Spring
Reporter 2006
(275k. Click here to access color, illustrated version in PDF file
format)
Old South Church
Boston MA 02116
http://www.oldsouth.org
Spring
Reporter 2006
(275k. Click here to access color, illustrated version in PDF file
format)
Old South Church
Boston MA 02116
http://www.oldsouth.org
What's inside? (Text only version)
Church History Comes Alive
by Evan H. Shu
Many of you remember dry, sleep-inducing lectures on history during your student days. So, when the idea was presented that Old South members and friends devote extra time for five hour-long lectures on church history for the Lenten series "Church in the World," some of you may be forgiven for not reacting with overwhelming excitement.
But those of you who gave the series a chance likely found that these five lectures were among the best you've ever heard! Senior Minister Nancy S. Taylor put together a roster of four outstanding speakers, who not only impressed us with their expertise but also cast a spellbinding story of our forbearers and how Old South Church came to be what it is today. Several long-time churchgoers and church leaders remarked at how much they learned in each lecture!
Nancy Taylor wrote about the importance of these historical lectures as showing us that "the Church has faced unique challenges and opportunities as it endeavored to respond to God’s call in each generation and context. . . . The purpose of this series is to learn from the past and to prepare ourselves to ask, “How is God calling us today? What is next for Old South?”
We'd like to give you a short review of each lecture in the hope that it may entice those of you who missed some or all of the lectures to give them a second chance by listening to them via the Old South webpage <www.oldsouth.org> or requesting a computer CD at the church narthex desk. We know that some of you may even enjoy listening to these lectures again for a second or third time.
An Underground Lay Movement. On March 5th, Dr.
Matthew Myer Boulton of Andover-Newton Theological School and Hope Church,
spoke on the early days of Christianity." But rather than a dry discourse
that gave us little in common with those people, he put us directly in
the sandals of those early church founders by saying "What if?" the three
following goals were the vision and mission of Old South Church:
1) that Old South become a flagship church in Boston
for interfaith dialogue;
2) that Old South recommit itself to exploring,
understanding, and living through the sacraments of baptism and communion;
and
3) that Old South found a new Protestant monastic
community for the 21st century
Through this device, we were able to easily imagine how important it was for the establishment of the early church to relate to other faiths, particularly Judaism, since most of the early Christians were, of course, Jews to begin with.
With the second goal, we learned how vital the two sacraments of baptism and communion were. Baptism was seen as an anointment or even ordination that empowered any individual to spread the gospel to others. Communion was truly a ritual meal that became crucial to the building of Christian communities. Matt Boulton also conveyed how pivotal the role of women was in the early church, as they often hosted these communion meals and early worship services in their homes.
Finally, we learned a new twist on the meaning of "monastery." One major Christian sect who established monasteries did not mean them to be ascetic hideaways to get away from the temptations of life. Instead these "urban monasteries" were meant to be sites where Christians could devote their entire lives to an active mission devoted not only to the spiritual life but to an active life devoted to the concerns of the city.
Protesting and Reforming. In our second lecture on March 12th, Dr. Mark Burrows, Professor of the History of Christianity at Andover Newton Theological School took us straight into the Reformation. He had us imagine the 16th century medieval church that had increasingly separated the "holy" (altar and priest) from the "mundane" -- in other words, from ordinary people.
So came the Reformation, which was a dramatic cultural event that divided Europe into “Catholic” and “Protestant.” It was a) both church-dividing and church-defining in that it made Christians think intentionally about the nature of the church; b) a cataclysm with enormous ripple effects through all of Europe, influencing and toppling governments, and c) a learned movement led by preaching, teaching, and a "new technology" (the printing press).
Mark Burrows gave us biographical sketches of three main reformers: Martin Luther (a monk), Menno Simmons (a country priest), and John Calvin (a lawyer). And how these three men shaped the course of the Reformation.
In summary, he quoted Euan Cameron (The European Reformation): “The Reformation gave large groups of people across Europe their first lessons in political commitment to a universal ideology. In the 16th century, religion became mass politics.”
The Congregational Way. Dr. Margaret Bendroth,
Director/Librarian at the American Congregational Association followed
on March 19th to describe the courage and the struggle that accompanied
the migration of the Puritans to the new world, and how what we call congregationalism
developed out of their practices. She gave us new respect for the word
“covenant,” as she emphasized that the Puritans held the belief that "in
its simplest terms . . . God speaks most clearly when people are gathered
together under covenant." That is the most basic foundation of what we
know as Congregationalism today.
In addition, the principles that came out of the development
of congregationalism could be stipulated the following:
a) local autonomy (ordinary people could form a covenant as a promise to God and to each other that they would walk in God’s way);
b) mutual accountability (that with Christ as the head of the church, they could and should depend on other local churches for “mutual care, consultation or advice, and admonition;” and
c) civic righteousness (Congregationalists are deeply interested in society at large and this interest naturally led to mission and social reform efforts to come).
