By Reverend Dr. Melinda McLain
Pastor for The Good Table UCC

This isn’t my first pandemic. As most of you know, I began ordained ministry as a community-based HIV/AIDS chaplain in the mid-90’s after burying over 250 people before I was 30 years old. So “plague” has always been part of my ministerial portfolio along with the dire necessity of cultivating hope in times of intense fear, love in the midst of hatred and injustice, and finally, how to cope with multiple losses over time.

This may sound impressive, but believe me, I’m still not very good at any of these things. I just know what it is to grapple with such realities. And if you’ve ever survived a terrible loss, a natural disaster, or a life-threatening illness, you probably know more than you think you do about how to live when living is hard.Right now, we all need to dig deep into our souls so that we may become courageous “for the living of these days”. With that in mind, here are a few of my initial thoughts for your consideration.

Sadly, there is still no effective licensed vaccine for preventing HIV infection after nearly forty years of work on this ongoing global scourge. But there is effective treatment and behavioral prevention, if we’re willing to do what is needed. And so, I suspect that we will not get a vaccine any time soon - or perhaps ever - for preventing COVID-19 or the next novel virus that will emerge. But don’t take this as a certainty because I’m not a scientist or physician, but I do know something about false hope and real faith. And when we know the difference between those two, we can all be part of the solution to any emergency.

False hope is based upon the illusion that there will be some sort “magic fix” that restores everything to the way things were after the pandemic, the tornado, the earthquake, or the wildfire happens and ravages everything. I may be a person of faith who believes in miracles of all sorts, but this sort of “magical thinking” is dangerous and deadly. False hope makes us prisoners of the past and will keep us from really healing from the trauma of living through a pandemic or other disaster.

So how do we have real faith and real hope? Real hope comes when our fears are named, faced, and we begin to move forward courageously. As Mark Twain once said, “courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear”. Real faith comes when we learn again to trust ourselves and each other and we begin again to create lives devoted to love, peace, and care for one another.

And so, I invite us all to use this time of public health emergency to place our faith and trust in the essentials we will need when the crisis passes as we re-create our lives from a new point of view. We can choose to be grateful for those who are on the “front lines” by supporting their efforts and by caring for them, our neighbors, and ourselves in appropriate ways.

“We can also use this time to recognize and choose to re-create our world with an eye toward ending the grotesque inequality that constantly picks winners and losers based upon wealth, instead of the inherent and sacred worth of each life.”

— Melinda McLain

I know I am particularly moved by the sacrifices being made by janitors, farm workers, check-out clerks, and delivery people working to support the heroic efforts of our healthcare professionals. And for those of us who are privileged enough to work from home this internet meme is on point, “your grandparents were asked to fight in world wars. You are being asked to sit on the couch and wash your hands. Do not mess this up!”

We can also choose to confront our own choices made through convenience instead of clarity about what is really essential for our well-being. In conversations with those who lost all their possessions during Hurricane Katrina, there was a remarkable consistency among them that “things aren’t very important” and that letting go of having so many things brought a certain freedom. We can use this time of world re-ordering to become free too.

Those of us on the Jesus path will celebrate Holy Week and Easter this year without physically gathering together. I have no clue about whether this will be the worst or best Easter ever, but it won’t be the “same old, same old” so the possibility of being surprised by real resurrection would seem to be greater. May it be so for us all.

What questions are you sitting with during this time? What helps you cope with your fear? Where do you find hope and faith? What wisdom do you have to share?

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?”

— Isaiah 58:6

Inspired by other United Church of Christ (UCC) congregations in Chicago and around the nation, we are a group of 31 UCC churches in the San Francisco East Bay working together to erase the medical debts of our neighbors in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

Medical debt destroys the financial stability of large segments of America’s most vulnerable communities: the sick, the elderly, the poor, and veterans. It also targets the middle class, driving many families who are barely getting along into poverty. By forgiving this debt we strive to give struggling individuals, and their families, a fresh start. Medical debt is a huge driver of the destabilizing forces that can lead individuals and families to become homeless, so relieving our neighbors of medical debt can actually help prevent homelessness in the future.

Our local campaign will be made possible by an extraordinary non-profit organization called RIP Medical Debt, founded in 2014 by two former debt collections executives, Craig Antico and Jerry Ashton. Over the course of decades in the debt-buying industry, Craig and Jerry met with thousands of Americans saddled with unpaid and un-payable medical debt and realized they were uniquely qualified to help these people in need. They used their expertise and compassion to create a process to forgive medical debt: they would use donations to buy large bundles of medical debt and then forgive that debt with no tax consequences to donors or recipients.The results have been spectacular— $1,020,232,792 billion in medical debts eradicated so far, providing financial relief for over 520,000 individuals and families.

