A Pastoral Letter of the United Church of Christ on Unity and Justice

Leaders of the United Church of Christ have written the following pastoral letter to the UCC community, offering reflection and an invitation on what it means to faithfully be Christ’s church in the present moment.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid (John 14:27). Dear beloved United Church of Christ community, During this blessed Advent season, we enter a time of hopeful anticipation. We wait patiently for what God will newly reveal to us, and trust that God is indeed birthing bold possibilities amid our uncertainty and fears, as well as our hopes and joys. It is appropriate in this season for us to reflect on how God might be calling us in fresh ways to be the “united and uniting” church we profess as our identity in the United Church of Christ. We offer this letter as our invitation to prayerfully consider how we can most faithfully be Christ’s church in this moment, with the joyful confidence that God is indeed doing a new thing among us.

READ MORE: UCC Pastoral Letter

Be the Church!

Protect the Environment—Psalm 24:1

Care for the Poor—Matthew 25:35-36

Forgive Often (or Live into Forgiveness)—Matthew 6:12

Reject Racism (or Dismantle Racism)—Romans 10:12

Fight for the Powerless (or Fight with the Marginalized/ Confront the Powers)—Psalm 82:3-4

Share Earthly and Spiritual Resources—Luke 3:11

Embrace Diversity—Genesis 1:27

Love God—Luke 10:27

Enjoy This Life—Philippians 4:4

The Pacific Islander & Asian American Ministries Convocation 2024

Aloha! We bring you warm greetings as we are Pacific Islander and Asian American Ministries (PAAM) - United Church of Christ an organization dedicated to nurturing connections, understanding, and advocacy within and beyond our communities. This year is particularly momentous for us as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of PAAM, marking half a century of commitment, growth, and unity.

The Hawai’i Conference deeply ingrained in Hawaiian wisdom, gathered us with the theme "Ola I Ka Wai," translates to "Water is Life." During the convocation we engaged about water and its critical importance to sustaining life across all forms, from the mountains to the sea, to guide our present and illuminate our future.

Water, in its ceaseless journey from the peaks to the vast oceans, is more than a mere element; it is a life force that binds us all, nurturing our lands, enriching our communities, and weaving a tapestry of life that stretches across the globe. Our theme, "Ola I Ka Wai," calls upon us to delve deep into the essence of our existence and the fundamental role water plays in it, echoing our interconnectedness with nature and each other.

As PAAM celebrates 50 years of service, advocacy, and community, our gathering served as a beacon of our ongoing commitment to the stewardship of the earth's most vital resource. We draw from the wisdom of waters flowing together, embodying the convergence of our diverse insights, experiences, and aspirations. Together, we explored sustainable solutions, shared invaluable knowledge, and cultivated partnerships that will ensure the life-giving force of water continues to flourish and support life for generations to come.

Mahalo for joining us in this significant milestone for PAAM. As we are on this journey as God’s caretakers of creation, it is a prayer for our community First Filipino American UCC to continuously engage with PAAM and the wider United Church of Christ and her partners with open hearts and minds, ready to embrace new learning, share our wisdom, and act decisively for the well-being of our planet and all its inhabitants.

Water is not just our theme but the very essence of our collective endeavor. "Ola I Ka Wai," a celebration of life, unity, and the enduring spirit of PAAM's mission.

Lost & Found Light

Psychodynamics of Biblical Narratives: Mark 5:1-20

I have died inside 

My own voice struggles to call out

but the sound is taken away by

the voices that scream and howl

those voices, they are not my own

My body is no longer me

I tried to bind it that I may cause no harm

to myself and others

but it has become stronger than I am

My soul is lost

drowned by other souls

only to possess

to destroy, to kill the inner me

Yet I hear another voice

it’s still not my own

but it silenced the other voices

the body trembles

The darkness is being pulled out

the darkness overcome the once was me

it’s painful as it is being separated

so, the darkness has become one with me

I was darkness

That voice again

light, I feel light!

I hear my own voice, I speak it now

I sense my own body, I feel it now

My soul it has return from the grave

I must follow the light

I am stopped!

Light has come to me

now part of me, I’ve become a light

must share that light, must share that light...

 

This world, in all its greed, self-centeredness and lust for control is far from what we could say Paradise. Indeed, all these cause pain and suffering all in question hoping for God to give us the answer. But if there are those who choose to dwell in darkness God’s answer to all these sufferings would be clouded by the endeavors of the corrupt for our own personal darkness tend to focus to see the bad rather than the good. God has given us the answer—that is God’s love and grace. Believing in these gifts of light—which for many are too good to be true—would allow us to transform a new perspective of life. God’s grace and love may not change the situation of the world, but it does change our perception of it—to live life as Christ did—that amidst all the suffering, we endure by sharing God’s grace and love to others. For if we choose to, our sufferings would be our testimonies of God’s grace and love.