February 3, 2002
Micah 6:1-8
Revelation 21:5-7

One hundred and twenty-seven years ago, when it all began, our foreparents gathered to take time to discuss the year in review and to discuss any practical matters facing them for the coming year. It's a good idea to take stock every so often and this congregation has come together at least 127 times over the years to review money matters, elect folks to serve on boards and committees, to celebrate what has been and to pay some time and attention to what may come in the year ahead.

On this Sunday in the church year, I usually discuss the state of the church, holding up what has been and offering up a perspective of what we are doing as a congregation and people of faith. These past two weeks, I've been exploring theological themes fundamental to our tradition by offering up images of the paradox of a changeless God, who, in fact, is always changing. I've said that for us to find our way we've got to be both radical and traditional as a community of faith and by doing so, we reflect the very nature of God in our daily lives and in the life of community.

It may seem that there is very little relationship between the practice of faith and theory or theology of it. It is, after all, very American to be all practice and little theory. "Just do it," the Nike theme, which is all about pragmatism, has even been shortened to Just in the football TV ads. Pragmatism and abbreviation is the quintessential American philosophy. I recall a line from Postcards from the Edge, a 1980's movie, "instant gratification is not fast enough for me." As a culture we are used to that which is fast, practical and efficient, rather than taking time to dream, to wonder and to listen.

The Christian faith is not about being pragmatic or reactive. And it certainly is not about being efficient. As people who practice spiritual discipline, Christianity works best when we reach out from our faith, holding on to each other, with our eyes beholding God. Our actions and our attention are in a direct line with our theological vision. If our theology becomes too dogmatic, we would then loose hold of the mystery and the mythic story; if we fail to construct a theology by avoiding all questions and going with the flow, we might run the risk of becoming so open that our brains fall out.

Last week, it snowed on Grizzly Peak and I went for a walk. The path was very muddy, but the view was beautiful. How we wed faith to action, vision to program, theology to mission is part of the messy, muddy trail we are walking. As we keep our feet on the path and our eyes on the sacred vista just ahead, we know that in the springtime of new ideas and newfound life, the path is always muddy and the trail a little slippery.

The questions swirling in my head this morning go something like this—What does it mean for us to articulate our faith in an ever-changing/changeless God? How will we grapple with finding a new voice for an emerging new time? How will we continue to witness to all that God requires of us in an age of sound-bites, advertisements and special interest groups? How will we best use our healthy, but limited resources for the greatest common good?

Mainline Protestant congregations across these United States are asking some of the same questions—the theological ones and the practical ones. We've been grappling with them for some time now in a variety of settings and a variety of ways. Over the past year and even before, members of this congregation have been meeting and talking through our dreams, our visions and our limitations as we have tried to really grapple with a changing culture, changing world and changing church. It's been a huge process, a demanding one, but I believe we have taken the wishes of this congregation to heart even as we have tried to deal with who we have been, who we are now and where we might be headed in the future.

The following suggestions are not conclusions but, rather, invitations to an ongoing and exciting conversation about what we may be doing in mission and ministry in the near future. Here are some of our ideas for new programs and initiatives at FCCB.

We believe that our buildings and our site are a gift from our forebearers and that we live in the heart of a vibrant university community, which is not limited to the university. We believe this is our mission base and we want to stay here in our buildings with all their strengths and challenges. What do you think?

We'd like to start a second worship service to begin in the fall. Perhaps on Sunday evenings. We would like this service to be a reaching out to Berkeley's "almost churched" community; people who are curious about church but have a hard time actually walking through the doors. This may be a way to go…what do you think? And we'd like to see Durant House classes move from being tangential to our life to becoming more of a University of the Spirit, in which classes, groups and retreats are offered, not only to those already here, but to those who are coming in the future. This may be a way to go, what do you think?

We'd like to continue to examine the complex issues facing religion and churches today. We'd like to be a part of the new thinking in theology and science for example. We'd like FCCB to be a place where folks can come to ask questions about the world and their faith, a place where intellect and questions are as valued as certainty in believing. And, we want to continue in the tradition of the mainline Protestant church. We'd like to be a strong Protestant voice in the city and beyond, for civic discourse and common good.

For over a hundred and twenty-seven years, this congregation has stood at these intersections in Berkeley, serving as a corner stone to the members and to the extended community.

During WWII we provided supportive ministry during the internment of Japanese people to camps during WWII.

In the 1960s, as students protested at CAL and tear gas hit the streets, this congregation continued to worship and maintain its spiritual center while everything around us literally disintegrated.

In the early nineties, we voted to become an Open and Affirming congregation, declaring that FCCB was a safe place for bi-sexual, gay, lesbian and transgendered folks.

Just recently, on September 11, we again declared that we were a sanctuary for grief and loss, but also a congregation deep and wide enough to hold the concerns of all people without fear or blame, as we invited Muslims and others into conversation and friendship.

This may be a way to go…what do you think?

We'd like to worship in a sanctuary that is accessible to those who have difficulty hearing, seeing and climbing steps. We'd like to worship in a sanctuary where those who don't have trouble hearing anywhere else but here, can hear! Our equipment is about 35 years old now and we need a new system that takes advantage of our already wonderful acoustics, rather than forcing us to work against them. We recommend a chancel area that is accessible to choir members and others who have difficulty navigating steps and seeing well with limited lighting.

Also, I wish you could have been here this week for PSR's Earl Lectures on Film and Culture. They were wonderful and quite groundbreaking. Throughout the week, lecturers used a huge screen in the middle of the sanctuary as they ran clips and showed us motion pictures projected on a screen behind us. It appeared to be high-tech to some of us, but I'm told that it is pretty standard in the rest of the world. We'd like to worship in a sanctuary that might use video and film in worship some of the time. This may be the way to go…. what do you think?

We'd like to continue to develop a family ministry strategy by strengthening the Sunday school curricula, developing more opportunities for families and children to worship and grow together, by developing more program support around parenting and by continued encouragement and support of our youth and young adults. We believe we have made a commitment to the importance of this critical ministry by hiring Adam Blons. This may be one of the ways to go, what do you think?

We want to extend our ministry of Art and Music, a ministry provided by Larry Marietta, our amazing music program director, by Phil Porter, our minister of liturgical arts, by Katharine Kunst, our creative artist and teacher and by a host of others who find in this congregation those who value the creative process and see within it the hands, eyes and ears of the Creator. We'd like to continue to develop our ministry in arts and music. One of the things we might have to do is replace our aging and vulnerable organ.

Ideas. Movement. Developments. Opportunities.

I end with a confession. I love this church and I love this congregation. I love what it stands for in the neighborhood, in the community, in the denomination, in the world and in my life. The Earl Lectures took place here this week, and it always amazes me to meet and talk with people who come here from all over the country. So many people have stories about how this church has made a difference in their lives. I hope that we will continue to be here making a difference in your lives, in the lives of your children and in the lives of people who will never come here, but receive ministry and care. Folks in South Africa, Haiti, Pescadero, at Habitat for Humanity and the Food Pantry, to name only a few.

We've got incredible work to do in the coming weeks and years. We've also done good work and we have always been faithful. We are now being challenged to do some new things and our decisions about being faithful must come from our collective wisdom. Together we'll decide.

I am excited about the trail ahead, even though it may be muddy. Breaking new ground is always a little messy, especially when you are walking with others along the road. We'll encounter some slips and slides along our way, but with God's grace, I am fully confident that we will arrive at the vista of our hopes and dreams together!

Amen.