We Are Here for Just Such a Time as This!

“We can’t let this autocracy win and we can’t let them steal our religion, Christianity, and we need to organize around Medicaid, SNAP benefits, and Immigration… We stand for healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and welcoming the stranger. So glad we are all on this path together!”

This is what I’ve been writing in a follow-up email to clergy in the Midwest whom I’ve been calling for November meetings on our “Palm Sunday Path.” One of our Community Ministers, Rev. Todd Lippert, recruited me to be on the core team. Even though this is a big year at Creekside—it’s my last year and I so want to give all my time to you— I simply could not say “no” to Todd. We are in perilous times and the church has got to speak out and to organize. Our ISAIAH team is turning you all out for a huge People’s convention on December 13. Susie is turning out our Creekside clergy, retired and chaplains, to one of the three early November trainings. And I’m giving at least four hours a week to turning out clergy from across the state and the Midwest for a major Palm Sunday happening. We all have a role to play. As Todd says:

Now is our March on Washington moment.

Now is our Confessing Church moment.

In response, we are launching a path to mass actions for Christians across the country.

This will be a major theme this program year ON TOP OF our wonderful Land Acknowledgement and Covenant work that flows out of our name-change work…

…And ON TOP OF all the work our justice ministry teams are doing around Recovery, Immigration, Housing, Global Justice, Earth Care, Queer Justice, gun violence prevention, and anti-racism work… (so much is being threatened by the current administration)—These teams are doing work not for us, but rather turning all of us out for strategic actions. (See my zine, “A Playbook for political action in the progressive church: One Church’s story on the unique and powerful way our church does justice work.” Copies are available in the narthex.)

And ON TOP OF all of this, the Palm Sunday Path work AND Land Acknowledgement and Covenant work AND our justice work is the work of our Stewardship team, Foundation, and other Creekside money people who are driving our Fall Stewardship Drive and our Spring Legacy and Capital Appeal. It’s a big year!

Creekside UCC, we are here for just such a time as this!

Let us also take such good care of our souls … with spiritual practices and time with our church community. Let us all tend to our souls.

In Christ,
Rev. Sarah Campbell