• Who We Are
    • Who We Are
    • Mission
    • History
    • General Synod
    • Leadership and Ministry
    • Staff
    • United Church of Christ Board
  • What We Believe
    • What We Believe
    • Worship Ways
    • Daily Devotional
  • What We Do
    • What We Do
    • Office of the General Minister & President
    • Justice & Local Church Ministries
  • News
  • Church Finder
  • Donate Now
  • Search
UCC Logo United Church of Christ
  • Church Finder
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Store
  • Frontline Faith Portal
  • Donate Now
  • Search
  • Who We Are
    • Column
      • About
        • Mission
        • Constitution and Bylaws
        • History
          • UCC Archives
        • UCC Brand Guidelines
        • General Synod
          • Synod 33 Worship Videos
          • Past General Synods
        • Abuse Prevention
    • Column
      • Structure
        • Conferences
        • Affiliated Ministries
    • Column
      • Team
        • Elected Officers
        • Staff
        • United Church of Christ Board
          • Board Minutes
        • Office of General Counsel
        • UCCOSSN
    • Column
      • Career Opportunities
      • Annual Reports
  • What We Believe
    • Column
      • Worship
        • Statement of Faith of the United Church of Christ – La Declaración de Fe de la Iglesia Unida de Cristo
        • Worship Ways
        • Daily Devotional
        • Sermon Seeds
  • How We Serve
    • Column
      • Office of the General Minister & President
        • Welcome to Human Resources
          • Employee Relations Resources
        • Center for Analytics, Research & Development and Data (CARDD)
          • General CARDD FAQs
          • About The Center for Analytics, Research & Development, and Data (CARDD)
          • Authorized Minister Opt Out
          • Access UCC
          • Archived Reports
          • Assessment Resources
          • Information Policies and Requests
          • Faith Communities Today (FACT) Survey
          • MissionInsite
          • Statistics and Reports
          • Vital Signs and Statistics Blog
          • Data Hub FAQs
          • Data Hub
          • Yearbook and Directory
    • Column
      • Justice & Local Church Ministries
        • Justice
          • Faithful Action Ministries
            • Environmental Justice Ministries
            • Economic Justice
            • Racial Justice
          • Office of Public Policy & Advocacy in Washington D.C.
            • Justice and Peace Action Network
            • Our Faith Our Vote 2020
            • Justice Training Resources
            • Action Center
          • Health and Wholeness Advocacy
            • Disabilities and Mental Health Justice
            • Encuentros Latinx
            • UCC HIV & AIDS Network-UCAN
            • LGBTQ Ministries
            • Our Whole Lives
            • Overdose and Drug Use Ministries
            • Scouting
            • Wellness Ministries
          • The Pilgrim Press & Stillspeaking Publications
    • Column
      • Justice & Local Church Ministries
        • Local Church
          • The Faith Education, Innovation and Formation (Faith INFO)Team
            • Weekly Seeds
            • Youth & Young Adults
          • Worship Resources
            • Worship Ways
            • Sermon Seeds
            • Synod 33 Worship Videos
            • Music and Liturgical Arts
          • Stewardship & Generosity Resources
          • Ministerial Excellence, Support & Authorization (MESA)
            • History, Polity, and Theology
            • Search & Call
            • Ministerial Profiles
            • Ministry Opportunities
            • Manual on Ministry
    • Column
      • Wider Church Ministries
        • Global Ministries
        • Global H.O.P.E.
          • Volunteer Ministries
          • Refugee and Migration Ministries
          • Disaster Ministries
          • Recovering Hope
        • Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations
  • Resources
  • News
    • Column
      • News
        • United Church of Christ News
    • Column
      • Columns
        • Witness for Justice
        • Into the Mystic
        • Getting to the Root of It
        • The Pollinator: UCC Environmental Justice Blog
        • UCC Roots
        • Encounters at the Well
        • Reflexiones
    • Column
      • Upcoming Events
        • Webinars
      • Changes & Deaths
  • Giving
    • Column
      • Donate Now
      • Ways to Give
        • Giving Tuesday
        • General Synod 2021 Thursday in Black Offering
        • General Synod 2021 Racial Justice Offering
        • Disaster Ministries: How to Give
        • Our Church’s Wider Mission
          • Our Church’s Wider Mission Basic Support
          • Strengthen the Church
          • One Great Hour of Sharing
          • Neighbors in Need
          • Christmas Fund
          • 5 for 5
    • Column
      • Ways We Give
        • Scholarships & Grants

