In my May 18 sermon “No More ‘You People’” – about the centrality of unity and inclusion in Christian faith – I added an off-the-cuff suggestion about “furnishing” the front courtyard with adirondack chairs in the colors of the Progress Pride Flag.
A few days before the sermon, someone had challenged me, “Are we afraid of the administration and its war on Diversity, Equality and Insclusion?” My questioner had head that the last of our earlier installation for equality and justice, the Rainbow Doors, had been taken – along with 1800 lbs of other no longer needed stuff – to the recycler.
I responded to the challenge, “Nope. But our doors were weathered and showing their wear.” But his question got me thinking – maybe we realldy do need a sign out front that unmistakably announces we welcome all God’s children?
When our government is labeling (and outlawing) any effort to redress historic racial and ethnic injustice as discrimination against white people… When the US refugee program has been shuttered except for South African white farmers ‘because they discriminated against as whites…’ Maybe we do need an unmistakable sign of what we believe? Something that shows the world where we stand. A way to share publicly our protest.
In 2019, I attended a training retreat in Boston (on Racism, Anti-Semitism and Christian Hegemony, no less!). The UCC church I walked past everyday had rainbow adirondack chairs scattered on their lawn. I’m not sure anyone ever sat in them, but the message was clear – this was a church that didn’t discriminate.
Since my not fully formed idea popped into the sermon, a number of people have asked, “Can we really do that?” Others have said how proud such a statement would make them, particularly as support for the trans community that is in so many ways under attack. ‘One person pointed out, “What a nice compliment to — or even practical application of — our ‘Love First’ branding out front.”
Janice has been planning wooden benches for the courtyard. But we can use them too, We need more seating in the back courtyard too.
I have done a bit of research now. We’d need 12 chairs. They come in the colors we’re looking for. There are made out of “polywood,” a product created from recycled plastics. I believe they would hold up to the weather and the wear. They cost about $250 a piece (plus some shipping cost I dont’ know yet). I will put the idea before Admin SLG and the Elders this month.
Since we are facing significant costs finishing the Old First House project (furnishings for the archives and community room; the technology hardware we need in our OFH space, landscaping and lighting in the front courtyard), I though it might be nice to ask the community to “invest” in this justice statement. If you would be interested in contributing the cost of a chair (or a portion of a chair), let me know.
I will keep you informed as the conversation proceeds. And if you have any questions, please aska — s we figure out together if this is a way to provide seating, a gathering space and some strong justice messaging about our community, ministry and church.