A Radical Experiment in Unity. In our next lecture on March 26th, Dr Elizabeth Nordbeck, Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Andover Newton Theological School brought us up to 1957, when four faiths united to become the United Church of Christ. Few current or past students of theology are able to quickly come up with all four denominations, so to save you the trouble of looking it up, they are the Congregationalists, the Christians, the Reformed, and the Evangelicals.
Why did they unite? Elizabeth Nordbeck tells us that they united because they believed deeply that Jesus calls Christians to be one, for the sake of the credibility of the gospel in the world. In addition, they all shared a concern for mission and social action, an emphasis on education for both laity and clergy, commitment to Christian nurture for the propagation of the faith, and a generally progressive or liberal theological outlook.
She took us through common questions that are asked of the UCC, such as: “I always hear that the UCC is “liberal.” What does this mean?” and “What exactly does the United Church of Christ believe?,” and “What does the UCC believe about the bible and biblical authority.” If you are looking for those answers along with other FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) about the UCC, you definitely need to listen to or read her lecture notes.
In summary, she left us with an excellent concise statement of the general UCC philosophy embodied in the Eden Theological Seminary motto: “in essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”
An Open Door. In the final lecture of the series on April 2nd, Dr. Margaret Bendroth returned to give us our own history -- that of Old South Church! It is doubtful that any of us have had the history of Old South laid out for us in such a comprehensive way and with such amazing documentation. (Want to see Benjamin Franklin's baptismal record? You can by viewing the slide presentation of this lecture on the Old South webpage.)
Did you know that in 1669, Old South was born as a protest church? Margaret Bendroth told us the fascinating tale of the “Halfway Covenant” that allowed the children of members to become “halfway” members of the church without going through the whole rigmarole of the full conversion process. This allowed this second generation to have their own children baptized without being full members themselves. In practice, it allowed the church to continue to grow and expand through the coming generations -- rather than stagnate as the full restrictions slowly strangled church membership as the original generation died off. First Church in Boston refused to accept the Halfway Covenant, so “South Church” (or then, the Third Church in Boston) was gathered on May 12, 1669 in protest as a way to protect future generations of church membership. That first covenant of South Church promised to be open to the word of God even to that “more to come” -- yes, even then, inserting a comma!
From that raucous beginning, our presenter took us on a “duck tour” of sights and people that we would have encountered throughout Old South history. People like Thomas Thacher, Anne Pollard (who at age 105 had 130 descendants!), Phyllis Wheatly, Samuel Willard, Thomas Prince, and Mary Norton. We saw how during the Revolutionary War, the British converted the Old South Meeting House into a riding school. We saw the move to the newly-filled Back Bay neighborhood, which was formerly part of the backwaters of the Charles River. We heard how the installation of George Gordon in 1884 was a watershed in Old South history as there was great division over the fact that he was a self-described “inquirer.” Forty-five years later in 1929, Russell Howard Stafford took over and converted the Parish House to be a social center for every day of the week.
In summary, she tells us that history gives us a clue to Old South’s true identity as 1) a treasured public institution and a steward of US history; 2) a church of dissenters but not dividers -- a church which is a great believer of free speech and the right of the minority to be heard -- but still one that observes of bonds of covenant; and 3) a church that aims to be orthodox and progressive at the same time; one that was historically a last bastion of the congregational way, yet at the same time was one perceived to be a flagship of theological liberalism (in its best sense!) as proclaimed from its pulpit.
Keep Our History Alive. These five lectures are a wonderful living archive of our church history. Although attendance was excellent and neared 150 in total for each lecture, that is still only a small fraction of our entire membership, friends, and wider community. So we encourage all of you to listen and share these lectures with others. The audio of each lecture, along with lecture outlines, texts, and slideshows are available on the Old South webpage <www.oldsouth.org> (Learning/Church in the World) and limited copies of the computer CD are available at the church narthex desk. We may even have a DVD down the road that will include extensive photography and video produced with the help of the American Congregational Association.
Please look for and share these new resources to keep our history alive and well in our church. And please use them to reflect on our past and prepare to answer the coming questions of “How is God calling us today?” and “What is next for Old South?”
As a career transportation engineer and planner, experienced in the inertia of institutions, I am thrilled at what a group of people acting on faith can do! In the fall, I put a message to the Old South Forum (our e-mail list) that I was thinking about what I have to offer the church: “I’m eager to see Old South realize the advantages of our prize location and I would love to work with others to explore the possibilities from a transportation perspective.”
I asked, “What is important to your getting to church? Are you aware of needs or opportunities that we’d want to put on a transportation agenda for Old South?” The responses came from people who drive, use taxis, ride the T, walk, and bicycle. I compiled their ideas and sent them out again, asking if there were any more; and the list grew! So I sent it to Nancy Taylor (one of those who’d answered my call), asking how we might take this to the whole church. She suggested an all-church forum on Feb. 26, 2006.
