“Never place a period where God has placed a comma,”
- God is Still Speaking -
It has been almost two decades since the UCC took a quote from Gracie Allen and paired it with a proclamation that has been at the heart of our denomination’s faith and history. I have always been excited to be a part of a church that takes seriously Jesus’ promise from the Gospel of John (16:12-13) when he tells those who are dearest to him, “I have much more to say to you, but you can’t handle it now. However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you in all truth.” The invitation is for us to be a people of faith who take seriously how it is that the Spirit of God is leading us forward. When we pair this idea up with Jesus’ command to “love one another as he has loved us,” we encounter this incredible journey of not just looking over our shoulders at what God has done, but an exciting opportunity to walk with God in an unfolding ministry of extravagant love.
I have always loved the way that this command to walk with God in love has managed to transcend the boundaries that our world is so good at creating. For twenty-six years, I’ve been humbled to tell my colleagues about the magic that I’ve seen at Peace UCC, where it has always felt like we have been able to listen for God and love one another across our social, political, and cultural differences. At our best we have nurtured a spirit that is eager to discern together how God's love is being revealed among us. This has always required a spirit of trust and humility that allows us to both share from the depths of our beings while also holding a willingness to listen to what others are sharing from the depths of theirs. It’s hard work, and it’s far from perfect. Our certainties tend to get in the way of our listening. Our passions can get in the way of our sharing with humility. Still, those moments happen when we get it right and together it feels like we are discerning what Jesus would do, rooted in what Jesus did do, and that was always about love, care, and respect. When those moments happen, there is a clear embodiment of “where two or three are gathered in my name, I’m there with them.” This witness shone forth in 2019 when our congregation voted to declare itself Open and Affirming, and it shines forth every time I hear someone speak about a spirit of love that binds the disparate group of travelers together on the way with Jesus.
As a congregation, that way of working together with one another in discernment has been the heartbeat of God's love at work in the church. It’s the reminder that God is not speaking through any one of us individually. It’s not about power grabs or positioning and it’s not about the gifts of any one pastor or leader. It’s about joining together in being this crazy and extraordinary body of Christ that always feels like it might be the antidote to the fractured ways of our lives and our world.
As we enter this summer season, I pray that we would listen together for where God is still speaking to us. I encourage us to spend more time with the unfinished “commas” of our story which keep drawing us ever more deeply into the service of God's extravagant love. As we engage in mission trips and wilderness canoe adventures, as we create imaginative space for youngsters to experience their faith in Vacation Bible School, or create spaces to be gathered at table for our church Pignic or with our summer meal program, we are encouraged not just to be busy, but to be animated in the life and witness of our Still-Speaking God. May God bless us in this journey of discerning how God is working through each of us woven into this story together.