From the Pastor’s Desk

What Can We Do?
            I write down these thoughts on Thursday, January 14th, just two days after the magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the island nation of Haiti. Millions of people have had their lives impacted and, though reports are preliminary and unconfirmed, the death toll could rise to over 100,000.  I don’t believe any of us can even begin to imagine such destruction, devastation, and death.
            While we watch reports on TV, listen to the news on the radio, and read the stories in the paper and online we are struck by one overwhelming reality – it will cost unbelievable sums of money to do what needs to be done to assist the nation and its people.  Everyone, it seems, is encouraging people to give to whatever agencies we know so that this work can begin and be effective.  Our government is sending money and supplies and personnel.  The Red Cross is on the scene beginning to do what they can.  Churches are mobilizing people and funds as well.  Both the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the United Church of Christ (UCC) are already there – “on the ground” as they say – because long before the earthquake the churches have been carrying out ministry in Haiti.  It is a land stricken by overwhelming poverty and God has called his people to care for the poor, to feed the hungry, house the homeless, and so proclaim the love of God in Jesus Christ for all people.
            Caring and doing is not an option for us.  The question that comes to our minds at a time such as this is, not “What should I do?” but “What can I do?”  There is no “should” about it.  In Christ we must respond.  To turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to suffering such as this would be to deny Christ and show that our hearts and minds have not been touched by his love. So, What can we do?
            1 – PRAY!  Never believe that prayer is a little thing.  Know that God cares deeply for the Haitian people and such death and devastation breaks God’s heart.  Pray that his comfort, his love, his strength, and his courage will be in abundant supply for each and every person – victims and relief workers.  Also pray about the next part . . .
            2 – GIVE!  I don’t care how or how much you give.  I don’t care which church body or agency you give to, but you and I MUST give.  We have more than enough.  We have an abundance that most Haitians could never begin to imagine on their best days.  The need is there and it is very real.  Even what you consider a little gift, combined with what others do, will make a difference.  I would suggest that you give through a church or a ministry-based agency.  The truth is that established faith-based groups have a better record of getting more of the dollars where the needs are.  They’ve been there.  They know very well what works best.  In this newsletter are articles from both the ELCA and the UCC on what is being done in these early days of the tragedy. Links on giving through our denominational channels are included (www.elca.org & www.ucc.org).  Another good agency would be World Vision (www.worldvision.org). They, too, have been working in Haiti for many years.  Thank you for doing what you feel led by Christ to do.

Pastor Mike

Taking a Stand

(The following article has been updated and edited as of April, 2006)

                  Zion’s Stone Church of West Penn Township is incorporated as one congregation living out its faith, life, and ministry through affiliations with both the United Church of Christ (UCC) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).  In this way we recognize and celebrate both our Reformed and our Lutheran traditions, which go back to the time of our founding well over two hundred years ago.  These traditions are not merely theoretical or theological.  The UCC and the ELCA are the modern day counterparts of those church bodies to which our two congregations have been affiliated throughout our history.  They are and will be important parts of what it means for us to be the church in this place.
          Even as we celebrate our traditions and our denominational affiliations, we live out our life of obedient faithfulness as the Church of Jesus Christ under the Lordship of Christ and the authority of the Word of God in Christ himself, in the Gospel of God’s saving love in the death and resurrection of Jesus, and in the inspired word of Holy Scripture.  In every generation we must test and discern the course being followed by the church on earth, whether nationally, regionally, or locally.  When we believe that there is cause to question the direction taken by the church, to question decisions and resolutions adopted by our denominations, whether regionally or nationally; we have an obligation to take a stand and voice our concerns.
          In recent years specific issues related to the larger issue of homosexuality have arisen in both the UCC and the ELCA.  What do we believe about what has come to be called “same sex marriage”?  Should the church celebrate such relationships and hold them to be equal to the marriage of a man and a woman?  What do we believe about the ordination of men and women who understand themselves to be gay and lesbian?  Should the church ordain gay and lesbian persons to the ordained ministry of word and sacrament and, if so, under what circumstances and conditions?  In the UCC’s General Synod 25 in July, 2005, and in the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in August, 2005, our denominations passed resolutions on such issues.  The UCC General Synod passed a resolution supportive of “equal marriage rights” for same sex couples.  Though the strict texts of resolutions adopted at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly seem to prohibit same-sex marriage and the ordination of practicing gay and lesbian persons, it has become clear that leaders in a number of synods in the ELCA are moving to disregard those prohibitions.  Many in both denominations grow increasingly concerned about these actions and overall trends that seem to be moving the church away from the traditional Biblical values that have been our proper foundation.
          In the months following the summer’s churchwide denominational gatherings individuals, congregations, and other groups have met to discuss how to respond to what has happened.  Some congregations in both the UCC and the ELCA have withdrawn their affiliations, becoming independent or joining with other church bodies.  Others have determined to stay within the UCC or ELCA but have determined, also, to come up with concrete ways of voicing their opposition to resolutions adopted and actions taken.  Among other responses developed in this context, two have sought and seemed worthy of wide acceptance throughout the church bodies.  They are:  (in the UCC setting) The Lexington Confession and (in the ELCA setting) The Common Confession.  The history and background of these two documents is available for those interested.  Both have been written for adoption by congregations desiring to remain within their denominations and yet desiring to make it clear where they disagree with the directions taken by the denominations – both regarding issues related to sexuality and marriage and to broader issues of tradition and authority in the church.
          These two documents were brought before our Feb. 26th annual congregational meeting for adoption and, after discussion, were unanimously adopted as statements of our faith that we believe are in keeping with the faith statement of our congregation as found in our constitution.
          By adopting The Lexington Confession and The Common Confession we go on record as opposing specific actions and general trends within our denominations.  This is at it should be but we’re not going anywhere.  We remain a congregation affiliated with both the UCC and the ELCA.  We support ministries of the church on the synod and conference level and nationally where and when we feel that support is warranted.  We may join in association with other congregations locally, regionally, and nationally holding similar concerns and a similar commitment to the traditional values of our churches but we will not withdraw from either the UCC or the ELCA. 
          Through our adoption of the Lexington Confession we have connected ourselves with a group within the United Church of Christ known as "Faithful and Welcoming Churches of the UCC" (FWC) - their website is linked from our home page.  Through our adoption of the Common Confession we connect ourselves with a group within the Lutheran traditionknown as "Lutheran Churches of the Common Confession" (LC3) - their website is also linked from our home page.
          In a sense nothing will change here at Zion’s Stone Church as a result of the adoption of these confessions.  Our worship will not change.  Our teaching will not change.  Our ministry of witness and service will not change.  Adopting these faith statements simply clarifies who and what we are; where we stand and have been standing.  We will be communicating our actions to the Synod and the ELCA, the Conference and the UCC, making clear our stance as well as our determination to remain within the denominations.
          This is where we stand.