Now, I’ve not been around for very much of Old South’s history – only about 25 years – but my sense is that our Transportation Forum was historic, not like anything we’ve done before. Those who gathered that afternoon reflected first on how the people of the Bible got from place to place. Then we considered our personal experiences coming to church and what would make it easier for us. This wonderful group worked really well together to brainstorm the question, “What does God want for us now at this great urban crossroads?”
The ideas from that session surprised me. I’m quite familiar with the standard transportation “solutions” but, looking from the user’s perspective, we saw new ways to make it easier (and more fun) for all kinds of people to come to Old South! Not only that, but most of these require little or nothing from the church budget! I’ve sorted these ideas into two groups.
First, we want people to know about the many facilities and services available for those coming to Old South. We want people to have information on their choices when they need it. So, we propose putting this information on our website, near our entry, and on business cards and other printed materials. Thus, we propose the following steps.
1. Advertise our church as Old South Church at the Copley
Square T Stop.
2. Provide information/map at the door, on letterhead
and business cards, on website showing:
a) Cabstands in Copley Square & phone number
to call cab;
b) Old South’s access accommodations (entry, sanctuary,
elevators, rest rooms);
c) Rides arranged by our Care and Concerns Committee;
d) MBTA’s RIDE service;
e) Green Line right at our door (elevator construction
expected spring 2006);
f) Orange Line and Commuter Rail at Back Bay Station;
g) Bus routes through Copley Square;
h) Personalized transit directions: www.mbta.com
or 617-222-3200;
i) MBTA allows T pass holders to bring a guest
on Sunday (free);
j) Parking: available at or near most MBTA stations
on Sunday morning;
k) Validated parking, handicap spaces & other
nearby parking;
l) Walking and cycling paths (Charles River, Commonwealth
Ave., Southwest Corridor);
j) Highway connections (Massachusetts Turnpike,
Storrow Drive, Mass Ave/Route 2) & 1-way streets;
k) Bike parking;
l) Zipcars.
3. An event/festival to show and celebrate what we have. One Sunday morning we will make play of the trip to church. Some of us will drive, perhaps picking up a friend on the way. Some of us will ride a bicycle, tricycle, unicycle, or motorcycle. Some will walk and enjoy the city’s Sunday morning. Others will board a train, trolley, or taxi. Some will arrive in a bus, a baby buggy, or boat. Some will don their roller skates, roller blades, roller sneakers, or roller-skis. Some might come by antique car, on horseback, sky diving, in a hot air balloon -- Who knows? We’ll be a fine parade!
4. Promote Old South and its convenience to suburbanites who may be inclined to move to the city.
5. Realizing all we have now, we see still more opportunities to enhance access to Old South via items such as the following: bike rack, elevator for Green Line station, security for coatroom, a drop-off / pick-up zone at curb, handicap parking in front of church, carpooling groups, an attendant to help people from the curb, reimbursement for cab or transit fare up to $6, and a really cool Old South Church van for rides and visibility
We may find that many of these task are quite doable.
For starters:
MBTA has completed the design for Copley Station elevators.
(You can see renderings of the new head houses online at http://www.mbta.com/projects_underway/copley_station.asp.
Click on each frame to enlarge the image). We do not yet know whether bicycle
parking is included in this project;
We have put new material on our website: visitors and
newcomers to www.oldsouth.org now find, front and center on the home page,
“Visitor Information and Welcome.” Check it out and let’s hear your comments!
We plan to update the Map and Directions page as well;
After checking out the curb space along Boylston St.
and taking note of accommodations at other churches, we’ve asked Boston’s
Transportation Commissioner to review parking in our area, hoping to find
a way to provide space for drop-offs and pick-ups in front of the church.
I am delighted that our proposals offer functional benefits to our congregation, creative energy for our outreach, and proud awareness of our urban and natural environment. I am so glad we are doing this!
Can we hear from you now? What do you believe God wants for our church at this vital crossroads? Can you help us with any of these tasks? How would you come to church on the day of our festival? How shall we celebrate?
First, a "true story" from one of our church leaders: "When I first heard discussions [and mention] at Old South Church about the MBA (e.g. someone saying, 'I'm going to the MBA tonight!'), I thought they were talking about going to a basketball game (the NBA!)!" Right to the point! All these initials, MBA, UCC, MACUCC ... what do they stand for? What is this MBA-UCC? Time to take a look at some of the "links" between aspects of early building in Congregational practice and characteristics to our very own era of contemporary insights and involvements, even the ways we "link" electronically (www.macucc.org). Association. Linking. At the heart of our Congregationalism in a united and uniting church, right here in the Metropolitan Boston Association of the UCC.
Congregational practices of Christian faith carry endless powerful tales and promise of association from many hidden corners and eras, occurring since the earliest sightings of the risen Jesus, through to the earliest of Christian interactions at the Greek "polis," throughout centuries of war, plague, and religious persecution. This is the "stuff" of our Sunday Lenten Series this year at OSC, "The Church in the World." Even in our time -- this era in which we, too, grapple with the threat and torments of war, plague/pandemic, and religious persecution -- our Congregational practices of Christian faith carry us in a most remarkable way. Many of us in congregations (which together constitute our United Church of Christ) attribute the length, depth, and breadth of faith nurtured in our tradition to our powerful, our very powerful experiences in associating together: learning and teaching; baptizing and joining together in Covenants of church membership; serving one another, remembering Jesus' ministry in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper; and growing in capacity to discern God's purpose for our lives, our churches, and our world. In Association.
