First Congregational Church UCC Harwich

  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Location
    • History
    • Polity & Beliefs
    • Why Us
    • Staff
    • Orders of Worship
  • Our Ministry
    • Diaconate
    • Adult Christian Education
    • Community Outreach
    • Lectionary
  • News
  • Calendar
  • Music
    • Worship Music
    • Music Programs
    • Music Schedule
  • Photos
  • Thrift Shop
  • Beacon
  • Contact

May Newsletter

May 9, 2016 by FCCH Staff

During our recent Deacons’ retreat, as part of an “icebreaking” exercise, we played a game based on the 50’s hit TV show, What’s My Line? , where panelists tried to guess the occupations of various guests.

This brought to mind another 50’s game show, also with a question mark in its title, Who Do You Trust? Aside from the poor grammar found in its title, it got me to thinking about the whole matter of trust. Whom exactly should we trust?

In a sermon a few weeks ago I posed a variation on this question. In essence, I asked: Whom do you trust to guide and direct your life? Whom do you trust to set the agenda for society? Whom do you trust to define the future for you and your family, morally, ethically, and spiritually? These are not esoteric questions.

I then offered a few possible suggestions, though admittedly tongue-in-cheek: The Supreme Court? Congress? The president (the current one or those aspiring to the office)? The U.N.? World leaders? Wall Street? Silicon Valley? The Chamber of Commerce? Hollywood? The media? College and university professors? Scientists? Psychologists?

But if not any of these, then whom should it be? Whom do you want guiding and directing the future, of setting the values and norms we as individuals and as a society should aspire to and live by?

Now if I were asking a group of children in church, they’d get it right away: “Jesus!” they’d say without a moment’s hesitation. And, of course, they’d be right. But when you consider the substitutes for Jesus we tend to follow in our everyday life (after we leave church, that is), then maybe it’s a question we should ask ourselves more often.

Part of the problem is that we’ve been taught that the church should stay out of the important affairs of life. This is, of course, a fundamental misreading of the U.S. Constitution which sought not to restrict religious free speech, but to protect it from government interference. Properly, the separation of church and state serves only to underscore our basic God-given human right to worship and express ourselves freely.

If we stay out of any and all efforts to shape and mold the world around us, then who will? For, as I said in the sermon, nature abhors a vacuum. If we fail to see the merit and value of the gospel and its salient effect on culture, we will fail that very same culture by allowing other, less morally and spiritually enlightened viewpoints to prevail.

Of course, the best way we can achieve relevance is by continuing to worship, pray, and serve in Christ’s name. This often silent witness is extremely powerful and affects our world in ways even we remain but unaware. The power of Christ’s love is ineffable and unstoppable.

It is high time for the church to cease its self-imposed retreat from its historic mission. That mission, to bring the joys and blessings of the gospel to life, within our hearts, this community, and, by extension, to the world beyond, is today as vital and important – if not more so – than it’s ever been.

 

Grace and peace,

 

Thomas C. Leinbach, Pastor

Filed Under: Letter

Sunday Worship

We are an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ.

During the health pandemic, we invite worshippers to join us on Sundays at 10:30 am. We meet in safety for a 45-minute service on our (encrypted) video-conference platform.

How to Find Us

Past Sermons

Sermon: Plan? What Plan?

December 27, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Worry, Be Happy

December 18, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Thoughts for 3 a.m.

December 11, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: The Moods of Christian Life

December 5, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Who Are We to Judge?

November 27, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Keeping One’s Marbles amid the Whistling Tree Frogs

November 20, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Interpreting the Bible

November 7, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Luther, Schmuther!

October 30, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: A Mechanistic God

October 16, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Knowing Who We Are

October 12, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: The Freedom of Constraint

October 2, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Daytime TV and Bonbons

September 25, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Mind Your Own Knitting

September 18, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Stasis, Novelty or Reform

September 11, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Decisions, Decisions

September 5, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Everyone’s Got One

August 28, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Self-Righteousness, Othering, and Violence

August 21, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Oh, This!

August 14, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: From Heel to Healer

August 8, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Unexpectedly

July 31, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Surviving Hope

July 25, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Prevenient Grace

July 17, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: The Strange Persistence of Guilt

July 11, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Freedom

July 3, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Sermon: Looking for the Lord

June 26, 2017 By FCCH Staff

Copyright © 2021 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in