Dear Caldwell,
As we travel from Sunday to Sunday this week, don’t forget about our non-conventional Christian Formation, non-“Sunday School” offering, newly dubbed Pints and Paths (formerly Theology on Tap). At Caldwell, we recognize that traditional “Sunday school” doesn’t fit everyone’s life. Nonetheless, our faith calls us to feed our minds and hearts with study and the added benefit of fellowship.
Pints and Paths is an open, mid-week dialogue that spans the full range of ideas about faith, always asking “Where is God in this?” Lately, the gathering has been discussing the ideas raised in a no-holds-barred book titled “Living the Questions.” Here is what convener Lucy Barber says about tonight’s discussion at Kickstand Restaurant on Central Ave. at 7, which is open to all, regardless of whether you’ve done the reading:
“Chapter 14 deals with honoring all creation not just humans. It talks about the difference between God being in all things (panentheism) vs. God is all things (pantheism) and also discusses the assault on our planet over the last 50 years that has been either led or ignored by religious leaders, many of whom are Christian.
Chapter 15 talks about Jesus’ call to welcome all. It juxtaposes the Jewish mindset to make strangers feel welcome to Jesus’ revolutionary call to be kind even to those that you feel you have reason to hate. It then discusses prejudices and how prejudices are a way to avoid confronting our own shortcomings as spiritual beings.”
Come on over to Kickstand tonight, order your favorite beverage and join in the exploration.
I also wanted to touch on the subject of our visitors on the sidewalk before worship last Sunday. Their intent is put us off balance. The way we defeat them is simply to ignore them. Traveling from one progressive church to another each Sunday, they are well practiced at spewing hate in ways that are designed to prick our skin and our feelings. But all they have every thrown at us is words – and we all remember the playground chant that starts out, “Stick and stones ….”
I was preoccupied Sunday and did not know they were there until worship started. Normally, I am there to encourage folks to ignore them. I heard there were a few, somewhat heated exchanges between them and our visitors and members. Next time they are here, I encourage you to ignore them entirely. They are known to the police and they know how to stay within the law. So, while it is not easy, let’s do out best to deny them the satisfaction of even acknowledging their existence.
Yoga is back on tonight at 6:30 in the Yoga Room in Price. Welcome back to our teachers, the Marcottes.
And, if you want to peak ahead at the Lectionary readings for this Sunday’s worship, they are Psalm 1 and James 3:13-4:6.
Look for Caldwell This Week on Friday with the complete news of life at Caldwell. I remain
Yours in Christ,
John