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Tabernacle Congregational Church, UCC
50 Washington Street ~ Corner of Federal Street
Salem, MA 01970
(978) 744-3164
Welcome to the Tabernacle Church Web Site. Inside these windows,
you’ll find our “Open and Affirming Church” in
action.
Everyone comes to faith in their own way and in their own time. Some of us grew up in a religious family and we are involved through their roots in a congregation. Most people leave organized religion for a period of time in their teens and 20's and through an event, a death, a friend or a cause, they find themselves back in the cradle of a safe and comfortable faith community. We want you to join us any way you come.
Faith journeys often begin through someone else's faith. A parent, grandparent, friend or partner may have the faith you've been seeking. Children are frequently the faithful leaders of families searching for a church home. Baptisms, Sunday School, music, dance and divine curiosity lead children to God and family members follow. Jesus was a child when the magi, shepherds and townsfolk came to him.
Here at Tabernacle, you will find people of many faith perspectives, whose journey to this place has been unique. We are composed of many wanderers. With our One God we worship in one spirit as people of all ages, races, classes, abilities, sexual preference and passions. We have all come because someone's faith journey welcomed us.
Open and Affirming Statement
Tabernacle Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Salem,
Massachusetts, is an Open and Affirming congregation that welcomes,
respects, and supports people of every race, ethnicity, creed,
class, gender, sexual orientation, age and physical and mental
ability, inviting all to join us on our journey of faith. We
welcome all people to participate fully in the worship, rites,
sacraments and ministry of Tabernacle Church. Although we are
many members, we are one body in Christ. As one body we are called
and challenged by God to respect and reconcile our differences.
Our faith calls us to speak up in the face of prejudice, injustice,
and exclusion, and to express in word and deed our hope for justice
and inclusiveness for humanity.
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Beaches are great places to find God. When I’m churned up about something, I can always listen to the waves crashing on the shore, to invoke an inner calmness. Lately, my beach walks have required navigating through debris that has washed ashore during recent storms. Some of the debris is garbage, making the beach look sad and unappreciated. There is also natural stuff lining the beach. Seaweed, sticks, shells, crab remains and driftwood.
This morning, after a joyous walk through the maze of sand and debris, I turned around and saw that some workers were trying to remove a large tree trunk that had come ashore. Adorned with roots and branches, the tree’s removal would require a lot of work. As I walked towards the tree and the workers, a small vehicle with a big shovel was heading towards the tree from the opposite direction. The closer I got, the closer the little tow truck got.
When I reached the tree trunk, ready to zoom past the busy workers, the little tow truck with the big shovel, started to back up. The obnoxious noise that accompanies trucks when they back up, beep, beep, beep, beep….kept right along with me as I tried to rush off the beach.
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP….
What about my inner calm? What about the spiritual lift? What about the joy of listening to God? All of it seemed to have vanished in the sound of the little engine backing up beside me.
Then suddenly, the little tow truck stopped and headed back towards the tree. Silence was all I could hear. Seagulls were scolding each other for their scraps of fish. The water seemed calmer and gentler than it had ten minutes earlier.
Sometimes, it’s the contrasts in our lives that bring us the greatest spiritual peace. Recognizing God’s gentle and calm presence often requires an uncomfortable situation. Listening for the Spirit, may mean hearing the noise of traffic and honking horns.
As you enter this time of beauty on the earth, notice the contrasts. And maybe your relationship with God will suddenly be more tangible.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Rev. Laura Biddle
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