RIP Medical Debt says that they can purchase the available debt for Alameda and Contra Costa county for just under $45,000. If we can raise that amount, we will be able to erase $2.6 million in debt in Contra Costa and $2.1 million in Alameda.

We have asked RIP Medical Debt to begin our campaign on Ash Wednesday, February 26th with the intention of raising $45,000 by Easter Sunday, April 12th, 2020.

Mira Vista’s Social Action Team has pledged $1,000 to this effort and we’ve identified another $500 we can use from the Deacon’s Fund. We also invite additional individual gifts, as you are led, throughout Lent. Just put “RIP Medical Debt” in the memo line and make the check out to Mira Vista Church. We can also accept your donation via square, if you prefer. Just let Pastor Melinda know you want to donate this way.

Our sibling congregations are also busy raising money for this project and we hope to complete the campaign by the time we gather for our 2nd Annual Good Friday service at First Church Berkeley on April 10, 2020 at 7p. Mark your calendars now and plan to attend.

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. ”

— - Isaiah 43:1

As part of our journey toward creating a new model of community and service in El Sobrante, Mira Vista Church United Church of Christ (Congregational) officially and unanimously voted to change our name to: The Good Table United Church of Christ during our Semi-Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 19, 2020.

I’ve been singing the old spiritual “I told Jesus he could change our name” for quite some time, as we developed this project and indeed, now is the time for a new name. Mira Vista Church was founded on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1950 and has a rich history that we will not lose as we move forward even though the congregation moved out of that specific neighborhood of El Cerrito in 2006. And by moving to El Sobrante, the “name has even less meaning”, as longtime member Betty Coates has pointed out.

It is appropriate that we begin the process of our name change during the season of Lent. Changing one’s name is often part of beginning a new chapter of spiritual life. Sarai and Abram become Abraham and Sarah after their journey from the land of Ur. Jacob wrestles with the angel at the jabbok and earns a new name “Israel”. And in the new testament, Saul, who had been a persecutor of the followers of Jesus becomes Paul when he becomes of follower of Jesus himself. Perhaps you too have experienced a name change to mark a new phase of life because of marriage, death, or some other transition.

Our new name firmly places our next chapter of ministry at “the table” or “la mesa,” as we call our shared meal now. This is certainly appropriate for a church that is also a café and it also places the ritual of Holy Communion at the center of our identity too. By naming our table “good”, we are also claiming our new church as a place where all are welcome and all are invited to become a better version of themselves. We also find strength and nourishment “at the table” to do “good” in the world. To take on the mission of Jesus to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, provide release for the prisoners, and bind up the broken-hearted ones.

Bit by bit, we will claim our new name in all our materials such as this newsletter and online, legally, and during a wonderful celebration of the 70th Anniversary of our congregation on Saturday, April 18, 2020 at Fern Cottage in Kennedy Grove in El Sobrante. Save the date and plan to attend!

As we start a new decade, and inch our way toward our new church home in El Sobrante, I am so grateful for each member of this congregation, its friends, and our new partners and supporters for the unique way that everyone has nourished The Good Table.

Some of you have been swinging sledgehammers or sheet mulching at the new property. Others have been slogging through legal documents, bank statements, and building codes. But best of all, we now have a squad of first rate cheerleaders, urging us forward through the complexity of creating a whole new way of creating community and being church.

At our Semi-Annual (and perhaps final) meeting of Mira Vista UCC on Sunday, January 19th, after many months of conversation, we will formally vote whether or not to change the name of the church to The Good Table United Church of Christ.

Then on Saturday, April 18th, we will celebrate the 70th anniversary of this congregation ready to mark a brand new chapter in our history. So whether you have been spreading light by being a mirror, a candle, or by burning the candle at both ends, it is undeniable that we are collectively becoming a brand new kind of beacon of love. Happy New Year!

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. ”

— Edith Wharton

The Promise of Fire

Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty, wrapped in light as with a garment . . . you make the winds your messengers, fire and flame your ministers. – Psalm 104 : 1-, 3-4 (NRSV)

Human mastery of fire is a key moment in our evolution. From the moment our ancestors figured out how to make, contain, and extinguish fire, we literally moved from darkness into light. With the ability to control fire, we could stay warm, ward off predators, and maybe most importantly for this Texan, we could make barbecue! No wonder the psalmist thinks of God as being clothed in fire! What could be more appropriate!

