Spring Cleaning

Original post date April 22, 2015

Spring Cleaning
Rev. Holly MillerShank 

Call me odd if you’d like, but I like spring cleaning. I’m not much for the routine household maintenance of vacuuming or doing dishes, but once those daffodils start to break forth from the frozen ground, get me a dust rag and mop!

I’m not sure what primal instinct triggers my need to rearrange the china cupboard and check all of the expiration dates on the old salad dressings in the fridge, but really, top to bottom, room to room, there is something redemptive about spring cleaning.

At the Seder, Jewish families hide the Afikomen, a broken piece of Matzo, which the children find at the end of the meal. Similarly, in our Christian tradition, we hide Easter eggs for children to seek. In spring cleaning, I wish there was a prize for locating the biggest dust bunny, but for me, the true prize is the liberating feeling of getting rid of things that are no longer useful and taking care of the things that are to be treasured.

I wonder what our churches would look like if we did some serious spring cleaning? Yes, I’m sure some Sunday school drawers could be decluttered and the choir robes could use a good ironing. But aside from the physical upkeep, I wonder what it would look like to spring clean our missions and ministries. Are there committees whose shelf life have expired? Projects that were once started but stalled and are now taking up precious space in our common life? Jesus tells the disciples to shake the dust from their sandals (Matthew 10:14). Perhaps this is the season for us to shake off the dust from all of our “because we’ve always done it that way” routines, and to examine what can be discarded and what deserves to be cared for and treasured.

Read the full post at: http://www.ucc.org/stillspeaking_weekly_spring_cleaning

Facing Death

Original post date February 18, 2015
By Rev. Holly MillerShank 

Regardless of the rise in popularity of zombies and vampires in recent years, the world has not been overtaken by the un-dead. Quite the opposite, in fact. The world is populated by living people who fear death. Death, or even aging, are processes people go to great lengths to avoid; just think of the plethora of anti-wrinkle or “rejuvenation” treatment ads in your favorite magazine. The truth is, however, that all of us will die. No time is this more evident than today, Ash Wednesday.

Today is the day we are reminded that we are dust, and to dust we shall return. Today, there is no possibility of outlasting death. Today, emblazoned with ashes, we begin our Lenten journey to the cross.

Read the full article at: http://www.ucc.org/stillspeaking_weekly_facing_death

Uncovering Bias

Original Post Date: December 17, 2014
By Rev. Holly MillerShank

The United Church of Christ has made significant strides in becoming a Multi-Cultural/Multi-Racial, Open and Affirming, Accessible to All church. As we strive for these ideals of inclusion and wholeness, however, we continue to be plagued by bias, both conscious and unconscious.

In my ministry, I hear anecdotally about UCC members, born in other countries, who experience difficulties navigating our Member in Discernment process. I also hear from Authorized Ministers about their struggles in securing a call to ministry because of a perceived bias of race, age, or physical disability...

Read the full article here: http://www.ucc.org/feed-your-spirit/stillspeaking-weekly/uncovering-bias.html

Why God Loves Will Shortz

Original Sermon Date: June 17, 2012
Church of the Redeemer United Church of Christ, Westlake, Ohio
Ezekiel 17:22-24, 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13, Mark 4:26-34
By Rev. Holly MillerShank

Excerpt:

"I am convinced that God loves Will Shortz.

Will Shortz, you know the puzzle editor of the New York Times, the guy that does the puzzle edition of NPR every Sunday morning. Will Shortz, the centerpiece of the documentary Wordplay. Will Shortz who had a cameo on the Simpsons when Lisa enters a competitive crossword tournament. Yeah, Will Shortz, the puzzle master, I think God likes him very much. But let’s look together at the scriptures before I get to why..."

Please read the full sermon here. 

UCC Committee on Ministry Research Report

Original Report Date: November 20, 2014
By Rev. Holly MillerShank

I recently had the honor of authoring the UCC Committee on Ministry Research Report.

The hopes for this research are three-fold: 

1: To provide a comprehensive overview of Committee on Ministry work for the United Church of Christ, including patterns and trends. 

2: To give context for the work of the Habakkuk group as they discern the next iteration of the Manual on Ministry. 

3: To assist the MESA team in producing necessary resources to support conference staff and strengthen the ministry of COMs.

Throughout this process, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit and desire to faithfully and effectively serve the church of Jesus Christ undergirding the work of all association/conference staff and the Committees on Ministry across the United Church of Christ.

Please view the report in its entirety here. 

Rev. Dr. Michael Penn Moore - A Charge into Retirement

Original Date: June 3, 2012
Church of the Redeemer UCC

Michael, it is an honor for me to participate in this afternoon’s service. Now, normally, a charge is offered at the time of authorization or installation. However, we figured you may need a little more direction in life and so we wanted to also offer you a charge into retirement.

