July, and the 244th anniversary of the founding of our country, the United States of America, From the beginning, we were an experiment in democracy. However, only wealthy, white men with property were eligible to vote at first, many of whom owned slaves, including the author of the Declaration of Independence and the First President. It is one of the greatest disconnects in the history of humanity. Those who argued, wrote, supported, fought and were willing to face prison, injury, loss and death for freedom, liberty and the representative government denied that for which they pledged their lives to everyone else: women, Native Americans, the poorest and people of color.

In all honesty, July 4th has always been a conflicted holiday for me. As a child, I enjoyed family picnics and community fireworks. I have always loved my country and been thankful to be born an American And yet, knowledge of our history and awareness of where we still fall short of national ideals causes me to pause.

As one raised in the Christian tradition and committed to the ways of Jesus, I am aided by biblical prophets. They both cared deeply for their nation and people, and criticized it passionately when not living up to its covenant to love God, practice mercy and do justice. I do give thanks for America, or that part of America that was the underground railroad; preserved the union and ended slavery; claimed women’s right to vote, secured democracy for the world and civil rights at home, cured polio, sent humans to the moon, and helped bring down the Berlin Wall.

I am saddened, dismayed and angered however, by the part of America that puts greed above generosity, profit ahead of Earth’s preservation, and rationalizes exploitation, bigotry and denial of basic human rights to others, often in the name of God and country.

America is my home; Americans my fellow citizens. Our experiment in democracy continually needs rework-ing until we truly live up to our ideals. The same thing is true about the Christian church. It continually needs renewal and reformation until we obtain the mind of Christ. Both are ideals that should drive our passions and influence our faith and politics.

Let us pledge to pray, work and support current efforts to help create a more perfect union. And may the Spirit of Christ enlighten us to wherever we may be holding up the progress.

Remain safe, stay connected, be well, and continue to make a difference.

These ancient words, first composed by He-brew/Jewish voices, expressed deep sorrow of those experiencing injustice and violence by others. They could just as easily be spoken today: by many people of color, especially black men like Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, killed by their greatest enemy: racist cops and ex-cops who believe they have the right to hunt down, arrest, and even execute BM.

The Psalm’s lament is the song sung by citizens who have come out in droves to peaceful-ly protest the systemic racism in our country that keeps a boot, literally at times, on the necks of the poor, marginalized minorities.

Yet, pain of the soul and sorrow of the heart must also be felt by legions of honest, just police who now must try to bring order to chaos in our streets.

It was bad enough when a hundred year pan-demic exposed unimaginable fear and dread upon an entire planet, forcing us to shelter in place and wait for science and medicine to save us.

The coronavirus pandemic was immediately followed by an economic one. While the wealthier with resources and assets can ride it out, and even get richer, at least half of the country lives on the edge of financial insecurity and ruin, forcing a hard choice between safety and survival. Such anxiety and uncertainty is causing a third pandemic: a growing mental health crisis.

And now, the oldest virus in America is revealed once again: racism. Like all viruses, it continue to mutate into different forms of injustice and evil. Whatever else is said, these are the days that will affect our country for years to come. Again, I am reminded of ancient wisdom from our scriptures:

Our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil Ephesians 6:12

I write as a white person of means and privilege to other mostly white people of means and privilege. As we discern how we as disciples of Christ should respond to the evils of our days, it is my responsibility to remind us that we follow one who was lynched by the power structure of that day. Lynching better portrays the violence done to Ahmaud, George and Jesus (crucified has lost its un-just, scandalous nature) and shocks us into hard truths about where we need to stand, and with whom. God grant us courage to do so.

PASTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT
These are challenging times for our nation and the world, and for progressive Christians too. In too many ways it seems like we are going backwards on protecting the environment, providing health care to the neediest among us, promoting peace and justice initiatives.

Then I am reminded of our church’s founders, Jesus and the early disciples. They faced a violent world dominated by the Roman Empire; one where the elite had most of the power and riches and everyone else was caught in a patronage system to them. Not unlike having the mafia in charge.

Thankfully, we do have the freedom, right, and responsibility to speak out, work for, and insist upon, a more peaceful and just society for all God’s people and creatures. Every generation of progressive Christians have had to face challenging times as well. Yet, as an old Chinese proverb goes: “Every crisis is an opportunity.”

Summer is a good time to slow down a bit, take breaks from school and work (if possible), do more reading, and reflect on our calling and mission as fol-lowers of the way of Jesus. In my absence (I am gone five weeks in July and August) we have lined up some excellent speakers. Take advantage of these opportunities to meet other clergy leaders in our area, hear new voices, be inspired, and consider new ideas and viewpoints. Diversity is enriching to the soul, so enjoy.

One issue that is literally knocking at our door is immigration. With a Santa Ana address, our church is located near one of the largest concentrations of immigrants and refugees in the country. LA and Orange County together have over a million and half. Several of us have already been to meetings to gather information on how we can be a supporting partner to sanctuary churches in our area.

As we begin a new church year at ChOTF, let us pledge our support to each leader of a ministry. Together, let us discern where the Spirit is leading us to not only be a more inclusive, loving, progressive, peace and justice serving congregation, but also to help our nation and the world be as well.

