Whew! Now, Ready for School?

By / August 21, 2014

Dear Caldwell,

It’s been a week for many of us to catch our breath.

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. -1 John 4:7-11
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.
-1 John 4:7-11

Evie Pride 8-14If there ever were a “day in the life” of this church, last Sunday was a good example. We went from the challenge of protesters attempting to disrupt us before worship to the enjoyment and fulfillment of offering God’s welcome and encouragement to all in the Pride Parade and booth Sunday afternoon. We experienced both trial and triumph and came away stronger for it. You handled it all with grace, truth and conviction. Thank you.

Just as we catch our breath, summer officially ends and many families get back in the school routine come Monday morning. So, as we travel from Sunday to Sunday, we shift from celebration and radical welcome last Sunday to the opportunity to lift up our students and all who make their learning and growth possible. Sunday is “Education Sunday” on the PC(USA) worship calendar and we will take time to remember our call to care for all of God’s children – not just our own. I’m looking forward to telling you about a new education-related ministry for Caldwell that the session endorsed last month (you may have read about it in my column in the current newsletter). This new effort fits with many of the interests you expressed in our “3D” conversations to work across lines of race and class and to make a difference for young people at a critical stage in their lives.

Our text (Matthew 19:13-15) is a familiar one, in which Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me.” He said this as a somewhat pointed reminder to his disciples, who were arguing over who among them or others would be “the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” What a humbling reminder to all of us who get caught up in theological debate, trying to prove our side is right, but, in the doing, lose sight of one of the most important ways we can serve God as the hands of Christ – simply by caring for the “little children.”

Also, some of you have expressed interested in the news from last week concerning the possibility of Caldwell helping care for some of the refugee children fleeing Honduras, Guatemala or El Salvador. Not much more is known about that possibility as of today but stay tuned and feel free to ask me, Evie, Ann Alford or Joyce Deaton about any forthcoming news.

Look for Caldwell This Week tomorrow with a rundown of activities and opportunities to enjoy the full life of our busy little church.

In Christ,
John