  • Home
  • News
  • United Church of Christ News
  • UCC pastor: God’s spirit is unmistakable

UCC pastor: God’s spirit is unmistakable

by Scott Ressman | published on Jul 1, 2021

On Sunday, June 27, United Church of Rockville Centre celebrated “Pride Sunday.” Only days before, our rainbow flag was stolen. After the initial shock, the church worked to do its best to turn the negative incident into something positive, to “Be the Church.”

United Church of Rockville Centre decorated for Pride Sunday

Working with local advocacy groups, a call went out to support the church and its inclusive message by attending the Pride service. I didn’t know what to expect. Our attendance has been at about twenty since reopening. Before the flag incident, I expected maybe thirty for Pride Sunday, but planned for fifty just in case.

People began to arrive thirty minutes before worship. People of all ages (from nine to ninety-five), diverse sexualities, different skin tones, and even folks from the nearby synagogue filled the pews. Some hadn’t set foot in a church in years. Others couldn’t believe that a church could be like this. So open and accepting. So loving. The count, at least 125!

On Saturday night I went over to the church to practice my message. I had written my sermon before the theft of the rainbow flag. It was focused on how each of us is created in the image of God. I had purchased small mirrors for use during the sermon. The mirrors suggested the larger mirror near the entrance to the sanctuary on our “Faces of Faith” display, where photos of church members and friends are placed. A mirror that first timers can look into to see their face as a “Face of Faith.” We ran out of mirrors, so folks shared. What a joyous problem to have!

As I looked out over the congregation, I was in awe. God’s Spirit was unmistakable. This was the vision of the Church that I had imagined for twenty-one years of ministry. Not just my vision for United Church, but the Church in general. Where people come together, united by a common desire to act justly, love and practice mercy, and walk humbly with God. Where people can celebrate God because they see God in one another, “perfect in their imperfection” as I said on Sunday.

Pride Sunday Service at United Church of Rockville Centre

On Friday I reached out to our Church Council to suggest that on Sunday we collect an offering for “Pride for Youth” Long Island instead of an offering for the church. Donations totaled over $1,200. Be the Church!

Other good things are happening as well. Soon I will gather with community leaders to discuss how the Village of Rockville Centre can celebrate Pride “officially” in June 2022. A local synagogue has already suggested a joint worship service next year.

Flags fly outside the United Church of Rockville Centre

The individuals who stole the flag and committed the vandalism have been found. The flag was returned on Saturday and was displayed on Sunday morning. The church is working with the authorities to make this an exercise in grace, forgiveness, and education.

I am grateful for the wisdom and courage displayed by the church that I serve. And the opportunities that God has provided for us.

The Rev. Scott A. Ressman is the pastor of the United Church of Rockville Centre, Long Island, N.Y.

Categories: United Church of Christ News

Get the UCC in your inbox!

Sign up for the weekly UCC News Digest

Privacy Policy
 
 

Related News

HopeBeyondRoeWebinarImage
United Church of Christ News

Sorrow, resolve mark online service after court overturns Roe v. Wade

United Church of Christ people worshiped online "in disbelief, sorrow and resolve" June...

Read More
ManualOnChurchWebinar2022
United Church of Christ News

Manual on Church team has ‘audacious’ goal of having a draft by December

It will be a guide for local churches. And it will be a little different from anything ever...

Read More
United Church of Christ News

‘Our work does not end here’: As SCOTUS erases abortion rights, UCC leaders offer prayer, resources, presence

“Moral outrage.” Those two words from General Minister and President John Dorhauer...

Read More
  • Column
    • Local Church and Conference Resource Directory
    • Mission
    • Justice & Local Church Ministries
    • General Synod 33 Resolutions
  • Column
    • Contact
    • News
    • Store
Content on ucc.org is copyrighted by the National Setting of the United Church of Christ and may be only shared according to the guidelines outlined here.
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Subscribe on YouTube

Donate Now


UCC Crest
© United Church of Christ 2022. Privacy Policy.
Crafted by Cornershop Creative