United and Uniting
John 17:18-23
The UCC at 50 Series Part 1
May 6, 2007
Rev. Nancy Pfaltzgraf
How exciting it was today to welcome Isabella Rose and Allie Caroline into our family and to
hear that Dylan William was born! That makes three new babies in our church family in a little
over a month! Three new lives whose history is just beginning; three new lives as unique as the
families who gave them birth. Yet, even as we stand here at the beginning of their lives, we
know that who they are and who they will become has already been influenced by many factors
-their parents DNA, how and why they were conceived, the relative health of the family system
that will nurture them, the support their nuclear family receives from its extended family and
from communities like the church, and, I believe, the dream God has for each of them.
In much the same way who we are as a congregation and who we are as part of the family
known as the United Church of Christ was influenced by many factors such as the spiritual DNA
of our denominational parents, how and why this new denomination was conceived, the relative
health of our family system, the support we receive, the dream God has for us. As a
denomination the UCC is about to celebrate its 50th birthday. There will be a huge party in June
at the General Synod in Hartford, Connecticut. So that we can join in the party, I have decided
to take the next five weeks to celebrate who and what the United Church of Christ is as we
explore how we got to be who we are. On May 20th we will also have an opportunity to take
an in depth look at our own congregational history in our Evening of Historical Reflection. I
hope that both explorations add to our understanding of who we are as we look toward God's
dream of who we will yet become both as a congregation and as a denomination.
John 17:18-23
The UCC at 50 Series Part 1
May 6, 2007
Rev. Nancy Pfaltzgraf
How exciting it was today to welcome Isabella Rose and Allie Caroline into our family and to
hear that Dylan William was born! That makes three new babies in our church family in a little
over a month! Three new lives whose history is just beginning; three new lives as unique as the
families who gave them birth. Yet, even as we stand here at the beginning of their lives, we
know that who they are and who they will become has already been influenced by many factors
-their parents DNA, how and why they were conceived, the relative health of the family system
that will nurture them, the support their nuclear family receives from its extended family and
from communities like the church, and, I believe, the dream God has for each of them.
In much the same way who we are as a congregation and who we are as part of the family
known as the United Church of Christ was influenced by many factors such as the spiritual DNA
of our denominational parents, how and why this new denomination was conceived, the relative
health of our family system, the support we receive, the dream God has for us. As a
denomination the UCC is about to celebrate its 50th birthday. There will be a huge party in June
at the General Synod in Hartford, Connecticut. So that we can join in the party, I have decided
to take the next five weeks to celebrate who and what the United Church of Christ is as we
explore how we got to be who we are. On May 20th we will also have an opportunity to take
an in depth look at our own congregational history in our Evening of Historical Reflection. I
hope that both explorations add to our understanding of who we are as we look toward God's
dream of who we will yet become both as a congregation and as a denomination.
This denomination was born on June 25, 1957, in Cleveland, Ohio, as James E. Wagner
head of the Evangelical and Reformed Church, and Fred Hoskins, head of the Congregational
Christian Churches, joined in a handshake to become the United Church of Christ. The name,
United Church of Christ, was an appropriate choice, not only because this new denomination
was a merger of two separate denominations, but because a uniting spirit was in the very DNA
of its parents. When the gestation period for the UCC. began in 1937 the Evangelical and
Reformed Church was only 3 years old -itself a coming together in 1934 of the Evangelical
Synod of North America and The Reformed Church in the U.S.- and the Congregational Christian
Churches only 6 years old -itself a joining in 1931 of the Congregational Churches and the
Christian Churches. An unlikely pair, these parents -one from the free church, congregationally
based tradition and one from a more liturgical, Episcopal tradition- both heard the prayer of
Jesus "that they may all be one" [John 17:21] as a call toward a deeper unity that never-theless
celebrated and embraced the diversity of who they were.
So it was that the phrase "Unity not uniformity" became the umbilical cord that fed the life
of this denomination during the 20 years its parents labored to bring it to birth. Each parent
took Jesus' prayer to heart not just "that they may all be one," but "that they may all be one so
that the world might believe..." They both believed that the continual antagonism between
different expressions of the body of Christ made it difficult for the world to believe in a God of
Reconciling Grace and Healing Love and that such antagonism drained energy that could be
O:\Sermons\Sermons 2007\05-06-07 United and Uniting.doc Last printed 6/11/2007 1:20:00 PM - 2 -
better used to minister to God's hurting world. The unity of the church then and now has
always been for the sake of the mission and the ministry of the church.
Likewise, John Robinson's assertion, "God has yet more light and truth to break forth out of
his holy Word," became food that fed the UCC in its infancy and sustains it as it reaches middle
age. In the 50 years since its birth, the UCC has formed many ecumenical partnerships and
engages in dozens of ecumenical dialogues and joint mission work here in the United States and
around the world. In fact, I am here today, serving as your pastor because my denomination -
the Christian Church Disciples of Christ- and the United Church of Christ are in a partnership
relationship that recognizes the ordination of ministers from each other's tradition. Every day
since June 25, 1957, the United Church of Christ has grown and matured through relationships
with other Christians as it has boldly forged opportunities to work jointly for the well-being of
the whole world.
