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My grandmother's face was tired and rugged looking, her body, hefty, solid and firm. If you were to see her with your own eyes, you would know she was a person never to be messed with. Wherever she went, her presence was undeniable; her opinion was often inflexible, but never unclear. Her life was not an easy life, but its circumstance never seemed to diminish her confidence in God’s grace and provision. Without a doubt, she is the most incredibly beautiful women I have ever known. What I saw with my eyes and heard with my ears was simply a symbol of her tireless efforts to unapologetically live and proclaim the gospel, and to proclaim it boldly. If you were to experience her faith, you would know her heart was an open embrace, her love all-encompassing, her soul gentle and sweet, her love for Jesus was deep, very, very deep. Her faith has rekindled my faith again and again. In a very real sense, she was—is my "Lois" and my "Eunice." Truly, her faith now lives in me.

The portion of the letter Jane read this morning, from Paul to Timothy, from one generation to the next, invites us to remember the people in our lives who have shaped our beliefs and grounded us in faith; a faith that is to be bold, confident, loving, strong and sincere in all circumstances, but most especially in the face of challenge and uncertainty.  It is a faith that connects us with our bothers and sisters in Christ around the world throughout all time and it embodies the heart of extravagant welcome and peace to all--all God’s people.

In this letter to Timothy, to you and me, Paul speaks about the lineage of faith passed from one generation to the next not as something that was/is given to us a as a mere “hand-me-down” that holds sentimental value. Rather, the faith we have inherited from those we love, trust and admire, the faith that we sometimes doubt, question and deny, this faith is a treasured gift of God entrusted to us and it is to be embodied in us so as to guide our actions.

On Wednesday of this week, the Rev. John Thomas, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ and the Rev. Linda Jaramillo, Executive Minister for Wider Church Ministry will come to Washington to deliver a pastoral letter from our Church to leadership offices of the House and Senate and then the White House calling for an immediate, deliberate and significant withdrawal of troops from Iraq. They will remain at the door of the White House until either the letter is received or they are arrested. While there is not unanimity of opinion or unanimous support for this witness throughout the United Church of Christ, John and Linda’s journey to Washington is grounded in the boldness of faith witnessed and passed down throughout the history of the whole Church; it is a faith now entrusted to them and to all of us. Whether we agree or disagree with this particular faithful witness, we are called to pray for those we have entrusted to speak on our behalf, trusting the grace of the Holy Spirit to guide them—and trusting them to listen. Through the grace of the Holy Spirit, from generation to generation, the faith of the faithful lives in us and then through us.

Since my first visit here, the bold faith and faithful witness of this congregation has been evident to me. As I experienced your ministry through the convictions of search committee members and then work with several people this past week, I have been continually persuaded my first impressions were true. You engage the hard questions not only with your words but with action. You care deeply about one another and spirit of community which binds you together. You are inspired, generous givers who do all you can to volunteer your time and energy and to financially support and sustain what has been entrusted to you. Your commitment to be present in this community and beyond is a treasured gift. Your welcome of me has been extravagant and after a challenging transition, my faith has been rekindled and set ablaze.  I am overjoyed by the opportunity to share ministry with Sandy, Nae, Susan, Sarah and Diane and yes, of course, each of you.

My journey here to this pulpit, to our shared ministry during a time of transition, began at a mid-January company Christmas party I did not get to attend. There, my husband Ken learned that his colleague Lois was married to a United Church of Christ minister who pastored a local church which had a great choir. At the words “great choir” Ken’s faith grew a hundred fold, in an instant!

Two days later, I received an email from the Rev. Jim Todhunter introducing himself and this church to me. He also spoke about his ministry in Norwich, Vermont and inquired about colleagues he remembered from long ago.  While the email was meant to make a connection between him and me, at the heart of the message was an invitation, an invitation for me to come here to worship when I was in town, and for to me to have faith and trust while Ken and I lived apart. It was clear he wanted me to know “all would be well.”

I came one Sunday excited to have the opportunity to come sit in worship next to Ken, incognito, no role, no responsibility. I remember the day clearly. Worship began with a bold statement of welcome and inclusion of all people in Christ’s name. There was then an acknowledgement of Oscar’s 90^th birthday. The opening and celebration was warm and I felt at home relaxing and blending in with folks in the pews. Then during the second half of the announcements, Sandy introduced me by name and by title.  Oops, no more hiding. In that moment, while hearing an echo of my grandmother’s wisdom, “Child, always remember who you are.” I had to remember, rekindle and reclaim the wholeness of my being, my faith, my call, my ministry, all if it. It never ceases to amaze me how the grace of the Holy Spirit knows just when to pull us out of a moment of complacency and timidity or hiding to remind us that our faith is to be rooted in the call to live out the gospel ceaselessly and boldly—even as we sit in the pews.

On that first Sunday here, I remember being awed by Jim’s faith as he preached, the message was palpable and challenging. His words and his presence spoke volumes about what God calls us to do and what God calls us to be in what is more often than not a troublesome world.  He reminded us that love and faith is not about sitting comfortably in the pews while our hearts are warmed. Rather, love and faith are about claiming who and whose we are by reaching out to those who exist on the margins, homeless and hungry, misunderstood and often alone. Your faith, my faith, has been shaped and enriched by Jim’s ministry. In many ways, a piece of his faith now dwells in each of us.

While growing up, I planned to have at least six children, possibly more. But there is a practical reason we stopped at two. You see, when we married, my shoe size was a 10, after our first child it grew to size 11, after the second, size 12. I was not, simply not, going to wear a size 13! There is no way I can fit into the shoes of Jim Todhunter, nor shall I try. Instead, I will simply continue to let a piece of his faith intermingle with the faith of my grandmother and others who have helped me claim and reclaim my commitment to live out the Gospel and allow my love for the church to dwell in the center of my soul while I pray my faith and convictions, my wisdom and experience have a positive impact on your lives and on the ministry and mission of this church. Without a doubt, I trust your faith will impact mine as well.

This morning, we presented Bibles to the next generation of Christians who will be raised up in the church in hopes that they will grow in knowledge and faith in the Gospel that they might live lives emboldened with a spirit of power, and of love and of self-discipline.  As we give these Bibles to our children, we are reminded that faith, while a gift of God, is nurtured and embodied in human relationships. Who we are and how we live and love will have an impact on how these young people live life.  It will also have an impact on how they understand the mission and ministry of Christ’s church.  We are their Loises and Eunices, their Pauls and Timothys.

In other words, when presenting these children with the Book filled with stories of God in relationship with humanity throughout history and as they learn what it means to be faithful, we in essence assure them they can lean into our example, our witness, our faith, as if it were their own.

In Christ, may it be so.  Amen.

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