Dear Caldwell, God has a long tradition of choosing the least likely people to help. Of all the people the angels could have visited on that first Christmas Eve, shepherds would have been WAY down the invite list. Shepherds lived outside with their sheep, so you can imagine how disheveled and smelly a bunch they were to …
“And I will guard your going out and your coming in.” — Psalm 121 Dear Friends, In all things, even strange and stressful times like these, we can turn to God to remember who we are and whose we are. The psalmist reminds us that we belong to a loving God in whom we can …
A Letter to Caldwell: Community and the Coronavirus Read More »
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Trees and wreaths. Lights. Candy canes. Sugar cookies. Blow up snow globes, Santas, and reindeer in front yards. Our outdoor mailboxes are full of catalogs, and our online mailboxes are full of “last minute deal” offers. In truth, it’s beginning to look and feel a lot like …
Dear Caldwell, Ask anyone on the church staff and you will hear that, without a doubt, there are angels among us. These angels are tending to the details of church life together, from baking cookies to counting the collection to caring for neighbor. The thing about angels is that they are easy to miss. But their …
Dear Caldwell, The rest of us have the gift of Caldwell in large part because of the open-hearted love and deep faith and commitment of Jackie Abernethy. We give thanks for her life and witness. She entered the Church Triumphant Wednesday afternoon. A lifelong member, elder, former church secretary, war widow, longtime leader of the women’s …
Dear Caldwell, It’s a week when we turn to “first words” and when we say thank you and goodbye. As for the first words, this Sunday we begin a new church year. That’s right. We pledge allegiance to a liturgical calendar (rather than a secular one) as a way of putting God first. So, Sunday is …
Dear Caldwell, Last week was quite the week for us as a church. On Thursday, we opened our doors and welcomed over 350 family members, friends, and companions for the funeral service of Darnel Mills, grandson of Francis Smith, son of Tomaceeta Hampton, and cousin of Jermaine Johnson. The sanctuary was filled – so much …
Dear Caldwell, If you read the title of this blog, you may have me to blame for an R.E.O. Speedwagon earworm (if you’re old enough). Sorry. Call me biased, but the 1970s band’s lyrics about being on a mountain with a bottle of wine and a girl in a snowstorm aren’t quite as enlightening or encouraging as …
Dear Caldwell, would you do me a favor? Right now. I ask that you close your eyes and take three deep breaths. Breathe in through your nose and sigh it out loudly through your mouth. Seriously – do this as a favor for yourself, not for me. Breathe. Deep. Feel the Breath of Life fill …
Dear Caldwell, What choices do we make when we lose our nerve? Do our values and principles go out the window when we doubt God? Where do we put our faith – in something of our own making or in a God who keeps promises? Those questions lie at the center of this week’s passage in …
