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
“A voice said, ‘Stand up, Peter. Make your sacrifice and eat.’ But Peter said, ‘I can’t, my God. I have never eaten anything profane or unclean.’ The voice spoke a second time and said, ‘Don’t call anything profane that God has made clean.”
(Acts 10:13-15, The Inclusive Bible)
This passage is part of the story of the conversion of a Roman centurion, Cornelius, along with many others. It describes the prep work God has to do so that Peter can be open to what God is about to do. Peter sees a vision of “unclean” animals which were forbidden as food by the Hebrew Scriptures. When Peter is instructed to eat, he balks. He has never done this before and is not about to start now. But God has more to say than what Peter can imagine, and tells him that what God has called clean, he must not call profane.
How many times have we limited what we do based on our notions of what is acceptable and what is not? How many times have we said, “We have never done this before,” as if that were a good reason not to do it now? How many times have we doggedly held on to programs and traditions that have long ago lost their meaning or relevance? If we never evaluate what we are doing, then we risk finding ourselves saying, “No, God, we don’t do it that way.”
This passage is also one of those that gives hope and validation to people in the LGBTQIA+ community. It makes clear that labels like “unclean,” “abomination,” “Profane,” and “Unnatural” are only human constructs that God can (and does) override for the sake of the abundant life that God offers. In fact, I would go so far as to say that what is given by “the Voice” in Peter’s dream has the weight of a commandment. It is given in the imperative tense, which in an earlier time might have just have easily been translated, “Thou shalt not!” In the time of the early church, the validity of the Hebrew Commandments and ancillary laws for Christians was hotly debated. It boiled down to whether or not it was necessary for a person to become a Jew and abide by all the rules of Judaism in order to become Christian. After much debate, it was decided that salvation did not require a conversion to Judaism. And yet, 2,000 years later, we still try to impose the rules of purity on people to whom they do not apply. We make the Scriptures, which are supposed to give and renew life, into something that justifies oppression and counters the promises of God.
For the month of June, you will see the various colors representing the LGBTQIA+ community on display in our worship space. This is not an aesthetic choice that is trending in this moment. It is not a fad that is based on the whims of public opinion. It is a statement of a bold theological truth – one that many do not want to hear and one that will arouse intense anger and hate among those who see the world in terms of “clean” and “unclean.” It is the truth that God has the power to change the rules by which we live and correct those in authority when they get it wrong.
I did not start regularly attending Pride parades until 2010. Partly because there were none in my communities, and partly because my churches had not taken stands or even talked much about sexuality or gender. When I did begin attending, there were always people along the route with signs proclaiming who God hates and (mis-)quoting the Bible to prove their point. Like Peter, they were sure they were correct. Those of us in the parade usually ignored them, but once in a while we would engage them in conversation. After a few years, we no longer saw them. I would like to think our conversations made some impact, but I think what finally made the difference was the size of the parade. It kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger! And the number of churches in the parade also grew – from just one or two to a dozen or more.
As Flint celebrates Pride this year, I hope you will show up for it. Your presence matters. The presence of our church matters. Our perspective on the Bible and legal protections matters. It is our answer to those who those who can’t let go of the way we have always done it. Amen.
Pastor Davis Sickelka, Interim Pastor
Pastor Dave’s Schedule for May
Update… except for Tuesday, July 4th, Pastor Dave will be in Flint on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Please do call the church office to make sure, because a pastor’s schedule is always in flux.
If you would like to make an appointment to speak to Pastor Dave in person, please call the church office at (810)767-4911 between 10:00 and 2:00 M-F, or email him at david.sickelka@peopleschurchofflint.org. If you have an urgent need for pastoral care outside of office hours, text or phone (515)720-6389.
Good Things Happening in and around us
Notes from Outreach and Social Action
The O.S.A. Ministry met on May 22, jointly with the Creation Justice Team, Grounds and Building folk and the Neighborhood Welcome workers. Seven persons attended, with everyone also actively involved in one or more other Peoples Church mission efforts.
