Greetings, Caldwell.
Gail here at the keyboard this week.
What a joyful time we shared in worship last Sunday. We had Buddy Mentor participants and their families with us. We welcomed five Davidson/Stapleton interns from Covenant Pres. in worship. We prayed for the high school graduates.
Because it was Pentecost Sunday, we prayed the Lord’s Prayer in at least six languages. It was my joy to speak to the children about the fact that, even if they aren’t fluent in another language as the followers of Jesus were after the coming of the Holy Spirit, they can speak the language of love, of kindness, and of peace to everyone they meet. So can the rest of us.
Helms and Greg Jarrell and their family are a fine example of people in our Caldwell community who are gaining fluency in the languages of love, kindness, justice, and peace. They have committed their lives to the work of God in the Enderly Park community of Charlotte through the work of QC Family Tree. Greg has written a book about their experiences there – A Riff of Love. It’s a fantastic book that ties Greg’s love of music to his love of his community and the people who live there.
Greg’s book is our current “Caldwell Reads” offering. It’s available now through Amazon or at https://wipfandstock.com/a-riff-of-love.html. You can also buy copies Sunday at church – or receive one as a gift if you can’t afford it. This summer’s interns are also reading it.
This coming Sunday, Greg will preach from the first two chapters of the book of Habakkuk. If you don’t know that Old Testament book, please take a look. There are only three chapters – and they are full of prayers for justice, pleas for help – and also statements of determination made by the prophet, Habakkuk, determination to stand and watch for the movement of God against those who were bent on evil.
May we all be inspired by the words of that ancient text – inspired to speak the languages of love and justice in our life as the church in this broken, beautiful, wounded, wonder-filled world.
May our celebration of Pentecost – and our bilingual lives of faith – continue all week long and for many days and weeks to come.
Grace and peace be with you, Gail