COMMENTS ABOUT BCUCC FROM MEMBERS, FRIENDS, AND
NEIGHBORS
"Your
warm and compassionate presence has been a gift to all of us
in the EarthCorps community....Your wonderful talk on the
story of Job was healing and so helpful to the wide
diversity of faith traditions that EarthCorps enfolds. I’m
grateful to you for allowing both structure and spontaneity
in the ritual. Though I tease my (UCC) boss at Earth
Ministry for the loose structure of her UCC (as compared to
the glorious and rigid structures and doctrine of my RCC),
clearly you and your denomination were there for the
stranger in your midst and welcomed and affirmed all
comers. Our whole community is so grateful to you for your
presence and graciousness during a difficult week of
heart-breaking events. Your presence made everyone feel
better;
Thank you so much."
"I think
there is a critical mass (in a faith community like Broadview)
that a lot of larger and wealthier churches might envy.
(Broadview Church may be small in its number of members, but...)
Here's my view of viability:
I witnessed the attentiveness folks paid
to MA (woman in the wheelchair), welcoming her, making sure she
got Communion and had assistance moving around. I observed TW
taking care of a street person who had come up to me before the
service outside - and then, when he came in, she sat with him
and got him some coffee.
I participated in the conversation
around the table afterwards where I sat - across from me a woman
who was 96 spoke up to tell me, when somehow the talk turned to
the Mariners, that her late husband had been a pitcher in one of
the early pro leagues in the Pacific Northwest.
In other words, these were people who
clearly knew and cared about one another - and cared about
strangers too.
Whether you can keep paying the bills
and keeping that building in repair and still supporting the
ministry (and minister) at just and needed levels, that goes
beyond my pay grade to say.
But the Broadview folks impressed me --
and I take that caring spirit I experienced not only as a
reflection on them, but on your ministry among them as well."
- From a letter to Pastor Dan
"It was a real treat to attend
worship at Broadview on Sunday. We checked listings with the
Center for Progressive Christianity. Your website was very
helpful and we had a feeling that Broadview would be an
inspiring church to attend. We were very glad to have found you.
Your personal welcome and the welcome we received from your
folks was warm and heartfelt. Your message touched us both and
as I shared with you, if we lived in Seattle, we would be
joining your parish family! By the way, the popsicles that were
served by the children was a wonderful idea!"
"Thank you
for your welcome and graciousness. Your Sunday a.m.
presence and your blessedly creative services helped me during a
difficult time and I am truly grateful to you and to your
congregation."
(In reference to
Pastor Dan): "You are the first pastor in my life who I have seen
as a human being, a person; rather than some intoning untouchable
or someone who was living such a confused private life it was all
s/he could do to keep up his/her own image. "
"The warm greeting we received not
only from you, but the congregation of Broadview Community United Church
of Christ made us feel like we have found our spiritual home. We
thoroughly checked out on the web all the UCC churches in the
greater Seattle area. We felt drawn to your church. Neither or us have ever had so many
people greet us when we have visited a church until we visited Broadview
Community UCC."
"It was a great
service. Just being there and witnessing the complete and unconditional
love that your congregation have for each other and even unknown
visitors, brought me to tears a couple times. I think I should always
wear sunglasses."
"To have a
community so welcoming and forgiving, so understanding and confirming,
gives me the freedom to find out who I am...to grow in my faith."
"Thank you so much
for the grace you and your church have shown. You will never know the
positive impact on myself, my kids and on down the generations!"
"Many lives have
been changed for the better within your walls."
"We carry special
memories of knowing God in this spiritual home. . .thank you for
welcoming us in."
"Just a word of
thanks for the privilege of having my AA family at your church for all
these many years."
"I have recently
moved to the area with my two sons and have been driving by your church
every morning . . .."
"I knew when I
walked up to your front door and saw the wildlife sanctuary sign I was
on the right track. When I read your (website sermon commentary)"
"Called to be
One", I knew I had found what I was looking for."
"What a lucky
woman I am to get to be part of such an incredible church full of
lovely, bright, accepting, (I could go on, but I won't) group of
people. It feels great to be part of a group that is on a similar
path in life."
BENEDICTION
May the love of God be
above us to overshadow us
beneath us to uphold us
go before us to guide us
be behind us to protect us.
Be Close beside us and within us
to make us able for all things
and reward both our faith and our faithfulness
with a joy and a peace that this world cannot give
...but neither can it take away.
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
through whom may there be glory in our lives
...both now and forever more.