Dear Caldwell,
I pray that the King holiday granted you some time to rest and reflect a bit on on our ongoing call to build a more just world. Calling, in fact, is at the center of this week’s focus at Caldwell.
After our time in worship Sunday at the well with Jesus and the Samaritan woman (thanks, Gail), we are refreshed by God’s offering of living water. This coming Sunday, we will find ourselves back at the water, joining Jesus at the beach as he calls his first disciples (see Matthew 4:12-23) to be fishers of people.
It’s a story that, for me anyway, never gets old. Four people who “repent,” in Jesus’ words, turning their lives in an entirely new direction and committing to follow a man they just met to the most unexpected places and situations. If you’re looking for a healthy distraction/alternative to the Impeachment, we’ll talk about that scripture and how it speaks to our lives tonight at The Preachers’ Porch, 7 p.m. at Hawthorne’s NY Pizza on 7th Street. Come and take part in the dialogue.
Here at Caldwell, one of our particular callings is to continue to grow in understanding the roots of racism and how we, as a community of faith, can disrupt and dismantle racism’s systemic and structural bulwarks. As part of Black History Month in February, I’ll be leading a discussion of a provocative book that explores why the mainline church is so segregated. All are invited to these dialogues, which will be each Sunday night in February at 6 p.m. at church.
If you’d like to order the book and start reading, it’s titled Dear Church: A Love Letter From a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the U.S., by Lenny Duncan. (Fair warning, he at times uses some spicy language!) It’s an easy and compelling read. You can order it on Amazon here.
And … if you’re interested in a lighter read, the Faith Walkers begins a new book, too. It’s Exactly As Your Are, The Life and Faith of Mister Rogers. This once-a-month gathering will take the next several months to share the book and be in community with and for each other. It meets tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. in the Shelby Room. We won’t start the book until after tomorrow’s gathering. This is a great group for any who are looking for a mid-week, weekday option.
Also, the Marys and Marthas group of ladies who look for volunteer opportunities also meets tomorrow at church at noon.
As always, there are plenty of ways to get plugged in. These are just a few. You’re always welcome to check the full calendar on our website here.
In the meantime, in what will no doubt be a tense week in the life of our nation, let us pray for the health of our democracy, rooted in fairness, the proposition of equality and a government accountable to all people.
In Christ,
John