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Welcome to the College Hill website. Thank you for your interest in our community of faith. We are an inclusive, multicultural, theologically and socially progressive congregation. Through God’s grace, we seek to affirm and celebrate diversity. If you are looking for a place of worship, study, mission, and fellowship, please visit us some Sunday, or contact me and I will be glad to share information about the life and ministry of College Hill. - Rev. Todd
August 2010
Please pick up a copy of “Assembly in Brief 2010” on the Information Table at the entrance to the sanctuary to learn all about the many decisions that were made at our denomination’s national General Assembly gathering this summer. I have included specific information about one particular topic in this newsletter – Ordination Standards.
The Assembly approved an entire rewrite of the controversial G-6.0106b, with its standard that church officers “lead a life in obedience to Scripture and in conformity to the historic confessional standards of the church,” including the requirement, “to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness.” This is the church law that seeks to prohibit gays and lesbians in a committed relationship from serving as pastors, elders, or deacons – the law that More Light Presbyterians and the Covenant Network of Presbyterians have been working tirelessly to overturn for a very long time.
The proposed change, which has to be approved by a simple majority of our 173 presbyteries nationwide, refocuses our understanding of the nature of ordination to the standard that church officers “submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life.” It also refocuses the right of each governing body to be responsible for ordination and/or installation, including “the candidate’s ability and commitment to fulfill the requirements expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation.” That refers to the vows that all pastors, elders, and deacons take when being ordained and installed for service in the church. Concerning the role of Scripture and the confessions, governing bodies are to be “guided by” them in applying standards to individual candidates, rather than a blanket nationwide-imposed adherence to living a life in “obedience” and “conformity” to the Scriptures and the confessions, respectfully. And the debate continues…
In other news, we say goodbye to our Office Administrator, Denise Claybaker, after a very short 3 ½ months. Denise, one of the most efficient persons I have even had the pleasure to work with, is moving on to a new position. We wish her well. We will welcome Lisa Hays to the position of Administrative Assistant on Monday, August 9.
Blessings, Rev. Todd Freeman
July 2010
Let me begin by wishing all of you a very fun and safe 4th of July weekend. I especially pray for those of you who are traveling this month – hopefully to spend some ‘down time’ vacationing and visiting family and friends. I plan on taking the first week of August off to travel to Keystone, Colorado, in order to attend the wedding of one of the youth in the Jr. High Youth Group I used to lead back at my home church near Houston. He’s now 37.
I want to encourage each and every one of us to continue learning how to take “Sabbath” seriously. One of my favorite quotes on this subject (I have a copy of it on my refrigerator at home) that you may find helpful in your own efforts to find much-needed rest and relaxation is:
Sabbath is an invitation to come home: home to God and to ourselves. Sabbath is a time to:
CEASE. REST. EMBRACE. FEAST.
Sabbath is about understanding life as a gift, knowing myself as part of God’s creation and resting my full weight in that grace.
On a different topic, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) will convene for it’s week-long every-other-year meeting on Saturday, July 3. As always, they will be addressing many pressing and important issues – several of which impact our ministry as a designated ‘More Light Presbyterian’ congregation.
To learn more about what the General Assembly will be facing, I want to invite you to the Adult Church School Class on Sunday, July 4 and July 11 (the Sundays just before and after GA’s decisions will be made) to take a good close look at what we are dealing with as a denomination on a national level. Rev. Chuck Kriner will help lead those discussions.
Blessings, Rev. Todd Freeman
June 2010
Each year Tulsa Pride is kicked off with a very inclusive Interfaith Service. On May 23, clergy and spiritual leaders from Tulsa's affirming and inclusive faith communities, as well as several choirs, participated in this annual event. I learned from Toby Jenkins, Executive Director of Oklahomans for Equality, that they would like College Hill to host this special service next year.
