Dear Folks,
Huntington Congregational Church
United Church of Christ is a faith community that encompasses folks
of many different opinions and viewpoints. Votes were cast by
the people of this congregation for both Clinton and Trump, and
perhaps Johnson and Stein.
We may have differing views, but,
I believe that we have something in common, our love of Christ and
our belief in God. I hope that love and belief give us the
strength and the conviction to live the greatest commandment, to
love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
In this spirit, I want to remind
us all of the Open and Affirming Covenant that we adopted by a
overwhelming majority on January 31, 2016.
Open and Affirming
Covenant
“No matter who
you are or where you are on life’s journey,
you are welcome
here.”
Huntington
Congregational Church, United Church of Christ is called to spread
the love and light of God like a beacon into the community and the
world. We seek to embody Jesus’ great commandment to love
God, and our neighbors as ourselves (Luke 10:25-27). In keeping
with this calling, we, the members of Huntington Congregational
Church, United Church of Christ, declare ourselves as
"Everybody’s Church". We welcome and affirm all persons of
every race, age, gender, marital status, physical or mental
ability, socio-economic status, nationality, life history, faith
background, and sexual orientation or gender expression or identity
into the full life and ministry of this community of faith,
including membership and leadership. We welcome and embrace the
God-given gifts that each person brings to the life of our
congregation.
As an Open and
Affirming church, we join our sisters and brothers in the United
Church of Christ and all persons who are committed to the struggle
for justice, peace, love, equality, and inclusivity, with the
example and teachings of Jesus Christ as our
guide.
Our country is deeply
divided. There are protests in the streets. There is an
up-tick in harassment and violence against women,
minorities, and LGBTQ folk. People are angry and fearful.
One little way we show love and
support, besides with our prayers, is to wear a safety pin our our
clothes, if so led. This shows that we are a safe, supportive
and non-judgmental person for someone who may be feeling fear and
vulnerability. There are safety pins available on the table
in the Alcove outside the office.
It it up to all of us as Christ's
followers to be on the side of love, justice, hope, and peace and
to live out the greatest commandment.
As always, I hold you all in my
heart and in my prayers during this uncertain time. As
always, I am available for conversation and prayer.
In Christ's love,
Rev. Lucille
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