Last night, while flipping through a much loved and well read book of poetry, I stumbled across one of my favorite poems: "The Layers" by Stanley Kunitz.  One of the reasons I enjoy reading poetry is because much like our own sacred biblical scriptures, a poem seems to "change" each time you read it.  The words, verses and stanzas are still the same, of course, but because your own context is different, because you are in a different place in your life, the words of the poem bend to meet you where you are, now, in this moment.

And so last night, for the first time, I could hear the words of Stanley Kunitz speaking to us, here at University Christian Church, addressing our context with what felt like startling clarity.  Here are a few excerpts from Kunitz's poem: 

I have walked through many lives,
some of them my own,
and I am not who I was,
though some principle of being
abides, from which I struggle
not to stray.
...
Though I lack the art
to decipher it,
no doubt the next chapter
in my book of transformations
is already written.
I am not done with my changes.

In his poem Kunitz writes of "walking through many lives."  And now, in the present moment, he turns back to look at those lives knowing that while he can never be who he was, he still carries a small piece of that past with him into the present.  

University Christian currently finds itself in a very similar place.  From where we stand we have the ability to look back on a rich and vibrant history, a history full of faithfulness, wisdom, hard work and discipleship.  But, because the world is changing, because our neighborhood is changing, we too are being asked to change.  We cannot remain who we are but, as Kunitz writes, we can hold onto a "principle of being," the core of who are, and "struggle not to stray" from its guidance and wisdom as we move forward.

For us, as Christians, the "core" of our being, the essence of our self as a congregational body, is Jesus and so as we stand, poised and ready for transformation, it is Jesus' message that we hold onto, releasing our grip on some of the less significant moments and movements of our past.

Kunitz closes "The Layers" by noting that he is "not done with" his "changes."  There is still more transformation to move through, to exist within.  And so it is with us University Christian.  We are not done with our changes.  There are the little changes: from summer worship to our 11:00 worship, from a congregational retreat to the development of a discernment team and now the presentation of a purpose statement.  And there are the big changes: the loss of our beloved Music Director, George Shangrow; the decision to share our space with University Baptist Church.  

We are not done with our changes University Christian Church.  Transformation is in the air around us--change must come--whether we are ready for it or not.  So let us hold onto Christ as the "principle of our being" and courageously move forward into the changes, the transformation, that God has in store for us. 

This past week my partner Sarah and I spent time with her family on their farm in South Central Kansas.  I found myself close to the land in ways that I simply do not experience here in Seattle.  Fields of beans were growing, green and lush with the growth of new life. Other fields lay fallow, their crops already harvested.  There were new kittens on the farm, born just a few weeks before we arrived.  Their legs wobbled under them and they "chirped" some of their first meows as I watched these new creatures begin their own lives on the farm. The transition from day to night was also more noticeable on the farm.  Without the bright lights of the city the stars were visible with almost shocking clarity--and as the sun rose and set with the beginning and end of each day, the vivid colors of orange, red, pink, purple and blue that accompany its rising and setting were beautiful as they spread across the Kansas sky. 

The rising of the sun, the birth of kittens, the lush fields growing under the Kansas heat--the rush of new life was a buzz in the air throughout my time on the Klaassen family farm.  And, likewise, the fallow fields, the setting of the sun, the crops that had already been harvested--the end of life, that natural progression from birth to death, was also an underlying pulse surrounding my time there.  

As I return here to University Christian Church I continue to consider this rural narrative of life and death, the shifting of seasons, the growth and harvesting of crops, the continuous cycles and seasons: day into night, night into day, Spring into Summer, Summer to Fall, Fall to Winter.

It is not difficult to see the many ways our congregation finds itself in the depths of this endless cycle of life and death, of transition.  The death of our friend, Music Director, church elder and leader George Shangrow was a sudden ending that seems to have come far too soon.  Only a week before his death George directed the music that was played at my ordination service--and he placed his hands on my shoulder as an elder of University Christian Church during the laying on of hands.  My ordination marked new life, a new beginning, a new call to ministry and a new phase in my relationship with you here at University Christian.  The setting and rising of the sun, day to night, night to day, life and death, death and life, we find ourselves deeply immersed in the seasons of life at this moment as we grieve the loss of George. 

Walking through these times of transition, of movement from one season to another, is never easy.  It is my prayer that we will hold ourselves delicately during these next few weeks, offering grace to those who seek it and support to those who need it. Let us remember that God moves with us through these seasons, surrounding us in divine mystery during times of joy and sorrow, celebration and grief.  

