What makes a church brave? I think some of it is practice being brave, making decisions a long the way that take some risks. It is also deep faith. Connection to each other. Awareness of the community.
How brave is your church?
Brave Little Church
Perhaps it started with Christmas presents? Rev. Plagge asked the members of Waterbury Congregational Church to gather gifts for a group of immigrants living near the church and new to town. The extended family of twenty had been living in the woods, in another family’s basement, and now in a local apartment building they had helped finish. Peter was checking in with them and through a translator asked how they felt about the upcoming installation of our new president.
"Petrified," was their response. Several of the family are apparently undocumented or have not finished their process of becoming fully documented..
Peter heard this on Monday and by Sunday he had a sermon on the Magnificat and Sanctuary congregations. It was the Second Sunday of Advent, the sanctuary was full, and the feeling was electric. The Holy Spirit was present.
"God has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; God has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty" Luke 1:52-53 (NRSVUE, edited).
Peter knew a fair amount about the history of sanctuary churches but now the question was how could this specific congregation discuss it, and decide. What needed to be done to know the path forward?
This congregation was ready. Perhaps their first brave move was the decision twenty-five years ago to marry gay couples in the church using the same criteria they would for any couple seeking to be married. Perhaps it was the strength they built working together during the Vermont floods. Perhaps it was their discussions on reducing their carbon footprint. Perhaps the bravery has grown under Peter's twenty-five years of leadership. Or as a result of the congregation's steady focus on local mission.
But half of those present on that magnificent Advent Sunday morning contacted the church asking how to help with the Sanctuary Church project.
A decision like this requires study, conversation, prayer, and discernment. The congregation talked it over for months. Leaders met with the people who were concerned or opposed. They wrestled with their fear of violence against the congregation or against Peter. They attended online webinars hosted by the National UCC among others. They read books. They brainstormed the issues that would come up. By the time they got to finding a lawyer they discovered that experts in immigration are very busy right now. They looked at the costs required to make their space habitable.
The members talked about their faith. About what it means to welcome the stranger and to love our neighbor. They talked about fear. For Peter, it was important that their decision not be based in fear. It is good to name what might happen, and the pros and cons of moving forward, and to be intentional with good boundaries. But then let perfect love, God's love, cast out our fear.
"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love." 1 John 4:18 (NRSVUE).
An important step was to ask the family if the idea of a sanctuary space would be appreciated. At this point they have housing and jobs. The space will not be as good as their existing housing. But the family was clear -- a place of sanctuary would be valuable to them.
On April 6 the congregation gathered to vote unanimously to become a Sanctuary Church. They agreed to their boundaries: they will work within the law, they will be public about the decision, they will involve volunteers they know, the space will not be perfect for living, they will welcome those who say they need the space on a first come basis.
And so now the work begins.
What is your church doing, or thinking about doing these days? How are you being here in your particular place? Just reply to this email to let me know what's happening.
Sanctuary Church started in the middle ages, but also became a U.S. topic in Tuscon, Arizona. This 99% Invisible episode is the story of that church, and the history of the Sanctuary movement in the United States. (If you listened early on in this newsletter, it is the same link.)
In this New York Times article Isabel Allende describes her experience of escaping a coup in her home country.
Please forward this email to others who might be interested. If you got this from someone else, use the button below to subscribe to the free Act! Be Church Now email newsletter.
