Welcome to Peace United Church of Christ | An Open and Affirming Church in the St. Louis Area!

Epiphany at Peace and the Rainbow Fish Tree

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Rainbow Fish Tree at Peace UCC. It began in Epiphany 1999 in response to the murder of Matthew Shepherd in October of 1998: The call to both tolerance and moral outrage fell onto the parched soil of a people shocked by the power of hate. Seeds buried deep in our souls were watered, sprouts already churning as we gathered for worship on Sunday, October 18, 1998. On an otherwise uneventful   Sunday morning, our student pastor, reeling from Matthew Shepherd’s horror, shared his moral outrage with the congregation. That evening we had an impromptu gathering where we prayed and we cried. We were unified in our outrage, horrified by the intolerance of hatred, even more by the intolerance demonstrated by those who called themselves Christian. “Enough is enough”, we said. Our silence was broken. The spirit of our Rainbow Fish Tree, our quirky little Epiphany tradition, was born that week. Maybe someday the long-awaited reign of God will blossom so fully that we will no longer need the Rainbow Fish Tree. A day when no one is excluded or isolated or lonely. But until then we will hang ribbons in the shadow of the Rainbow Fish as we re-covenant with God and one another to live in tolerance.

Dream God’s Dream…

Swords made into plowshares and spears beaten into pruning hooks; people sitting under their own vine and fig tree – this is God’s dream. During Epiphany we will explore ways we can participate in making this dream come true. We believe peace is possible. Please join us at the 8:30 a.m. service or the 11:00 a.m. service.                                Jan. 13  Just Peace is Possible                                                                                   Jan. 20    A Loving Community is Possible                                                                         Jan. 27    A Loving Community is Possible                                                                     Feb. 3     Economic Justice is Possible                                                                           Feb. 10   Peace Among the Nations is Possible                                                           Feb. 17   A Healthy Earth is Possible                                                                               Feb. 24   Internal Peace is Possible                                                                           March 3  Just Peace is Possible