It is this United and Uniting Spirit that now propels us to be engaged in the Interfaith
community, seeking to build bridges of understanding with people of other faith traditions so
that we can join together with them to address such issues as hunger, poverty, prejudice,
hatred, abuse of human rights, and violence whenever, wherever and however they occur.
It is this United and Uniting Spirit that lies at the heart of our desire to be a church that
practices what we call "God's extravagant hospitality." It is this United and Uniting Spirit that
moves us to reach across all the barriers that we humans so easily erect seeking to embrace
one another in the fullness of Gods love. It is this United and Uniting Spirit that I believe was
set loose in the world as Jesus prayed that all may be one.
This United and Uniting Spirit is in our DNA. It's part of what makes us who we are. It is not
always easy to live out because it requires that we speak our truth in love even as we listen
with grace to another's truth, knowing that God's way will always be found somewhere in the
midst of the two. But if the unique light that is the United Church of Christ is to continue to
shine for another 50 years, we must continue to live out what it means to be a United and
Uniting people in a world of increasing division and fear.
Does this United and Uniting Spirit live in this congregation? I believe as we explore our
own history we will see that sometimes it has and sometimes it has not. Sometimes we have
listened with humility to one another and to those outside our walls and sometimes we have
demanded that "it's our way or the highway."
But, in the words of Rev. M. Linda Jaramillo, "The UCC has always and will always unite
with sisters and brothers of all faiths in witnessing that a new world of God's justice, unity,
compassion, and peace is possible." May God grant us the wisdom and the courage to live into
the fullness of who with God's grace we were given birth to become! Amen.
head of the Evangelical and Reformed Church, and Fred Hoskins, head of the Congregational
Christian Churches, joined in a handshake to become the United Church of Christ. The name,
United Church of Christ, was an appropriate choice, not only because this new denomination
was a merger of two separate denominations, but because a uniting spirit was in the very DNA
of its parents. When the gestation period for the UCC. began in 1937 the Evangelical and
Reformed Church was only 3 years old -itself a coming together in 1934 of the Evangelical
Synod of North America and The Reformed Church in the U.S.- and the Congregational Christian
Churches only 6 years old -itself a joining in 1931 of the Congregational Churches and the
Christian Churches. An unlikely pair, these parents -one from the free church, congregationally
based tradition and one from a more liturgical, Episcopal tradition- both heard the prayer of
Jesus "that they may all be one" [John 17:21] as a call toward a deeper unity that never-theless
celebrated and embraced the diversity of who they were.
So it was that the phrase "Unity not uniformity" became the umbilical cord that fed the life
of this denomination during the 20 years its parents labored to bring it to birth. Each parent
took Jesus' prayer to heart not just "that they may all be one," but "that they may all be one so
that the world might believe..." They both believed that the continual antagonism between
different expressions of the body of Christ made it difficult for the world to believe in a God of
Reconciling Grace and Healing Love and that such antagonism drained energy that could be
O:\Sermons\Sermons 2007\05-06-07 United and Uniting.doc Last printed 6/11/2007 1:20:00 PM - 2 -
better used to minister to God's hurting world. The unity of the church then and now has
always been for the sake of the mission and the ministry of the church.
Likewise, John Robinson's assertion, "God has yet more light and truth to break forth out of
his holy Word," became food that fed the UCC in its infancy and sustains it as it reaches middle
age. In the 50 years since its birth, the UCC has formed many ecumenical partnerships and
engages in dozens of ecumenical dialogues and joint mission work here in the United States and
around the world. In fact, I am here today, serving as your pastor because my denomination -
the Christian Church Disciples of Christ- and the United Church of Christ are in a partnership
relationship that recognizes the ordination of ministers from each other's tradition. Every day
since June 25, 1957, the United Church of Christ has grown and matured through relationships
with other Christians as it has boldly forged opportunities to work jointly for the well-being of
the whole world.
It is this United and Uniting Spirit that now propels us to be engaged in the Interfaith
community, seeking to build bridges of understanding with people of other faith traditions so
that we can join together with them to address such issues as hunger, poverty, prejudice,
hatred, abuse of human rights, and violence whenever, wherever and however they occur.
It is this United and Uniting Spirit that lies at the heart of our desire to be a church that
practices what we call "God's extravagant hospitality." It is this United and Uniting Spirit that
moves us to reach across all the barriers that we humans so easily erect seeking to embrace
one another in the fullness of Gods love. It is this United and Uniting Spirit that I believe was
set loose in the world as Jesus prayed that all may be one.
This United and Uniting Spirit is in our DNA. It's part of what makes us who we are. It is not
always easy to live out because it requires that we speak our truth in love even as we listen
with grace to another's truth, knowing that God's way will always be found somewhere in the
midst of the two. But if the unique light that is the United Church of Christ is to continue to
shine for another 50 years, we must continue to live out what it means to be a United and
Uniting people in a world of increasing division and fear.
Does this United and Uniting Spirit live in this congregation? I believe as we explore our
own history we will see that sometimes it has and sometimes it has not. Sometimes we have
listened with humility to one another and to those outside our walls and sometimes we have
demanded that "it's our way or the highway."
But, in the words of Rev. M. Linda Jaramillo, "The UCC has always and will always unite
with sisters and brothers of all faiths in witnessing that a new world of God's justice, unity,
compassion, and peace is possible." May God grant us the wisdom and the courage to live into
the fullness of who with God's grace we were given birth to become! Amen.
