A reflection by Rev Roberto Ochoa, Conference Minister Nebraska South Dakota Iowa Conferences of the United Church of Christ
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, August 16th, I left Burwell, Nebraska, where the Nebraska UCC Conference office is now located, to meet my dear friends the Revs Les and Coral Parmenter in Thedford. We were meeting for a tour and dinner the evening before preaching to a gathering of rural UCC churches in the middle of the Sandhills on Sunday morning.
The almost one and half hour drive was breathtaking on highway 91 towards Thedford, where one drives through rolling hills, and herds of horses and cattle are everywhere. The sunflowers were blooming magnificently with their shades of gold, dark oranges and rust and I would pass small towns named Taylor, Almeria, Brewster, and Dunning…each with their charm.
Pastors Coral and Les are a married clergy couple who have been doing ministry together since they met over 20 years ago. Les was called to a three-point charge with the UCC’s of Thedford (pop 208), Halsey (pop 62) and Seneca (pop 28) in 2019. Not long after, Coral was called to pastor Purdum UCC. (pop 98). These communities are about 15 miles from the Thedford parsonage where the Parmenters live.
Les and Coral met me at my motel after I checked in and took me first to Halsey, which is the site of the largest human planted forest in the United States. The forest is recovering after a devastating fire took place in 2022, where one can see the burned-out sections of the forest. Tragically the fire took the life of a firefighter from nearby Purdum.
The Halsey UCC is a simple white church with a huge iron sculpture of the UCC logo with a church bell at the top and the only church in town. The sanctuary is small with an attached fellowship hall. The town of Halsey hosts timed car races called the Sandhills Open Road Challenge (SORC), one called the Loup to Loup which begins in Halsey and ends at Purdum. Both UCC churches offer hospitality breakfasts for the event which has grown in popularity.
Coral drove us along the 14 mile road that makes up the course on to Purdum: UCC Purdum is also the only church in town and its structure is similar to Halsey. Like all the small town and rural churches, I have visited, the simplicity of the sanctuary and fellowship hall are intimate and inviting. Purdum also serves as the community center for the town, which is used often.
We ended the evening with a tour of Thedford UCC before dinner. Unlike the Purdum and Halsey structures, Thedford UCC is a very modern brick building. The stain glass windows in the sanctuary are beautiful and breathtaking, depicting the ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus. I would visit Seneca UCC the next morning after worship and like Purdum and Halsey the church was similar in design, size and the only church in town. What I learned most from the Pastors Parmenters were that each church was founded during the 1880’s and committed in their missions and identified strongly as UCC.
On Sunday morning, Thedford UCC hosted the other churches for a joint worship where I was invited to preach. Almost 80 intergenerational people, from infant to families, and the abundant age elders, attended from all four congregations, including a fifth congregation, Brewster UCC, which is a lay led congregation.
The lectionary text was the challenging, Luke 12:59-56, where Jesus declares that he didn’t come to bring peace but division. And I admitted being church together is hard and brought a message entitled being Faithful Witness of Hope and Love, even when we seem divided in our world. I totally noted the theological tensions that we find ourselves sometimes in the United Church of Christ and invited those attending and streaming to consider that God walks with all of us, no matter where we are in life. I shared that I didn’t believe Jesus came to divide the world, he stated the obvious, people are people and following Jesus’ teachings can and does have consequences, yet we are encouraged to persevere when division occurs. I urged everyone never to give up on hope of forgiveness, redemption, and reconciliation.
I affirmed the value and importance of the small town and rural church to the Nebraska Iowa South Dakota Conferences even when we have our differences as Open and Affirming or Faithful and Welcoming Churches. We can all be UCC and I committed myself and the Conference to walk with them as partners in the faithful witnessing of Christ’s Hope and Love to a divided and broken world.
One of the best blessings I get to have is the warmth and openness that I experience whenever I am at a UCC gathering. This was no exception. An amazing potluck, friendly greetings, engaging with members, and making myself available to their questions of these five congregations I could feel the embrace of the Holy Spirit upon us, and I smiled.
Bendiciones y Paz,
Rev Roberto