In the reading that I presented during the service, I shared some remarkable quotes from Archbishop Desmond Tutu. In 2008, he received the Outspoken Award from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. He closed his acceptance speech with these amazing and healing words:
For what it is worth, my dear sisters and brothers, I ask for your forgiveness in ways in which we, the institutional church, have often treated you, ostracized you, made you feel as if God had made a mistake creating you as who you are. For we are those who are meant to care for one another. Care for all the world. Care for God’s children, especially those who suffer injustice and oppression. And so, you have been fantastic people in your commitment to justice and freedom and the respect for human rights, here and in other parts of the world. On behalf of those who are the beneficiaries of your support and your commitment – Thank You!
And just two months ago, in an op-ed piece in the March 12th edition of The Washington Post, Archbishop Tutu wrote:
Hate has no place in the house of God. No one should be excluded from our love, our compassion or our concern because of race or gender, faith or ethnicity -- or because of their sexual orientation… [There is] an even larger offense that is being done in the name of God. Show me where Christ said, "Love thy fellow person, except for the gay ones." Gay people, too, are made in my God's image. I would never worship a homophobic God… And does any of us know the mind of God so well that we can decide for God who is included, and who is excluded, from the circle of God’s love? The wave of hate must stop. Politicians who profit from exploiting this hate, from fanning it, must not be tempted by this easy way to profit from fear and misunderstanding. And my fellow clerics, of all faiths, must stand up for the principles of universal dignity and fellowship. Exclusion is never the way forward on our shared paths to freedom and justice.
I wholeheartedly concur.
Blessings, Rev. Todd Freeman
May 2010
There are several important events in the life of the congregation during the month of May. We celebrate with Elizabeth Ball, our Coordinator of Youth Ministry, as she graduates from the University of Tulsa. Unfortunately for us, however, she will be moving away. On behalf of the Session and youth of this church, I want to express my gratitude to Elizabeth for her talents and dedication in leading our youth programming for the past two years! We will have a Farewell Reception for Elizabeth on Sunday, May 2 following worship.
Also this month we will be hosting our long awaited Hispanic Ministry Assessment Weekend with two national leaders in our denomination. There will be several gatherings on May 14-15, including a combined meeting with our Session and Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery’s Church Development & Evangelism Committee on Saturday, May 15.
On Sunday, May 23, we will celebrate Pentecost Sunday. It will be a special service. Later that day, the Tulsa Pride Interfaith Service will be held 3 pm at Diversity Christian Fellowship, 637 S 131st East Ave. I will be participating in that service which honors our commitment to reaching out to the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community in Tulsa.
Let us keep in our hearts, minds, and prayers those in need within our community of faith, neighborhood, city, country, and worldwide.
Blessings, Rev. Todd Freeman
April 2010
Traditionally, I would use my Newsletter article preceeding Easter as a time to talk about the themes of new life, transformation and hope. However, an event occurred in March that I cannot let pass without comment – and I’m not talking about the historic passage of Health Care Reform into law.
Rather, I want to respond to the comment made by Glenn Beck, a Fox News commentator. Beck told his audience that they should go to their church website and look for the phrase, “social justice,” or “economic justice.” If so, he said they should leave that church and report it to church officials. Beck claims that social justice is a code word for communism and Nazism – since both those movements used that phrase as a rallying cry.
Beck went as far as claiming, “social justice is a perversion of the Gospel.” That misguided attack, in my opinion, is itself a distortion the very heart of our Christian faith, and it serves to deny the central teachings of Jesus and the Bible.
So as we enter into Holy Week and the celebration of Easter, I want to emphatically state that I am proud to be associated with a congregation that lives the Resurrection by proclaiming and acting upon the biblical imperative for social justice.
March 2010
The Mission Statement of the national ‘More Light Presbyterians’ organization ( www.mlp.org), of which College Hill is a part, states:
Following the risen Christ, and seeking to make the Church a true community of hospitality, the mission of More Light Presbyterians is to work for the full participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender [LGBT] people of faith in the life, ministry and witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Concerning this issue, over the past decade College Hill has moved from taking a primarily advocacy role to a pastoral role. In our efforts to seek to be a safe and welcoming place of sanctuary and hospitality for all people, I rarely single out our ministry to LGBT folks specifically. Know, however, that these issues remain at the forefront of my thoughts and concerns, especially as they relate to issues within the denomination, as well as with the latest scholarship in this field of study.
