CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS
PEOPLES PRESS
Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World
a congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists & the American Baptist Churches
INTERIM’S INSIGHTS
“For just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the Sower and bread for food, so will my word be that goes forth from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will carry out my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 54:10-11, The Inclusive Bible)
The folks in California are bearing the brunt of winter storms this week, dealing with wind and rain, mudslides and swollen waterways, all of which pose a very real threat to life and health of human beings, animals and plant life. We need to keep them (and others all over the world in similar situations) in our prayers. The silver lining, of course, is that the drought that has plagued the west is being mitigated by the torrential downpours. Water levels in the reservoirs are rising and the snow pack in the mountains is deepening. While this is good news, not all of the water will counter the draught. Much of the rain will come too fast for the soil to absorb it and on the west side of the mountains, it will drain into the Pacific becoming salty and unusable for drinking. It is a painful irony that so much water comes down without benefitting the environment and ecology which so desperately needs it!
In the time when the Words of the Ancient Prophet Isaiah were delivered to God’s people (also familiar with the delicate balance of water and arid conditions), what they longed for most was a return to their homeland. They were in exile in Babylon, and many interpreted their predicament as a sign that God had abandoned them, or worse, that God was not potent enough to rescue (redeem?) them. So the prophet uses a familiar image, the coming of precipitation, as a reminder of what the gift of rain and snow can be like. In the desert, such blessings completely transform the landscape. The pastures become green again, the pools and wades fill up with water, wells again are productive. And various plants and animals thrive, giving life to other living things.
The Word of God is like the rain and snow. It is not just sound in the air or ink on a page. It has purpose. And it does not go back to its source without accomplishing that purpose.
In this season of our lives, it can seem as if God is not relevant or at least not capable of reversing the evils of our time. The cold and bareness we see out our windows seems to mirror the injustices and callous indifference that we experience daily. People spew hateful messages into our civil discourse, and post snide and disparaging memes on social media, as if there were no consequences to their vitriol. As people of faith, our resolve is tested by the very people we are called to serve and invite into a better future. How is that supposed to work?
The Word of God. It has its own power and potency. It accomplishes what God intends it to accomplish. It is more than simply quotes from the Bible, it is a living enactment of the grace of God. It dissolves the most calcified heart and injects the most violent conflicts with grace and healing.
Peoples Church of Flint is in the process of calling a new minister. You are examining the gifts and credentials of candidates for the office that God is leading to consider coming to serve here. A big chunk of what they are called to do is proclaim the Gospel, to deliver God’s Word. When that happens, remember that it does not just go away. It reverberates among the people, it throbs with the power of a God who does great things. It drowns out the clamor and false claims of the world and those who trumpet warped values. It does not go back to God empty.
We are still some time away from voting on a new minister. There is a lot that has to happen before we do that. But what we can do is let the word soak in. We can put in some spiritual retention ponds, so that we can have hefty reserves of God’s word in us. We can live differently than the world, being stewards of the Word, instead of chasing after false promises. We can foster community and share the joys and burdens of life. And we can make sure that the people in our neighborhoods have access to the Word as well.
In the long cold winter, it’s a good idea to remind ourselves that whatever exile we find ourselves in, it never is the final word: there is a Word that comes from God. A Word that brings life. Amen.
Pastor Davis Sickelka, Interim Pastor
Office Closed for MLK Day, Our office will be closed on Monday, January 16 in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. If you have a pastoral emergency, please contact Pastor Dave at (515)720-6389 (cell).
the mindful train
Springer.com https://link.springer.com/ is a scholarly site where one can find an abundance of links to scientific articles and research. It is an overwhelming presentation of research, theory and data. You can hardly find the word, “religion” among the millions of words that will quickly appear here. Type “religion” into the site’s search engine. Here is the very first thing that will appear: “There is no universally accepted definition of religion. Today the term mainly refers to institutions and systems of belief.” End of discussion about religion. As a religious person with a huge interest in science as well as religion I find that statement leaving me cold. Yet, not surprised; as there is a huge and growing wall between religion and science to which people on both sides have been adding bricks for centuries.
On the Springer site I found one little spot that might provide a good place for starting to chip away at this fortress of mutual resistance to open-minded thinking. The Article’s title is “Mind the gap: The role of mindfulness in adapting to increasing risk and climate change.”
Here is the article’s first sentence:
“Dominant policy approaches {to climate change} have failed to generate action at anywhere near the rate, scale or depth needed to avert climate change and environmental disaster. In particular, they fail to address the need for a fundamental cultural transformation, which involves a collective shift in mindsets (values, beliefs, worldviews and associated inner human capacities)”. [Click here for article]
“Values, beliefs, worldviews, inner human capacities.” Wow, that is a lot of religion to be found in the middle of this scholarly science! And to me that is exciting. Reading deeper into the stream of academia above cited, one finds a key for initiating the cultural transformation needed for humanity to become capable of dealing with the tumultuous climate challenges that we face. The key in which these scientists take a great interest is Mindfulness.
