The Woman at the Well and the Woman at GLIA

(Originally published in November, 2019, as "The Woman at the Well and the Woman at GLIA"  in the newsletter of St. John's UCC on Madeline Island, The Lighthouse.)

Braving stormy waters en route to Mackinac Island. The bridge connecting
the U.P. With the rest of Michigan is visible in the background.

On the day we were driving across the U.P. to Mackinac Island for the GLIA (Great Lakes Islands Alliance) conference, I was also trading messages with some UCC colleagues in other parts of the country about Bible readings that will be coming up in Lent 2020. One of those readings is one of my favorites: the woman at the well (John 4:5-42).

At the heart of the story is an encounter between Jesus and a Samaritan woman. Their interaction is remarkable because, under ordinary circumstances, it would never have taken place: at the time of the story, Jews and Samaritans simply didn't talk to each other. And, after all, why should they? The Jewish world had everything it needed. What could possibly be gained by talking to someone from "outside"? In the story, Jesus suggests that part of the answer has to do with gaining access to something he calls "living water."

GLIA 2019 Islands Summit

When we arrived at Mackinac, our first activity was dinner with all the other conference particiapnts. Naturally, I scanned the room to find the other people who had come from Madeline Island, because that's who I wanted to eat with. Then a little voice inside my head said, "You should go sit with someone you don't already know!" I ginned up my courage and went to a table that still had several empty seats and said, "May I join you?"   

I was welcomed to sit down, and my dinner companion and I had a very nice conversation. It turns out Madeline Island and Bois Blanc Island have a lot of points in common. Of course, there were also moments when something she said reminded me of the distance between us. ("Whoa -- only 50 residents in the winter? That seems . . . extreme . . . !")

I'm a great believer in the power of literature to help people connect, so naturally, the conversation turned to the topic of the books we liked. We found we both loved Louise Penny. (We even cooked up an idea for a murder mystery series centered on Great Lakes islands!) Then she mentioned A Gentleman in Moscow. I pointed excitedly to Rachel, and said, "She's reading that book right now and thinks it's fantastic -- "

"Couldn't stand it!" my dinner companion interjected. "Made no sense. I have no idea what was going on in the book. Awful!"

Oh well . . . apparently our literary tastes has both similarities and differences!

Amor Towles, A Gentleman in Moscow

We met up again two days later in the workshop I led. Our group discussed the possibility of a GLIA-wide reading activity. "What if people on islands all across the Great Lakes chose to read a particular book, and then talk about it together?" The workshop generated a lot of enthusiasm. People came up with lots of ideas about how to use such an activity to connect with people on other islands, and beyond. It occurred to me that here was a group of people, each of whom lived in a place endowed with nearly limitless resources -- especially water -- and yet they were expressing a yearning for something more. They wanted to connect.

Woman: Get your own water from the well, and when you're gone I'll get mine.
Jesus: Why are we talking about the water from the well? Why not talk about living water?
Woman: Living water? Where can I get that?

The upshot of the workshop was that about a dozen people agreed to be involved in trying to carry the idea forward so people living on islands stretching from Madeline Island in Lake Superior to the Lake Erie Islands near Toledo can connect with each other.

At the final meal of the conference, I yielded to my temptation to find a seat away from everybody else and sat alone munching on a hamburger. My friend sought me out and said, "That workshop was really good! I'm looking forward to seeing what develops." She turned to go, paused and then turned back to say, "But please: no Gentleman in Moscow!"

Noticing Nature at St. John's UCC on Madeline Island

(Originally published in October, 2019, as "Getting to Know Joe Scarry"  in the newsletter of St. John's UCC on Madeline Island, The Lighthouse.)

The wetland area in front of St. John's.

I enjoyed many beautiful late-summer days on the grounds around the parsonage and church, clearing brush and becoming familiar with the flora and fauna. I find the marsh between the parking lot and the lake to be especially interesting: the ebbing and flowing of the water there seems to encourage a fascinating variety of wildflowers and other plants. I have had many conversations with passersby about the things growing there. The conversations about just one type of flower -- tansy, those bright yellow wildflowers that look like little buttons -- could provide the material for a whole separate article!

