100 Years
Journey
Stories, sermons, music, and memories from the past 100 years
The life and times of Community United Church of Christ, Raleigh NC
Geraldine Bryan - A Children's Christmas (8:28)
In 2005 "Dreams of Christmas" was written by Geraldine as a Christmas narrative for adults. In 2006 Geraldine presented a narrative for children (and all others who appreciate the clarity of childhood). This narrative was the central part of the Children's Christmas Eve service on December 24, 2006. Lavon Page collaborated.
Marge Eckels and Cy King - 2013
The Sunday Forum on March 17, 2013, featured a dialog between Marge Eckels and Cy King on their many years of participation in social action initiatives at CUCC. The moderator is Sue Cottle, and the event was filmed by Lavon Page at the request of the Social Justice Ministry.
Cy King Talks About World War II
On August 8, 2008, Cy agreed to an interview with the National Veterans History Archival Institute on his experiences in the infantry during the Second World War. This is Cy's story (26 minute video).
A Sacred Conversation on Race: Cy King
In May 2008 Cy King, CUCC's historian and a participant in many of the events described, presented this ministry moment, A Sacred Conversation on Race: A Bit of History. The ministry moment was part of a larger conversation on race initiated by the denomination.
Bernie Brown's Short Stories - 2007
Bernie Brown has become a prolific writer of short stories and is presently working on a novel. Here Bernie talks about her writing and reads two of her recent short stories, both of which have appeared in North Carolina journals. Recorded February 9, 2007 in Bernie's home in north Raleigh.
The Energetic 80s - by Peggy Hoffmann
Peggy Hoffmann wrote a description of activities at CUCC during the decade of the 1980s and named it “The Energetic 80s”.
A Peculiar People - By Peggy Hoffmann
In the 1970s Peggy Hoffmann, with help from others, wrote this play to paint an overview of the history and essence of Community UCC.
A Peculiar People (PDF) (15 pages)
The United Church of Raleigh: A Case Study - By Stuart Noblin (1969)
The United Church of Raleigh, A Case Study -- written by Stuart Noblin, North Carolina State University, for the Southern Historical Association, 1969.
A Case Study (PDF) (14 pages)
Historical Sketch of the United Church of Raleigh
Stuart Noblin was a member of the United Church of Raleigh during the 1960s, as well as a historian at NC State. He wrote two histories of the United Church. The brief one below was written in 1967 as part of a self-study project within the church. The longer one entitled “The United Church of Raleigh: A Case Study” was written two years later and is also available in this archive (link on left).
Geraldine Bryan - Dreams of Christmas
In 2005 "Dreams of Christmas" was written by Geraldine as a Christmas narrative for adults. The following year 2006 Geraldine presented a narrative for children (and all others who appreciate the clarity of childhood) which was the central part of the Children's Christmas Eve service on December 24, 2006. Lavon Page collaborated with her on these and also on her Noah narrative, converting them from audio narratives to videos with the addition of music and imagery.
Luis Alvarenga Ordination
Luis Alvarenga returned to CUCC on October 19, 2008 to be ordained into the ministry. Participating in the ceremony were Rev. Vertie Powers of Southern Conference of the UCC, Rev. Steve Halsted, and Rev. Robert Parish. The video below shows the conclusion of the ordination ceremony (19 minute video) . The story of Luis’ work and ministry is told in the newspaper article from 1999 shown below the video.
Did You Ever Know a Bird?
by Lavon Page, April 19, 2002
Before I formed you in the womb,
I knew you... -- Jeremiah 1:5
Have you ever known a bird? I don't mean do you know about "birds". Or even do you know about a specific kind of bird. I'm asking if you've ever known a unique, individual bird. Not a parakeet or some caged bird, but a wild bird free to come and go as it pleases.
This is the story of Pinky.
One spring day in 1999 I noticed a small bright red bird near my back deck. He caught my attention because he was not a cardinal, and cardinals are the only red birds in these parts that I am familiar with.
