During my vacation, I spent several days in Zurich, Switzerland. Although the vacation was really for fun, I spent some time at one of the oldest evangelical and Reformed churches, Grossmünster. A little more than 500 years ago, that church became the seat of the Swiss Reformation. You can trace its impact in the UCC, as there are more than a dozen congregations named “Zwingli United Church of Christ,” so named after Ulrich Zwingli, who once led Grossmuenster.

For some time now, I’ve wondered, “What would a reformation look like today?” I’m not entirely sure, but I do think that one is necessary. We can spend hours talking about why mainline protestant American churches look the way they do. We can blame family structures, the advent of the digital age, school extracurriculars, and more. But, I think there’s something else that we’re afraid to talk about. The church, at large, has been irresponsible. We’ve stopped asking “what does the Lord require?” We’ve allowed our signs and symbols to be used as cover for actions and ideas that run counter to the Good News of the Gospel. And we have focused our energies and attention on “growth,” almost always meaning the number of people in the pews, singing in the choir, or offering financial support. We built great campuses to honor and glorify God, and now those campuses are being sold off and turned into luxury condos and senior living communities. If you follow the trends, they almost all point toward some form of death. I’m okay with that, because I believe in resurrection.

And I see resurrection all around. I saw resurrection in Athens this week.

I spent Tuesday with our siblings at The Table, the inclusive campus ministry at UGA. They’ve been moving through a worship series on the names of God and I offered a sermon on the idea of God and Christ as “king.” It’s hard to believe that a football school in the SEC hosts a decidedly inclusive, ecumenical Christian ministry. It’s even harder to believe that 30+ college kids show up every Tuesday night for dinner and worship from 7-9pm. Where are the young people? They’re gathering at The Table!

On Sunday, we’ll sit with the story of Jesus and the Sadducees, consider what that story offers us in understanding the nature of resurrection and maybe reformation too. For fans of Richard Niebuhr, one of the most notable theologians of the last century, we’ll wrestle with his notions of responsibility.

We’ll also honor our veterans during worship, as they will receive quilts made by our friends in the Phoenix Sewing Bee. Stick around after worship for Coffee Hour, Pizza on the Playground, and our Council meeting.

Be well,

Rev. Thomas