Tansy

During my days living in Chicago, I volunteered with a stewardship group that looked after a bird sanctuary on a section of the beach near Montrose Harbor. We were led buy a tremendously knowledgeable, and uniquely sensitive, naturalist named Leslie Borns. Our particular responsibility was an area of "pan dune" which, because of the specific geography and hydrology of the area, supported a variety of wildflowers that appeared in few other places in the region. It was also home to many birds, and (I have learned) this past season has even been host to a nesting pair of piping plovers.

Cattails

I think my Chicago experience makes me look at the St. John's lakefront marsh and think, "There is a lot happening here; I should look closer."

One thing I've noticed this summer around St. John's is the variety of birds. Here's what I've written down since June: yellow-headed blackbird, cedar waxwing, American redstart, yellow warbler, Swainson's thrush, pileated woodpecker, and sharp-shinned hawk. This is, of course, in addition to the complement we have been observing since spring arrived: chickadee, red-winged blackbird, grackle, starling, goldfinch, blue jay, woodpeckers (downy and hairy), northern flicker, dark-eyed junco, northern shrike, mourning dove, purple finch, pine siskin, sparrows (white-crowned, chipping), brown thrasher, brown-headed cowbird, Baltimore oriole, hummingbird, rose-breasted grosbeak, and others.

Smartweed

Just this past week, a major report was released reminding us that there have been huge reductions in the numbers of many bird species in North America, and that those that have been reduced the most depend on the kind of habitats that people tend to fail to retain and protect. (See "Decline of the North American avifauna," Science, 19 Sept 2019.) One interesting finding is that the greatest decreases have been related to grasslands and boreal forest species; wetland species are actually doing slightly better than in the past.

Yellow-headed blackbird

This fall, Pastor Rachel is talking about "call." As I look at the natural areas surrounding St. John's, I wonder . . . . For sure, I think God wants me to notice them, to pay attention. And . . . is there a "call" in there somewhere? I also wonder: if there's a "call," is there also a "commandment"?

Sumac

I not sure where these wonderings will take me. But I'm confident that the months ahead will be filled with even more amazing things to notice here.

Church Activities to Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery

(Originally published in April, 2019, as "News From St. John's" in the Madeline Island Gazette.)

Delegates from the 218 congregations of the Wisconsin Conference of the
 United Church of Christ (UCC) met in Wisconsin Dells on April 5-6, 2019.

Rev. Rachel Bauman and Joe Scarry recently attended the 57th Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin Conference of the United Church of Christ. On April 6, 2019, the Conference voted overwhelmingly in favor of "A Resolution of Witness: Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery."

The Doctrine of Discovery and its impact on Native Americans has been a central theme of this winter’s Soup Suppers at St. John’s. Many Christian denominations and faith organizations across the country have also been examining the Doctrine of Discovery and exploring the injustices and negative impact it continues to have on Native American lives.

What is the Doctrine of Discovery?

Pope Nicolas V issued several Papal Bulldums (Bulls) in the 1400’s authorizing and justifying the destruction, killing, and appropriation of lands of Native Americans. These Bulls served as the theological foundation for what became the tragic genocide of American Indians and were regarded as legal rationalization for invading America and debasing American Indians.

From the Resolution of Witness:

"In June of 2013, the 29th General Synod, supported and passed the resolution to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery. This Doctrine authorized the genocide of Native Peoples and the theft of Native Lands. The Indigenous Peoples were told that God has declared that the Pope rules all people, regardless of their law, sect or belief. This includes Christians, Moors, Jews, Gentiles, or any other sect. The Native Americans were to come forward of their own free will to convert to Catholicism or ... “with the help of God we shall use force against you, declaring war upon you from all sides and with all possible means, and we shall bind you to the yoke of the Church and Their Highnesses; we shall enslave your persons, wives, and sons, sell you or dispose of you as the King sees fit; we shall seize your possessions and harm you as much as we can as disobedient and resisting vassals."

The principle provisions of the resolution are that Wisconsin Conference of the UCC "upholds and affirms the repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery" and "declares and confesses that the doctrine has been and continues to be a shameful part of the United States and our Church's history."

What happened at the Wisconsin Conference Annual Meeting?

