3rd Dispatches from 35th UCC General Synod
A Day 3 Recap
Holy Covenant,
Yesterday marked the third day of General Synod.
Today there were dozens of workshops offered to those at General Synod, making it difficult to choose which ones to attend. These workshops covered everything from worship practices to global justice issues, including climate change, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and the intersections of faith and politics. The challenge? Well…you could only attend two. After narrowing my list down to eight last night and talking through each of those workshops with a colleague, who graciously acted as a sounding board (thank you Charity!), I finally landed on my two.
The first workshop I attended was titled “Faith at the United Nations: Advocating for Justice.” It offered insight into our denomination’s ongoing relationship with the United Nations and the ways we advocate for global justice. Since 1998, the United Church of Christ has held NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This standing allows our voice as a denomination to be heard on global matters such as decolonization, gender equality, and sustainability, as we strive toward a world rooted in justice for all.
At the beginning of the session, we were asked why we felt called to attend. For me, it was two reasons:
It’s easy to feel helpless when it comes to making a real difference in situations happening so far from home. Yes, I can write liturgy, preach sermons, contact legislators, or donate money but sometimes, it still feels like shouting into the void. Is it really making any impact?
Some global crises get more attention than others. We hear a lot about Gaza or the war in Ukraine, but what about the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar? The widespread violence in Sudan? The mass displacement happening in Haiti? Who’s advocating for these forgotten places?
The second workshop I attended was titled “Blessed Minds and Blessed Bodies.” It was an introduction to several health and wellness ministries of the UCC, including Our Whole Lives (OWL), the UCC Mental Health Network (WISE), and the UCC Wellness Ministries. As the father of a child who is nonverbal, autistic, and has special medical needs, I found this workshop personally moving. It was a safe space that affirmed the beauty of neurodivergence in the church. So much so that there were tears and sniffles at end.
Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund, who is a pastor, advocate, and the author of Blessed Minds: Breaking the Silence about Neurodiversity was a keynote speaker. She offered theological insights on neurodiversity as an expression of God’s creative goodness and spoke about how churches can become places of true belonging. She said,
“Neurodiversity is a voice in the church that’s not being heard…there are so many ways the larger church can contribute to this conversation…and the church should be a place where we don’t compromise on what it means to belong.”
During the Q&A, I asked if there were resources on the theology of neurodiversity and how we can raise more awareness within the church. Dr. Lund mentioned that while her work is among the first, a gentleman named Dr. Rudolph Reyes II is preparing to publish some groundbreaking work later this year. While Disability Theology explores the relationship between God and those with disabilities, there’s not been much written theologically around neurodivergence. What does God, our sacred scriptures, and the person of Jesus say about being neurodiverse? That’s the question I think we’re asking.
After the workshops, we gathered for a powerful worship service. General Minister and President Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson preached a sermon titled “Beyond Dry Bones: Into the Deep.” Drawing from both the vision of the dry bones in Ezekiel and the Synod’s theme scripture, Luke 5:1–11, where Jesus tells the disciples to cast their fishing nets out into the waters again after a night of fishing and ending up with nothing.
She named the “dry bones” that plague our world: ones in our country like the recent “One Big Bill” that stripped healthcare from millions while expanding tax breaks for the wealthy and slashing funding for programs supporting the poor while piling on more national debt. She spoke of Gaza, where thousands have died and millions have been displaced, and other global crises with no visible end in sight. She painted a haunting picture of a valley of dry bones that continues to pile on top of each other.
And then she reminded us: this is the time to be casting our nets again. As the church, as followers of Christ, we are not being called to retreat right now but to go deeper. Wider. Bolder. Further. Farther. To cast our nets in a love so deep that what we pull from the depths of the ocean the world has still yet to see. It was a call to all those at General Synod and across the world that the work of Christ will continue to go where it’s needs to no matter how dire, gloom, or uncertain the present or future may be.
The closing of her sermon was incredibly powerful. I’ve included a link below and encourage you to watch it. If anything, please at least watch her sermon.
https://vimeo.com/1100848961/6191bdac68?share=copy
Day three of General Synod left me both deeply moved and challenged. I’m looking forward to tomorrow for the chance to retrace part of my spiritual journey that I left 11 years ago here in Kansas City and then later in the afternoon get into the business of the church before us at our next plenary.
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