Dear Members, Friends, Siblings, All,

Thomas has gone to General Synod 35 in Kansas City, MO. Why am I so excited? Here’s why.

When the United Church of Christ meets, there is nothing quite like it. You can never see such a diverse, energized, “multi-racial, multi-cultural” gathering in your life, apart perhaps from ComicCon. And it’s not just the Pacific Islanders who walk around in their traditional garb. It’s the elderly saints from the Great Plains whose straight-forward faith shows in their Bermuda shorts and their frank, faithful gaze. There are children and young people who are growing in faith and communion there, some to bear witness, all to learn. Children! Teenagers! I’ll never forget two girls I met once—Heaven and Grace. They were best friends.

Without fail, the meeting space is designed to the Synod theme on a modest budget with thrilling effect, and worship is where this people of God lift prayers, song, and praise in one voice. The speakers, the preachers, the worship leaders and musicians, the entertainment—everything is superlative and uplifting, enough to make one have visions and prophesy. The business meetings, well, this is where grace and mercy and the patience of God’s Own Self show up. It must be done, of course, and the saints of the church persevere. (I suspect the moderators have been touched by God, directly.) The atmosphere fairly vibrates.

General Synod is where you can see with your eyes what our denomination looks like and believes. Which brings to mind a story: When our son was a freshman in college and heavily (ruthlessly) evangelized by one very aggressive student group, he asked to go with them to “bring people to Jesus” on the beaches of South Carolina. Mr. Clement and I were agreed, this would not happen. Instead, I took him to General Synod (in Kansas City, as it happened) and later sent him to the Taizé community in France for a week. He saw a very different people of God. He is an Episcopalian now.

For those of us who will not go to Kansas City, there will be streaming opportunities through the session. I urge you to take advantage of these. Have a look-in on our church for an un-common view of an old faith alive and well in the 21st Century. Perhaps we’ll catch a glimpse of Thomas on the screen. See this link: https://www.ucc.org/gs-livestream/.

Meantime, back at Central, we have the parable of the Samaritan (the good one because mostly they were hated). Another old story in which to find new meaning. Come join us for worship on Sunday, Streamers and Gatherers, all y’all. We’ll hope to see you or be seen by you, whatever works.

Love and hugs,

Rev. Liz