Dear Old South Church,
On Sunday, with rose petals and song, with scripture and prayer, and the welcoming of new members, we will celebrate Pentecost: the birthday of the Christian Church. While the followers of Jesus have been at this work for over two millennia, let me reflect on the work of a single church, in a single city over the course of less than two months.
In less than two months, Old South Church in Boston concluded Lent, honored Holy Week, celebrated Easter Sunday, hosted a Climate Revival (welcoming the General Minister and President of the UCC, as well as the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church) and sang Happy 260th Birthday to Phillis Wheatley. Our Mission Team built a house in New Orleans, another team undertook a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and our Restored Vision Project organized a poignant forum on solitary confinement. Together we blessed animals and runners, witnessed nine of our young people confirm their faith, welcomed new members, and baptized five babies and two adults. We endured bombs blasts at the Marathon Finish Line and were a crime scene for over a week (during which time we worshiped with and at Church of the Covenant, while the Boston Symphony Orchestra graciously lent us office space). During the aftermath of the bombings and subsequent lock-down, we communicated through e-mail, Facebook, and our website. I met the President of the United States and Rev. John Edgerton prayed the US Senate into session. Old South Church was featured on CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, NECN, ABC, and more. We held Jazz Worship out of doors on April 25th and ministered to the city with music and prayer. Your clergy and care crews continue to minister to families and individuals directly and indirectly impacted by the bombs as well as those managing challenges unrelated to the events of April 15th. Sunday, April 21st we walked to the Finish Line and held silence while David Vogan tolled the Great Tower Bell once for each of the dead. Harry Huff and George Sargeant played a tender benefit concert for The One Fund with Music of Resurrection. I preached at First Church in Stockbridge at the Installation of Rev. Brent Damrow (Jon and Brent are so very, very happy there) and we welcomed Rev. Anthony Livolsi to our staff. Our Board of Ministers & Deacons established an Ordination Discernment Committee to steward a bumper-crop of those seeking ordination. Old South Church has been asked to help lead the opening Worship Service at the UCC’s General Synod (Rev. John Edgerton will ably represent us). We produced our fourth issue of Open Door magazine and, oh my, oh my, did our gardens bloom! We received an outdoor banner from Mayflower UCC in Oklahoma City, Tibetan prayer flags from Grace Church in Foxborough, an album of notes and images from a UCC church in Florida, huge note cards signed by the members of St. Pauls UCC in Chicago, and 1,000 peace cranes from Newtown Congregational UCC in Connecticut. Last, but by no means least, we received an unrestricted bequest from Bob Elder (may he rest in peace) of $1,000,000 to help endow and sustain our ministries of mercy, justice and beauty.
Now, multiply less than two months of ministry radiating from a single church in a single city by 2,000 years and by all the churches in the world, you get what was spoken by the prophet Joel, and recited on the Day of Pentecost:
I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh.
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
And your young men shall see visions,
And your old men dream dreams ...
Rev. Nancy S. Taylor,
Old South Church in Boston