for the institutional church.

I touched on this subject last night with our Faith Formation Team... a team that has, over the years been instrumental in researching the most appropriate and effective ways to ensure the safety of our children and youth as well as any others involved in our faith formation ministries. Over the years, countless hours have gone into writing and re-writing our church's "Safe Space Policy" as well as working with volunteers and families to ensure everyone is on the same page in our combined efforts to keep our community safe. 

This work has involved protocols for ministry events in our church building as well as the work we have been doing online. We want to do everything we can to keep people safe.

Yet, an equally challenging aspect of this work comes in the reality that for many outside of our faith communities, there is little to no trust that we (churches) can actually do what we say we are doing. And that lack of trust factors in to the significant decline being experienced in participation and membership within many churches today.

The fact is... many of our churches are in decline because of the ways that "Christians" have abandoned the Gospel and abandoned the movement which Jesus began.

If we claim to follow Jesus... we have work to do. And that work is not the age-old lament about how we are going to get more people in the pews on a Sunday morning. Those who already don't trust us can smell a hollow attempt at evangelism a mile away. 

No, we must do as Jesus modeled... 

We must meet people where they are.
We must live our faith boldly.
We must be wiling to engage with those who don't trust the institutional church and truly hear them.
We must be willing to admit that we are part of a system that causes far more harm than many within it will ever admit.

And we must be willing to stand up alongside church abuse survivors in telling the truth about how many of the ways in which Christianity has historically been portrayed are incredibly flawed. 

We can begin to do all of this by coming back more closely in line with the movement that Jesus began... a movement steeped in extravagant love, abundant compassion and a counter-cultural understanding of power in the world. It seems it is time once again to flip the tables of injustice... tables that exist within our churches... and we are the ones who must flip them.

I encourage any of you who have read this far to devote some time to reading about the most recent unearthing of abuse in the Christian church and to make a commitment to ensuring that such abuse never happens again. And not that you need it... however, here's another example as well.

If you are someone who claims to be Christian, I encourage you to consider what that means for you and how you are broadcasting that understanding to the world. 

If you are someone who is willing to put in the effort to further Jesus' movement, I encourage you to consider what needs to be stripped away from the abuse-ridden, institutional representations of Christianity in order for the heart of Jesus' life and teachings to be set free once again.

And if you want to be part of this change... I encourage you to consider how that change might begin in you.

Christianity is not dying. What needs to die are the ways in which Christianity has been corrupted in order to hold power over others and to mask the abuse done in Jesus' name.

I'm up for the challenge. Are you? Maybe together we can regain some of the trust that has been lost.

[Photo Credit: Ronda Dorsey on Unsplash]

A Deadly Love Affair...

I spent upwards of two hours last night in a zoom meeting with our Racial Equity Team. The primary purpose of this meeting was to share updates on this year’s process for awarding our Community Racial Equity Scholarship. 

However… moments before signing in, I read the news of a shooting at a Presbyterian church in Laguna Woods, California… not yet knowing that the shooting took place while a Taiwanese congregation gathered there for fellowship. 

I read the news of how this shooter had killed one person and injured others… and how several brave souls rushed the shooter and restrained them, probably saving the lives of many others.

I spoke of my heartbreak to our Team… and noted that as of late it feels as if I am overusing that term. 

Heartbreak

Heartbroken

"It breaks my heart."

It doesn’t matter which way I say it, repeated news of lives taken in this nation as a result of our deadly love affair with guns is heartbreaking.

I offered a prayer as we began our work and then attempted to shift my attention to the task before us… though struggling to do so.

Struggling because the news out of Laguna Woods was sitting precariously upon that which occurred on the previous day… a terrorist attack at a Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, New York at the hands of a gun-wielding, self-proclaimed white supremacist.

And it wasn’t long until that event made its way into the Team’s conversation. 

In part, because this is the work we are about… seeking to rid our communities, our nation of the racially-motivated hatred and violence enacted upon our neighbors who are Black, Indigenous and other People of Color. 

