Dear Caldwell,
What a blessing it was to just sit in with you in worship on Sunday while I am away for some time off. Taking in Gail’s sermon, hearing Anne, Smitty, Manley, Wilma and Ruby and the choir provide beautiful music, scanning your loving exchanges in the chat box, watching the presentation about Easter’s Home in advance of this Sunday’s congregational meeting. I thought to myself: I’d want to be a member of this church!
Preachers’ Porch Tonight
I’m still away but easing back into things and looking forward to tonight’s Preachers’ Porch. We will take a look at the story in Mark commonly referred to as “the widow’s mite.” It’s about giving – but, more, it’s about faith. Read the passage here. Grab something cool to drink and let’s visit over God’s word.
Easter’s Home Congregational Meeting
Speaking of this Sunday’s meeting, if you did not have the chance to watch the video presentation that updates us all on Easter’s Home (THANK YOU, Jennifer Tyner, Judith Ard and Eddy Capote!), I encourage you to do so before our meeting Sunday. It’s less than 15 minutes and it provides important information about what you will be voting on, which essentially is: to commit the Price Building for long-term (50-year lease) use as affordable housing; and, to permit the session to act for the congregation (later this year) in approving financing of the project (projected to be one very low-interest loan from the Gambrell Foundation and two loans that become grants). The next step will be to ask the Presbytery to approve the ground lease in August, as required by our denomination’s rules. Watch the video with Q&A here! If you have questions before Sunday, please contact Eddy Capote or Rob Hammock, or me.
Additional Learning Opportunities – Re-imagining Policing
We all watched as citizens in Charlotte and around the country and the world demonstrated in the streets for weeks to say Black Lives Matter and that police brutality has gone too far too many times. I am part of a clergy group meeting with elected officials at the city and congressional levels to follow up on those protests (and I welcome your questions or input) with a set of ideas and demands about how policing can (and must) be re-imagined. Tonight, there are two opportunities to dive a little deeper into that topic, details below. Both are at the same time and they also conflict with the Preachers’ Porch. Follow your heart and know, also, that I will share links to these sessions to be viewed later once the recordings are made available.
Union Presbyterian Seminary, “What might God have to say about policing and public safety?” Register to watch here.
Gantt Center “Unmasked: Redefining Protect and Serve”, 7 p.m. New Chief Johnny Jennings is among several panelists. Watch it here via Youtube.
We continue to pray for a number of folks who are recovering from hospitalizations and/or procedures, including Nancy Nance, Scott Creigh and Gino Harris.
Watch for a Thursday blog with information about Vespers this week and a full run down in Caldwell This Week on Saturday.
In Christ,
John