In his book The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker's guide to making Travel Sacred Phil Cousineau writes, "All of our journeys are rhapsodies on the theme of discovery. We travel as seekers after answers we cannot find at home, and soon find that a change of climate is easier than a change of heart."  

It was in this spirit of discovery that 12 people from the Missouri Mid-South Conference embarked on a journey to the Holy Lands in February. We were part of a group of 40 that spent 12 days discovering places we have read about in the Bible for most of our lives. We were seekers after answers we could not find at home - although as we boarded the plane for Israel/Palestine I'm not sure if we realized the questions to which we were seeking answers. We were on a journey to see the places where Jesus walked, to read the biblical story in the places where it took place, to touch the holy. This is what makes a journey to the Holy Land more than a vacation, our journey was really a pilgrimage.  

Cousineau goes on to write, "This pilgrim is a wayfarer who longs to endure a difficult journey to reach the sacred center of his or her world, a place made holy by a saint, a hero, or god. Once there, the desire to touch a relic, have a vision, hear an oracle, and to experience what psychologist Stephen Larsen calls the "interruption of the divine in a three-dimensional place." In Richard R. Niebuhur's elegant description," Pilgrims are persons in motion - passing through territories not their own - seeking something we might call completion, or perhaps the word clarity will do as well, a goal to which only the spirit's compass points the way."   

 The point at which our journey became a pilgrimage and tourist became seeker differed for each of us. For some it was the meditation in the Garden of Gethsemane or standing by the Pools of Bethesda, or singing in the grotto at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, or the worship on a boat on the Sea of Galilee or gazing at the Promised Land from Mt. Nebo as Moses did. Every day we visited biblical sites, read from scripture, sang and prayed. Each visit was an opportunity to encounter the holy and "gain clarity to which on the spirit's compass points the way." But there were other moments when the holy intruded into our journey in surprising and unexpected ways.  

We spent our first three nights in Bethlehem, the city where Jesus was born. To get into the city we had to pass through Israeli security and through a twenty foot wall that extends for over 600 miles around Bethlehem and the West Bank. It is called a security fence by the Israelis and the apartheid wall by the Palestinians. Every day Palestinians who work in Jerusalem must pass through the walls at times forced to wait for hours to get through security and to their work. Then they have to go through the same process to return home. Israelis are not permitted to enter Bethlehem at all. At places the wall has been built through a Palestinian person's property separating their home from their fields. To work their land they must pass through the closest check point in the wall.    

On our free day a group of us visited on UCC mission partners at the East Jerusalem YWCA where we learned of the work they are doing with Palestinian women and the fear they live with daily that the Israeli government may come and confiscate their property. We visited with other mission partners at the Rawdat el Zuhur school that has been educating Palestinian children since the 1950's. We visited one class of 6th graders who asked if they could sing their favorite song for us and when we said began singing, "we shall overcome." There are moments when the answers we find are very different from the truth we were seeking and the holy is touched not only on the streets of Capernaum but in the face of a child longing for a better future, or in the razor wire on top of an imprisoning wall.   

Rev. Jeffrey Whitman  

Conference Minister 

2013 Boundary Training Dates 

Listed below are the 2013 dates for all Boundary Training sessions hosted by the Missouri Mid-South Conference office.  The fee is $30 per person, and this fee is waived for all retired clergy.  Each association is conveniently offering one spring and one fall date, as well as the opportunity to attend Boundary Training at the Conference Annual Gathering in June at Drury University in Springfield.  Please click here for the registration form and further details. 

Eastern Association

Thursday, May 9th at Faith UCC - Wentzville, MO

Thursday, October 10th at St. Peter's UCC - Washington, MO

St. Louis Association

Friday, April 12th at First Congregational UCC - Webster Groves, MO

Saturday, September 14 at St. Johns Evangelical UCC - Mehlville, MO

Western Association

Thursday, April 25th at Country Club Congregational UCC - Kansas City, MO

Thursday, September 26th at Salem UCC - Higginsville, MO

Conference Annual Gathering

Friday, June 7th at Drury University (Sunderland Hall) - Springfield, MO

You Are Invited - Installation of Reverend Betty Sue Sherrod 

Christ Church, UCC and the St. Louis Association of the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the United Church of Christ invite you to a worship service for the installation of the Rev. Betty Sue Sherrod.   

Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 3:00 PM
Christ Church, UCC

7126 Bruno Ave.

Maplewood, MO 63143

All clergy are asked to arrive by 2:30 to assemble for the processional and are invited to robe and/or wear red. All are welcome.   

You Are Invited - Installation of Pastor Kim Brinkmann

St. Mark United Church of Christ and the St. Louis Association of the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the United Church of Christ invite you to a worship service for the installation of Kim Brinkmann as Pastor.

Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 3:00 PM
St. Mark United Church of Christ
1861 Missouri State Road
Arnold, MO 63010
636-296-6636
www.stmarkucc.org

All clergy are asked to arrive by 2:30 to assemble for the processional and are invited to robe and/or wear red. A reception will follow the service.     

THIS WEEKEND!  

Come join us for our annual Lenten Work Day at Camp MoVal on March 23 from 9am to 3pm. Work projects will include general site cleanup, pool cleaning, cutting and splitting firewood, screen repair, maintenance building cleanup and organization, trail maintenance and much more. All are welcome to come and participate, please make sure that anyone under 18 comes with an adult chaperone.  We also ask that you please let the MoVal office know in advance of your attendance to make sure we have enough food for all of our volunteers and so we can plan an effective and efficient work day.

I thank you in advance for your support of Camp MoVal and our Outdoor Ministry programs. It is your support that makes our ministry possible. To confirm your presence at the Lenten work day, please email Jeremy Force or call the Camp Office at 636-583-2730.

Women In Ministry... 

Don't forget to register for the 3rd Annual Women of the Cloth
Clergy Retreat, Thursday - Saturday, April 18 - 20! The retreat will be
held at the Wingate by Wyndham in Maryland Heights, MO. The Rev. Barbara
Essex, Minister for Higher and Theological Education at the national setting
of the UCC, will be returning as the facilitator of this year's retreat! She
is a Pilgrim Press best-selling author of the Bad Girls and Bad Boys of the
Bible books and many other titles. Join together with women in different stages of ministry from other denominations for a time of rest, reflection, and re-creation. To register or for more information, please visit https://womenofcloth3.eventbrite.com/ or send an email to Rev. Phiwa Langeni at [email protected]. Don't miss out!

On March 26 and 27 the US Supreme Court will be hearing oral arguments surrounding two cases dealing with marriage equality. One of the cases, from California, could establish or reject a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. The justices could also rule on narrower grounds that would apply only to marriages in California.

The second case, from New York, challenges a federal law that requires the federal government to deny benefits to gay and lesbian couples married in states that allow such unions.

In 2005 at General Synod, the United Church of Christ became the first church to approve a resolution that called for equal marriage rights for couples regardless of gender and declared that the government should not interfere with couples regardless of gender who choose to marry and share fully and equally in the rights, responsibilities and commitment of legally recognized marriage. They also affirmed equal access to the basic rights, institutional protections and quality of life conferred by the recognition of marriage. They called for an end to rhetoric that fuels hostility, misunderstanding, fear and hatred expressed toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons.

Gateway ONA, a coalition of St. Louis area Open and Affirming Congregations of the United Church of Christ will be sponsoring a prayer vigil on Monday, March 25 at 7:00 p.m. at First Congregational United Church of Christ at the corner of Lockwood and Elm in downtown Webster Groves, Missouri. Open and Affirming churches have made a public commitment to welcoming people of all sexual orientations into the active life of the church. The goal of the vigil is to pray that the US Supreme Court will act to affirm the rights of the LGBT community to equal protection under the law in regards to marriage.

Anyone interested in more information may call Al Schon at 314-363-8908

An Introduction to the Conference Heritage Committee

During her many years as the Conference historian, the late Ruth Rasche would annually recognize the 50-year ordination anniversaries of ministers of the Missouri Mid-South Conference, as well as significant anniversaries (multiples of 25) of churches within the Conference. In August, 1997, Ruth's many responsibilities were transferred to the Conference Heritage Committee, which continues to recognize 50 year ordinands and significant church anniversaries at the annual Conference meeting by presenting them with a plaque, book or framed certificate.  

The Conference Heritage Committee, led by Rev. Bill Schwab, encourages local congregations to submit their history to the Eden Seminary Archives, along with photos of the church. These are usually found in anniversary booklets. If a church dissolves, their church records (the records of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and funerals) should also be turned in to the Eden Archives. These records are used in many ways: for instance, an individual may need their baptism records in lieu of a birth certificate, and people interested in genealogies frequently turn to old church records in their research. The Conference Heritage Committee also looks forward to sharing stories of our rich history with the conference through forthcoming articles in the Courier. Thanks to all who cooperate in preserving records of Conference churches!