The Old South Church in Boston stands in association with a number of other United Church of Christ congregations in the Metropolitan Boston Association, a standing which OSC has held since 1957. Among the many other UCC congregations with which we hold association in the MBA, one is in our own backyard, i.e., Church of the Covenant on the corner of Newbury and Berkeley Streets. Of course, St. Mark Congregational and Eliot Congregational, both in Roxbury. Grace Federated Church in East Boston. Another is just across the river, the First Church in Cambridge, Congregational. There are so many more of them, scattered through out our metropolitan area, in urban and suburban communities. Wellesley Congregational Church. Payson Park Church. Trinitarian Congregational, Concord. What a treasure. City Mission Society, The Congregational Library, The Congregational Christian Historical Society, Andover Newton Theological School, and Harvard Divinity School all loom large in our MBA life, too.
In association together, we are free -- and earnestly called -- to exercise our Covenants of faith and promise through which we undergird and enliven our tradition of faith. Also, the MBA joins with several other Associations throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to constitute the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ (MACUCC), but more on that another time.
Each spring and fall, the MBA-UCC gathers for its Association meetings, which include a time for worship, business (including elections of persons serving on these four bodies, the MBA Council, the Committee on the Ministry, the Committee on Ministerial Standing, and the Nominating Committee), and program. Over the past several years, MBA program themes have focused on the "God is Still Speaking Campaign" enhancing efforts to extend "an extravagant welcome," sharing the Good News in many new ways, and some of them even "edgy." (Ask Marilyn and Bill Adams, Ron and Betty Smith, Janice Graves, and Kathy Watkins about "God is Still Speaking"! -- all have been involved in this remarkable effort.)
Important to note! Members of OSC are active in each of these four standing "bodies" of the MBA, too. That is precisely the point ... members of local congregations work together, collaboratively, to sustain joint ministry. (Which has been at the heart of Congregationalism since the git-go.) What are these four MBA "bodies"? And who from OSC is currently engaged in these ministries? If you have questions about how all this really works, David Vogan currently serves on the MBA Committee on the Ministry, Elinor Yeo currently serves on the MBA Committee on Ministerial Standing, our Pastor Emeritus, Jim Crawford, currently serves on the MBA Council, and I currently serve on the MBA Nominating Committee (having previously served two terms). Some of us just can't stay away! Dick Yeo has agreed to accept a nomination to serve on the MBA Nominating Committee, so his name will be on the "slate" for election at the Spring MBA Meeting in April. And, if you are really curious about years past in the life of the MBA, there are others at OSC who have served, many of them having served on several of the committees, such as Larry Bowers (former MBA Moderator) and Tom Boates among the many.
The Committee on the Ministry of the MBA is the Association body that authorizes initial ministry, that is to say, it is the committee that holds responsibility for the processes that grant intial ecclesiastical authorization to ordained, commissioned, and licensed ministers. This committee works closely over time with those who feel called to authorized ministry in the context of the local congregations who are sponsoring them. In the MBA, the extensive work handled by this committee under any circumstances is amplified by the numbers of theological institutions and UCC churches here. Its work is guided by the UCC "Manual on the Ministry,"which is available online at <www.ucc.org/ministers/manual>. The Committee on the Ministry also receives significant resources and guidance in its work from the Reverend Dr. Tom Clough, who is the Associate Massachusetts Conference Minister for the Boston Association.
David Vogan tells us that "it's hard to be brief about what the Committee on Ministry does. The committee works with divinity school students who are discerning a call to ordained ministry in the UCC. Typically students meet with the committee about five times, for an hour each time, over the course of about three years. Each student is attached to one particular member of the committee, called the committee advisor. The student and committee advisor meet perhaps three or four times a year, to talk about the student's journey. The relationship is called being in care of the Metropolitan Boston Association (MBA), and at it's best that's a good description." In order to be in care of the MBA, a person has to be a member of a UCC congregation, and be in care (have the wholehearted support) of their home church, too.
David further points out that at such time as a candidate for ministry has completed theological training, "at the end of the process, if the student continues to perceive a call to ordained ministry, and if the student's local church and the Committee on Ministry share that perception, then the student becomes a candidate for ordination. Ordination takes place only when a church calls the candidate as a minister." The process is complex one; for many candidates, the completion of the work for the Master of Divinity degree is simultaneous with a 'search for a church' as well as the Committee on the Ministry requirements for ordination. He notes that "a lot of the discerning here goes on in writing. Before each meeting with the Committee, the student circulates a paper. The first of these papers (usually just a few pages long) describes the student's faith pilgrimage and call to the ministry. The last two papers, totalling about thirty pages, cover a great range of thorny issues: the meaning of lay and ordained ministry and of the sacraments; the nature of authority in the UCC; the nature of Jesus; eternal life; the problem of evil; the role of the church in the world; and much more."