Archaeologists have recently discovered that our mastery of fire may go back as far as 1.5 million years. Specifically, researchers were able to determine that burned bones collected in the Swartkrans region of South Africa were definitely cooked in a hearth at a higher temperature than what is possible in a brush fire. Beyond cooking, human use of fire led to great improvements in tool-making by allowing them to work metals. A copper pendant discovered in Iraq shows that our ancestors were mining and working copper as early at 8,700 b.c.e. We still classify human evolution primarily by metalworking: bronze age, iron age, and so on. It is hard to overstate the importance of fire in the development of our humanity.

Fire is wonderful, awful, dangerous, difficult, and must be treated with respect and care. In the Bible, images of fire are a sign of call: such as the burning coals that purify the lips of the prophet Isaiah. The presence of God – remember the burning bush? And the presence of fire is a source of purification: (sing with me) “For he is like a refiner’s fire”. Fire also pulls us together and creates community. We STILL sit around campfires to tell stories, cook food together, and teach our children about the do’s and don’ts of fire.

The Holy Spirit is depicted as flames of fire and Psalm 104 is traditionally read on the Day of Pentecost as an accompaniment to the story in Acts 2 of the Spirit descending upon the gathered apostles and followers of Jesus. In this psalm, the ministers of God are depicted as “fire and flame”.

Now, I’m a pretty passionate person and have on occasion been accused of being “on fire” about this or that, but I think there is a big difference between being a beacon of light and being a flamethrower. When we imagine ourselves as filled with the “fire” of the holy spirit, do we bring more light into the world? More illumination? or is someone gonna get burned by our heat?

Learning to be on fire without being fiery takes real spiritual discipline. It is especially difficult when confronted with the presence of someone or something that really stokes the fire of our anger and self-righteousness. And this of course is the nub of the problem in most theological (and political) disagreements. We bring too much heat and not enough light to our personal interactions.

My invitation to you, dear reader, is to join me in thinking about the fire within, the fire in your belly, the things that call forth your deepest passion. How do you share that fire with the world? Do you throw it out as flame, hide it under a basket, or can we all become beacons of the love of God clothed in light?

Mt. Diablo from Briones Regional Park

I am fascinated by prophets – both ancient and contemporary. The ancient ones such as Isaiah had the ability to both warn of danger and demise AND to spin beautiful visions of the world the way it “ought” to be. The writings attributed to the 8th century B.C.E. prophet Isaiah present a particularly wondrous description of a world at peace. In this world, equality and safety mark this “peaceable kingdom” that is led by a wise master. Predator lies down with prey and on this “holy mountain” all suffering and pain are erased. Too bad I’ve never seen a contemporary prophet on a street corner in San Francisco preaching this! Contemporary prophets are definitely all doom and damnation and “get ready, the end is near!”

Instead, Isaiah, in the midst of the reign of a bad king and threatening neighbors, imagines another world is possible. This is an act of amazing hope and faith given his situation and these words will carry the Hebrew people forward through many trials and tribulations over the centuries. Isaiah’s wonderful poetry still speaks to us today and helps us to imagine our way into a better future.

 This particular vision of Isaiah has also been rendered into many, many paintings, choral works, novels, and even websites filled with educational toys for children.  I believe that this enduring vision of a world at peace continues to inspire us because it is still so incredibly relevant.

 Imagination, according to Wikipedia, “is the ability to form new images and sensations that are not perceived through sight, hearing, or other senses.  Imagination helps make knowledge applicable in solving problems and is fundamental to integrating experience and the learning process.”

 Einstein knew this very well.  He often spoke of the role of imagination in his thinking.  He did not simply do equations to come to the theory of relativity. He imagined it and some believe it came to him through his dreams.  This now cornerstone idea in science was developed because Einstein was a creative and imaginative person willing to “prove out” his visions.

 This ability to imagine may also be fundamental to our humanity. New research has shown that a lack of imagination in older adults may be linked to declining memory and makes it more difficult for us to imagine the future as we age because we cannot fully recollect the past.  This is one reason that is so important to be part of a community that can “stand in the gap” when our own imaginations fail.  Churches are excellent places for this to happen – especially as we age.

Finally, if we can imagine that another world is possible, how will that vision change our current behavior? Imagining a world at peace can – and ought to – help us to be peacemakers every day in our work, in our families, neighborhoods, and communities. Such a vision holds us accountable in our actions. How are you engaged in creating a “holy mountain” in your own life – a place of safety, peace, and trust? Can you see the “holy mountain?” if only for an instant? If you can imagine it, and I can imagine it, and finally if we can all imagine it together, then it can be so.

“Our role in life is to bring the light of our own souls to the dim places around us.”