So Michael, I charge you today to never place a period where God has placed a comma, Over 38 years ago the church officially recognized God’s call on your life and ordained you to a ministry of word and sacrament. Even though the Western Reserve Association Committee on Ministry will move your standing from the active to the retired column today- that does not mean that God’s calling on your life has changed. Once ordained, always ordained. Remember always that God’s call will continue to be upon you, never place a period where God has placed a comma,  

I also charge you today to live a life of self-differentiation. Now this is not a call to a life of schizophrenia or some other form of neurosis- but rather a call to have a strong sense of who you are and whose you are, balanced with an equally strong understanding of who you are not. In other words, know and honor your boundaries. Continue to find and understand your identity as a sheep among God’s flock, but know where your pasture ends and someone else’s begins.

Continue to live out your covenantal relationship with God. Find a community of faith where you can flourish. Surround yourself with friends and colleagues who will support and challenge you- intellectually, spiritually and emotionally. Do not allow dust to accumulate on your shoes, books or psyche. Stay active as long as you can, feed your mind and seek nourishment for your soul.

Finally Rev. Moore, as you enter retirement I charge you to share equally in both the bread and the cup. The bread of Christ’s brokenness will follow you as you leave this place. You will continue to bear witness to pain and suffering in this world, both personal and corporate. Continue to offer a compassionate heart in the midst of strife and advocate for the marginalized and oppressed. In the same way the joy of the new covenant will follow you from this place. Celebrate with those who rejoice. Feast on your passions, show love and delight in the possibilities God has yet to place before you.

Michael, as you now prepare to go forth from this place, may God’s stillspeaking voice echo in your ears, may Christ’s redeeming sacrifice give meaning to your life and may the gifts of the Holy Spirit continue to surprise you.

Thank you for your service to God’s church and your faithfulness to your ministerial call.

May the Peace of Christ’s Be With You,

Rev. Holly MillerShank
UCC Ministerial Excellence Support and Authorization Ministry Team
Friend of Church of the Redeemer UCC, Westlake Ohio

After the Nomination

Original Post Date: October 22, 2014
By Rev. Holly MillerShank

Jesus calls the disciples. And then he trains them. As contemporary Christians, we too need to train and equip those who are called to leadership in the church.

I'm curious what happens after the nomination in your congregation/association/conference? After getting that precious "yes" from volunteers, then what happens?

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus calls the first of the disciples in chapter 4:18-22. The next five chapters are filled with examples of Jesus' public ministry of teaching and healing, so that those Jesus has called into leadership have an opportunity to see and experience the big picture of what Jesus is trying to accomplish. Then, in the 10th chapter, Jesus takes the disciples aside and gives them specific guidelines for their ministries, and sends them out empowered to engage in ministry. They return to Jesus for additional training throughout the rest of the gospel. In fact, one could view the parables beginning in chapter 13 as case studies, challenging these leaders-in-formation to engage not just in rote memorization of rules, but to engage and apply the values and essentials of faith...

Read the full article here: http://www.ucc.org/feed-your-spirit/stillspeaking-weekly/after-the-nomination.html

Baptismal Promises

Original Post Date: July 2, 2014
By Rev. Holly MillerShank

A year ago in June, I became a parent for the first time -- a godparent.

The invitation for my husband and I to serve as godparents to our friend's child, the beautiful Kamryn Elsa Rose, was both humbling and delightful. Having no adopted or biological children of our own, and being devoid heretofore of any other godchildren, we went into full liturgical frenzy. Out came the book of worship, the baptismal shells, and the white paraments. To say we were excited was an understatement...

Keep reading the full article here: http://www.ucc.org/feed-your-spirit/stillspeaking-weekly/baptismal-promises.html

Closing Thoughts

Original Post Date: May 21, 2014
By Rev. Holly MillerShank

The final breaths of every worship service in my childhood were the congregation's singing of Bless Be the Tie That Binds. The words of that hymn always lifted and wrapped up all of the elements of the morning's worship, like a table cloth being lifted by its four corners, plates and all, to be carried to a new place.

That table was reset again each week with the acolytes lighting the candles and prayer of invocation. But the closing thoughts, that last refrain, would again wrap it all up to send us out into the world, bound to one another, and then draw us back in to be fed once again...

Keep reading the full article here: http://www.ucc.org/feed-your-spirit/stillspeaking-weekly/closing-thoughts.html

Will you be my friend? Circle yes or no.

Original Post Date: March 26, 2014
By Rev. Holly MillerShank

I met my best friend in utero. Our moms were in the same Lamaze class. Over thousands of miles, including stints living in different countries, we have remained best friends. 

Making friends as a child is one thing – sharing a fondness for a similar recess game, or bonding over traded Oreos at lunch. But making friends as an adult can be a much more challenging task...

Keep reading the full article here: http://www.ucc.org/feed-your-spirit/stillspeaking-weekly/will-you-be-my-friend-circle.html