On the Way
May 25, 2010
CENTRAL PACIFIC CONFERENCE * UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
Extravagant Grace * Generous Hearts * Renewed World
Camp Adams Labyrinth
I was out at Camp Adams, picking up the large handloom that I built for Exodus Camp last summer.
Donna Faith Eldredge, interim Senior Minister at First Congregational UCC, Portland, OR wanted to
introduce it to the church as part of the process of preparing for the arrival of their new minister. She
was planning to talk about the ways in which we bring our individual stories to community, and weave
them together to become something more than the original tale. That weaving continues, as members
and ministers move in and out of the life of the congregation. Members would be invited to bring a
piece of material that spoke to their connection to the church. The weaving would continue after
Donna Faith departed, and Anton DeWet arrived as the new pastor of the church. continued…
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I had the loom loaded in my vehicle, when Ira Williams (interim camp manager) asked, “Would you
like to see our new labyrinth?” A quick “Sure!” and we were walking around the dining hall toward
Nate Creek. On the bank, opposite the campfire circle, I was delighted to see a pathway laid out in
river rock. Ira and his knees took a rest on the cedar bench, and I entered the labyrinth. As I walked,
Ira explained that the youth group from First Congregational UCC, Hillsboro, OR had spent two
weekends creating the labyrinth. The rocks came from both camp creeks – Nate and Milk. The two
benches that flanked the labyrinth were built from Camp Adams windfall cedar, milled into planks by
a camp neighbor. Ira said, “The neatest thing is that when nobody else is around, all you hear is the
sound of water falling over the dam.” And to illustrate his point, he stopped talking and together we
listened to the gurgles and giggles of the creek.
I continued to walk in silence, noting the variety of rocks, and imagining what the labyrinth would
look like when a year of two worth of footsteps wear the path into the earth. I pondered the everchanging perspective as I followed the circle around, and back again, getting nearer and nearer to the
center. How much like our spiritual journey! When we take a break from speeding through life, to
wonder about the meaning of our days, we reflect on where we have been and what we have done. We
turn our personal history over and over in our hands, considering the choices we have made that
brought us to where we are today. In the midst of it, almost before we are ready, we come to the core
of who we are and what we love. From this rock center, we move back out again. Once more we pass
by the hours and days of our lives, but this time we have a different set of eyes. We have visited our
touchstone. We have stood on holy ground and remembered the sacred love that animates our lives.
Labyrinths date back more than 4,000 years. Maybe, as the lyrics from Jesus Christ, Superstar say, the
four evangelists were so focused on writing the gospels, “so they’ll all talk about us when we die” that
they forgot to record the prayerful, circular walk of Jesus. Whatever the case, I’m sure that as you
walk the labyrinth, you’ll find much strength and courage to follow Jesus “On the Way.”
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Portland Gay Pride Parade – June 20th
~ Joyce Liljeholdm, Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on
Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Concerns and the Church
Dear Friends:
Once again, our conference subcommittee will take care of parade and booth registration for the
Portland Pride festival, so that all UCC churches can participate as one group.
On June 20, Portland will again celebrate with a Gay Pride Parade through the streets of Portland. We
hope a number of our churches will march with their church’s banner. Also in the past, the people
marching have carried placards, which identified O & A congregations who were not able to send
people to march in the parade. Parade line-up is at NW 13th and Davis.
The Pride Northwest website [www.pridenw.org] states that the parade will step off at 11:30 AM. It
will be an individual decision, whether to come line up at 10:45 AM, or come as soon as your worship
ends, and join us as close to the start of the parade as you can. (The parade route HAS CHANGED. It
goes along Burnside to Broadway to Davis to Naito. Look for the UCC banner and join us. The
GLBT Concerns Committee invites you to a brief pre-parade service at 9:30 am. It will be hosted,
once again, by Portland First Congregational UCC, located at 1126 SW Park across from the Portland
Art Museum.
Volunteers are needed to staff the UCC booth at the Pride Festival at Waterfront Park. The booth area
is open June 19 and 20 (Saturday and Sunday) from noon to 6 PM. It is a fun way to let everyone
know they are welcome at UCC churches. E-mail Joyce Liljeholm at jliljehom@gmail.com to
volunteer for the booth.