— Joan Chittister, O.S.B. in "Between the Dark and Daylight"

“God comes to us disguised as our life. Everything belongs; God uses everything. There are no dead-ends. There is no wasted energy. Everything. ”

— Paula D’Arcy plus Richard Rohr in The Universal Christ

On November 8th, we will mark the first anniversary of the 2018 Camp Fire that nearly obliterated the town of Paradise, CA, killed 85, burned over 150,000 acres and left our own Marilyn Colbert homeless. Fortunately, Marilyn has landed securely back here among us and for this, we are very grateful.

And as I write this reflection on Tuesday, October the 29th, we are still living through another devastating fire season filled with mass evacuations, power outages, and toxic smoke.

One of the hardest things about living through wildfires and hurricanes is that it is easy to fall into a “worry” loop as your anxiety increases about all the unknowns. Will the power be on tonight? Will the air be smoky tomorrow? Am I ready to evacuate? And of course, if I have to evacuate, where will I go to be safe? Add to that the trauma of watching the destruction happen with graphic video and horrifying detail. Then multiply all that worry and anxiety by each day that you go without being able to reduce the “cone of uncertainty”.

Right now, all the public safety entities are pushing out preparedness messages about “Go Bags” and “emergency kits”, but no one is inviting folks to be prepared for the worry and anxiety that goes along with these events, perhaps because these are spiritual and emotional issues and most folks would rather talk about physical concerns instead of feelings and spiritual practice.

As people of faith and practice, we have the opportunity to apply our spiritual wisdom and practice in small, daily challenges so that when the going gets tough, we’ve already got practices and tools that help us navigate difficulty. If you’re feeling lost, these questions might help you unlock the resources you already have that can help.

How do you prepare to face the unknown? When disaster is on the horizon, what helps you find courage and strength? What role does being part of a spiritual community play in your spiritual preparedness for disaster?

The Good Table Volunteers at the El Sobrante Stroll, 2019

“An ounce of practice is worth more than a ton of preaching.”

— Mahatma Gandhi

Concert pianist Arthur Rubenstein was walking down the street in Manhattan when a tourist stopped him and asked, “do you know the way to Carnegie Hall?”  And Rubenstein reportedly replied, “practice, practice, practice!”

 Do you know the way to develop a deeper relationship with the Divine?  Same answer.

Now Rubenstein was certainly thinking of the piano (or any other artistic pursuit), but what are the spiritual practices that lead us closer to God?  My crackpot theory is that absolutely anything may become a spiritual practice if done with intention.  But not all so-called spiritual practices are created equal, so let’s take a look at the spiritual practices of Jesus.

In the Biblical witness, Jesus feeds, prays, heals, loves, and forgives.  What is remarkable about all these spiritual practices as Jesus did them is that he chose to love his enemies, forgive those who were difficult to forgive, and fed and healed among the most despised outcasts of his society.  And when Jesus managed to get away from the disciples and the crowds to pray, he chose places of quiet contemplation that were a great contrast to the busy and bustling settings of his healing, feeding, forgiving ministry.

 The central miracle of the Jesus story, in my view, is that God took human form.  God took on a body like mine, like yours with all of its problems and joys and need for spiritual practice.  Bodies learn and grow through practice. Just like it takes a lot of repetition and tedious, physical practice to learn to play a Bach suite on the piano, we need to engage our full selves, our body-spirits in order to live a life in communion with the Divine.

What spiritual practices do you do regularly?  Do you pray on a regular basis?  How do you pray?  Do you get on your knees, sit on a zafu, go to a special place, listen to music, what do you do when you pray?

There are no correct or wrong answers to these questions.  But simply asking the question is not enough, as beings who live in bodies, we must practice, practice, practice.

Apriums

“Perpetual anticipation is good for the soul, but it’s bad for the heart. It’s very good for practicing self-control. It’s very good for morals, but bad for morale.”

— Stephen Sondheim, A Little Night Music

In October, it will be four years since we moved to our El Sobrante garden home from a San Francisco high-rise. In many ways, it feels like forever, but in terms of our fruit trees and garden, we are still just getting started.

This summer we had our first big harvest from our aprium tree which produces a hybrid apricot-plum that is like a bigger and juicier than usual apricot. So very delicious!

Then our nectarine tree produced significant (and delectable!) fruit, but has now finished. We’ll also have a few pears this Fall, but we still have cherry and peach trees that haven’t reached enough maturity to produce much. And so we wait for them.

It takes a goodly amount of faith and patience to be a gardener. Maybe that’s why I’m NOT one! I admit that while I’ve done a lot of spiritual practice to remain more centered in this present moment, I haven’t really developed a lot of long term patience.

What about you? Are you a naturally patient person? If patience isn’t your problem, what “virtue” would you like to be able to embody better?