The Committee on the Ministry meets monthly for a 4-5 hour period. In addition to that, the committee members contribute 10 - 15 hours each month of preparation time. Vogan points out that, "the Committee's meetings with each student are mostly question and answer sessions about what's in their papers (or about what's left out). There are not so many unacceptable theological points of view in the UCC, but what is certainly required of ministerial candidates is to be able faithfully to articulate a point of view!" And who are thse ministerial candidates? David told us "There are about forty students in care of the MBA, and they are an amazing group of people. You've met a number of them at Old South: Tadd Allman-Morton, Marraine Kettell, Kate Layzer, Guy Pealer, Jeff von Wald. Meeting with people like that for a few hours a month is a wonderful privilege. The question and answer sessions are a bit like sermons in which you get to pick the topic, and then to interrupt whenever something isn't quite clear. To hear how these individuals think about their faith, and especially to see how they live it, is certainly like no other committee meetings I've experienced."
The Committee on the Ministry, in Covenant with each candidate for ministry and her or his congregation of membership, is charged with assessing the matters and "signs" of maturity in Christian life and "call" in candidates for ministry. If a candidate is a new Christian, or new to the UCC, or even if a person is a "life long UCC person," the Committee on the Ministry is charged to consider what is important in terms of qualities of mature, creative life of faith and leadership. They have to ask, "What will this candidate bring to the challenges of leadership in Christian ministry of pastoring and teaching in the context of our United (and uniting ...) Church of Christ?" No small task. And further, it is the Committee on the Ministry (again, in Covenant with the local congregation which supports this candidate 'in care') which is always considering what is enduringly important, amongst the principles and practices of Congregationalism (as well as the historically Evangelical & Reform "rivers" of "living waters" in our United Church Christ) for its new, about to be ordained ministers to understand and bring forward? (i.e, why this denomination, why the UCC rather than Episcopalianism, Methodism, Presbyterianism, or for that matter, Roman Catholicism?)
The Committee on Ministerial Standing is a recent addition to the MBA, and has been constituted to hold responsibility for the processes that grant temporary ecclesiastical authorization to ordained, commissioned and licensed ministers from other denominations who wish to serv UCC churches within the MBA. Previously, these matters were addressed by the Committee on the Ministry, but in order to handle the volume of work, This body was established. This Committee on Ministerial Standing also provides and encourages professional development for clergy, approves changes in status of authorized ministers (i.e., leave of absence, retirement, etc.), providing support to local churches and clergy in times of stress or disagreement/complaint, and authorizing any ad hoc committee work adjudicating allegations of clergy misconduct).
Elinor Yeo began her service with this body during the fall of 2005. She says that "serving on the Committee on Ministerial Standing of the Association is truly an interesting and at times emotionally involving experience. In the United Church of Christ, this committee, on behalf of local churches, takes on some of the duties that would be the responsibility of a regional bishop in those denominations which have a different organizational structure" (such as the Methodists or the Espicopalians). She notes that, "Our tasks primarily involve monitoring the relationship between pastors and congregations. Any pastor who is ordained in the United Church of Christ and is accepting the call of a local church in the MBA comes to the committee with lay delegates from the church. The intent of that meeting is to welcome the new pastor and to review the details of her or his installation service. The committee also interviews and makes decisions about ordained ministers of other denominations who are applying for the privilege of serving a local UCC church. As an example, Peter Southwell-Sander, originally ordained as a priest in the Church of England, was approved to also serve ministerial functions in the UCC."
Continuing to describe for us her range of duties in serving on this committee, Elinor notes, "The most difficult function for the committee is to provide counseling, advice, and mediation when there is a disagreement between a stated pastor and a congregation. Sometimes, the pastor has been accused of misconduct and/or abuse, and it is our job to hear all sides and suggest an action. The committee is deliberately comprised of equal numbers of clergy and laity to maintain fair treatment. But in the long run, I think we would all agree that clergy misconduct, although rare, is a serious matter and cannot be swept away or ignored. Some denominations have a judicial system where these cases are heard; not so in the UCC. Our committee must be sure that any complaints are thoroughly heard and that a pastor is fairly treated."
And Elinor Yeo wants us to know that as a member of this congregation, she "feels very fortunate in having been asked to serve as a clergy member on this committee." Teaching us, "Since in the UCC, unlike in other denominations, all clergy must be members of a local church, I am especially proud to represent Old South Church in this way."
David and Elinor, among the many other MBA volunteers from Old South, we want to thank you for your ministry in the MBA. As member of OSC, you bring your gifts and extend the blessings of our congregation in the wider church.
Each of the four MBA "bodies" is constituted carefully, addressing the geographic regions of the Association, a good balance of lay and ordained leadership, gender equity, and a diverse range of skills and abilities, as well as identities andperspectives.
