I wrote this on Saturday, Jan. 20 and read it in Worship the following day. I have been asked to share a copy with you.

Pastor Cathi

Before we can sing our first words of praise to God this morning, I believe there are words that I – that we – must speak. Words are powerful – they matter. Every time they are spoken – they matter. In every place where they are spoken – they matter. And when they are spoken by the man who holds the highest office in this nation – who holds that office because we as a nation put him there, and gave him the power to represent all of us by virtue of that office – those words matter.

When they reflect the blatant racism and ignorance of his heart – then we must speak, too. When our president openly and repeatedly curses African and Haitian people, deeming them less desirable immigrants than the white people of Norway – those words matter. They echo around the world, they shame any American with integrity, and they offend God. Those words offend and anger and break the heart of God.

If we do not speak against them now – then where and when will we speak? If we do not speak against the sin of racism – we are complicit in it. If we are silent before God – in this place – we have no right to praise God and the worship we would bring is meaningless to a holy and righteous God. Because our words matter.

It has been 50 years since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated. He was killed because of his words – because he named the sinful racism which lives and hides deep within our hearts; and because he dared to dream that we could be better than that. Fifty years, and if we want to believe that we have made progress toward that dream, that we have overcome that sin, that this nation has healed, we need only listen to this president’s words – words spoken in the past and again this week. Hear the words spoken in what he considered a private setting, not those read from a prepared script as he proclaimed tomorrow a federal holiday in honor of Dr. King.

Listen to those words, and then listen to the relative silence, the lack of response and outrage across America.

Before we can praise God, we must first repent before the God who created all people; we must ask forgiveness on behalf of ourselves and our nation; and ask God for the courage to speak words of reconciliation and love, courage to live as those who will no longer tolerate racism, prejudice, and hatred as the norm in our country.

I invite you to take a few moments of silence to speak your words to God,

as we prepare to worship God.

The State of the Church 2017

“Getting to know you, getting to know all about you;

Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me.

Getting to know you, putting it my way, but nicely,

You are precisely my cup of tea.

Getting to know you.”

That’s what we have been doing these last three months: getting to know one another. For me, it has been a glorious time of matching names with faces, sharing in worship and ministry, and finding my way home without needing the GPS. You have opened your hearts and homes to me, and I treasure the stories you have shared. You have welcomed me, included me, and even learned how to pronounce my last name! You are awesome!

As for the State of the Church, I have hardly been here long enough to fully know that, but I will offer some early observations as the new kid on the block. I see you as a strong and faithful people, with a sound financial base and an amazing core of volunteers and staff. You have a true love for the community, reaching out to the children, youth, adults and elders of Clio with food for the body, mind, heart and soul. You proclaim your faith in word, song, prayer and action, in lives filled with courage and hope, and I admire that.

I have also experienced you as a people who have been wounded, in small or bigger ways. There is a sense of sadness here, a feeling of deep loss and hurt and disappointment. The wounds may be recent or years old, personal or congregational, partially healed or still raw, but I feel them as I move among you. I don’t fully understand them yet, but I do hope we will answer God’s invitation to healing and joy together. In spite of this pain (or perhaps because of it) you are a very warm and hospitable people, with a gentle compassion and welcoming love for the stranger and the outcast.

It is a joy and blessing to me to serve among and with you. I am thankful for my appointment to Bethany, and for the wisdom of God’s Spirit in guiding the Bishop and Cabinet to think of me. I am thankful for the beautiful home you have provided, and your patience in the midst of my settling in. I am thankful for this call upon my life, and for the assurance that each of you will now have a place in my heart forever. But most of all, I am thankful for God’s promise to lead, empower, guide and be with us all as we move into the future together. May everything we do bring honor and glory to God.

Shalom,

Pastor Cathi Huvaere

Dear friends,

The season of autumn is fast approaching, and it is one of my four favorite seasons of the year.

I love the crisp mornings and the cooler evenings, the deep blue skies and the welcome rain. And, I love living in a state filled with deciduous trees whose leaves will change color before they fall. I think we all enjoy the tapestry of red, brown, gold and orange that blankets our state for a few precious weeks, beginning in the north and working its way through the lower state. The lush colors bring remarkable beauty to a long walk or an everyday ride to work.

A few years ago, I learned something interesting about the changing leaves. I am not a trained botanist, so I admit that my explanation is oversimplified, but I offer it to you anyway. The brilliant autumn color is not created by a change from green to red / brown / gold / orange, but is the result of a letting go by the leaves. As the summer season ends, the leaves slowly release the chlorophyll that fills their veins and keeps them green, revealing the other rich color that was always there. So, the color is not something new, but something hidden, something that was always present but is now being seen. How wondrous it is that a process of letting go would result in such an amazing explosion of beauty!

Perhaps this is another example of the many things we can learn about God and about ourselves by observing the natural world around us. Perhaps it encourages us to consider the power and beauty of letting go. Sometimes, we hang on tightly to the “chlorophyll” of our lives. Just like the leaves, there is a season when our things / experiences / habits are essential for us to keep; and just like the leaves, there is a season to let them go. Sometimes, it is a matter of releasing the tangible stuff and clutter of our homes; sometimes, it means giving up old grudges and bitterness so the wounds can heal. Sometimes, we face changes in our level of independence or mobility; sometimes, it is a loss of rituals or traditions that we have grown to cherish. These changes, and many others, can be hard or scary, but they can also be opportunities to let our colors shine!

Letting go can reveal the strength and courage that already lie within us, bringing out the beauty of our faith in God. When we are willing to be vulnerable and trust God in releasing what has been, there is room for God to display what already is and will be. There is room for God to create a magnificent tapestry of color and texture in our lives, beyond anything we could have imagined. There is room for God to reveal the strength, and wonder, and courage that is deep within us. There is room for God to transform us.

As our little corner of the hemisphere prepares for the season of winter, enjoy the autumn beauty that surrounds us. And, I would add, enjoy the beauty that is within you! You are an amazing creature, filled with the breath of God. You have strength, and wisdom, and hope, and courage, and faith, and love – given to you by the hand of God. Don’t be afraid of the letting go, and watch your colors shine!

Shalom,

Pastor Cathi