Thank you for your support and commitment to this important witness.
Join Meridian UCC for the Installation of Their New Pastor
With gratefulness,
We are celebrating the Installation of
Reverend Doctor Amos Smith
As our Senior Pastor
Sunday June 6th, 3:30 pm
This joy filled occasion needs your presence!
Meridian United Church of Christ
6750 Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, OR
Reception immediately following *** Ordained Clergy are invited to robe and process
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The Fourth Annual Micronesian Songfest ~ Maryann Terpstra
Saturday, April 24th, 2010 * Highland Christian Center * Portland, Oregon
A messenger ran to the chief and announced that a huge sail is on the horizon. The chief remarked that
the young man must be mistaken. "Go look again and then come back and tell me what you see," he
demanded.
The story of the arrival of the Morning Star began again, over 150 years since the ship arrived in the
Marshall Islands. The youth of the Salem Marshallese congregation re-enacted the story of the fateful
day when the leaders voted whether to welcome the newcomers or kill them. The audience viewed the
final act and applauded as the Marshallese representative presented a welcome gift to the Pohnpeian
pastor, bridging the gap between the past and the present.
The audience crowded around the edges of the room, leaving the center for group after group of
performers. Pingelapese and Marshallese watched dances and listened to chants, sharing traditions with
one another and strengthening ties to Micronesia. They had already shared a feast, complete with roast
pigs and other foods familiar to those with roots in the tiny islands in the Pacific.
The Fourth Annual Micronesian Songfest on April 24th presented a sharing of many stories, including
the re-telling of the arrival of the missionaries from Pohnpei to the Marshall Islands on board the
legendary sailing ship, the Morning Star. Sacred Harp of Portland sang several selections and listened
to the Micronesian version of acapella hymn singing. The musical guests shared the story of shape
note, or sacred harp, singing with the appreciative audience.
A distinctive tradition of American church life in the 1850s was Sacred Harp, or shape note singing.
The unique acapella harmony was a familiar part of worship services in the eastern US and was
brought by Boston mission teams to Micronesia. No instruments were needed except voices, and the
singing style readily mirrored indigenous vocal customs. The Songfest listeners could hear the
common thread in Sacred Harp and contemporary Micronesian singing.
The Fourth Annual Micronesian Songfest began at Highland Christian Center with a worship service.
Bible passages and prayers were heard in three languages. Hymns were sung and welcomes given to
all gathered to share the time together. Psalm 111 was chosen as the theme for the daylong event.
Verse 1 was the key to the day: "O Praise the Lord. With all my heart will I praise the Lord in the
company of good men, in the whole congregation."
Passing an island heritage to children born in the US is complicated. Sons and daughters who have
never seen Micronesia have a hard time visualizing anything other than I-pods and shopping malls.
Seeing traditional dances performed at a Songfest by other young people has inspired youth with island
roots to be exuberant performers. Of course, proud parents with cameras and camcorders sprout up
instantly to preserve the event on film. The songfest turns out to have several rewards for participants the fellowship of believers, the sharing of food and stories, and the gift of a heritage to eager learners.
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Save May 14th and 15th for our CPC Spring Assembly in Boise, ID!
From June 28 – July 1, 2010 the United Church of Christ Musicians National Network (UCCMNN)
will present “Don’t Just Sit There!” at First Plymouth Congregational Church in Denver, Colorado.
The conference will feature Dr. Marcia McFee (who will challenge the group with creative ways to
engage the congregation through music, arts, and movement) and composer, arranger, and performer
Mark Hayes. There are also sixteen workshops being held on a wide array of topics. In addition, there
is a vocal concert on Tuesday evening and a piano concert by Mark Hayes on Wednesday evening.
And, of course, worship experiences and lots of fun and fellowship.
Pilgrim Cove Work Camp – McCall, Idaho
Pilgrim Cove Work Camp
Stay for free and feel good about what you accomplish while you are there!!!
Friday May 28th-Monday May 31st
Please RSVP to Helen at onthebeach@frontiernet.net
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The UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns
Executive Director Job Announcement United Church of Christ Coalition for LGBT Concerns is
seeking a full time Executive Director to provide strong, innovative leadership, and management skills
to the organization’s board and membership. The executive director must be a UCC member and
possess an understanding and demonstrated commitment to LGBT concerns. The executive
director oversees the organization’s programs and directs its work with ecumenical, interfaith and
secular partners.
