General Synod -- Watching, Waiting, Opening

“I will stand at my watch-post,
and station myself on the rampart;
I will keep watch to see what God will say to me,
And what God will answer concerning my complaint.
Then God answered me and said:
‘Write the vision;
make it plain on tablets,
so that a runner may read it.
For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
It speaks of the end, and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
It will surely come, it will not delay.”
                  Habakkuk 2:1-3

      I love this scripture passage. It speaks of discernment, of watching, waiting, listening for God. And then of communicating that vision. Quinn Caldwell also reminded us that was what was supposed to be happening in the plenary sessions – not voting on our preference, but listening for what God wants us to do. It seems to me that these are some of the most important things for a church – particularly a national church – to do.
      But it’s not something we often do well. Perhaps because we get too caught up in thinking of ourselves as “democratic.” There is little room for God in our governance systems, including church and denominational governance systems. I remember that Diana Butler Bass wrote that the health of a church was inversely proportionate to how much it relied on Robert’s Rules. This is why as a church we at Central have let go of Robert’s Rules of Order and are trying a more God-focused rule of order. It's a work in progress, but I do sense a change.

Vote to Resolution to Divest in Fossil Fuel

     There are those who may disagree with me, but I think one sign of the working of the Spirit, and that we are listening to the Call of God, is when there is a strong consensus among the body – be it a congregation or the General Synod delegates. A close vote creates winners and losers among faithful caring people -- something that has no place in God's kingdom. A close vote means we have more work to do – more discernment – more prayer. But this can take time – time to listen for God’s leading. Time to discern God’s vision. But as the scripture says, we need to “wait for it, it will surely come.” We are too often in a hurry to move on, to get an “answer,” or a “result.” And schedules can be hard taskmasters that make us forget what's really important. Can make us forget who we are and whose we are.
      A striking example of this came at Synod on Saturday morning. A delegate from the Conference that includes Arizona stood at the neutral microphone (the one designated for points of personal privilege that must be recognized first) to tell the body about the tragedy of the loss of 19 firefighters in Arizona and how it was effecting their delegation and their families and to ask for prayer. Then he sat down. With a thank you, and an appropriate look of sympathy, the moderator moved on with the order of the day.
That afternoon, a different delegate stood at the neutral microphone and chided the body, because that morning there had been an opportunity, as a community, to pray together about this tragedy, and we had missed it. A need had been expressed, but we were so caught up in “business,” in “getting it done,” that we didn’t stop and take the time to answer this need and do what the church should do best – pray together. He made a specific request that we do that right then – the moderator invited him to go ahead – and that delegate led us in prayer. It was very powerful – and a powerful reminder to us all of why we were there in the first place.

       The passage from Habakkuk served as the grounding and provided the themes for all of General Synod 29.  Throughout the conference, we were challenged to listen for “God’s Vision” in many ways. All around were posters, shirts, banners with “God’s Vision: __________” with different things filling in the blank. Things like “God’s Vision:  Peace” and “God’s Vision: Justice.”  There had been an opportunity on the UCC website for months to send in what you thought should fill in the blank, and there were a lot of answers. There were also baskets with multicolored strips of cloth all around the conference center with markers and we were invited to “write the vision” on those strips, which were knotted together and used in worship. Reading some of the strips in the basket, I was amazed by the variety of answers.
       The diversity of answers reflected the diversity of the body of Christ known as the UCC present at Synod. Even attending meetings of our South Central Conference you don’t get a sense of the wonderful diversity of our sisters and brothers in the UCC. How amazing to be able to tangibly feel the connection to something much bigger than our own church, or part of the world. Diversity – in it’s own many forms – is not easy. But as has been said many time, God didn’t promise it would be easy, only that it would be worth it.
      Some might say there were too much diversity, too many different answers. How can it be “God’s Vision” when there is so much variety? But I think that is trying to put God in a box. Like God can have only one vision. But God is bigger than that. God is present in all of life and life’s activities.
   

     As we were reminded by the Rev. Neichelle Guidry Jones, Associate Pastor to Young Adults at Trinity UCC in Chicago, “God is not just still speaking. God is still working.”  Rev. Guidry Jones gave a fiery and passionate sermon about how God takes us to the edge, but also holds us safe there. Because it is our slogan in the UCC, that “God is still speaking,” I think it is really important for us to also remember that our God is not all talk and no action – and we can’t be either.
     The wide range of responses to the question “God’s Vision: ______” recognizes that, and seeks to discern God’s call in all parts of our life. Calls to action – as we are God’s hands on this earth.
But practicing discernment, and living with diversity requires an openness of heart and mind. Perhaps that is why one worship highlighted the following chant:

“I Am Opening” (Words and Music by Jack Fowler and Christy Snow)

I am o-pen-ing.
I am o-pening.
My heart is read-y to re-ceive.

We are opening.
We are opening.
Our hearts are ready to re-ceive.
[repeat as cued]

This simple chant was taught to us in the short morning worship that opened Saturday’s activities. It was accompanied by hand motions for the whole congregation, making it not just a song but an embodied prayer. Simple but powerful.
We must be open to the workings of the Spirit – often in unexpected ways. Open to God speaking to us – even when that message is one we don’t really want to hear. Open to God.