So HappyChurch approved the call letter unanimously today at their congregational meeting. Everyone was so happy -- including me, of course!
The pastor preached on the unclean spirit text from Mark, and finished up by saying that those whom our culture says are not "enough" -- not smart enough, to sane enough, not straight enough, not normal enough, not good enough, not...enough -- that HappyChurch is the place where those folks can come and know that they are enough, that they can come and be truly loved and welcomed and included.
There are many folks at HappyChurch already who are there precisely because they have been called "not enough" for whatever reason elsewhere. And my own experience of being their pastor speaks to that, as it was at HappyChurch where I learned that I am "enough" to be a pastor. I've said that before, here, but I was just struck that whithout having ever really talked about it, this theme was lifted up today.
I also thought it was cool that our communion liturgy (PDF) celebrated UCC Women's Week which celebrates the gifts of women in the church (I didn't even know we had such a thing in the UCC!), as well as St. Brigid's feast day (and the lunar new year!). Again, the pastor and I had not talked about any of this, and I don't know if he intentionally picked this because I was there today or he used it simply because it was a resource he discovered for this Sunday. Whatever the reason, I loved that we used that liturgy celebrating women on the day they approved my call.
Don't you just love how God works sometimes!?!