A quick check of a bird book showed conclusively that he was a male, summer tanager. According to the book summer tanagers are common in the southeast, so I'm certain that my unfamiliarity with the species was partially due to my inattentiveness and general ignorance of birds. In any case, Pinky hung around for a few weeks at least and had several very predictable habits.
One habit was sitting in a small, scrawny cedar tree near the back porch. He preferred a particular little branch in that cedar tree, and on most days he could be spotted there during both morning and evening hours. Since the branch is only about 15 feet from our table on the back porch, and only about 12 feet from the deck, this gave ample opportunity for watching and filming him. (I fiddle around a lot with digital movies, so "Pinky" movies get played fairly frequently in our house when I'm experimenting with digital video.)
One habit was sitting in a small, scrawny cedar tree near the back porch. He preferred a particular little branch in that cedar tree, and on most days he could be spotted there during both morning and evening hours. Since the branch is only about 15 feet from our table on the back porch, and only about 12 feet from the deck, this gave ample opportunity for watching and filming him. (I fiddle around a lot with digital movies, so "Pinky" movies get played fairly frequently in our house when I'm experimenting with digital video.)
Also, during the time he was here in 1999 his mate was frequently seen. We dubbed her "Mrs. Pinky". She was similar to him in size, but of an olive green color, a very pretty little bird. But she was more reclusive and was rarely seen up close.
We enjoyed Pinky immensely while he was here in the spring of 1999. It was the first time in my life that I felt I was coming to "know" a bird.
Also, during the time he was here in 1999 his mate was frequently seen. We dubbed her "Mrs. Pinky". She was similar to him in size, but of an olive green color, a very pretty little bird. But she was more reclusive and was rarely seen up close.
We enjoyed Pinky immensely while he was here in the spring of 1999. It was the first time in my life that I felt I was coming to "know" a bird.
In the spring of 2000 when Pinky returned, I was thrilled. How did I recognize him? Don't all summer tanagers look more or less the same? Maybe so, but the fact that I had seen only one tanager near my house in 20 years, plus the fact that the bird that came in the spring of 2000 had a particular preference for the same pathetic little branch in the same scrawny little cedar tree that Pinky had liked the year before removed any doubt. It was Pinky!
Click to read rest of article ...
And he displayed the same habits as the year before. He's a very bold little bird who doesn't mind if I'm 10 feet away as long as I'm not doing anything that looks threatening.
His return made me wonder, "Where has he been for the past 11 months?" I wrote Lynn Barber (my personal bird expert), and she said he probably winters in South America. Some Internet research revealed Ecuador as a possible destination for Pinky between his visits to Raleigh.
After Pinky made another annual visit in the spring of 2001, I began to wonder, "How long do these birds live?"
I don't know the answer to that question, but I had the feeling that Pinky would be back this year. I got up yesterday morning and stuck my head out the back door and remarked to Jo, "I think Pinky might show up today." (I didn't really think that, but I was hoping, as I had been all week.)
Around dinner time I was at my computer trying out some things with a new piece of video editing software that I had just acquired. Jo was in the kitchen and muttered something about me playing "Pinky" movies. It didn't register immediately, but a few seconds later it dawned on me that she was hearing "Pinky" movies being played, and I wasn't playing any. I looked out the window and there he was, in the dogwood tree right over the back porch. It was almost as if he had located me through the window to announce his presence.
(That Jo picked up his voice is amazing to me. There is a constant drone of wrens at our house, and every one of them is 10 times as loud as Pinky. How she picked out his small voice among all the shrill chirping of the wrens I can't imagine.)
I went outside with my camera, but he backed off to a tree about 40 feet away, where he sat and alternately eyed me and engaged in seemingly random cheeping. I couldn't get good pictures from that distance, but I started thinking along the following lines:
"I don't need to take pictures now, because I know as surely as I know anything that in about 10 minutes he's going to be sitting on that same 1/4 inch diameter branch in that little cedar tree."And sure enough, I came back out 10 minutes later and there he was on his favorite branch.
Now this is sort of scary if you think about. Here's a bird (not a person, a bird!) that I haven't seen for a year. I've observed him for about 60 seconds. And I know exactly where he's going to be in 10 minutes.
