MINISTER’S MESSAGE       Big Tent or Big Parade?

             Lay Delegates Marian and George Toren, Gloria Kulenkamp and I attended the Annual Meeting of the    Conference of the United Church of Christ held at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, June 6-8.  In addition, Co-President Gail Westby attended the Saturday meeting as a visitor.  There were many stimulating experiences: lively worship, workshops, exhibits and of course annual meeting business during the three-day event. One particular highlight was the inspiring keynote message from our denominational president, Rev. John Thomas.  Through his eloquent and prophetic remarks Rev. Thomas invited the United Church of Christ to explore its mission in the world contrasting the image of the church as a “big tent” with the image of the church as a “big parade”, metaphors he explored in great depth.  To lift a few threads from his address I offer these brief paragraphs.   

A tent, or Tent of Meeting is a place that gathers us together.  To be in a tent offers much to be grateful for:  a sense of belonging and community. Yet is the tent ever large enough to encompass God’s call to us?  How large is our tent?  Who is invited to stay in the tent? 

To be part of a Big Parade, suggests we’re on the move as the people of God.  This metaphor for the life of faith is one that also gathers us together and gives us a sense of community, yet a parade suggests there is more.  A parade implies witnessing to our faith in public.  In a parade there are those who stand on the sidelines watching, waiting to be invited, perhaps even compelled to join in. 

We can invite people into our tent, but is it large enough to reflect God’s invitation? There is more room in a parade for many and diverse groups to join in.  So where do we find our sense of mission-- in a place or as part of a movement?

Jesus calls us into the world, to love the world as God loves the world.  God invites us into a movement of love, to love the world. 

I invite you to reflect on this provocative difference between a community of faith as a big tent or big parade.  What ideas for ministry come to mind when you think of being part of a movement here at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ instead of a big tent?

Finally, thanks to our delegates and visitor for taking time to invest in our wider church at this annual meeting. 

The reports on the Annual Meeting of the MN Conference UCC given in worship on June 29 help widen our
sense of call.  Special thanks as well to those who led worship on June 8th while we were away:  Mary MacGregor, Patricia McKee, Bob Galkiewicz and of course Judith Melander and Geoff Olson.

Interested in learning more about the MN Conference UCC?   Subscribe to COMMAntary, the weekly e-mail newsletter of the Conference, chock full of important news and announcements.  Simply call the Conference Office at 612-871-0359 to be added to this e-mail list.  I’d give you the e-mail address but it will have changed by the time you get this Epistle.

Courage on the Faith Journey, Pastor Norma Rae
July/August 2008

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Dear Member or Friend,

     This winter, many of you took the Corinne Ware Spirituality Inventory and learned about your particular preference for spiritual/religious expression and ways of growing your faith.  The spirituality wheel includes four types – they form the four quadrants or quarter pieces of a pie and they are:
head spirituality (importance of words, reading, thinking about faith…);
heart spirituality (importance of feeling/passion in worship, spiritual practices…);
mystic spirituality (importance of contemplation, centering in quiet/silence…); and
social justice spirituality (the action of living the faith in deeds, “feet on the street...)”

Every individual values something of each of these four types of spiritual expression and also has one type that is stronger – your preferred way of expressing faith.  In addition, the collective results for the 50-60 persons who took the inventory reveal the orientation of the congregation as well.  How delightful to learn that the collective results reveal a  wonderful balance of each of the four types of spiritual   expression– head-heart-mystic-social justice here at St. Paul’s UCC.

To grow as a community of faith, we celebrate the diversity of these different types of spiritual preference in worship and  programming.  Therefore our worship life reflects variety in types of hymns and songs, prayer forms, as well as preaching emphasis-- balancing the head-heart-mystic and social justice themes of the faith.

There is wholeness in acknowledging our diversity of spiritual types.  We grow    individually as we are invited to experience more diversity in worship and programming.  We become more loving as a community when we recognize our neighbor in the pew is more excited about the very part of worship that is least preferable to us. 

I sense that we are growing in our understanding of our diversity and this is a sign of increasing strength in our congregation.  Summer worship and Journey of Faith programming will tap into these different spiritual types.  This is also a way for us to grow in numbers as more   people find points of comfort and challenge in our community of faith.  Thank you for exploring your faith through this kind of diversity.

Onward in the Journey of Faith,

Norma Rae Hunt, Interim Minister

P.S.  If you haven’t yet taken the Cormine Ware Spiritual Type inventory, please contact me and I’ll arrange
e this option for you.  It’s easy!
June 2008

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Dear Member or Friend,

     Yes, we are in “interim time”.   Most people groan at the very word.  However, interim time always means in-between what was and what will be.  We could say existentially, we are always in "interim" time then, between the now and the not yet. 

     Transition in a church's life, moving from past, into present and future engages us in several stages.  Usually this includes the following tasks:   1) letting go of the past, which can include both grief and relief; 2) shifts in leadership both formal and informal;     3) reconsidering our identity, including our denominational links and self-understanding; 4) discerning our emerging identity and mission; and finally,  5) preparing for new leadership both lay and ordained, to include a new model of leadership.

     As you know,  the leadership team of St. Paul's United Church of Christ recognizes that we have much to do for each of these five tasks.  In fact, we will not yet think about a search process for  a new minister in this year ahead.  Given our challenges and potential   opportunities, this journey may take us into a longer chapter of transition as we grow in strength, clarity of mission and direction for the future.  So, relax into the present moment and be here now.

     If you find it difficult to be "in transition", perhaps it's helpful to remember that what appears "permanent" never really is.  We truly are always on the edge of what was and what will be.  We never really know what tonight or tomorrow brings.  What we are given is the present and God’s presence with us. 

     I believe God calls us to live fully in the present, cherishing with gratitude what blessings we have right now at St. Paul's UCC and saying "YES" to even the most   humble service we might give to those in and near our church.  Yes, we are in “interim time” and this time is God’s time.  Everything that happens for the good comes in God’s time.

Energized by the Spirit and You, Norma Rae Hunt

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