Dear Caldwell,
It’s a difficult thing to be “called out.” We say something offensive or hurtful. We forget an obligation. We show up unprepared for something. To be called out is to be told directly that we didn’t do something well, we did it half-heartedly, or we just didn’t do it at all. That’s a tough moment for us, a humbling moment, and if we respond graciously and thoughtfully, it can also be a moment in which we learn more about ourselves. To be called out can be a great moment of learning.
In John’s sermon last Sunday, we were reminded that Peter, Andrew, James, and John were called out by Jesus – they were called out of their boats, out of their lives as fishermen and called into a whole new way of life. They were called out of fishing for fish and called into fishing for people.
Caldwell, we too are being called out and being called in.
We are being called out of our old way of life on the Caldwell campus and called into an entirely new way of living here. Later this year, Belk Hall will come down and a new community hall will be built – with an emphasis on community. We are being called into finding new ways to share our space and our lives with the greater Charlotte community.
Hard work continues on the Home Committee to write grants, to make decisions, and to finalize plans for renovating and reopening the doors of Price to new neighbors. Let us not forget that Eddie Capote, the chair of the Home Committee, has called us into prayer for those folks – the ones that God is preparing us to welcome into the neighborhood. May God prepare their hearts and ours for the new community that will be created here.
As we enter Black History month, we are being called out of old ways of thinking about race, racism, and the history of this country into new understandings of our role and responsibilities related to those challenging topics. We are being called into being an anti-racist church – and over the course of the year, we will discuss and discover together what that means.
During the month of February, you are invited to enter into one such discussion around becoming an anti-racist church. John will be facilitating a discussion of the book Dear Church: A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the US. This Sunday, February 2nd, the discussion will be from 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm. (On the three other Sundays in February, the discussions will begin at 6 pm.)
Have no fear, Caldwell. If you aren’t able to join these Sunday evening discussions, this book will be read and discussed in other settings and at other times over the course of the year – and beyond. There will also be other events – conversations about what the term “anti-racist” means, discussions of other books, video viewings, and more. Stay tuned.
This coming Sunday in worship, I will preach from Micah 6:1-8 and Matthew 4:23-5:12. How are we being called out of our usual ways of thinking about the challenges and difficulties we face on this journey of faith and into deeper connection with God and with one another? How are we being called into new ways to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God?
It can be a difficult thing to be called out, friends. And it can also be an invitation into something we would have never known and could never have imagined otherwise. I pray that we will come to worship on Sunday willing to allow God to call us out of our boats, out of our safety nets, and call us into deeper waters, into a deeper life of faith. See you on Sunday.
Grace and peace, Gail