Jay Cummings turned over the O.S.A. Directorship to Kendall Brown. Jay is now the Director of Church and Ministry at Peoples Church. Kendall (O.S.A./Creation Justice) and Leslie Cummings (Creation Justice) will continue writing for the Peoples Press.
The Neighborhood Welcome on Tuesdays and Thursdays has been busy enough to prove its value as a mission project for our church. The project has been an experiment for 2 months. Decided: To continue. Kendall will be writing a what-to-do guideline for volunteers. If you have volunteered and have noted things that need to be noticed, PLEASE let Kendall know.
The Plaza Design Group is continuing to use Funds from a grant to repurpose our front plaza. The group is giving some attention to future use of the Plaza. This activity planning could greatly use some help. If you are interested, please speak to Kendall or Dale.
The weekly demonstration supporting Black Lives Matter continues on the Court House Lawn on Thursdays. Thanks to Karen Eaton and Mary Ellen and Tom Fox for keeping this work going, rain or shine, hot or cold. They have been engaging in some important missional conversations with persons passing by.
Activities in June:
Community Cooperative Relief Event, Saturday, June 24, at Peoples Church in Flint from. Karla Holliday is helping us with this activity.
Flint Pride Festival, Saturday, June 24 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Riverbank Park/UM-Flint Pavilion and Rink. Peoples Church will have a booth at Pride Fest. If you'd like to take a shift of sitting at the table see Tom Travis to sign up (or text him at 810.348.5615 to let him know).
An Annual Community Pride Service will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (711 S. Saginaw Street, Flint) at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 24. We're invited to share a time of prayer and reflection for love and inclusion.
“In these difficult times, we need mutual aid for our shared well-being. The multiple challenges of the pandemic, economic uncertainty, and continuing white supremacist and state violence have catalyzed community members to come together and help each other when the government can’t or won’t.
“In recent years, we have seen many examples of people working together to keep their communities safe and healthy through mutual aid.” from American Friends Society Network
Kendall Brown, for the O.S.A. Ministry
Interviews Ongoing
This spring the Search Committee for Peoples Church has been receiving a steady number of applicants enthusiastic about what we are doing here. Based on input we received from PC members and friends early in this process many of them are being invited by us for a first 'getting to know you' zoom interview. And from that number we are now scheduling 2nd interviews (even as we continue to invite others for a 1st interview). It's both an exciting and complex process of discernment, vision-seeking, active listening and imagining our future. Please continue to pray for each of the SC team members, our work together, the applicants, and clarity in the process.
Carla Pierik, Search Committee -Chair
DATE CHANGE...
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 711 South Saginaw St. is hosting an American Red Cross Blood Drive on Friday, July 07, 2023 11:00 AM - 4:45 PM. To participate, schedule an appointment, by visiting RedCrossBlood.org (sponsor code flintstpaul) or call 1-800-733-2767 Streamline your donation experience and save up to 15 minutes by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass to complete your pre-donation reading and health history questions. If you register early, you may be eligible to receive a special gift from the Red Cross.
This event is being organized by our own Dr. Susumu Inoue, whose areas of expertise are Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology, Pediatric Hemophilia, and Pediatric Sickle Cell.
Membership Classes Available
We are considering making New Member Classes available for those who may want to formally join Peoples Church. If you are interested please contact the church office at (810)767-4911 or email info@peopleschurchofflint.org
Plaza Event Planner…The Patio & Grounds Committee is looking for a volunteer to act as an Event Planner. This person along with the P&G Committee will conceptualize, schedule and organize events to be held on the Plaza. If you’re interested in volunteering please see Dale Emery.
Join us by clicking the adjacent link: Book Group Zoom Link:
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 Sunday’s. Starting Sunday, March 19th we will be reading The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones. 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!