This is the work we are about as we seek to educate ourselves and others of the deeply-rooted, systemic racism that fuels the white supremacy culture in which we all exist. 

“Systemic Racism”

“White Supremacy Culture”

Using those terms in a sentence, I fully know that there are those who will read them and scoff… because according to them, these things don’t exist… because they don’t see themselves within the words, when in reality they are. 

We all are. 

As we continued our conversation, a sense of lament entered in. Fully recognizing that in order for the national conversations on race to shift, in order for our firearm love affair to end, we are in need of bringing people together for discussion… yet what we see most often is a gathering of like-minded individuals “preaching to the choir.”

What would it be like to engage in a dialogue with someone who applauds Saturday’s terrorist attack? Because there are some who do.

What would it be like to hold a respectful conversation with someone whose daily fear is that the government is wanting to take their guns away from them? Because many live with this fear.

What would it be like to sit down and discuss openly the hatred and violence that continues to be stoked in our nation against those who are Black, Indigenous or other People of Color?

I honestly don’t know what that would look like, in part because most of those who share a perspective different than mine have refused to sit down for such a conversation.

I'm hoping that will change.

It’s great that we continue to work together to educate ourselves on issues of race. 

It’s great that we strive to be better examples of humanity in the world.

It’s great that so many of us are seeking to live more fully into the faith we claim, especially when it comes to our interactions with those whose lives are different than our own.

And yet… it’s not enough. 

In order to bring about the change that is necessary… the change that will ensure that we never have to read a headline about a white supremacist terrorist attack again… we must all engage in this work. We must all seek to know more, to be better, to live in such a way that exemplifies the love and justice of Jesus.

In order to bring about the change that is necessary, we must be willing to have open and honest conversations about our love of guns and our hatred of those with melanated skin. 

We must be willing to participate in respectful dialogue on issues that currently hold no other value than to keep us divided.

We must understand and admit that we all live within a white supremacy culture, one from which many of us greatly benefit on a daily basis.

We must not shy away from the work of dismantling systemic racism. 

And we must find ways to invite others to sit down at table and hold those conversations with us.

Our Racial Equity Team is committed to this work… and we invite you to be part of it. I invite you to watch for upcoming community dialogues. Attend our meetings. Commit to being uncomfortable in order to grow, and in order to change. 

Because without that commitment... without a willingness to be vulnerable, to be honest with yourself and with others... nothing will change. And too many lives are hanging in the balance waiting for change to come.

Join us in our efforts to heal this broken nation... this broken world. Message me to talk about the next step you need to take. 

#NeverForget

I was working at Petco in Davenport, Iowa that Tuesday when I was called into the breakroom where we had a small television set up for employees to use during their break time. A couple of others had already gathered there and were glued to the images being shown on the screen. One of the twin towers was billowing smoke from an upper floor... and moments later, we watched as a plane came crashing into the second tower. 

I'm sure that many of us who were alive twenty years ago can tell our own story of where we were when the towers came crashing down... twenty years ago today. We can tell the story of where we were when nearly 3,000 lives were lost, and when our nation launched almost instantly into an experience of unity that, in my lifetime, has never been seen before... 

...nor since.

In fact, with our shared lived experience these past several years, it's more and more difficult to recall how we as a nation came together that day and in the weeks that followed. 

Cars almost instantly were adorned with American flags on antennas, bumpers and windows. And that following Sunday, our churches experienced a resurgence in attendance as people flooded back to the faith communities they felt might offer them solace or answers or at least a gathering place with others to grief the tragedy inflicted upon our nation.

Since then, our churches have emptied out. Many of the flags disappeared. And the common desire for unity has dissipated. So much so that we now, in the midst of two extremely deadly pandemics, find ourselves with less and less in common with our neighbors as we fight over masks and vaccines and freedom.

What happened to that connection that came in the midst of a common tragedy? Where is that vehement spirit of community that accompanied such great loss?

Why did we see it then, with 3,000 deaths and not now with over 650,000 Americans dead from COVID?