In The News   

A recent article from The Atlantic references our Jazz Nativity programs...

The Atlantic 

God's Love Supreme: The Arrival of Jazz as Christian Worship Music

By Marc Hopkins

Some American churches have brought improvised jazz into the sanctuary because of its prayerful, stirring power; others, because it attracts attendees who might otherwise skip church.  

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/03/gods-love-supreme-the-arrival-of-jazz-as-christian-worship-music/273898/   

Festival of Sharing 2012 

Hello Everyone in MOMSC: How many of you know who your representatives are on the Festival of Sharing Coordinating Committee? Not many I would say, but here are the names, and a little re-cap of the 2012 Festival.

Western Association - Martha Hawthorne (Zion-Mayview)

Lana Fleischman - Southwood -Raytown

Paul and Anita Sanderson- Columbia UCC

Eastern Association - Helen Benz -Ebenezer,(Stone Church Gerald

Bernice Nolte - St. James, Morrison

Gayle Lyles - St. John, St. Charles

St. Louis Association - Kathy Spross - St. John's Evangelical

MOMMS Conference - Norma Klemme- Zion, Union

Total of money and in-kind gifts for 2012 - $849,193.23

Of this, we UCC gave $13,749.00 in money gifts, but there were many, many kits, quilts, food boxes, eyeglasses, seeds, Best Choice Labels given beyond the money. We have always been big supporters of the Festival. We have had many youth groups go and participate. Over 500 youth from all over the state comes each year, and work to help the Festival do its mission of helping to sustain people and give people new hope.    

The next Festival will be October 19, 2013 at the State Fairgrounds in Sedalia, MO.

Festival booklets and packets are available now and can be ordered, or picked up at Association meetings and at the Conference meeting. Make plans to come! See you there! The Festival is 32 years old! Praise God for this marvelous ecumenical expression of love and care!!!

DOORWAYS Remembers Lynne Cooper

Lynne M. Cooper, D.Min., one of DOORWAYS' founders, its long-time President and most recently President Emeritus, died on Saturday, March 16. She was surrounded by family and friends at her home in St. Louis after a long and valiant fight against pancreatic cancer. Dr. Cooper, a nationally recognized advocate for housing and supportive services for men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS, had served as Doorways' president from 1989 to September 30, 2012.  One of the most committed activists in the fight against homelessness and HIV/AIDS, she was 61.

Read more... 

http://www.doorwayshousing.org/2013/doorways-remembers-lynne-cooper/   

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Lynne. 

"Music  of March"

Music of March is in the air.

Blustery winds blow everywhere

Sweet spring melodies sung by birds

Tell the story without words.

Thunder storms with deafening crashes,

And times of gentle raindrop splashes

Accent the steady march of spring,

As earth awakes and begins to sing.

Come see the colors as they dance by.

Watch the ever changing sky,

Hear the sounds of the marching band.

As spring parades across the land.         
      
By Doris Judy   1975

Send Us Your Photos!  

Currently, less than 20 congregations have provided pictures which have been used to create an example video of this project.  

Anyone can see the short video by following the internet link provided at the bottom of this article. We cannot stress enough that to make this project a success EVERY congregation MUST be represented. Pictures can either be mailed to the Missouri Mid-South Conference office or emailed directly to Rev. Dr. Doug Kaufman. Both the snail mail and email addresses are provided at the end of the video. Please spread the word about this project because we want each MMS church represented.  

Thanks so much! Keep The Faith.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0oMt9NthQs 

Western Association Annual Business Meeting

The Western Association Annual Business Meeting will be held on Saturday, April 20th, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Ivanhoe United Church of Christ, 6512 Woodson Road, in Raytown, Missouri.  The featured speaker for the day will be the Rev. Dr. John H. Thomas, former General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ.  Dr. Thomas will speak and preach on building covenant relationships, and we will receive a new church, Peace Christian Church UCC/DOC into membership in the Western Association.  More information will be forthcoming, but please place that Saturday date on your calendars and we look forward to seeing you in Raytown.

Shannondale Sunday, May 5 

Mark your calendars! More details coming soon!