Dear Caldwell,
Let us pray ….
Those words mark our life together and our prayers take different forms on different occasions.
Tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary, Music Director Anne Hunter Eidson and Rev. Dr. Diane Mowrey, our Parish Associate Pastor and University Chaplain at Queens University, will lead a special service of healing, wholeness and prayers of all kinds.
One form of prayer is confession. As Presbyterians, we strive to be confessional people. That may bring to mind what our Roman Catholic friends do in private with the priest in a special booth. For our tradition, though, being confessional is central to our faith, not a check-the-box exercise. Confession is also part of healing. It opens a door to a new day. It’s how we turn to God and acknowledge that we cannot become whole without the grace of God.
Earlier this summer, your session made a difficult staff decision. We announced the change at a time when nerves were raw in the wake of the Charleston shooting tragedy. The session – and I – have spent a great deal of time reflecting on how that transition was handled. We have talked to many members. We have prayed deeply and sought God’s wisdom.
We recognize and regret that we inadvertently caused some people pain. We claim our shortcomings and seek a greater awareness of our blind spots. We have a deepened understanding of how differences make way for unintended misunderstanding. This chapter has shown us anew that the work of racial understanding and reconciliation is both complex and imperative. Our commitment to that work is redoubled.
As I have said from the pulpit, there are reasons few churches look like Caldwell. None of us has the “playbook” for our life together and our rapid growth, while a blessing from God, adds to the complexity of our shared calling and walk together.
Our mission statement calls us to be a family of faith that is “young and old, gay and straight, rich and poor, of all races and ethnicities.” This is the witness we bear to our city to God’s inclusive love and grace. Each of us has something to contribute and we welcome all who are interested in shaping this work as we plan activities for the coming weeks and months, especially having to do with racial understanding.
First, however, we can go to God. The service Wednesday night is an opportunity for us to gather, offer prayers of many kinds and acknowledge our dependence on God as we pursue our ambitious mission statement.
At the same time, we are part of a larger community where race relations – and tensions – are heightened and focused on the trial of Officer Randall Kerrick in the shooting of Jonathan Ferrell. Now the case has gone to the jury. If there is a verdict tomorrow, our gathering will include a time after the worship service to share our feelings and prayers for our city as we seek a way forward.
I hope to see you there.
In Christ, John