Most folks don't know that much about their own kids.
Now I'm not sure what the moral of this story is, but I do know that I shed a few tears at 4 AM this morning thinking about it. For one thing the story tells me that there is a level of "knowing" that we're oblivious to 99.9% of the time, but which occasionally (and miraculously) by serendipity breaks through our fog. The sermon that Dave Barber preached on angels years ago comes to mind. Angels come in many forms, and their message is often garbled and confusing.
Pinky is some sort of angel. I think he's telling me that even though I'm not paying much attention there is an order about me that is greater than my comprehension. And "knowing" this little bird has in a small way helped my understanding of what it means to be known.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you... -- Jermiah 1:5"
Epilog: In March 2003 I moved away from the house in the woods. I suspect that Pinky returned a month later. I told the new owner about Pinky, but I don't think she ever noticed him.
Liberal Tradition (Raleigh Times 1981)
Letter from Rev. Allyn Robinson to the congregation - Sept. 30, 1943
Rev. Allyn Robinson came to the United Church of Raleigh in the late 1930s. He is widely known for having started the Institute of Religion in 1939. But on September 30, 1943, he drafted a 3-page remarkable and unusual letter to the congregation.
He begins by acknowledging rumors that he was planning to accept a call to another position. He describes the job offer he has received, and then describes his strong feelings for the United Church that have persuaded him to decline the offer. But then he emphatically proclaims “BUT SOMETHING IS WRONG!” and proceeds to berate the congregation for poor attendance at worship on Sunday mornings. And their lack of enthusiasm for worship leads him to conclude with the charge that such apathy is the cause that “the liberal church is weak.” And finally he lays out the expectation that he will see his parishioners at church on Sunday mornings unless they are “providentially hindered” from being there.
CUCC Stories and Envisioning Our Future (2012)
CUCC took the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Pastor Steve Halsted’s service among us to look back at our past and envision our future.
Looking back: In the fall of 2011 CUCC held a series of events hearing stories of how we had been “working for social justice.” In October 2011, Cy King presented a summary of CUCC’s social justice heritage. The CUCC Stories Pilgrimage was a self-guided walking tour of our property with signs and photographs featuring the people, artwork, and events which had embodied our calling to work for social justice. At the Novemberfest dinner, the table decorations included trivia about CUCC’s justice past.
In Lent 2012 we turned toward the other half of our unofficial motto, “nurturing spiritual growth.” Throughout Lent we gathered in small groups for Telling and Listening to Stories; using prompting questions about our faith experiences, we learned about each of our faith journeys. A Lenten Spiritual Practices Calendar was written by members of the congregation for each of us to use at home. Each day offers a spiritual practice from CUCC’s past and present. While some the events mentioned in the calendar were specific to 2012, the daily practices are usable any Lenten season.
Looking ahead: In the fall of 2012 we welcomed some of our former clergy, charging them to preach to us from our past and help us imagine where God might be calling us in the future. You can hear sermons from John Lackey, Collins Kilburn, Cally Rogers-Witte, Dave Barber, and Carol Ripley-Moffitt.
Gearing up for some envisioning, congregants were invited to submit their answers to an All Church Survey with questions ranging the gamut from the details of our life together to what we hope to do in the future. Taking all we had learned over the preceding year, we gathered for a weekend retreat. Facilitator Joanne Scaturro led us in relationship building activities where we discovered each other’s social styles and learned how to work with and care for one another. Facilitator Cindy Bizzell helped us discover our hopes and dreams for CUCC’s future.
What’s next: Council has been using the results of the All Church Survey and All Church Retreat to guide its decisions in the months following.
Geraldine Bryan - An Interpretation of Noah
In the fall of 2006, Geraldine constructed an elaborate reflection and meditation on Noah. Lavon Page again collaborated with Geraldine in selecting images and music to fit the theme. The video is one hour long and can be viewed full screen.
Carson Roach Howell - Welcoming Sunday 2011
In September 2011, Carson Roach-Howell produced this short video about Welcoming Sunday. Carson filmed and edited it, and Jackson Kiel interviews Pastor Steve Halsted.