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Thoughts from our Minister...

From the Pastor's desk
When this article reaches your hands, we will be about a month away from the election on November 4, 2008. Let me begin by stating that I am a firm believer in the separation of church and state. In a nation of many religious views, and in a faith where not all Christians agree, not all UCCers agree, and indeed not all of us at FCUCC agree, I have a hard time imagining what our government would look like if every debate on Capital Hill started with "God says?". I do not believe that any side has a monopoly on God or has cornered the market on faith, or knows with absolute certainty what God wants.
Yet, people are praying, and praying hard, for various people to win elections. They are hopeful that God will put the "correct" people into various offices and all will good. The trouble is, elections are not battles of good versus evil. They are not events where if one side wins, then everything will be magically fixed (if you believe things are broken) or everything will stay the same (if you believe things are perfect as they are now).
Even though we have separation of church and state, faith has a role to play in elections. After the 2004 election results, the news media seemed stunned that "moral issues" were more important to a voter's decision than the economy, the war in Iraq, education, or health care. Frankly, I believe that these are ALL moral issues.
As Christians, we often feel called to vote according to our faith, but that doesn't mean the same thing for everyone. Christians can claim residency on all sides of political issues, and generally have ?evidence' from their faith tradition to back up their views.
Which is one reason why I have been surprised by a recent movement spurned by The Alliance Defense Fund. They have declared September 28th Pulpit Freedom Sunday (and though you are reading this after the 28th, I am writing before that date) and are encouraging a particular group of pastors to endorse specific political candidates from their pulpits in defiance of IRS Code 503(c)3. An article on their website seems to imply that not being able to endorse specific candidates is akin to restricting a pastor's ability to discuss moral issues.
However, I believe that this is a misunderstanding of a law that is intended to promote religious freedom. Pastors not only may, but I believe should, address issues of justice, ethics, and morality from the pulpit. Indeed I believe one of the reasons why people fill our pews is because they hope to learn what their faith tradition has to say about contemporary life.
Endorsing particular candidates misses the point. The separation of church and state gives faith-based organizations a unique perspective. Elected officials operate within a system that has been in existence for a long time. As a group outside of that system, we are not beholden to one side or another. We are able to look upon our government, regardless of who is in office, and hold it accountable.
Regardless of the outcome of next month's election, it would be irresponsible for us to breathe a sigh of relief, and sit back in confidence that things will go in accordance to our understanding of morality, ethics, and justice. For starters, we need to expand the understanding of "moral values" to include issues of hunger and poverty, of equal access to healthcare and education.
If you are not yet registered to vote, I encourage you to register. If you are registered, I encourage you to vote. And if you vote, I encourage you to vote according to your faith, regardless of where that leads you. And if you vote according to your faith, I encourage you not to stop there, but to continue to give voice to your convictions in the time between elections.
Pastor Nicolette

How to get in touch with Pastor Nicolette
Here are a few simple ideas for getting in contact with Pastor Nicolette:
1) Via phone - 517.627.2336. If no one is available to take the call, press 2 to leave a message in the pastor's voicemail box. In the message there is also information on how to contact her in case of a pastoral emergency.
2) Via email - pastornicolette@gmail.com
3) Via internet - Pastor Nicolette has both a myspace and a facebook page
4) Via office hours - Pastor Nicolette will do her best to be in the church for drop-in visits during the following times:
Sunday - after coffee hour if you let her know you'd like to talk after the service
Tuesday - 12pm-4pm; returning from 6pm-9pm for Board meetings
Wednesday - 10am-12pm
Thursday - 10am-12pm
(Mondays Pastor Nicolette will be working from home and doing pastoral visitation; Fridays will be her day off)
**Note - Pastor Nicolette may be in even if her car is not in the lot - at times she walks or bikes to church**
5) Via appointment - Pastor Nicolette can be available at other times if you let her know ahead of time. If coming to the church is a hardship, use one of the other methods of contact and she will do her best to schedule a home visit during a time she is not scheduled to be in the office.

Please help Pastor Nicolette & Gina get to know you!
Who: Small gatherings of 8-10 people (children & youth are welcome!!)
What: Informal socializing and conversation.
Where: Various member's houses.
When: Sunday October 19 & October 26 at 2pm
How: Sign up sheets are located in the Fellowship Hall
Why: Sunday during coffee hour is a good time to catch up with one another and check in, however Pastor Nicolette & Gina want to learn more about you and small groups offer an excellent way to do just that!