Emphasis Preaching Journal

Baptism with the Holy Spirit draws people into spiritual communion with God, and thus they become brothers and sisters with Christ. This tends to be taken for granted much of the time. Several years ago, in response to the Just Peace priority voted on by General Synod, many churches in the United Church of Christ voted to become Just Peace churches, meaning that the pursuit of Just Peace understandings and ministries was a specific priority in those churches. No doubt, the process of coming to that decision varied widely from church to church. In one particular church the membership, both individually and collectively, had been involved with different sorts of Just Peace activities over the years. When the possibilty of claiming the name Just Peace church arose, there was no immediate movement to do so. The pastor talked about being a Just Peace church in general from the pulpit, and gradually talk began to develop about the possibility. Not all of it was favorable. Not all members were interested in Just Peace concerns, and many of those felt threatened by those who were. Yet they found a way to keep talking, to understand the other side's viewpoints and concerns. When the church finally voted to become a Just Peace church, it did so knowing that all had been heard and all understood what this would mean for the church's life. Having accomplished this, they were able to go forward as a church together, still bound by their baptism in Christ. -- Johnson-Hoy