Dear Caldwell,
Last week was quite the week for us as a church.
On Thursday, we opened our doors and welcomed over 350 family members, friends, and companions for the funeral service of Darnel Mills, grandson of Francis Smith, son of Tomaceeta Hampton, and cousin of Jermaine Johnson. The sanctuary was filled – so much so that there were people standing in the side aisles. Tears rolled down cheeks and laughter rolled across the entire gathering as family members told stories of his irrepressible joie de vivre. He was a beloved young man whose life ended tragically and far too soon.
It was a time of worship and celebration, but it was also a reminder of the grim reality of gun violence in our city and our nation, the brevity of life, and also the abundance of love that exists all around us and within us. We continue to pray for Tomaceeta especially, because Darnel was the second of her children who died within a two year period. May God grant her a deep sense of comfort, peace, and love at this time.
On Friday, eighty Caldwellians went up into the mountains of Montreat for the third annual all-church retreat. Inviting all to practice trusting God in the midst of the storm, several members and friends of Caldwell led workshops that focused on various themes, all of which related to the goodness and the presence of God in the midst of all that we are in the midst of – being a teenager, caregiving for parents, fatigue, vocational and career related concerns, marriage, just to name a few. Karaoke was a big hit again this year. Caldwell had its own version of the Moth storytelling hour – and each story was both well told and well received. Conversation and storytelling continued into the wee hours of the morning.
(Who’s game to help plan next year’s retreat??? Retreat planning takes a lot of energy, patience, joy, and imagination. More willing hearts, more inspiring ideas, and more helping hands are needed. Please let Rob Hammock, Dawson and Cynthia Hancock, Judith Ard, Carol King, or Gail Henderson-Belsito know of your interest.)
On Sunday morning, the remnant of Caldwell folks who weren’t at the retreat gathered for worship in the sanctuary with 150 or so friends from the Cameroonian community of Charlotte. There were more than 50 children and nearly 100 adults with us. The Grandmothers of Cameroon led the processional and sang with the choir. What a glorious sound we raised to our Loving Lord as we sang together and as we were led by the Grandmothers. What a beautiful outpouring of love, welcome, and joy we experienced.
Abong Fankam preached a compelling and encouraging sermon about not giving up hope for peace and reconciliation in her home country of Cameroon. She reminded us that we serve a God who is still at work – rolling away the reproach, humiliation, suffering, and distress of the people of Cameroon and the world. There is much work to be done before we see the reign of God and the will of God fully evident on earth as it is in heaven, so we cannot let go of hope. We cannot stop our peacemaking work. We cannot sit idly by while violence and war destroy families, communities, and nations. We cannot stop telling and living out the story of God’s love for us and for our wounded and weary world.
Abong’s sermon was aptly named, “The Storm is Passing.” Caldwellians were talking about the storms of life up at Montreat. Abong was here talking about the political storm that is raging in Cameroon. We were all and we are all thinking and praying about the storm of anger, hatred, and division that has settled over our nation.
Yes, there are many storms that we face. There is the storm of illness. There is the storm of financial instability. There is the storm of relationships in crisis. There is the storm of fear that seems to paralyze many of us. Caldwell, I want to encourage you to remember that no matter what storm you face, no matter how large, no matter how fierce, the storm is not here to stay. The storm is passing over. Hallelujah!
And even if you or I should find ourselves in a storm for a good while longer, let us never forget that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is with us in the storm. We are not alone. We have never been alone. We will never be alone in these storms. To God be all the glory and praise for that.
We look forward to being together in worship again this Sunday. It will be good to be back together and not be split between the mountains and the valley.
Grace and peace, Gail