THE LEXINGTON CONFESSION

Hedricks Grove UCC 
Lexington, NC
July 7, 2005

We, the undersigned, pastors and laity of the United Church of Christ, having reviewed reports of the actions of General Synod 25 of the United Church of Christ in Atlanta, Georgia, gather at Hedricks Grove United Church of Christ in Lexington, North Carolina to declare our confession on this seventh day of July in the year of our Lord two thousand five.

1) We affirm the faith set forth in the Basis of Union of the United Church of Christ: “The faith which unites us and to which we bear witness is that faith in God which the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments set forth, which the ancient Church expressed in the ecumenical creeds, to which our own spiritual fathers gave utterance in the evangelical confessions of the Reformation, which we are duty bound to express in the words of our time as God Himself gives us light. In all our expressions of that faith we seek to preserve the unity of heart and spirit with those who have gone before us as well as those who now labor with us.” We dissent with all who have abandoned or altered this faith or who believe that our covenantal unity can be renewed or sustained apart from the historic and apostolic faith contained in the Old and New Testament and in the Ecumenical Creeds and Reformation Confessions.

2) We affirm with General Synod 25 our “faith in Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, whose true humanity and divinity are declared in our constitution, our liturgies, our hymnals, and our ecumenical confessions.” We further affirm our belief that that the confession of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is essential for Christian profession, church membership, and ecclesiastical leadership. We dissent with all who reject the divinity, centrality, and Lordship of Jesus Christ, the teachings of Holy Scripture, the Ecumenical Creeds, and Reformation Confessions, or who re-interpret them in manners that violate the historic understanding of these Scriptures, Creeds and Confessions of the truly apostolic and catholic faith.

3) We affirm the overwhelming witness of Holy Scripture, church tradition, the UCC Book of Worship, and the ecumenical church that marriage is between a man and a woman. We urge continuation and strengthening of ecclesiastical, legal, and political protection for the institution of traditional marriage. We dissent with the action of General Synod 25 to support equal marriage rights for same sex couples.

4) We affirm that God is still speaking to the church and the world in our time. We dissent with all who imply that God is asking us to abandon the teachings of Holy Scripture as affirmed by the historic and ecumenical church.

5) We appeal to clergy and congregations of the United Church of Christ who choose to remain in the denomination to affirm the faith set forth in the founding documents of the United Church of Christ and to remain active, vocal members of their Associations, Conferences, and the United Church of Christ as a continuing witness to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the place where God has called them.

The Common Confession
(The faith statement of the "Lutheran Churches of the Common Confession"
 -- an association of evangelical Lutheran congregations.  2005)

1) The Lord Jesus Christ
We are people who believe and confess our faith in the Triune God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We trust and believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.

2) The Gospel of Salvation
We believe and confess that all human beings are sinners, and that sinners are redeemed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God alone justifies human beings by faith in Christ, a faith which God creates through the message of the Gospel. As ambassadors for Christ, God uses us to speak his Word and build his kingdom.

3) The Authority of Scripture
We believe and confess that the Bible is God's revealed Word to us, spoken in Law and Gospel. The Bible is the final authority for us in all matters of our faith and life.

4) A Common Confession of Faith
We accept and uphold that the Lutheran Confessions reliably guide us as faithful interpretations of Scripture, and that we share a unity and fellowship in faith with others among whom the Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached and the sacraments are administered in accordance with the Gospel.

5) The Priesthood of All Believers
We believe and confess that the Holy Spirit makes all who believe in Jesus Christ to be priests for service to others in Jesus' name, and that God desires to make use of the spiritual gifts he has given through the priesthood of all believers.

6) Marriage and Family
We believe and confess that the marriage of male and female is an institution created and blessed by God. From marriage, God forms families to serve as the building blocks of all human civilization and community. We teach and practice that sexual activity belongs exclusively within the biblical boundaries of a faithful marriage between one man and one woman.

7) The Mission and Ministry of the Congregation
We believe and confess that the church is the assembly of believers called and gathered by God around Word and Sacrament, and that the mission and ministry of the church is carried out within the context of individual congregations, which are able to work together locally and globally.