Rev. Linda Fernandes-Bailey
July 3, 2005
We Are One Body
Back in May I asked Crystal Sullivan if she would lead a prayer bead workshop. People could learn about the history of prayer beads and then make their own. I thought it would be both fun and meaningful.(and it was) Well someone came up to me at coffee hour and said “Prayer beads? Isn’t that like rosary beads how are we going to know we are still a congregational church?” As I thought about it one thing that came to mind was the ordination of Antoinette Brown in 1853. At the time women were not even allowed to go to college but she managed to get into Oberlin Collegiate Institute a more liberal college. Still she had to fight her way just to be able to speak in class. But in her work she argued against scripture used to keep women from speaking in public and her work was impressive and even published. Although she completed the same course work as men she was unable to graduate because to graduate would have meant an endorsement of women’s probable future careers and that did not exist. She did have the opportunity to speak on the lecture circuit and preached at various churches whenever a sympathetic male clergy would allow. Finally after hearing Brown speak South Butler Congregational Church in New York called Brown as their pastor! It was a small rural church with little money but they were willing to ordain the first woman clergy. History was made in a Congregational Church. The sermon preached at her ordination used the text “There is neither male or female; for we are all one in Christ Jesus.”
I tell her story because it exemplifies what it means to be a congregational church. She was able to get ordained not because Christian churches of any denomination had decided to ordain women (they hadn’t come that far yet ) but because one congregational church decided to ordain her. With our polity or the way we are governed the local church is autonomous and able to make their own decisions including the hiring and firing of their clergy. There is no hierarchal structure that tells the local church what to do. Each local church has their own set of by- laws which outline how the church shall govern itself and make decisions independent of the wider denomination. That’s what makes us congregational…the local church’s autonomy. The local church’s right to govern itself is what makes the UCC unique. We believe in the sharing of power. Our polity reflects our effort to structure ourselves in a non-hierarchal fashion. In other words no one is above anyone else each person has their gifts and uses them for the good of the church.
However within our autonomy we are in covenanted relationship with the larger church. The larger church is important to who we are we should not disregard it because we have autonomy. We are now part of the United Church of Christ which has representation state wide and nationally.(BUT even before we became UCC congregational churches were in relationship with one another) State wide we are part of the Connecticut Conference and specifically we are in the Central Association of the Ct Conference. The Association is a grouping of churches geographically determined with representatives from each church and is responsible for the ordering of ministry. Mainly they hold the church’s standing and ministerial standing and are responsible for the process of ordination (or determining ones fitness for ministry) and ordination itself. They would also be responsible for attending to ministerial misconduct. The national level of the UCC is General Synod it meets every two years. Delegates from every state are sent. They are meeting this weekend in fact in Atlanta. The national level seeks to represent the UCC in the world and seeks to carry out and represent the church as inclusive, multicultural, multi racial church that is accessible to ALL. Whatever decisions are made at the state and national level the local church is not bound to them but we agree to listen and consider and have conversation on such decisions. The basis of our covenant is that the church exists to do God’s work in the world and to extend God’s love. Our motto that is found on our UCC emblem “that they may all be one” expresses our desire to be united and uniting in Christ. So who is the head of the church? Christ is the only head of the church!
Now why do I bore you with all this in a sermon? Because I think we should know who we are. Remember the United Church of Christ has been a denomination only since 1957. Many of us are new to this! It was formed as a result of the union of the Christian Congregational Church and The Evangelical Reform. These two strands represented four strands of Christianity namely the Congregational churches, the Reformed church the Christian Church and the Evangelical church. What this means is that from our birth we are a diverse church. We are open to change. There isn’t one way to be UCC we encourage freedom of conscious and diversity. We do not have to think alike our oneness is in Christ.
Which brings me to today’s scripture. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians tells them to live a life worthy of their calling…with gentleness, humility, patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Plus each of them are given gifts for the purpose of building up the body of Christ. He tells them they must grow up into him who is the head, into Christ and that they are equipped…in order to build up the body in love. This community knew diversity. There was conflict between Jews and gentiles…over new converts…rich and poor. The message Paul gives is in Christ they are one body…all creatures are of the same Creator. There is unity in diversity because all of it is God’s creation and the way of God is unity. Paul does not say there will not be disagreement but to bear with one another in love…be patient and gentle…lovingly and kindly approach one another. All their behavior should lead to unity and the building up of the body of Christ. It appears that this is a community that is not living up to its “high calling” and Paul urges them to do so. He is teaching them what it means to live together as Christians.
We too need to live our lives in a way that is worthy of our calling. Within churches and denominations these days there is much conflict about what it means to be a Christian and how we interpret scripture. We need to approach one another with kindness, patience and love. We need to be motivated by our divine calling and a love for the church and its people. We need to be willing to listen as well as speak boldly. Remembering we are all less than perfect but our goal is to have the same mind as Christ…to be one body…to build up Christ’s body in love. Every nasty dispute breaks the body apart. Every expression of hate towards others who think differently than we breaks the body apart. In examining our own role in the Body of Christ, We need to ask ourselves “What have I done today to help the body to work properly…How have I promoted love?”
In all churches like our own we now have a large percentage of former Catholics as well as people from other denominations and un-churched people. Most don’t come here to make this a place like where they came from but because they like what they find here. They like the fact that they have a voice and a vote. It is liberating for most to find freedom within covenant. They like the acceptance and diversity they find here. Rather than act out of fear we need to ask what gifts can people among us from different denomination bring to us out of their traditions? Can they help broaden and deepen the faith of our community? When the UCC was birthed, the four strands of Christianity from which we came changed and shaped who we are. It changed and added to the way we think theologically, how we practice our faith and how we do worship. We continue to change and grow. That is a part of who we are. We believe God is still speaking and listen for God’s continued revelation among us. In the spirit of the early reformers we should seek to be “reformed and always reforming” We are not stagnant we are ever changing…but we are one in Christ. In some ways we need to and have brought back practices from the early church that we threw out in our zeal for reforming. Ritual is one. In our community we offer the sacrament of communion every week at 3 services, ashes on Ash Wednesday, and anointing and blessing with oil. This does not threaten our identity as a Congregational Church…as members of the United Church of Christ…It enhances who we are…it deepens our faith. We have decided together as a community of faith to include these in our worship.
My own faith journey has been diverse. I was raised a Roman Catholic, was a member of the Methodist Church for six or so years and then a member of the United Church of Christ. I used to be embarrassed and think I would be judged for it…looking too much like a denomination hopper. But I have come to realize it has all formed and shaped who I am. Each step of the way has deepened my faith. At first I threw out anything that resembled Catholicism but now I embrace praying the Hail Mary. It doesn’t make me any less a protestant. I love the United Church of Christ…I love its diversity, its boldness, its openness to change and freedom to interpret scripture. So if one finds it helpful to pray with prayer beads I don’t believe that threatens who we are…and if you don’t want to then you were not forced to sign up! Whatever promotes prayer is good…Prayer promotes building up of the Body of Christ.
Christ is the only head of the church. WE are one body. Let us live together in unity for the sake of building up the Body. Let every thing we do be worthy of our high calling. Let us aim towards having the same mind as Christ that we might focus our attention on inclusive love, justice, feeding the hungry and promoting peace in our beautiful world. We are all God’s creation…different in many ways yet one in Christ. Amen.