In April 2023, CCUCC unveiled “Art for the Spirit,” a mural that adorns the west end of the building by the parking lot. Designed by  Sarah Barnett, a local artist with the Pullman Arts Foundation and an instructor with the WSU Fine Arts Department, the panels on the historic building display CCUCC’s values in words over a colorful, panoramic painting of the Palouse.  The words represent what members of CCUCC aspire to live out every day:  Faith, Justice, Progressive, Inclusive, Caring. The art installation is a true College Hill community asset that can be enjoyed for years to come.

Interim Pastor Gary Jewell delivered the following dedication at the unveiling of the art installation:

I have been asked to say a few thoughts about the five words you see here…words that try and capture some of the essences of what Community Congregational United Church of Christ values ….faith, justice, progressive, inclusive, and caring.  But before I speak to those five words I want to say a few words about the panels and the beauty of the art (and of the artist who created them). 

Churches can be representations of beauty.  Think of great cathedrals like Notre Dame.  You go into these spaces and you see beautiful arches and columns.  You see wonderful paintings, frescos, and statues.  You see amazing colors and designs of stained glass that bring the play of sunlight into the sanctuary.  Much of the art experienced in such high church structures inspire as one stands within the structure. 

While to make any comparison of a glorious, grand cathedral to the humble, functional structure of a Protestant Church would be absurd, the point I want to make is this….these panels we celebrate today project outward, not inward.  These panels are one way this church can share and celebrate beauty and wonder with everyone who passes by.   These panels are outward focused, as if to say to the larger community, “Isn’t this beautiful, blessed, garden of color we call the Palouse, amazing?!”

I just wanted to share that observation.  As wonderful as stained-glass windows are, they function for inward consumption, not outward.  This art is for the public. It is outward.  It is witness. It is our way of saying, “Behold, God’s beauty is something for everyone to celebrate, whether you are a church attender or not.”

And now a few thoughts about the five words. 

Faith:

As we go from left to right, first word you will notice is “faith.”  Faith is a tricky word that can mean many different things to various people.  But at its most basic level, to have faith is to have trust.  For the peoples of faith it is a trust in God, and God’s abiding love for the world.  We trust that God calls us to express the love of Christ out into the world.  By faith we act and speak and think in ways that reflect original blessings to the world.  By faith we act for the common good knowing that we may or may not see the fruits of our labors, but we do so anyway.   By faith.

Justice:

The next word…justice.  At its heart justice really means a concern for “right relationships.”  (Our native friends have a phrase, “For all my relations” … to me that captures the essence of justice).  I’ve noticed in some right-wing circles the word “social justice” has been twisted to be a dog-whistle that’s meant to conjure fear and suspicion and threat.  But we embrace justice (all justice being social by definition).  We embrace this word because we believe that it is at the heart of the biblical message.  And more than that it is at the heart of the human collective soul.  We want there to be right relations with our neighbors…with our families…with our own inner being….with our enemies….and with creation. 

Justice requires that we tell the truth.  Justice requires that we come to terms with and reconcile ourselves with the sins of the past, and that we work toward reparation, restoration, and healing.  We, as a blessed and endowed people, humbly admit that we have a lot of work to do, and we are far from perfect.  But we are oriented toward that vital call.  It is in the fields of justice work that we do our work in small but significant ways.  And as this word, “justice” now faces out into the world, we invite all peoples to carry that word front and center in all they do.

Progressive:

As I understand it, there was a bit of discussion about whether to use this word or not.  But in the end, this word sits within the center of the panels, and that feels right.  It is who we are, so why not say it.  This is a progressively oriented church.  The word “progressive” is another one of those words that is reviled by some, and embraced by others.  We chose to embrace it because this is a church that wants to respond compassionately and thoughtfully to the current relevant questions of the day.  While some communities may want to go back in time, progressive faith moves forward with the current challenges.

When we look at past progressive movements (abolition of slavery, civil rights for women, gays, and minorities, reproductive rights… we see in hindsight that history vindicates these movements).  We as a faith community want to be a part of God’s continuing revelations (and revolutions) and so, as called by Christ, we stand on behalf of the persecuted, the marginalized, the abused, and the exploited.  And really, at the end of the day, standing with the persecuted, the marginalized, the exploited, the abused, and the exploited is what it means to be “progressive.”

Inclusive:

This word, inclusive, simply means that all are welcome.  Inclusion means, “All God’s critters got a place in the choir.”  Inclusivity means, to use a slogan from the United Church of Christ, “No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome.” 

Inclusion is one of this church’s high values, as well as its toughest challenges.  Inclusion means more than mere tolerance; it means we value people and have a place for everyone.  Inclusion means we want this church to be a safe place for everyone.  A place of hospitality for everyone.  A place of meaning for everyone.  A place of honor for everyone.  A place of joy for everyone. 

We want this building to represent a place where we can both delight in diversity, and be challenged to grow by diversity.  In short, inclusion means community.

And by way of confession, we want to reject superficial inclusivity. (Because that’s too easy).  But we need to work for deep inclusion.  And what I mean by that is being truly invitational.  How do we treat the new humans who attend this church, not just with friendliness, but rather how do we seek out and integrate into the fabric of the congregation, the unique gifts and perspectives and interests and stories new people bring?  And this kind of inclusion means inviting new ideas, new stories, and new ways. It means always adding new threads and colors to the evolving fabric of what we call “the body of Christ.”  It means being welcoming to change.  Because new life always comes with change.

Caring:

The last…but not the least word, is caring.  Caring means in essence, engagement, because we only engage with what, and who, we care about.  Caring for one another means paying attention…it means listening more than talking….it mean showing up.  But these qualities of paying attention, listening, and showing up apply also in how we care for the larger community.  It most certainly means how we care for our sacred planet.  How we show up for, and listen to, our mother the earth.

Caring requires us to immerse ourselves in world.  To not retreat from the hard things that we might rather turn away from because we stopped believing, or we got distracted, or we lost hope.  The spirit of caring is moved along by the collective energy of a healthy community.  Caring is contagious.  When others care for me, I in turn (by inspiration and example) am more inclined to care for others.  Faithful communities create a positive synergy.  Caring is the essence of love.  It knows when to speak and when to be silent.  It knows how to be stand with. It knows when to act, and when not to.  And sometimes, it also knows when to let go of…and yet still remain present to.

Conclusion:

We all know that words are limited…. you’d think preachers especially ought to know this.  And while these five words are fine words they are limited.  They are mere attempts to describe to the larger world the aspirations and values of the people who gather inside the four walls…and to call them in if they wish.  But we don’t own these words, anymore than we own the building they adorn.  These words, and these beautiful panels, are for all of us.  They are reminders that we live in a beautiful world, that our life has meaning, and that with every  breath we take we are called to live in the service to the Great Mystery that is somehow tied up with a great Love that says to everyone, “This world matters.  Your life matters.”