“I love my church because it’s sort of like The Wizard of Oz—it’s about having a heart, and a brain, and courage.”

In June the United Church of Christ turned 50 years old. As part of the celebration members were invited to share what they thought was most special about their church. The ‘Wizard of Oz’ quote is my favorite of all of these. It’s a wonderful statement about what this person has found in church, and about what church should be.

When I say that my church calls on people to have “heart” that’s something that goes all the way back to the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. In his time, as now, there were many groups who were despised, rejected and treated as physically, spiritually or otherwise “unclean.” The Pharisees of Jesus day were quick to take a judgmental stance on these people, but Jesus had a different idea. He reached out to the outcasts, welcoming, touching, and healing. He offered them an extravagant welcome into God’s family of faith when no one else would. That’s a good thing to remember in a time when prejudice and self-righteousness are still very strong.

Having a “brain” in church is something that means a great deal to me personally. I grew up the son of a devout couple who were also very well educated and open minded. I didn’t understand at the time how liberating that was. As I grew up I became aware of other Christians who were terrified of the ideas of evolution, the big bang, and so much of what scientific inquire had to teach. They told me that to accept any of these things was to reject the Bible. My parents and my church taught me something different. They said that the Bible teaches us who created the world, which is the most important thing. Science does a wonderful job is of teaching how this happened. You don’t need to reject one to embrace the other. As my father often said, “God is truth, and the truth is never afraid of honest questions.”

Having “courage” means standing up for these Christian values when the world is often hostile to them. That’s an area where I am especially proud of my church’s heritage. In 1630 our forebears (the Mayflower Pilgrims) pledged to be a “city on a hill,” a visible example to the rest of the world of a community modeled on God’s justice. We were among the first American churches to take a stand against slavery and racial prejudice. In 1785 we ordained Lemuel Haynes, making him the first African American minister in a Protestant church.

That was controversial in a nation that gave free Black people only 3/5 of a vote. It was just as controversial when, in 1853 we ordained Antoinette Brown the first woman pastor in modern times. Women pastors are increasingly accepted but remain controversial among some Christians to this day. An even more controversial step came in 1972 when we ordained William R. Johnson the first openly gay pastor.

Confronting the prejudices of the world isn’t easy. From the very first there have been critics within and outside of Christianity. For that matter we have a lot of disagreements within the church but manage to hold together a very diverse group of people through the bonds of mutual love and faith in Christ. There’s another lesson we’ve learned that’s kind of like the Wizard of Oz. When someone comes along claiming to have the absolute truth, whether it’s a preacher, a pundit, a friend, or even your pastor, remember that they don’t. God alone knows everything and anyone who steps in between you and God isn’t helping you learn the truth. They are just “the man behind the curtain” pretending to be the wizard.

So, have faith is God, and may your faith always have a heart, and a brain, and courage.