For complete job description see http://www.ucccoalition.org/fileadmin/news/ed_description.pdf.
Profiles or resumes should be submitted by June 1, 2010 to coalitionsearchucc@gmail.com.
Seeking Board Nominations
Got ideas to share? Got time to spare?
Are you committed to building beloved community where diverse people join together to
worship, grow, and dream?
Can you envision a Church and a world in which no matter who we are, or where we are, on
life’s journey, we are extravagantly welcomed?
We're looking strong, creative leadership from people with bold ideas and dedication to join us in the
Coalition's Board of Directors. As we celebrate 25 years of education, advocacy, and support for
people and faith communities across the UCC and the wider world, we'll be thinking of new ways of
being faithful to our God, our vision, and our call to invite all people into loving community.
If you're able to meet three times a year for 2 or 3 days and participate in telephone conferences
monthly... If you're willing to share your ideas with a diverse community of people working together...
Then we'd like you to go to http://www.ucccoalition.org/about/board/nomination/ and complete the
Board nomination form you'll find there. We're looking forward to working with you!
National Gathering Advance Registration Still Available
There’s still time to sign up for National Gathering 2010 at the advance registration price of just $119!
Register now at https://www.regonline.com/national_gathering_2010. Gathering takes place in San
Diego, July 14–17, 2010. Exciting information about the program can be found at
http://www.ucccoalition.org/programs/gathering/. More than 80 people have already registered.
This is shaping up to be the best attended National Gathering ever. Don’t miss out, register today!
Congratulations!
Pentecost Sunday, May 23rd - Mark Roberts, was ordained to ministry in the United Church of Christ
at Hillsdale Community Church – UCC in Portland, OR. Mark is a son of the congregation.
Sunday, May 9th – Lake Oswego United Church of Christ joyfully called Jennie Ott to be their new
pastor. We look forward to welcoming Jennie and her partner, Hilary to the CPC.
Sunday, May 9th – First Congregational UCC, Portland, OR joyfully called Anton DeWet to be their
new pastor. We also look forward to welcoming Anton and his partner, Henza to the CPC.
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A Call to Witness for the Earth
~The Rev. Dr. Jim Antal
Massachusetts Conference Minister
May 4th, 2010. I’m about to head out to the Day of Covenant gathering in the western part of the
Conference. I only have a half hour. But the state of the earth compels me to reach out with this brief
message. 40 years ago, the first Earth Day was prompted by a gigantic oil spill off the beautiful
coastline of Santa Barbara. As awareness and momentum grew and gas prices rose, our country began
to take seriously the related issues of environment and energy. Funding for basic research in
renewable energy skyrocketed. President Carter installed solar panels on the White House. We led the
world in environmental development.
Today – this morning – there is an extraordinary concentration of good news: millions of us can now
safely drink water from the tap; the alleged terrorist who tried to set off a bomb in NYC has been
arrested; and our three professional sports teams all won.
But the other headline is unimaginably horrific. A river of oil pouring from one of the 90 drilling rigs
in the Gulf of Mexico continues to flow. Those who believe technology can fix all environmental and
energy problems are silent as they watch crews use many of the same inadequate clean-up responses
used when a finite amount of oil spilled from the Exxon Valdez in Alaska. The 2010 environmental
catastrophe has no end in sight. Neither BP, nor the entire oil industry, has enough money to set it
right. And as every Gulf fisherman now knows, it was 20 years before Exxon paid any reparations to
Alaskan fishermen.
We don’t work for BP. We don’t fish for a living. Only a few of us regard the shoreline of the Gulf as
our favorite place on earth.
But our behavior is part of the reason – each day – the U.S. takes the risk to pump 1,700,000 barrels of
oil out of the Gulf of Mexico (not to mention elsewhere).
What will each of us preach about on Sunday?
