Dear Caldwell,
This Sunday brings one of the most anticipated times of the year for Caldwell – one of our bilingual worship services. More members and more of our bilingual preschool families than ever have been involved in shaping Sunday’s service. The preschool kids have prepared a special song. We welcome back Dr. Matt Samson, an ordained Presbyterian pastor and Davidson College Professor, to our pulpit. Worship will be followed by a festive time of food and fellowship.
Why, some might ask, do we add this kind of service to our mix?
In 2007, the resurrected Caldwell church stated as part of its mission statement that you seek to “reflect the Kingdom of God in there here and now.” The same mission statement said that Caldwell strives to embrace people “of all races and ethnicities.” The Latino population is by far the fastest growing segment of Charlotte and Caldwell has been blessed with the presence of the Caldwell Bilingual Preschool on our campus as an open door to these new neighbors.
Many Caldwell members are already engaged with the families of the preschool, teaching Engish, reading to the kids, leading field trips, planting vegetables in the garden and providing those most in need with food. All of these activities form and deepen relationships, which are the foundation for understanding among the children of God.
Our chance to worship together reminds us that the center of our lives is praise and recognition of God’s central role in the human story. How can our efforts to reflect the Kingdom of God be complete without welcoming these new neighbors into our worship and into our lives as a people of faith? For those who were at Seigle Avenue Presbyterian Church in the eighties and nineties, the gift was the chance to build bridges across black and white. For us, as our mission statement says, our blessing – and our charge by the Gospel of Christ – is to broaden that bridge to make room for people of “all races and ethnicities.”
All of this fits into Christ’s command, as we have been holding close, to “love neighbor as self.” By the way, that conversation is still “open.” I appreciated several requests for last Sunday’s sermon on the Golden Rule. It’s now posted on our website at http://caldwellpresby.org/docs/102311_Living_for_Others_Pt%20_1_Beginning_Within.pdf
See you Sunday.
In Christ,
John