First, it was reported that 91 out of 218 congregations in the Wisconsin Conference had, over the previous 12 months, engaged in exploration and discussion of the Doctrine of Discovery. This surpassed the required 30% threshold that had been established to bring the resolution before the Annual Meeting. [View UCC Wisconsin Conference Doctrine of Discovery study resources.]

Second, we watched a video from the previous annual meeting, in which a member of the sole Native American congregation in the Wisconsin Conference, Larry Littlegeorge of Hocak UCC, introduced the resolution.

Third, there was general discussion on the Resolution. Numerous people spoke out strongly in favor of the Resolution. There were several notable threads of concern voiced:

* that passing the Resolution might require the Wisconsin Conference to "give back" property -- e.g. congregational real estate and/or church camps

*that the Conference should only pass the Resolution if it takes seriously the significant work, over a long period of time, that will be required to honor it

Fourth, general discussion was followed by a vote overwhelmingly in favor of the Resolution.

What Comes Next?

The Resolution of Witness calls for the Wisconsin Conference to:

* "join with ecumenical partners to explore ways to compensate American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiians for the lands and resources that were stolen and are still being stolen and which are now the United States of America"

* seek educational materials from UCC entities (Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM) and Council of American Indian Ministry (CAIM))

* encourage member congregation to use such materials and "to pursue actions that may arise from their studies"

* call upon the United States government to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery.

What is St. John’s Doing?

St. John's is working to get connected with others in the Conference who will be carrying forward the work mandated in the resolution.

There will be a two-day immersion experience with the Ho-Chunk congregation (Hocak UCC) on June 7 and 8, 2019.

St. John’s continues conversations about ways to increase awareness about the ways the Doctrine of Discovery negatively impacts all indigenous people and encourage local, state and federal governments to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery.

If you want more information and want to become involved in taking action, contact St. John's UCC on Madeline Island.

(Supplemental to the article above, the following information was published in May, 2019, as "Understanding History" in the newsletter of St. John's UCC on Madeline Island, The Lighthouse.)

The Resolution of Witness states that “the 29th General Synod, supported and passed the resolution to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery.  This Doctrine authorized the genocide of Native Peoples and the theft of Native Lands. The Indigenous Peoples were told that God has declared that the Pope rules all people, regardless of their law, sect or belief. This includes Christians, Moors, Jews, Gentiles, or any other sect. The Native Americans were to come forward of their own free will to convert to Catholicism or ... with the help of God we shall use force against you, declaring war upon you from all sides and with all possible means, and we shall bind you to the yoke of the Church and Their Highnesses; we shall enslave your persons, wives, and sons, sell you or dispose of you as the King sees fit; we shall seize your possessions and harm you as much as we can as disobedient and resisting vassals."

The principle provisions of the resolution are that Wisconsin Conference of the UCC "upholds and affirms the repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery" and "declares and confesses that the doctrine has been and continues to be a shameful part of the United States and our Church's history."

If you would like to learn more about the Doctrine of Discovery, we warmly welcome you to join us  on the last three Tuesday mornings in June (June 11, 18, 25, 2019). Each session will include a short video followed by conversation about the Doctrine, its continuing impact for Native Americans and African Americans, and how we, at St. John's, might respond to what we are learning. All are welcome!

Resource list for  Doctrine of Discovery learning sessions held at St. John's UCC on Madeline Island.

Day by day, visitors to the Wisconsin Conference booth added the names
of their congregations to the poster sharing the news of the resolution
repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.

(Supplemental to the article above, the following information was published in July, 2019, as "An Update from Milwaukee" in the newsletter of St. John's UCC on Madeline Island, The Lighthouse.)

The UCC General Synod 2019 was a great experience, and particularly fulfilling for me because of progress made on projects to which I am deeply committed.

I had the opportunity to work together with Larry Littlegeorge (Hocak UCC, Black River Falls) on follow-up to the resolution repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery passed recently by the Wisconsin Conference.

Larry and his colleagues have plans to launch an entity to work on legal issues that stem from the Doctrine of Discovery, working in covenant with a range of UCC bodies.

A fascinating profile of Larry Littlegeorge and his work on the Doctrine of Discovery was published during the synod.