Dear Caldwell,
A heartfelt “thank you” to all who contributed to worship – through story telling, reflecting, singing and just being present. I know I left knowing things about the history of the church – and its members – that I did not know before.
Toward the end, I offered these five short statements, each taken from one of our speakers. Together they tell our story, past, present and future:
“This is where I learned that Jesus loved me.” – Elaine Hultman, speaking of her childhood memories here
” … to create a graceful union.” – Tovi Martin, referring to the hope of the idea of reviving Caldwell in 2006
“To paraphrase scripture, Caldwell wasn’t dead. It was only sleeping.” – Kevin Martin, about Caldwell resurrected.
“You, the people, do the work of the church.” – Rev. Dr. Charlie MacDonald
“What never changed about Caldwell was the love. ” – Katy Hill, who has a 30-year history here, through several seasons of her life.
We also announced a way to tell future generations about the role Charlie MacDonald played in suturing together the earliest expression of Caldwell by hanging the plaque pictured above.
Finally, I thought I would share Abong Fankam’s lovely Prayer for the People, which reminds us of God’s hand in the past, present and future of all things (below). You might make it your own prayer sometime this week.
Don’t forget two great gatherings this week:
- Tonight at 6:30 in Shelby, we begin a study called “Bridging the Waters: A Deep Dive Into Racism and Whiteness.”
- Thursday at 6, we kick off a relationship with the people of St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church, with a pot-luck dinner in Belk Hall.
Here is Abong’s prayer.
Prayer for the People
God of our past, we gather today to give You thanks for the past.
To those who first had a vision of a church in this place,
to those who gave of their labour, their treasure and their time to make it happen.
God of our triumphs, we remember with praise and thanks those men and women of vision who sat in this very statuary 10 years ago.. We give thanks for their seemingly impossible dream of a new Caldwell . and for the hours and years of faith-filled and prayerful labour to make it a reality.
We remember with pride the great things that have been accomplished in the last 10 years of witness and worship. We give thanks for those who heard Your voice calling and stepped forward in leadership. For those with courage and heart to make the difficult choices in a faithful manner, for those who helped the new church to grow in wisdom and in faith we say thanks and pray that we can learn from their example.
God of our regrets, we acknowledge that our story has its times of shadow as well. There are times when we have not lived up to the ideal of what it means to be Your people. We remember times when we have chosen to remain silent when a prophetic voice was needed. And as we share our regrets we offer our repentance, praying that we would learn a better way by reflecting on our past.
God of our present, we know that all is not well with the church today. In congregations and Presbyteries and Conferences across the country there is much anxiety and dis-ease. We worry about “greying” membership and declining numbers. We fret about finances. In the midst of our worrying it can be easy not to notice the good times, the signs of Your Spirit blowing new life into our midst. In the middle of our dis-ease, reawaken our hearts with words of hope and comfort.
God of our future, we do not know what the future will bring. Sometimes that unknowing brings excitement at the limitless possibilities. Sometimes it just makes us fearful at our lack of control. And so we attempt to shape the future in our own way, according to our own vision instead of opening our hearts and minds and souls to what Your vision may be. As we move forward in to the clouded uncertainty that lies ahead, help us to remember that we are not alone. Open our eyes to see and ears to hear what possibilities are out there. And whatever the future may bring, strengthen us to face it faithfully and as people of hope.
Challenging God, over the centuries You have challenged people of faith on countless occasions in innumerable ways. We are challenged constantly to live the old story in new times, to sing the old songs in new places, to keep the faith when it would be easier to let it fall by the wayside. At the same time we are challenged to hear new stories that intersect with the old, to learn new songs that capture the faith of the ages, to allow our understanding of You and Your world to grow and develop. Help us face the challenges of the present and the future with the knowledge that, just as you were with all those who faced challenges in the past, you are and will be with us as we face our own. All this we pray in the name of the One whose name we bear, Jesus of Nazareth, the One we call Christ.