Dear Caldwell,
I’ve been detained in Washington for two weeks in a bit of a family emergency. I SO look forward to being home and with you Sunday. We owe Sally Herlong, Anne Hunter Eidson and the session our deepest thanks for dealing with all things Caldwell in this time of my absence.
Odds and Ends ….
Our city and friends nationwide have responded generously to the theft and vandalism two weeks ago in The Third Place. Thank you to all who have shared our Go Fund Me site to cover the repairs and replacements of stolen equipment. Our fund is up to $6,440 as of this writing, of our goal/need of $10,000. If you want to make a donation, you can do so here. https://www.gofundme.com/thirdplacecoffee
Who are you rooting for this Sunday for an Oscar?
As I reflected on the major nominees, I thought about what it is to be Presbyterian. If you saw Hidden Figures, you saw the amazing contributions of Katherine Johnson, who calculated critical figures for the safe flight of John Glenn. Brian Blount, the president of our partner Union Presbyterian Seminary, pastored Mrs. Johnson at a church in Virginia. Dr. Blount desribed her as humble elder and devoted church member. She represents a generation of highly educated African-American Presbyterians who built and sustained great churches. (Did you know there are more black Presbyterian churches in Charlotte than anywhere) Read more here.
In a much more modern twist, my family and I were deeply moved when we saw Moonlight, the story of a gay, African American man who overcame a very tough childhood. I mention this story because, in a way, it represents the subject of my doctoral thesis, intersectionalism, or the convergence of people’s identities and how we can understand and sustain them, especially in the church. According to my research, Caldwell is one of about five Presbyterian churches in the U.S. that are truly intersectional, where many types of diversity, including sexual orientation, converge. As we know, it makes for a meaningful and sometimes unexpected journey together.
In case you didn’t see it in Caldwell This Week, I hope you will consider participating in the “Caldwell 101” class beginning Sunday at 9:45 a.m. in The Third Place. A great chance to talk about our history, our traditions(old and new) and what is means to be Presbyterian at Caldwell in 2017.
See you Sunday.
In Christ,
John