In the Summer issue of "The Reporter" we will continue
in this vein, addressing the work of the MBA Council and Nominating Committee,
and sharing the perspective of those OSCers who are involved in that work.
And then, of course, there is the work of OSCers in the contexts of the
Massachusetts Conference and the National UCC!
That story is to be continued! [Next issue.]
I understand you and your family are longtime members of Old South. For various reasons, you and Jim moved away for a while but rejoined immediately upon return. What drew you to this Church initially and what made you come back to Old South so quickly?
When we first moved to Boston in 1980, we church shopped for five or six Sundays. After one visit to Old South, we'd found our church home. It was the worship service which drew us in. Excellent preaching - inspiring and Biblically oriented, encompassed by well crafted liturgy and prayers plus exquisite organ and choral music. It made the choice compelling. Having moved to several completely unfamiliar locations during the course of our marriage, we'd learned that church membership is the quickest, surest, and most comforting way to give a sense of community to our life. When biological family is hundreds of miles away, a faith family is imperative for us.
With our second move to Boston in 2002, that sense of community was already in place as we'd kept in touch with Old South, having tended our membership here as well as the membership we'd always retained in the church where our three children grew up in Poughkeepsie, NY.
I am blessed to serve with you on the Congregational Care & Support Committee (the Care Crew). Would you be kind enough to give our Church family an overview of what we do?
The simple answer is tha we help enable members of this congregation to be there for one another in good times and bad. The membership of Old South is a diverse group; all over the spectrum in our faith histories and journeys, exhibiting great differences in life style and spread wide geographically. Just keeping in touch with the needs of individuals and trying to offer support as though we are a family is the big challenge that is ours.
About a year and a half ago we asked for volunteers to serve on our Care Crew, to be the practical arm of support. About thirty people responded. These volunteers augment our committee's work by sending notes of congratulations, concern, or condolence. They cook soup and casseroles which we keep frozen at the church and ready for timely distribution. The Care Crew makes phone visits, personal visits, offers rides and occasionally gives respite care. Without these caring, generous persons our mission could not succeed.
Our Congregational Care and Support Committee also takes on projects related to our mission. We sponsor the Care Notes available to all in our elevator lobby. These Care Notes address multiple life issues that we as individuals face. Literally hundreds of these pamphlets have gone out. We recognize births and adoptions within our church family with a modest gift. Once a year we send care packages to our away-from-home college students during exam week. We are currently working on ways to recognize baptisms that occur at Old South and to support the caregivers within our congregation who care for elderly, frail, or ill family members, spouses or partners.
A great deal of reaching out to one another has happened since our formation in the summer of 2004. We still have a lot to learn and a long way to go to help shape our membership into a family that cares for one another.
At each of our meetings we pray for each of those who have requested our prayers. In great humility we also pray for ourselves; that God will guide, direct and bless our simple efforts to make tangible God's love within this faith community. Caring for one another multiplies our joy, divides our sorrows, and brings near to us the love of God.
What other endeavors have you been involved with at OSC, both now and during your previous time here?
I have served on the Outreach and Membership Committees, enjoyed being part of the Theological Book Group since its inception under Jennifer Mills-Knutsen and have been one of Old South's scripture readers during worship.
Your husband Jim has also been devoted to the life of this Church. Did you both join together?
Jim and I grew up with very similar church backgrounds. We joined Old South together as well as four other churches earlier in our nearly fifty years together. I can truly say that our worship and faith life has been the bedrock of our marriage.
Have you and Jim more often worked together on the same projects/committees or independently? What are the benefits or drawbacks to either?
We chaired a couple's group early in our marriage and taught church school together years ago. We've done lots of short-term projects, such as making stewardship calls together but we don't tend to serve on the same committees. Our interests are different; though we both have people interests. Jim is a numbers person. [He is currently church Treasurer.] Words are more my thing.
Jim is incredibly supportive, however, of whatever I choose to take on. He spends untold hours supporting my Care and Support work, helping with e mails, accompanying me on visits, lugging coolers of soups and casseroles for our freezer stash at church or baskets of supplies for workshops. He also shores me up when I get discouraged. There's no way I could chair this committee without his help.
You once remarked that you and Jim are so busy in retirement that you wonder how you ever had time to earn a living, though you both consider your involvement a blessing. Outside of Old South, what do you folks do to occupy your time?
First and foremost, we spend time with our grandchildren. The local two, Honner and Pieter James, visit us for several hours two days a week. Our third grandchild, Clara, lives in Tbilisi, in the Georgia Republic (check!) right now. We travel to visit her whenever she comes to the United States, about three time a year and keep in touch by e mail the rest of the time. Keeping in touch with our sons (one in Washington, DC, and one in Santa Fe, NM), also claims a part of each week.
Besides reading, crossword puzzles, and communicating with widely spread siblings, we hike, we garden, we explore the Fells, a large conservation area with an entry trail right behind our home. Jim and I love to ramble. We drive into the countryside, select a little used, unfamiliar country road, park the car and follow the road on foot. I grew up on a farm in the Midwest and still need my country fix frequently.