Now, I in no way seek to diminish the grief and anguish that accompanies this date as it returns to our calendars year after year. I, in no way wish to deny the valiant sacrifices made by so many. And I will join with my neighbors year after year to #NeverForget the events of September 11, 2001. 

However, I wonder if we will come to a time in our journeys where we will give as much energy and effort to remembering hundreds of thousands of people who did not deserve, nor need to die over the course of these past eighteen months. 

I wonder what it would take for us to come to a time when we can invest that energy into putting an end to COVID deaths? What will it take to bring us together to protect one another, to be united with one another... to care for one another?

As followers of Christ, that's at the heart of how we are commanded to live. 

As citizens of this nation, it is also supposedly at the heart of the allegiance we are asked to pledge. 

My prayer is that we come to a time when both can once again be true... in our words and our actions.

Today I grieve the loss our nation endured on that fateful day in 2001... and then I move on to try to bring about an end to the tragedy within which we find ourselves this day. 

Twenty years from now I want to be able to look back and give thanks for the ways we came together to put an end to it all... an end to the fighting, the division, the misinformation and abuse. And most importantly, I want to be able to look back and celebrate how we came together to put an end to the unnecessary deaths brought on by COVID-19.

I invite you to consider doing the same. 

#NeverForget

"Christian" Deception

"I don't care if you're homosexual or straight. I don't care if you're black or if you're white.I don't care if you're Democrat or Republican, you are welcome in the house of God. I don't care what your background is, don't care how rich or how poor you are. There is one place you are always welcome at and that is the house of God."

This statement, shared by another pastor, made its way to my ears as their video scrolled across my social media page. This was part of their sermon that they had clipped and shared online for the world to see and hear. And... in first hearing it, the words washed over me in a way that felt calming and loving. These words of welcome felt authentic and I found them speaking to my heart. 

And as I read through some of the comments on the video itself, it was clear that I was not the only one captured by their words.

"I wish more churches would say this."

"Where is your church? I'd love to come. I don't go to church anymore because I don't feel welcome."

"Thank you for saying this! I had to leave my church when I came out in 2010. I haven't been back to God's house since then and I miss it!"

There are nearly 2000 comments on the video, many sharing a similar sentiment... overwhelmed by the extravagant welcome in this pastor's words. In addition, many name their own unfortunate journey with the church in the past where it was made clear they are not welcome. 

For many of us who claim to be Christ-followers, this pastor's message rings true to what we seek to live according to the life and teachings of Jesus. The extravagant welcome and radical hospitality of Christ is foundational for us as a faith community. For in extending these things to all of God's children, we are living the love and justice of Jesus more fully.

And to know that there are many, at least in the comments on this pastor's video, who long for such an authentic welcome... many who have been harmed by the institutional church in the past, is a stark reminder for us all of how vital it is that we continue to live according to Christ's teachings. 

If only the message shared were true...

I say this because the brief snippet shared online comes from a sermon that overall sends a very different message. 

In the full context of the sermon, this pastor's message is... if you identify as "homosexual," you are welcome in our church building, but... 

Let me stop here for just a moment... To offer words of welcome and words of love followed by the word "but" is to say that this love is conditional. And this pastor makes it very clear what conditions within which this love is available.

The sermon goes on to condemn homosexuality, mistakenly taking scripture out of its original context and adding harmful, toxic theology to it... much like the snippet shared online was taken out of its original context in an effort to draw people in. It is nothing more than deception. It is not in line with the teachings of Jesus. And it is absolutely not of God.

Many of those in the comments named how they had been deceived by other churches in the past. They speak of how they have been excluded and condemned by churches wielding scripture as a weapon. And this message was no different. 

At Newman UCC, we work hard to live into the extravagant welcome modeled for us by Jesus. We strive to extend the radical hospitality we've been taught. And no... we don't always get it right. We aren't perfect, by any means. However, we also aren't deceiving people with our message... telling them they are welcome only to bring them into our community so we can then diminish their existence with a scriptural attack. 

This type of abuse has been happening in the institutional church for far too long. And in large part, it plays a significant role in what is turning so many people away from Christianity. 

