Dear Caldwell,
After Sunday comes Monday, when we take our faith into the world. What a rich worship service we had yesterday as fuel for the journey. Somehow, we squeezed 200 people into Belk Hall for a multi-dimensional approach to All Saints Day! A few follow-ups:
1. Mustard Seed Experience tonight – tonight at 6:00 in the Shelby Room, all are invited to come experience a new approach to small group formation called Mustard Seed Groups. One Mustard Seed group of men has been meeting for several months every other Friday morning at 6:30 a.m., but we hope other groups will form at times that work for them. We’ll be meeting Monday nights through November to share the experience of study, prayer and service. We will be discussing a new book about Christ titled Zealot.
2. For your prayers: Please keep Jesca Yisca-El in your prayers as she travels to attend her father’s funeral. Also, Julie Price, as her father approaches his end of life, as well as Caldwell friend Robert McLendon, whose mother passed last week.
3. New members! We welcomed two great young families into membership yesterday (see the photo). Please look for them at worship Sunday to say hello.
4. A note from Evie! Finally, but as important, Pastor Evie has sent you all a message with reflections from her time (thus far) in South Korea for a World Council of Churches meeting. Her message is below. She is due back in Charlotte this weekend. We continue to prayer for her ministry there and her safe return to us.
In Christ, John
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Dear Caldwell,
I miss you all dearly! There is so much I would like to share about the work, conversation and experiences that we are having. On my first day at the pre-assembly meetings, I had the honor to listen to members of the Ecumenical Disability Advocates express their desire for equality and representation at every level of society. They expressed their God-given right as children of God to no be only objects of charity and service, but people who have significant contributions to make to the body of Chirst!
People with impediments want to be included and accepted at every level of Church Life and society. We have much to learn from their struggle!
Another struggle we face as an ecumenical community is giving LGBT brothers and sisters an equal place at the table for conversations of sexual orientation. Communions with theological views that exclude and condemn LGBT have made public statements that have raised the question of equality of voice for the diverse theological perspectives in the ecumenical body. We continue to struggle to have a voice for dialogue amongst a movement that although diverse, is still over powered by Euro-Centric male conservative voices in places of power. However, we do not lose heart as many are advocating at grass root levels and boldly standing on the floor asking for an open dialogue and that sexual orientation issues around the world be named in WCC documents as imperative to the responsibility of the church, and that it be listed amongst those who are being margenilized and in many cases even physically harmed.
Not only, the LGBT community struggles for a voice, but also women from Asia and Africa, indegenous peoples and young adults continue to be under-represented at central committee nomnations. I say that we must not only make room for people, instead we must bring brothers and sisters by the hand to the table with an aggressive intentionality that does not over look those who have been silence for too long. Th WCC is aware of this struggle and many efforts are being made to change this.
Finally Caldwell, I will inform you on the wonderfull inciatives that the WCC is doing as we focus as the body of Christ on how we are impacting Creation. As communities of faith we must dialogue and change our habits to preserve the gifts of Life we have been given. There is also much talk and concern for the persecution of churches in the Middle East, the war in Syria and unrest in Egypt that has led to the burning of many Churches. Issues of migration and immigration are not being over looked, praise God. Also, our Asian borthers and sisters continue to call us to accountability and boldly declaring that there is enough for all so that no one will hunger. US waste of food is enough to feed many nations!
What most encourages me is that Caldwell is a beacon of light and an example of a church that walks and builds relationships with the margenilized! We are being blessed by the Holy Spirit and must continue to humbly walk with God and Jesus to move into the new thing that God is doing; WHICH HAS ALREADY started at Caldwell!
Please pray for all of our delegations and participants. I caught a bug and have been struggling a little, however, I have not neglected any of my delegate duties. I have been nursing myself with the help of my friends who have been looking out for me and giving me meds! As you all worship, lift up the churches and religions around the world in your prayers! May the love of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you Caldwell. Amen!
In Christ,
Pastor Evie