Righteous Salutations: Experiencing the United Church of Christ

I’ve grown up in church all my life. More specifically, I’ve grown up in the Black Baptist church all my life. My childhood is full of memories of lace dresses, Easter speeches and Sunday School. As a child, I would even imitate women catching the Holy Ghost and await the punishment that came every time I was caught red-handed. A member of Girl Scouts, a youth usher and choir member and one that was never afraid to stand before the congregation and speak, socially I gained my worth in the Church. I learned who I was and who I was meant to be there. And those lessons have successfully carried me through life.

Now, as a young woman, I admittedly stand at a crossroads. While I will never abandon the teachings and leadership of Christ that have sustained me thus far, I am beginning to question if I have always manifested them correctly. As our body of Believers remains divided on so many issues, I know I have not always stood on the right side and not because I completely agreed. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said “in the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.” In silence, I concurred with positions I do not believe.

I do not believe churches should ignore their responsibility to the poor and less fortunate.

I do not believe people should be persecuted and made uncomfortable to worship in the places I do because of their lifestyle.

I do not believe churches should remain silent as the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are denied to many.

And as I became more comfortable with what I didn’t believe, I knew my place of worship had to align with what I did. For the past year, I wondered if there was a place within the Baptist tradition for my views and positions. Did I still belong? The place the cradled me and challenged me to be my best self now seemed to alienate me, not in act but in ideal. As I shared my longing with my friends and others, I was encouraged to visit churches outside my denomination as I may find the peace in worship that I believed was becoming an illusion. And so, in January, I attended Parkway United Church of Christ in Winston Salem, North Carolina. The experience changed my life forever.

I’d come to know Parkway UCC through a colleague of mine. As a Sociology Instructor and she a member of the Humanities faculty, we would often swap classroom and life experience stories. We then learned, through conversation, that our position on the church was quite similar. She told me she’d found affirmation of her belief system within her UCC denomination and pulled up the website. I became so overwhelmed with emotion to read their banner “No Matter Where You Are On Life’s Journey, You Are Welcome Here”. Their belief that “God is still speaking” moved me in unimaginable ways. It was as if they recognized that because we are still here, God’s mission to spread love and peace remain active and He is still actively informing us on how to do it. The UCC has always been at the forefront of social justices in America since its inception and when the UCC decided to become an open and affirming denomination, they immediately received my respect. Someone needed to lead the charge in better treatment of all people and I was glad that it was them.

I attended Parkway the Sunday before Dr. King’s holiday during what they call their Healing and Silence ceremony. Before entering the service, I took the time to read some of the postings in the hallway. Many were information about local and national events; however, one in particular gave my heart the greatest joy. It was the story of an African-American lesbian student who received a scholarship from Parkway. This young lady’s ethnicity or lifestyle did not matter to a congregation committed to seeing her academically succeed. Though the only African-American attending service that day, I was amazed at the abundance of diversity within the congregation. Children of various ethnicities sat beside their gay mothers and enjoyed worship together. It was amazing. Not once did I feel out of place. Ironically, I felt like this is exactly where I was supposed to be. We prayed for the healing of our nation, our world and the pastor spoke of the importance of passing peace wherever we go. My heart smiled when the pastor told the congregation why the liturgist was absent and asked us to keep her dog in our prayers, as an emergency with him kept her away from service. As the mother of a 13 week old Italian mastiff, any denomination that recognizes the importance of praying for our pets is alright with me!

Probably the most moving moment came when the church was completely silent. Nothing could be heard except the sounds of the nature that enveloped the sanctuary. It was in those moments that I felt the closest to God. I thanked Him for allowing me to opportunity to see that I could love Christ and champion gay rights. I could believe in God and send my resources to third world countries, not because they should believe in my God too but, because they need them. I could be intentional in my commitment to being a better person and, consequently, effect greater change in this world than through any other means. I can be the love I feel is so missing among us today. I thank the UCC and Parkway for showing me that.

Indeed, I am welcome here.

CMB, ©2011