To that end, I want to share what a meaningful experience it was to attend a recent symposium held at Phillips Theological Seminary, entitled, “Beyond Apologetics: Sexual Identity, Pastoral Theology, and Pastoral Practice.” This nationwide project seeks to help spiritual caregivers, pastors, congregations, mental-health professionals, community activists and others engage in meaningful, informed, and proactive relationships with LGBT people.
Six of twelve scholars working on this project (which, by the way, is co-directed by the Rev. Dr. Duane Bidwell) presented summaries of their latest work at the symposium. The titles of their papers included:
- That’s All It Really Takes – Time and Pressure: Finding Our Way Out of Ecclesial Closets
- Bisexual Theology: Fluid Sexuality and Ambiguous Christologies
- Transgender Experiences as a Resource for Pastoral Care
- Should Gentle, Angry People Forgive?
- “Coming Out” or “Inviting In”: Interrogating Our Rhetoric and Rethinking Our Pastoral Counseling Approaches with LGBTQ Brothers and Sisters
- Recovering from Deeply Entrenched Religious Shaming of Sexual Orientation and/or Gender Identity
I look forward to the completion of their work, which will hopefully be published in some form in the near future. Let us keep all people, including those who have been oppressed by church and society for their sexual orientation, in our thoughts, prayers, and ministry efforts.
Blessings,
Rev. Todd Freeman
February, 2010
“I invite you, in the name of Christ, to observe a holy Lent by self-examination and penitence, by prayer and fasting, by works of love, and by reading and meditating on the Word of God.”
These traditional words, taken from the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship, are part of the liturgy we use at our Ash Wednesday Service of the Imposition of Ashes, which we will hold on Wednesday, February 17, at 6:15 p.m. The evening will begin, however, with our traditional “monastic soup supper” at 5:45 p.m.
We hope this will be a very meaningful way for all of us, individually and as a community of faith, to begin the season of Lent. This 40-day period of time, leading up to the celebration of Easter, is set aside as an intentional opportunity for us to reflect upon our journey of faith, our life in the church, and our work in the world.
Renowned author on spirituality, Henri Nouwen, considered Lent to be a time of returning, like in the parable when the prodigal son returns home to his welcoming and forgiving father.
Lent isn’t just a time of self-denial (the emphasis which many of us grew up with) but rather a time to do whatever works best for you in order to return to God – to experience more fully God’s love, grace, and acceptance.
May your, and our, Lenten season be one of living life more fully, loving in abundance, and being who God created us to be!
Blessings, Rev. Todd Freeman
January, 2010
“Ah yes, the great Christmas Eve Blizzard of 2009, I remember it well. That was the year that we, and basically every other church in Tulsa, had to cancel our Christmas Eve Services.”
We will probably be hearing statements like that for years to come. It’s not that it was a particularly horrible storm, as blizzards go, but that the timing was such as to necessitate the cancellation of one of the most meaningful worship services of the year.
Upon reflection, I found this experience to be a good object lesson. In life, it is important that we plan ahead and are prepared. However, we can’t always control how things will turn out. Circumstances sometimes arise that will cause us to have to change what we had planned to do. That’s often difficult for us, because we hate to think all our hard preparation has gone to waste. Yet when the unexpected occurs, it causes me to remember a couple of important lessons:
1. Preparation is never wasted.
2. Learning to be flexible is always a good life-lesson.
Here at the church, we do indeed try to plan ahead and to be prepared. Some things work out according to plan, and some things do not. As much as we like everything to be done “decently and in order,” sometimes we have to re-evaluate, change course, or even the most drastic measure of all, “make things up as we go along.”
