“A Hispanic,
two African-Americans, a Jew, and a Texan walk into a bar.” You’ve all heard
jokes that begin something like that. Well, this time, it isn’t a joke. I’m
talking about real people. And the bar doesn’t sell gin and tonics! It’s a
balance beam – or maybe a set of uneven parallel bars. Those five people are
the US women’s gymnastics team that represented our country so well at the
recent Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro! The Hispanic is Laurie Hernandez who
virtually sparkled as she won a silver medal on the balance beam. The Jew is
Aly Raisman, a veteran of two Olympic Games who took home silver on the floor
exercises. The Texan is Madison Kocian who earned a bronze on the uneven
parallel bars. And the African-Americans are Gabby Douglas, who won the
individual all-around gold medal at the last Olympics; and little Simone Biles,
who flattened the competition as she won the same medal at this Olympics. And while their individual medals are a certainly a
cause for celebration, they are just as proud that they won the gold medal in
the team competition. All of the gymnasts worked together to
earn that medal. If even one of the team members didn’t do her
job, the gold medal would have slipped through their fingers and been awarded to
another team. While all those talented gymnasts have their own strengths, they
all work together as a team to get to their goal of a gold medal. And they
certainly achieved that goal in Rio! In a real way, they are all one.
The United
Church of Christ also considers itself to be a part of a team as we work with
other denominations to follow Jesus Christ and to serve the world in his name.
We believe that we are stronger doing God’s work together than we could
possibly be if we worked alone. The world has big problems, and we need to work
together as a team with other churches to solve them. After all, nobody would
play tug of war with the Ohio State football team all by himself; he’d go get
some help! We Christians can’t solve the
world’s problems all by ourselves, either. And our belief that we Christians
should work together is reflected in our official motto, “That they may all be
one.” That phrase from the Gospel of John is even included on the UCC official seal,
which shows the cross of Jesus Christ standing both in the world and over it.
In years
past, we have taken that motto very literally. In the early years of our denomination,
we hoped that Christian denominations would not only work together, but also join
together and reverse centuries of separation. After all, the UCC is the product
of four earlier denominations: the Congregationalists, the Christian Church,
the German Reformed, and the German Evangelical. Our denomination was born in
1957 when all four of those churches joined to form the United Church of Christ. But there hasn’t been a stampede by other
denominations to join with us. They have their own history and traditions,
after all; and they aren’t eager to give those up. It’s hard to join with
another church. Compromises have to be made. Why, just think about the
compromises that have to be reached after two people marry! Which church does
the couple attend (if they attend church at all)? Who do they visit on
Thanksgiving and Christmas? Do they open their gifts on Christmas Eve or on
Christmas Day? And which mother gets them for the Mothers’ Day dinner? If you
think that those decisions are tough,
try making them for an entire denomination! To merge, churches have to answer
questions like: What will our worship look like? How will our money be spent? Who’s
going to be in charge? Those thorny questions, and many others like them, have
prevented Christian denominations from joining together into one.
So, in more
recent years, the UCC has joined with other churches in different ways. Instead
of trying to squeeze everyone into the same mold, the UCC has tried to identify
the strengths that are uniquely ours, and then use them as the UCC works as a
team with other denominations. For example, we have always been champions of
the underdog. Way back in 1773, for example, the Congregationalists helped
Phyllis Wheatley, an African-American woman, publish a volume of poetry.
Publishing the writing of an African-American, much less an African-American
woman, was unheard of at the time. In 1817, they established the very first
school for the deaf, Gallaudet College, in Hartford, Connecticut. And in 1959, after
many television stations refused to show images of the civil rights movement, Everett
Parker of the UCC’s Office of Communication won a federal court ruling that the
airwaves are public property. As we focus on justice and opportunity for all
people, we work with other denominations that have different strengths,
allowing us to serve Jesus Christ in a variety of ways. But we are one big team
as we do it.
We see this
clearly at least twice every year as we join in two big events: the One Great
Hour of Sharing and the CROP walk. Both are coordinated by Church World
Service, a branch of the National Council of Churches. The spring One Great
Hour of Sharing (OGHS) is an offering that is used for disaster relief in over
100 countries. When a natural disaster occurs, OGHS is there. Funds from OGHS
helped rebuild after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, the
earthquake in Haiti, and the volcanic eruptions in Indonesia. I imagine that
they are in Louisiana right now helping the victims of the catastrophic
flooding. And the fall CROP
walk raises funds to help people worldwide gain access to
nutritious, sustainable food sources. Working with other Christians as a team
means pooling our funds, our resources, and our talents. And we do just that,
every single year!
“That they may all be one” isn’t just a throwaway phrase in the
United Church of Christ. It’s a way of life! On the widest stage, we are
represented on the National Council of Churches and on the World Council of
Churches. And right here in our area, UCC churches work with other churches to
help in smaller ways. We are a member of the Milton Union Council of Churches,
for example. We help to nurture teenagers in their faith through Young Spirits;
we assist needy families with school supplies in the fall and food at the
holidays; and we offer ecumenical worship services on Thanksgiving and Good Friday.
We aren’t one big denomination. We’re Methodist and Presbyterian and Brethren
and Episcopal and Disciples of Christ and many others that I don’t have time to
mention. But we’re one in name; and that name is “Christian.”
On the last night of his life, Jesus prayed for his disciples;
and for all people who would follow him, just like we do today: “May they be
one, O God, even as we are one – I in them and you in me.” (John 17:20-23) That is our prayer,
too, as we work as a team with many other Christians in many other places. So here’s the beginning of another
great story: “A Presbyterian, a Methodist, an Episcopal, and a member of the
UCC walk into a disaster area and offer to help as best they can.” That’s not a
joke, either; it’s true! In many ways, we really are one in mission, one in service,
and one in following Jesus Christ in this world. Thanks be to God!
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