The city of Eureka was incorporated in 1856. Three years later, this church was founded. It’s frightening to speculate what kind of godless city this was before then.
Unfortunately the people who were founding members of the church were unable to attend this morning, so we won’t have their recollections.
But why start a church anyway?
Is it because people need a place to pray?
Is it because people need to hear a sermon each week?
It’s the choir, isn’t it?
Yeah, it’s the choir.
Let’s go to God in prayer.
God of wisdom, may the words that I speak, and the ways they are received by each of our hearts and minds, help us to continue to grow into the people, and the church, that you have dreamed us to be.
Amen.
This church is 165 years young.
When we go to the social hall for the potluck, you will be able to see a slideshow of the church’s history.
My gratitude for the many church members who did this research
and to Kay Latonio for bringing it together into a coherent slide show.
I would like to highlight a few items.
In 1885 the Chinese community was blamed for a stray bullet that killed a council member. This church supported the Chinese community, including some who came to the church and one who was baptized.
‘You shall love your Chinese neighbor as yourself.’
In 1941 the church basement was prepared to be a shelter should the war come to our shore.
‘You shall love your local neighbor as yourself.’
In the 1960s this church was involved in civil rights and anti-Vietnam protests.
‘You shall love your Black neighbor as yourself.’
‘You shall love your Vietnamese neighbor as yourself.’
‘You shall love your soldier neighbor as yourself.’
In 1972, William R. Johnson was prepared to be ordained as the first openly gay clergy in a mainline denomination, but the committee on ministry was against it because he was gay.
The pastor at the time, Ed Cunningham, wrote an article in support of the ordination The Golden Gate Association decided to ordain William R. Johnson.
‘You shall love your gay neighbor as yourself.’
This church began a passing of the peace where people shook hands in honor of the lowest caste of people in India, considered untouchable, also called “Dalit” meaning “oppressed,” “broke,” or “crushed.”
‘You shall love your Indian neighbor as yourself.’
‘You shall love your oppressed neighbor as yourself.’
In the early 1980s this church supported laid-off lumber workers.
‘You shall love your unemployed neighbor as yourself.’
This church was involved in the food bank.
‘You shall love your hungry neighbor as yourself.’
This church supported Planned Parenthood.
‘You shall love your neighbor’s reproductive health as your own.’
In 1988 this church hosted an AIDS workshop for caregivers.
‘You shall love your sick neighbor and caregiver neighbor as yourself.’
This church has worked with members of the Wiyot tribe with a candlelight vigil memorial to the Tuluwat massacre of 1860.
‘You shall love your indigenous neighbor as yourself.’
This church voted to become an open and affirming church in 1994.
‘You shall love your Gay and Lesbian neighbors as yourself.’
This church has offered “Blue Christmas” services
for people who may not feel very jolly during the season.
‘You shall love your sad or grieving neighbor as yourself.’
This church has worked with multiple agencies to help unhoused people in the area.
‘You shall love your homeless neighbor as yourself.’
The church sponsored an interfaith discussion on issues in the middle east.
‘You shall love your middle-eastern neighbor as yourself.’
This church has offered space for Centro del Pueblo giving legal support to undocumented people including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, for those called “Dreamers.”
‘You shall love your undocumented neighbor as yourself.’
This church called an openly gay and transgender pastor, proving they were not only in favor of gay clergy for other churches or being Open and Affirming in name, but were willing to walk the walk behind the talk they talked.
‘You shall love your LGBTQ neighbor as yourself.’
This is the history of this church, but perhaps more importantly, this is the witness of this church to the community and to the world.
But it is not only a witness to our neighbors because, as the scripture says
‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
That means we must love ourselves, and to witness to ourselves.
Yes, who we have been is a witness to who we are now, urging us to not rest on what we have done, but instead to continue to love our neighbors,
no matter how near or far,
no matter what color skin,
no matter who they love,
no matter their gender,
no matter their ability,
no matter their faith.
This is always a growing edge, and though we may think we ought to be done growing after 165 years, the First Parish Church in Plymouth Massachusetts – a Congregational Church like ours – was founded in the 20s.
Not the 1920s, or 1820s, or even 1720s.
It was founded in 1620, 404 years ago.
Even in the USA, we’re still a young church.
And remember that the redwoods we love so much continue to grow for hundreds of years: the average age of a mature tree is 800 to 1500 years old, with some living long enough to have been seedlings when Jesus walked the earth.
So my challenge to all of us this week is to ask ourselves the question again:
“Who is my neighbor?”
Especially try to identify those who we may not have thought of as neighbors, or those neighbors who are hard to love.
And with that information, seek ways to love our neighbors, not only with our hearts and mouths, but with our feet and hands.
Amen.
- Scripture quotations marked NRSVue are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. https://www.friendshippress.org/pages/about-the-nrsvue
- Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James version of the Bible.
Leave a Reply