Fueling the Movement!

I was out of state on a short holiday over the Labor Day weekend and someone asked me if there is anything going on in the Florida Conference of the United Church of Christ.  I was glad to tell them there is plenty happening in this place we call home. In the last month alone,

• ·         The Florida Conference awarded a $2500 grant to the United Church of Gainesville as they prepare to open the Gainesville Peer Respite Center that will serve as a short term housing program for individuals experiencing or at risk of experiencing a mental health crisis.  The grant comes from the Church Redevelopment Fund of the Conference in response to our invitation to local settings to do something fresh and new that might bring new life to the church and community.
• ·         From the same fund, we’ve just completed the paperwork to accept a grant proposal from Miami Lakes Congregational Church.  They will host a comprehensive community health fair for people in the Hialeah/Miami Lakes area.  Partnering with the civic and medical communities, the congregation will help connect service to need by bringing together partners in health care ranging from veterinary pet care to hearing services, Alzheimer’s assistance, glucose testing, and a host of other services. The congregation hopes this grant will create the impetus for future events which they pray will benefit from other funding under the axiom that ‘success begets success.’ We are pleased to partner with them in this new venture and join them in their prayers for success.  The grant given was $2,000.
• ·         The Jackson Interfaith Fund exists to fund interfaith workshops.  The Union Congregational Church, UCC in West Palm Beach recently received a grant of $750 to plan an Interfaith Peace Concert in the coming year.  The concert will highlight religious diversity and kick off a series of lunch and learn programs and listening sessions for the purpose of building a just peace between religious people from a variety of faith perspectives.

These grant awards, and the funds that make them possible, illustrate the partnership that creates the United Church of Christ movement in Florida.  Local settings take up the mantle of leadership and the Conference is able to provide resources to make innovation possible.  

Today, I invite your participation in this movement.  Consider, first, how your faith community can imagine a new ministry that might bring vitality to your neighborhood and church.  Apply for matching funds and let’s do ministry together.

Second, make a gift to the Florida Conference through our website www.uccfla.org  that will support our efforts to build upon these early successes in doing ministry together in a new way.  You may designate your gift to support the work of the Florida Conference and your donation will be gratefully received.  If you prefer to give, but not online, you may mail your check to the Florida Conference office at 924 N Magnolia Ave, Orlando, Florida 32803.

Friends, it’s an exciting time to be the UCC in Florida and I am glad you are part of the movement of God’s people in this place.  Be at peace, and be in touch, won’t you.

John Vertigan

Conference Minister

Life in the Slow Lane

It happened again yesterday.  I seem to get stuck in this spot all too often.  There I was, driving down the highway at a goodly clip when, suddenly, I had to brake and ease off because the car in front of me was going so slow.  I figured it was traffic.  I always do.   You know how it goes.  I couldn't see in front of that car so I figured they were going slow because traffic in front of them was going slow. I tried my best to be patient.

It isn't easy.  Pretty soon, I was craning my neck to the left trying to see what was in front of that car that was keeping us so slow in the middle lane.  I couldn't see.  Pretty soon, I was drumming my fingers on the steering wheel while hoping aloud that things would get moving.  C'mon, c'mon, c'mon.  It didn't work. Pretty soon, I eased my car out to the left lane just a little and now I could see what was slowing us down.

It was the car directly in front of me.  As a matter of fact, there was no one in front of him.  There was no one in the middle lane within a quarter mile of that car.  I began to deride myself for sitting behind for so long, then moved out to the left and got back up to speed.  And, as I did, I thought once again, "I seem to get stuck in this spot all too often."

"This spot" comes in a variety of forms in my life, and probably in yours, too.  I want to be more effective at work, but there is something in my way.  I want to be happier in my relationships, but there is something in my way.  I want to get in shape, but ...... I want to have a deeper and more fulfilling spiritual journey, but . ..... this, that or the other thing, but......

What would happen if we dared to peek around what we think is the  obstacle in front of us?  Is there really a good reason to stay stuck where we are, or can we move our life ahead by changing lanes and getting things back up to speed?  Most of the time, I discover that the only thing holding me back is me. The only thing keeping me from my goals is a subconscious fear of what success might look like, how a change in my performance or my relationships or my body type or my spiritual life might cause bigger changes and a dancing into the unknown that  is harder to cope with than the status quo. Sometimes, it's just easier to stay in the slow lane.