Yes, these are challenging times, but they are also times of great opportunity to live out our faith. And the best part is that we get to do it together.

May your summer experiences be rich and enlightening.

~Pastor Mike

A passage of scripture from the Jewish Canon that I have longed remembered for its wisdom is Isaiah 54:2. To Jewish exiles easily depressed by the social, economic, political and spiritual realities they faced in their time, an unknown writer counsels: enlarge your tents….but strengthen your stakes.

I’m not much of a camper, but I know enough about tents to recognize that if you are going to make a bigger tent, one also has to lengthen the ropes and better se-cure the stakes, else an unstable tent is likely to come crashing down. This image serves as a parable for us as well as ancient Jewish folks.

The growth of our church, in terms of attendance, number of visitors, and new members has greatly expanded our tent here at ChOTF. That’s Good! Jesus people are primarily in the business of enlarging tents so that everyone is included. However, if we do not correspondently provide strong connections to support the growth….well, the new growth will not sustain itself. So how do we heed the advice of Isaiah and keep the balance right?

First, as individuals, we can deepen our stakes by a regular and disciplined course of study, meditation, prayer, worship, and service. Numerical growth without spiritual growth and maturity will burn out.

Second, the best way to put down some roots around here is to get involved with a small group ministry. Hint to newcomers: don’t wait for an invitation to join a group, contact the leader and ask when they meet. Phone numbers and emails for leaders are in the bulletin and newsletter. I also encourage small group chairs to regularly promote your ministry. Put out tables and up posters on any Sunday, in the courtyard or FH.

Third, the very idea of enlarging tents, either in an exile, or in today’s challenging times is an act of faith. When people in power promote in-tolerance, exclusivism and outright greed, we are called to be faithful to the progressive gospel of Jesus. That includes speaking truth to power. The soul of our nation is at stake. And what does it matter to gain all the wealth in the world if we loose our soul? So strengthen those stakes.

Serving Together,
~Pastor Mike

Decisions of the past are having a positive impact on what’s happening in the present. It was one year ago in January, during a church planning session in the Fellowship Hall, that the two top priorities for our church were identified as: 1. promote Progressive Christianity and our progressive church in the community; 2. transform our church to meet the needs of younger generations.

2016 was another good year of growth and exposure for our church and our brand of progressive faith. Sometimes we grew by intentionally planned events and ministries, such as the Historical Jesus class in the fall that attracted nearly fifty people. At other times events beyond our control, such as the fall election, contributed to people seeking us. The change in start of worship time to 9:45 AM, a request initiated by our families with children, has also helped increase attendance.

The effort to transform the church to meet the needs of younger generations has taken subtle but significant steps. One area of ministry that has drawn in younger adults is music.Tina Peterson’s contact with present and former students at Irvine High School, as well as a quality yet diverse music program, has helped.

One project that has the potential to advance both goals is an update of the sanctuary audio-visual system. Finance Ministry and the Cabinet have affirmed this as our top need. One of our leading young adults, Justin Underwood, engineer trained and head of our church audio-visual team, has been receiving bids on upgrading our system to meet the needs of a 21st Century Church. Estimates are that what we need would run upwards of $60,000.

For many years we talked and dreamed of having solar panels. Only when a generous donor pro-vided seed money in the amount of $50,000 did the church raise the balance and panels were installed (one year ago!). Now we are look-ing, and I am praying, for seed money for a new audio-visual sys-tem. Such designated gifts need to be above and beyond pledged mon-ies. But to more effectively promote progressive Christianity and our church, and to reach younger, tech savvy generations, we need to act.

Dreaming with you…
~Pastor Mike

As we enter the Advent, Christmas, and New Year segment of our lives, many are still wondering what the future holds post-election. I would remind everyone that Jesus Christ, the foundation of our faith, was born in a land and time of great turmoil. A paranoid king more interested in wealth and power than justice, along with an Empire of privilege for those at the top, threatened to deny a divine kingdom of peace for all. Yet, Jesus would grow up to challenge conventional wisdom and offer an alternative vision of life. It has never been easy to stand or work for inclusion, progressiveness, compassion, enlightenment or faith. Whatever may come as a result of recent elections, our call and commitment must be to continued faithfulness to the gospel of Jesus.

As progressive Christians, we are fortunate to live in California. Some of us have lived in or visited other parts of the country that are much less diverse, open-minded, and accepting of marriage equality, Muslims or immigrants. The question for us is how do we reach out to those who do not share our values?

How do we lessen fears and increase love and acceptance? As a Global Ministry church we do a good job of building partnerships around the world from the West Bank to Cuba, from Nicaragua and Mexico to Japan. So how do we build bridges of understanding and cooperation with many of our own fellow Americans who are much more conservative in faith? How do we show empathy for their struggles, worries and hopes? We must face these challenges creatively and courageously. Let this be our New Year’s resolution.

Back here at home, the end-of-the-year holiday season affords us many chances to enjoy fellowship. What a special place Church of the Foothills is, an oasis of progressive faith, open and affirming, creative worship, cutting edge education, healthy relationships, care for the Earth, freedom of thought, fun and laughter, concern for peace and justice. COF is special because you our folks are special. Thank you so much for being who you are, and for allowing me to be your pastor.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year.

~Pastor Mike