All this is a way of saying that I am deeply grateful to this congregation for your patience, flexibility, and especially your input and hard work as we seek to fulfill the mission to which we feel we are called. So perhaps it’s a good time to remind ourselves of that mission as we head into another year of ministry.
- Build an inclusive community of faith.
- Receive and openly share the love of God.
- Reach out with a compassionate voice for peace and justice.
Blessings, and have a safe and Happy New Year,
Rev. Todd Freeman
December, 2009
‘Tis the season…
As individuals, families, and as a congregation, we have begun our month-long preparation for the celebration of Christmas. The Season of Advent is a time of active preparation and anticipation – a time for each of us to reflect upon what Christmas really means. So in all seriousness, I would like to ask you: What significance does the birth, life and ministry of Jesus have for you and your life?
Since we all tend to over-do and over-commit ourselves during the holidays, let me share with you again this year those four helpful tips to help all of us make this season more meaningful. They are:
- Do less.
- Breathe more.
- Adjust your expectations.
- Focus on people, not stuff.
I also hope you will take the opportunity to prepare for Christmas by attending our special gatherings here at the church, including Advent Family Night, Sunday morning worship (including the choir program on the 20th), and our Christmas Eve services.
Perhaps most importantly, let us take the light of Christ that dwells within each of us and reflect it upon others throughout this season. I pray that this Advent and Christmas season will be one of increased peace, hope, joy and love!
Blessings, Rev. Todd
November, 2009
I had a very productive study leave during the last week in October – and some good rest and relaxation, joining a group of church professionals at one of the group’s ancestral family farm in the predominately Amish/Mennonite countryside of north-central Ohio. I read The Future of the Christian Tradition, a collection of essays by scholars in The Jesus Seminar. The book is kind of like our Progressive Christianity church school class, only magnified to the enth degree. You’ll be hearing more about it.
Just a word about our Stewardship/Commitment Sunday on November 8. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: Biblical stewardship isn’t about fundraising, but rather a spiritual discipline that becomes a lifestyle. When we realize that all that we have is actually a gift from God, it is out of a spirit of gratitude and generosity that we give a portion of our time, talents, and financial resources back to God in order to further a ministry of love and compassion.
I have learned that one of the most important elements of good stewardship is to recognize that it’s more about our need to give than the church’s need to receive. Also, there has been a generational shift away from stewardship as a means to preserve and promote an institution within which we experience God, towards stewardship as an act of personal spiritual devotion that secondarily benefits the church and its ministries.
The theology of stewardship also serves as the church’s antidote to our age’s obsession with materialism, consumerism, and the desire to acquire more and more. As Christians, we know that people are not worth the sum of what we acquire, but are of infinite value because we are children of God – created in the image of God.
Let us all think upon these things as we prayerfully reflect upon our own lifestyle, spiritual disciplines, and our needs to generously share our blessings with others.
Blessings, Rev. Todd
October, 2009
As expected, September turned out to be quite a monumental month here at College Hill. The Progressive Christianity adult church school class has generated a lot of interest and excitement. The Small Group Ministry program began the process of signing up folks a wide variety of interests. The groups will begin meeting soon, and further information about when and where each small group will regularly meet will be determined and shared so that others can join. Also in September, we said farewell to a very dear member of this congregation, Charlie Brown, who was currently serving as an Elder on our Session, serving on the Outreach and Mission ministry team. Our prayers go out to Rosie as we continue to celebrate the life and love of Charlie, and all that he meant to this congregation and community.
Upcoming special events include World Communion Sunday and the Peacemaking Offering on October 4; our big Fall Party chili cook-off, talent show, and pie auction on Saturday, October 24; the search for Elders to serve on the Session (a Congregational Meeting has been called for Sunday, October 25); and an emphasis on good stewardship. I am grateful that Charlotte Bronston, Betty Coleman, and Charlotte Slemp have graciously agreed to help with our stewardship efforts this year. As a preview, remember that it is to God (not a budget) that we pledge a portion of our time, talents, and financial resources.
Blessings, Rev. Todd
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