Is there anyone, either someone in your life, a clergy person, or someone famous that has been an inspiration?
Both Jim and I were blessed with parents who were admirable, inspiring models in their day to day living. Their examples of faith, integrity and compassion were priceless gifts to us. In our adult lives, we have known more than our share of remarkable clergy; men and women who, in both their professional leadership and their personal living, caused our understanding of both the cost and joy of discipleship to Jesus Christ to grow and expand.
Anything else that you'd like to share with our Church family?
We would like people to know how richly blessed we feel to be part of this community. We are never bored. To have the opportunity as we age to keep learning, to find meaningful involvement and work, and to participate in joyful worship services weekly is richness indeed. And there's an unexpected bonus for us. Our lives are truly enhanced by the friendship offered to us by so many of Old South's young people . . . That surely beats bingo!
Here is a story about Jesus that is an extension of the time when Jesus appeared in a synagogue. There, Jesus was teaching, and a man came in who was bedeviled by an unclean spirit. Jesus commands the spirit to come out of the man. When that occurs, the people are amazed. “What is this?” they ask. “ A new teaching – with authority!” So knowledge about Jesus spreads throughout the whole region.
And now in Mark’s (Mark 1:29-39) account, Jesus and the growing group of disciples go from that synagogue to the house of Simon and his brother Andrew. From a surface reading of the account, it appears that it is the house of an extended family. Simon’s mother-in-law is there and is described as being ill with the fever. Jesus takes her by the hand and she gets up to serve them. Now some of you might be saying: “Well, of course. She’s the one who has to get up out of a sickbed to prepare meals for Jesus, Simon, Andrew, James, John – who knows how many others. What’s wrong with them?” In the culture of that time, the mother-in-law (whose name isn’t even mentioned) would have felt dishonored if someone else had done the work of serving the guests. And for many women (and a smaller number of men) even today, that sense of responsibility and obligation continues to be an important motivation.
The classic story of this cultural conflict is that of Mary and Martha. You will remember that Jesus (and a countless horde) came to their house, which the women owned. Mary goes in with the guests to hear the teachings of Jesus; Martha slaves away in the kitchen. When Martha complains about this, Jesus sort of rebukes her, indicating that Mary had taken the better path by trying to understand the nature of the kingdom. On one hand, you might think Jesus is being unfair to Martha; on the other, perhaps he is offering her liberation from those concerns that have tied her down.
To get back to the story: that evening, at sundown (presumably it had been the Sabbath?) people are brought to the house who are possessed by demons and sick with various diseases. It is recorded that Jesus performs healings, casts out demons. And Jesus has become so much a celebrity that the story says even the demons in town know him. We have in the Gospels a number of examples of what happens next: namely, that the next morning while it was still dark, Jesus goes out by himself to a deserted place to pray. You will remember that Jesus went to the desert for forty days and nights after his baptism to wrestle with the devil. And that on the night of his betrayal, he was praying -- away from the crowd -- in the garden of Gethsemane. This time of prayer gives him the strength and direction to move away from fame and celebrity to go on to the next towns, proclaiming the message of the reign of God, teaching in the synagogues and casting out demons.
As we read these stories of Jesus, we are reminded that he was a prophet, the Great Teacher, a healer, an evangelist, a premier storyteller, a disturber of the status quo, a person who commanded respect and love. Over the years, Christians have looked at these depictions of a complex Jesus and have tried to find something simple that they could emulate. If you profess to follow in the way of Jesus (as the membership covenant of this church asserts), surely there is something that you can hang on to – if I only work harder at it, I can be like Jesus!
In the last part of the nineteenth century, there was great interest in this quest, in what came to be called “muscular Christianity”. The portrait of Jesus that emerged for these people was of a strong, athletic man who counted fishermen and laborers as his friends, who respected women, and who commanded allegiance from men of action. It became fashionable for men to become missionaries and put themselves in danger for the sake of the gospel. The YMCA movement was in many ways invigorated by the muscular Christianity concept. And while this point of view faded in the warfare of the 20th century and with the sentimental pictures of an Aryan Jesus, there are still echoes now in the Promise Keepers, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and today, with the many prayers at the Super Bowl.
Another attempt to capture Jesus in a form that could serve as a model for everyday people was seen in the work of Bruce Barton – a pioneer in advertising, inventor of Betty Crocker, and a member of Congress. In his 1924 book “The Man Nobody Knows”, Barton draws a picture of Jesus as the greatest adman ever – the most popular dinner guest in Jerusalem. The teachings of Jesus were simple and brief – Love your God; Love your neighbor as yourself – and his journeys through the countryside were in essence ad campaigns to sell people on the kingdom of God.
