Organize! Organize! Organize!

Something has shifted. You can feel it in your body. You can hear it in the way conversations trail off. You can see it in the exhaustion, the anger, the fear, the numbness.

The current political climate has left many of us feeling disoriented and overwhelmed—unsure whether to speak, act, rest, or brace for impact. That reaction makes sense. What we are witnessing is not normal. And pretending otherwise is how things slide further out of reach.

Our faith has something to say about moments like this.

Across the Midwest and beyond, clergy and faith leaders from many denominations and states are coming together out of shared alarm at the rise of authoritarianism and white Christian nationalism. We are naming this moment honestly. And we are refusing to stay silent.

Some are calling this a Confessing Church moment.
Some are calling it a March on Washington moment.

What we all agree on is this: the church must awaken and act—together.

One expression of this movement is Palm Sunday Path, a coordinated effort emerging out of southern Minnesota and spreading nationally. The vision is bold and grounded in the heart of the gospel:

• Palm Sunday marches across the country with hundreds of thousands of Christians, rooted not in nationalism or fear, but in the core Christian commitments to healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and welcoming the stranger.
• Local organizing that engages county boards and public officials, calling for the repeal of the so-called Big Ugly Bill—legislation that cuts Medicaid and SNAP to give tax breaks to billionaires, slashes school funding, and diverts resources to ICE.
• ​A pilgrimage to Philadelphia on July 3, offering a faithful, nonviolent contrast to the military parade being planned for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—remembering that this nation was founded in resistance to a corrupt king, not allegiance to one.

This is not about partisanship. This is about moral clarity. This is about refusing to let Christianity be weaponized in the service of harm.

This work cannot be clergy-only. Movements don’t happen because a few pastors are worried. They happen when everyday people decide that faith has legs.

If you are feeling stirred—even a little—if you’re wondering what organizing actually looks like, or if you’re tired of doom-scrolling and ready to put your body, voice, and faith somewhere real, we want to talk with you.

St. Paul Congregational UCC will host an informational meeting to learn more, ask questions, and discern next steps together.

📅 Thursday, January 29
🕕 6:00 PM - St. Paul Fellowship Hall (downstairs)
📍 St. Paul Congregational UCC

You don’t need to be an expert.
You don’t need to have a plan.
You just need to show up willing to listen and consider what faithfulness looks like now.
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The church was never meant to be a bystander. This is a moment that calls for courage, imagination, and collective action. This is the time for each of us to stop looking around wondering why somebody isn't doing something. Remember:  You're somebody.

Organize. Organize. Organize.
I hope you’ll join in.

On the Palm Sunday Path with you,
Pr. Melissa

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