But c'mon, c'mon, c'mon.  If the only thing holding you back is you, it's time to get out of your own way and start working toward your wildest hopes and dreams.  There's too much life to live to stay stuck in the slow lane.  Let's get  moving.  Where do you want to go?

Be at peace, and be in touch, won't you.

Ripped from the News

An article on CNN.com Tuesday mentioned a little boy visiting an art exhibit in Taiwan.  He stumbled.  He tripped.  He lost his balance.  Say it however you want.  He fell.  And when he did, he put his hand out to steady himself and poked a fist-sized hole in a 1.5 million dollar painting. 

Woops.

You know how it feels, right down in your gut. You made a mistake.  You did something wrong.  You harmed someone or something.  You feel ……… name your word. 

Awful.  Terrible. Horrible.

Regretful.  Remorseful. Sorry.

Pained. Distressed. Worried.

Frightened.  Upset. Anxious.

Embarrassed.  Uncomfortable. Self-Conscious.

The list can go on and on.

Upon learning of the incident, the curator acted counter to how one might have expected.  Rather than exploding in anger, rather than reaching out with irritation or rage or justified ire, the curator reached out with concern, lest the family ‘put too much pressure on themselves.’ He assured them that insurance would cover the cost and they shouldn’t worry.

So here’s my image for the day.  God as Curator. God as Steward of the good.  God as Caretaker of every gift.  God as guardian of life as it is displayed in all its variety, color, and wonder. 

God as Curator. In the Middle English sense, it means pastor. Imagine that.  God is my pastor.  God is my shepherd (I shall not want?)   The list can go on and on.

Shepherd. Counselor. Breath. Wind.

Rock. Protector. Advocate.

Mother. Timeless One. Creator.

Spirit. Wisdom. The All-Compassionate.

The Restorer. The Giver of Life.

When you’re feeling the ‘woops’, remember your Curator, and recall that there’s no need to put too much pressure on yourself.  All will be well with you.  I invite you not to worry.

Be at peace, and be in touch, won’t you.

This is the Fast I Desire

Watching the news this morning over my morning coffee, I was confronted with the violence of the culture in which we live.  A pancake house held up at gunpoint, the customers herded into a freezer while the criminals made off with the proceeds of the day.  A murder trial in which five people are already jailed and the jury will likely get the case of the sixth today.  So many lives ruined, so many families destroyed.  A fatal hit and run accident where a driver cut down a pedestrian, left the car behind and ran away.  The police are now searching for that driver.  Friends, all of this was just in Orlando.  Imagine the violence you witness every day when you read the paper or watch the news and other programming on television.  We are surrounded by violence and I am convinced it leads us to a kind of disequilibrium that ranges from rage to numbness.

I opened the web page on my computer when I arrived at work and was immediately confronted with the challenge:  Make a Commitment to Peace: Fast from media violence from September 15-21, 2015. I was on this webpage because, once upon a time, I downloaded a link to save for some other time.  I was cleaning out the mess in my ‘downloads’ file and wondered what it was.  As it turns out, it wasn’t junk at all.  In fact, I learned some pretty important facts:

• Our children will see an estimated 100,000 acts of violence on television in the next 10 years.
• There is a stronger connection between violence on television and aggressive behavior than the connection between lead exposure and lower IQs in children.
• Children spend more time (6 1/2 hours per day) in front of computer, television and game screens than any other activity except sleeping.

Today, I am inviting the United Church of Christ in Florida to join me and to Make a Commitment for Peace.  You have three weeks to publicize and make ready for a fast from media violence from September 15-21, 2015.  What programming could possibly be more important than this?  Our sense of well-being is at stake.  Our sense of inner peace is at stake.  The very nature of our society is at stake.  Now is the time to act.  Now is the time to fuel the movement for peace and justice in the church and culture.

This web link from the United Church of Christ Office of Communication has a planning guide that will do the work for you.  There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, just commit and publicize and participate. 

https://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6587/signup_page/mediaviolencefast2015

I’m anxious to know that you are joining me in this symbolic fast.  Tell me you story, build a community of action with me.  Be at peace, and be in touch, won’t you.

John Vertigan

Conference Minister