If we want to further Jesus' movement in the world, we must work to release it from the death grip in which the institutional church holds it. We must name the inaccuracies portrayed in the messages shared by individuals and communities who seek to cause harm.

We must, as Jesus did, speak truth... and in doing so, assure those who have been harmed along the way that we are seeking to bring about change for the better. It is in this effort that we will more fully live the love and justice of Jesus in the world.

Blessings and Peace,

Timoth

If you want to see the original video and a portion of the sermon I'm referencing, CLICK HERE to view the TikTok response video I posted. 

Have Hope, My Friends

Do not lose HOPE, my friends!

If you woke up this morning as I did, hoping for a brighter future, a world with more potential than yesterday... and found it incredibly difficult to even pull yourself out of bed, out from under the incredible weight of anxiety and fear that you have been carrying for quite some time...

You are not alone!

Even before putting my feet on the floor, I made the mistake of grabbing my phone to see how the world spun while I was asleep. (never a good idea, honestly... and yet I tend to do this more often than I'd like to admit)

A yet-to-be-determined Presidential election... which was predicted... will continue to play out before us in the coming days, and maybe even longer.

Which means that for some of us, the weight we have been carrying may get heavier as time moves on.

I'm not sure exactly what words may be helpful for you in this moment. If you tell me, I will be sure to use them.

However, for me... what is most helpful when struggling to see through the cloudy uncertainty of the future... what is most helpful when my gut is in knots and my mind is finding it more and more difficult to focus on the tasks before me... is a quick trip into the scriptures where I find reassurance and ultimately... hope.

This morning, words in Philippians 4 are speaking to my heart and I wish to share them with you that they may also be a balm for that which burdens you this day.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you."

I will be spending a good portion of this day in prayer... bringing before God the longing I embody for love and justice to triumph in this land.

I will be praying for you, dear friend... that the weight you carry may be lighter today than it was yesterday... and tomorrow even lighter.

I will be praying for those in our lives who are feeling this weight in ways I will never fully understand... our neighbors of color, those in the queer community... especially our trans siblings.

I will pray for those seeking asylum in the safety this land has the potential to provide.

I will pray for hearts that have been hardened to experience the love of Christ breaking in and softening them so that they too may express love and compassion once again.

I will pray for those whom we have elected to lead us in our communities... local, statewide and national... that they may have ears to hear the cries of the people and work toward a day when we can truly name that this is a country of liberty and justice for all.

And I will pray that we are all well-prepared for the work that is ahead... regardless of who comes out on top in the election... for we have a lot of work to do.

Be gentle with yourself this day and in the days to come.

Be gentle with those around you.

We are all hurting.

We are all grieving.

And we are all loved... beloved children of God, the God who will not leave our side especially now.

Have hope, my friends...

Have hope for a better tomorrow... with God by our side. And may our worries be less and our hearts be filled to overflowing with the love and peace we know to come from the God we worship.

And may we be prepared for the work that is ahead.

Have hope!

[Photo Credit: Ron Smith on Unsplash]

Back to School...

Photo by Deleece Cook on Unsplash

When I was younger, I would begin feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety knowing that summer was slipping away quickly and that the return to school would be here sooner than I knew.

Television ads had long been promoting Back-to-School sales prompting me and millions of other children to begin envisioning what the return to school would be like this year. 

Some of the more pressing questions for me centered around:

Who will I have for teachers?

Will my social groups still be the same?

And will I avoid the embarrassment of someone recognizing that my "Trapper Keeper" was adorned with last year's design?

Honestly, trivial things filled my young mind as the calendar had us creeping closer and closer to the first autumn school bell.

Fast forward to today... I'm now a parent of three children navigating their summer break with a new list of questions as the upcoming school year approaches. As we are all aware, this summer is not like any summer we have experienced before... and the '20-'21 school year is going to prove to be just as unique.

News media, social networking sites and inboxes are filled with stories and discussions in regard to re-opening plans for schools in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Plans are beginning to emerge in many districts and with each new piece of information shared, a flurry of responses from parents, teachers and students fills our communication sources once again.