With our leadership, people of faith can recognize that just as the Civil Rights movement adopted new
behaviors as a Holy expression of covenant with the future, so can we. We can reduce our personal
carbon footprint by engaging in new behaviors of shopping, eating, driving, sharing, spending, flying,
using energy, recycling, and more – and we can recognize that in today’s world, these new behaviors
are spiritual practices every bit as much as prayer. We can green our churches – and many of you
already are.
In addition, we can follow the church-led Civil Rights movement in another way. We can work to
change the laws.
And one more thing. As religious leaders, we can lead this generation to value:
 resilience in place of growth;
 integrity in place of consumption;
 wisdom in place of progress;
 vision in place of convenience;
 accountability in place of disregard;
 balance in place of addiction.
Without a vision, the people perish. Leadership – faithful and faith-filled leadership – is needed. God
is calling us to be the change we long to see.
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A Liturgical Reading!
This past Saturday, the Justice and Witness Ministry Team of the CPC met at the Interchurch
Center. Chair Karen Kulm offered a powerful reflection on the immigration debate by inviting the
Team to take turns reading Hughes’ poem, with all voices joining together on the parenthetical
phrases. Consider having a voice choir share this with your congregation in the near future.
Langston Hughes - Let America Be America Again
Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.
(America never was America to me.)
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed-Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.
(It never was America to me.)
O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.
(There's never been equality for me, Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")
Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?
I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek-And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.
I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one's own greed!
I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean-Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today--O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.
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Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That's made America the land it has become.
O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home-For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore,
And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa's strand I came
To build a "homeland of the free."
The free?
Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we've dreamed
And all the songs we've sung
And all the hopes we've held
And all the flags we've hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay-Except the dream that's almost dead today.
O, let America be America again-The land that never has been yet-And yet must be--the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME-Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.
Sure, call me any ugly name you choose-The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!
O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath-America will be!
Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain-All, all the stretch of these great green states-And make America again!
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The Last Adventure of Life: Sacred Resources for Living and Dying from a Hospice
Counselor ~ Maria Dancing Heart (Hoaglund)
The Last Adventure of Life: Sacred Resources for Living and Dying from a Hospice Counselor
Author: Maria Dancing Heart (Hoaglund)
ISBN: 978-1-84409-137-9
Websites: www.changewithcourage.com and www.soulbaskets.com
The Last Adventure of Life is an inspirational resource book that weaves together some of the best
stories, poetry, scripture, prayers, and guided meditations from all walks of life to help those facing
death or grief in their lives. It also includes chapters on grief and healing resources. It is intended for
anyone desiring to go deeper spiritually. Some are saying that it is the most loving, gentle book they've
read about death. Others have said that it's one of the best introductions to hospice that they've seen.
Anyone interested in end-of-life, grief, the mystery of life, and transitions of all kinds will find this
book useful. The book also addresses many of the body-mind-spirit, complementary approaches to
healing and end-of-life care.
Rev. Maria Dancing Heart Hoaglund was born and grew up in Japan, daughter of Lutheran
missionaries, so she is bi-cultural and bi-lingual. She is a U.C.C. minister who has been doing hospice
ministry for over 15 years. She is a bridge-builder and transformational healer who honors the unity
and interconnectedness of all life. Maria’s message -- JOYFUL TRANSITIONS: Bringing Death
Back to Life!
You may also be interested in Maria's articles at Examiner.com, honoring the body-mind-spirit
connection at: http://tinyurl.com/msv6aw.
Maria has gift baskets/bundles (Japanese style) that she offers that include some of the body-mindspirit modalities and info in them called Soul Baskets, too. You can see them at:
www.soulbaskets.com.
Thank you, in advance, for your interest and support of my work. Please do not hesitate to contact me
if you have any questions. Blessings of Peace, Maria dancing heart~~~
"Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross once had a patient who said to her 'I want to live through my dying.'
Anyone who shares that sentiment will find THE LAST ADVENTURE OF LIFE a way to expand
their consciousness and to prepare for that moment."
-- Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
"Almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these
things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you
are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. ... You
are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart." - Steve Jobs
The Rev. Dr. Walter John Boris – Conference Minister
Central Pacific Conference * United Church of Christ
Interchurch Center
0245 SW Bancroft Street, Suite E
Portland, OR 97239-4258
wjboris@gmail.com (O) 503-228-3178 (M) 206-235-3801 (H) 360-210-5945
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