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;...a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

-Ecclesiastes 3:15

The sun is out at the moment: just one of the many reasons we have for celebration here at University Christian Church!  Lately I have been thinking about how important it is to celebrate--whether our causes for celebration are big or small or somewhere in between.   At our congregational retreat a few months ago, Tony Robinson reminded us of the importance of giving thanks, of stopping and intentionally noticing the points of light and grace that are floating in our midst.  In the spirit of these thoughts I offer you a few pieces of good news from University Christian Church: 

1. An Abundance of Campers:  We are sending 13 children to camp Gwinwood this year!  13!  Two children are in Kids Camp (the 2nd and 3rd grade camp), ten are in junior camp (4th, 5th, and 6th grades) and one in Chi Rho (7th, 8th, and 9th).   Our church provided approximately $2500 in scholarship funds for those campers who needed it this year.   Camp is such a wonderful opportunity for growth and faith formation and we are helping make this possible for some pretty incredible kids.  If this isn't reason to celebrate, then I just don't know what is.

2. Interfaith Pride Worship Service: Last Saturday afternoon our church joined with several other faith communities and organizations to host an interfaith worship service for Pride weekend.  The worship service was held at All Pilgrims Christian Church on Capitol Hill and their sanctuary was almost completely full!  For some folks in attendance, that worship service will probably be the only time they step foot inside a church for an entire year.  The message of the service was that we are all made in the image of the divine.  It was fantastic to be gathered with so many wonderful people to give thanks for such good news! It was a true gift for our church to be a part of this worship service and I celebrate our involvement!

3. Simple Worship: A few weeks ago we held our first "simple worship" service.  It's the natural evolution of the Experimental Worship service we have hosted here for the past six months.  Approximately 12 people--some who were from our congregation and some who were not--gathered to study Scripture, pray for one another, and take communion together. Both Simple Worship and Experimental Worship have been a breath of fresh air for our congregation as we strive to worship God in new ways, outside of the "Sunday morning box." This fresh energy, this willingness to do a new thing, to be community, is certainly reason to celebrate!

There is so much to be thankful for, so many spots of joy and light within our community, and it is a privilege to share with you in celebration University Christian Church!

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a visioning conference for our denomination's Council on Christian Unity.  Over 40 folks from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) gathered in St. Louis to talk about what ecumenism will look like in the years to come.  It was an exciting conference to be part of--that's for sure.  There was an incredible amount of enthusiasm as we all poured our energy into pursuing Christian unity--one of the foundations of our own denomination.

During his keynote address the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon offered his conviction that Christian unity is not something we are working for as the people of God.  Rather, it is a gift that has been given to us from God and because we have already been given this gift, it is now our job to strive to live into this unity in its fullest and most robust form.  

I can't stop thinking about what good news this is: we have already been given the gift of unity!  Christ called us to be one, prayed for it to be so, and it is our call as Christian brothers and sisters to live into this prayer and call. It is God's gift to us.  

As I soaked up all of the wisdom that was present at the conference, listening to men and women who have dedicated much of their lives to working for Christian unity at the congregational and denomination levels, I couldn't help but stop and give thanks for the good work that happens everyday at University Christian Church as our own congregation works toward God's call for unity.

From the hard work and faithful dedication that has been poured into visioning around the University District Ecumenical Campus to the many folks who give of their time and resources to the University District Ecumenical Parish, it seems that working for Christian unity is simply part of what we do here at University Christian.  It's in the air we breathe.  From our decision to open our church doors and share space with the good people of University Baptist to the ecumenical Pride Parade float that will makes its way through the streets of downtown Seattle this Sunday, we are intentionally working to be a part of the body of Christ in its diverse and varied forms.  

Here at University Christian we are working to intentionally receive the God given gift of unity and for this I give thanks!

A few weeks ago the Northwest Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) held its regional assembly. The theme this year was "poured out in mission."  It was my first regional assembly here in the Northwest and it was such a pleasure to be present with the many Disciples churches in our area.  Our fellow Disciples churches are doing incredible things; they are giving of their time and their resources in countess ways.  During our time at Regional Assembly Sarah and I had the opportunity to "pour" ourselves out in mission for just a little while with fellow Disciples.  Led by Edie Rice-Sauer, a Disciples minister currently serving a non-profit organization in Spokane, a group of us gathered at Hope House in Downtown Spokane. Hope House offers shelter to women regardless of mental health status, chemical dependency issues or lifestyle.  There are 34 beds available at Hope House and while they could never meet all the needs of women without shelter in Spokane they do provide food, a hot shower, clothing, hygiene items, a warm place to sleep, onsite case management, resource information, and referrals to other community resources to the women who walk through their doors.

Some of our fellow church folk who gathered with us at Hope House gave the place a good cleaning--they got their hands dirty scrubbing floors, vacuuming carpets, cleaning baseboards, and polishing the Hope House kitchen from top to bottom.  Sarah and I had the opportunity to organize and unpack donated clothes in the Hope House closet.  

There were many highlights to Regional Assembly this year---the worship, the workshops, the key note speakers, and the fellowship but for me, the best part of my time in Spokane was getting my hands dirty with fellow church members from across our region as we poured ourselves out in mission!

Here is a picture of Sarah and I at Hope House with the Hope House Executive Director.

For more pictures from Regional Assembly, click here: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=101387325944355972821&target=ALBUM&id=5478653593710692753&authkey=Gv1sRgCLSs-tmv7dOCmAE&feat=email