In these latter days, we have backed off from these simplified ways to latch on to Jesus. In our tradition here at Old South, we take seriously the words in Galatians that there are many fruits and gifts of the spirit – and, in fact, we have windows in the sanctuary depicting love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, fidelity, gentleness and self control. And we understand St. Paul’s caution to the Corinthians that there are many gifts of the Spirit and ways to serve – one “is granted faith; another, by the one Spirit, gifts of healing, and another miraculous powers; another has the gift of prophecy, and another ability to distinguish true spirits from false” and so forth.
After the 336th annual meeting of the Old South congregation – unless there is a palace coup – I will serve as the chair of the leadership committee of which I have been a member this year. The work of this committee is to ensure that this surprisingly complex institution called Old South Church is ably staffed by volunteers. The committee members quickly come to the recognition that there are remarkably varied gifts in this downtown parish – there are professional counselors who assist the mentally ill in casting out modern demons (and are delighted to pour coffee on Sunday morning); doctors who heal (and usher); very average people of no particular professional competency who care for our sick and greet the stranger in our midst. As Jesus looked for a keeper of the purse, so we have financial experts – and, praise God, some terrific sextons who make sure we are at our best when the doors are opened every day to the public.
None of us is going to capture all the attributes of Jesus.
But each of us, like Jesus, can be a messenger of good news – when we contribute
to the needs of people; when we welcome newcomers; when we affirm our faith
in worship and sacrament; when we offer comfort to those who are troubled.
There is good news in our world - perhaps not announced by great trumpets
– perhaps proclaimed in our own modest ways by what we say and do in the
conduct of our daily lives. May the Holy Spirit guide each of us as we
become bearers of this good news to our neighbor.
This past Thanksgiving was different from any other that
I have spent . Thanksgiving marked my first day serving as a American Red
Cross volunteer in Mississippi's Gulf Coast. As I delivered hot meals,
cold drinks and snacks to residents of Bay St. Louis from an Emergency
Response vehicle (ERV), I realized that there would
be many important lessons that I would be grateful to
learn during my two and half week stint in communities ravaged by Hurricane
Katrina. I would like to share some of those lessons with my Old South
family.
1. Disasters do not discriminate. We saw people of every income level, sexual orientation, ability, ethnicity and race who lost everything.
2. We need to be aware of our vulnerable neighbors' needs.
From the Vietnamese man who helped us find out what a young mother and
her children needed to the
woman who led us to the tent where her ill neighbor was
staying without water, phone and electricity, again and again, I was humbled
by the caring of neighbors for neighbors in the midst of chaos and suffering.
3. We all have gifts to contribute and only when we put them together, can we bring out about social change. I had the pleasure of volunteering along with several hundred of the most amazing people. Volunteers came from all over the country and all walks of life: Presbyterian youth minister from Kansas City, Native American corrections officer from Alaska, retired merchant marine from California, farmer from West Virginia. Despite differences in class, education level, geographic background, and political perspective, we were able to work together.
4. God is still speaking to me, to our country...
I have learned that God is calling me to share my heart
and talents with those in need. How that calling manifests itself in my
daily life is up in the air at times. But to know that God is calling is
a great gift. When I think of the many peole I met along the 70 miles of
Mississippi coast, these words from Isaiah 55:12 resound in my ears:
"O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,
I will build you with stones of turquoise,
your foundations with sapphires."
From the ERV Truck
And there are no words:
Debris, destruction, demolished
Hurricane, Hungry, Harried
My senses flooded
I am undone by your pain, your homes and lives torn asunder.
I offer food, a smile, pleasantries,
yearning to give you something more.
And then I look beneath the rubble, beyond the storm.
I see you. I see your burgeoning hope.
I know now. This is your story alone.
And I must listen.
-- Lucy Costa
Awaking after Katrina
The city Biloxi stumbles, stutters.
Her churches, schools destroyed.
Her street signs, traffic lights gone.
The house shivers, coughs,
His insides gutted, still congested with mold.
The mother moans, weak from hunger
from hiding herself, her children in daylight.
They are only wanted guests at night.
The mother struggles,
she has the Vietnamese words but not enough English ones.
The boys', the baby's eyes meet mine.
And we, the city, the house, the mother, the little ones,
even I, a stranger from afar, can only wait
for something, someone to guide us forward.
-- Lucy Costa
Old South
Reporter (Back Issues)
OSC Reporter, a voice for the extended community of the Old South
Church, explores the mission of the church and aspects of the Christian
life through news, stories, poetry, essays, and commentaries
Communications
Committee:
Evan H. Shu , chair, Lois Harvey, David Clark, Mark Strickland,
Janet Eldred, Elizabeth England, Eleanor Jensen, Helen McCrady, Michael
Fiorentino, Ian Holland, Kate Silfen, George Delianides, and Nancy Taylor
Deadline for next issue: June 18, 2006
Old South Church in Boston
Gathered 1669
A congregation of the United Church of Christ
645 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
(617)536-1970
(617)536-8061 Fax
http://www.oldsouth.org
Nancy S. Taylor, Senior Minister
Quinn G. Caldwell, Associate Minister
Patricia Hazeltine, Church School Director
Tadd Allman-Morton and Jeff VonWald, Ministerial Interns