Along the way the scientists even suggest that society has a great need to raise up cultural leaders who have received training in mindfulness. We are lost without that.
The roots of mindfulness go deep into Buddhism and Hinduism, centuries before Jesus. In recent decades, psychology has come to recognize and widely use mindfulness as a therapeutic tool and appreciate the value in ancient religions. My question: Why in blazes doesn’t the church get on this train for a trip down the track into the future along with the medical and scientific communities and our Buddhist and Hindu spiritual companions who are already on board? We could start by looking around for a certified mindfulness counselor and offering them a good deal on space for their classes/workshops here at Peoples.
Kendall Brown, for The Creation/Justice Team
Good Things Happening in and around us
Continued thanks...Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Peoples Church of Flint, I just want to thank you for your kindness to Voices for Children. There are more than 30 children who will have joy because of the squish melon pillows, Legos, and art kits – especially clothing. Thank you for being a blessing to them. Nyse, President & CEO of Voices for Children
(Editor’s note: Peoples Church actually provided the above for a total of 41 children! You went above and beyond! Kudos to you all! – Pastor Dave)
One Digit. .. And so a new year begins. The year advances by 1 digit but much stays the same. It's still cold outside, the days are short, and weekly meetings continue meeting weekly. But with that 1-digit change comes the anticipation of something new. Warmer weather, longer days, new insights that gradually emerge during weekly meetings. As a Search Committee we continue working towards that something new. The process is long and perhaps it seems we are moving at a snail's pace, but we remain committed to the work, trusting the Spirit's guidance, direction, and timing. We also, continue to rely on your prayers for this process, for our future pastor, for discernment and clarity.
Carla Pierik, Search Committee Chair
Memo from OS-SA & ENJ* groups: The *Outreach and Social Action and Environmental Justice Teams along with a few extra persons with interest have been meeting together to discuss and plan future initiatives for Peoples Church. We want to share with you some of our thinking and encourage you to join us in our discussion and future action. For now, we are considering ways to build up Peoples’ presence and ministry in our neighborhood. In particular, we are exploring the idea of providing a warming station (winter, inside) and a hospitality service (summer in our plaza) to expand our ministry to persons in our neighborhood. The need is before us and at our feet. We will need support (material and in person) in many ways. For now, this memo is simply to encourage you to be praying for and thinking about this initiative. Either Jay (jhcummings@aol.com) or Kendall (redbaron1947@gmail.com) would be glad to hear from you and will pass your thoughts along. Our next meeting will be on Monday, Jan. 23rd at 6pm. at the church. Join us.
UPCOMING AFFILIATE & Community ACTIVITIES
Environmental Justice People Power Gathering (VIRTUAL)
The Environmental Justice team at Michigan United wants to meet with the community. We have a plan to fight corporate polluters in 2023 and want your help!
At our January meeting we plan to announce our 2023 priorities and discuss environmental racism. The meeting will be held Thursday, January 26th from 6 pm to 7:30 pm.
Click HERE to register.
If you have additional input or know anyone who cares about the environment but is unable to attend, please email Tony Paciorek at tpaciorek@miunited.org to take a survey.
17 resolutions may be up for Synod consideration in 2023:
by Connie Larkman UCC staff, published on Jan 9, 2023
Reparations, reproductive rights, trans and non-binary people, white supremacy, gun violence, green energy, plastics and public schools.
These are just a few of the issues addressed in proposed resolutions slated to come before the United Church of Christ General Synod this summer.
“Seventeen resolutions were formally submitted to the Office of the General Minister and President by the deadline of January 2,” said adjunct national staff member Kevin Peterson. He and David Anderson staff the Synod’s resolution and committee process.
Of the proposed resolutions:
· Four have been submitted by a delegate with the written concurrence of at least ten more delegates.
· Two were proposed by local churches with the written concurrence of at least five other churches.
· Five were submitted by Associations.
· Six were proposed by Conferences with one of those co-submitted by the UCC Board.
A few other broad topics the resolutions address involve access to technology, ministerial standing and authorization, personal diet choices, solitary confinement and harm reduction.
The General Synod of the UCC will meet in Indianapolis, IN June 30 through July 4 (delegates are chosen by the Michigan Conference). Go to ucc.org for more information.
JOIN THE THURSDAY NIGHT BOOK GROUP
IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!
Links are on the church calendar: t.ly/ALHB. Need more info? Just ask!
Adult Forum, meets at 9:30 am on Sundays, We’re currently reading, Finding Me: A Memoir by Viola Davis. Join us either in person at church or via Zoom .
Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.
New Text Alert System. We have shifted to a new text messaging service. If you're in our church directory, you're all set. If you're not, go here to sign up!