As a family, we are clear on what we seek to have happen this fall. And our decision is based on what we believe to be best for our family. 

And without naming what our decision is... I will state that those two previous sentences could be spoken by many, if not all of the families who are engaged in this conversation. 

No matter where you land on the issue... 

• students returning to brick and mortal schools
• teachers providing at-home instruction via distance learning
• hybrid options of scheduled in-person classroom experiences alongside at-home online study
• transitioning to a homeschooling model
• or any other option that is out there...

The decisions that are being made in our homes, in regard to the needs of our families, are decisions that are made with the best interest of our children at the core. And, they are decisions that are multifaceted, based on both facts and opinions, and at times extremely difficult. 

I empathize with all of the families who find themselves in this situation.

And... I also empathize with those who are tasked with making these difficult decisions at an administrative level... those who are engaged in the development of re-opening plans... because that work, those decisions cannot be easy as well.

While those in administrative positions work to determine best next steps... 

While families work to discern what is in the best interest of their children...

Our communities become polarized.

Words become weapons.

And the opportunity for thoughtful, respectful discussion seems to vanish.

Now, we can recount many other times in our shared history when conversations have become difficult and divisive. However, in this moment there is something else at play.

Since mid-March, as businesses, organizations and schools began to make difficult decisions due to rising coronavirus infections, our collective ability to engage with one another in shared work and decision-making has been hindered by a cloud of grief. No one in our nation is exempt. We are all grieving the significant changes that have occurred in our lives, our communities, our world. 

And that has significant influence on our ability to engage. 

So where do we begin?

What do we do to regain clarity of thought that allows us to more authentically engage with one another?

Well, we can begin in a place of empathy. We can begin with compassion.

There is a passage in the book of Galatians, as translated in Eugene Peterson's "The Message" that speaks to me in this time... and perhaps it speaks to you as well.

Galatians 6:1-3 reads;

Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore them, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.

Stoop down, reach out... and share their burdens.

In other words... acknowledge what it is that others need in this moment... and begin from a place of compassion. And in doing so, live according to that which Jesus taught and modeled.

On the topic of school reopening decisions... to begin from a place of empathy, from a place of compassion, affords everyone involved an experience of equality and respect as conversation begins. To engage with someone from a place of compassion leads us quickly into the act of listening deeply to the fears and/or concerns that are held. It allows us to set our own opinions aside and to pay closer attention to that which is being shared. And it opens the dialogue up to a place of deep connection... to a place of deep love. 

Perhaps, another way to say this is to embody the command to love our neighbor. By meeting someone where they are emotionally, acknowledging the weight of grief that exists in their life at this time, we meet them from a place of deep spiritual love. And in doing so, as named in the passage from Galatians, we "complete Christ's law."

As more information is bound to be revealed in the coming weeks...

As countless plans, proposals and revisions are released...

And as an infinite number of responses follow from all directions...

May we allow ourselves to be centered in a place of compassion before responding, before rebutting. 

May we listen deeply to the voices that are being shared with an understanding that many of those voices speak from a place of deep grief. 

May we be compassionate in our listening and in our responding. 

And may we exhibit the love which Jesus modeled to one and all.

For it is our call, our command to be compassionate and loving.

And the time will come when we are in need of the same from others.

My prayer is that we can navigate it all with love and with deep compassion. 

And that whatever decisions are made, we can trust that they are the best decisions that can be made with and for the ones we love. 

A Prayer:

Compassionate God - 

As excitement and anxiety mix these remaining weeks before a new school year, allow us the moments of clarity in living that which you have envisioned for the world. May our questions span from elemental to extravagant, all with an understanding of love as part of each answer. Knowing that "back-to-school" will look different this year... different for each and every one of us... allow us an opportunity to see what it can be from the perspective of others whose decisions are perhaps far different from our own. Draw us into the places of deep love and compassion that fill us and compel us to share it with the world. 

And whatever the decisions may be... may they be made in love... and may all involved be kept safe. 

Oh... and Lord, if possible, allow all of the patterns released by Trapper Keeper to be received as "in" this year as well.

Amen