#17 GIVING THANKS AND SEEKING PEACE

WHERE I WENT AND WHY:
In years past I have attended the University area community Thanksgiving service that includes 3-5 churches (depending on the year) within a few blocks of Advent Lutheran.  This year I went to the citywide community Thanksgiving service sponsored by MeckMin at Providence Baptist church.  Providence Baptist was another progressive Baptist church I wanted to visit, plus eldercare prevented me from attending a service on Sunday.

WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GO:
Parking was intense, causing me to miss the opening hymn! (OK, the parking didn't cause it, my tardiness and not allowing enough time for traffic caused me to be late!) It may not be that way on a regular Sunday, but some of their lots require a healthy walk.  There was an overflow crowd and I had to stand in the back (which probably wasn't a bad thing, I could see better than if I were sitting).

This picture was taken last night and posted on Providence Baptist's facebook page.
 I was standing beside the woman when she took it.

REFLECTIONS ON WORSHIP

MOOD:

UNITY is the only word to describe the mood Tuesday night.  It was wonderful to see folks of all faiths - Christian, white and African American, Hindu, Baha'i, Jewish, and Religious Science giving their traditions calls to worship.

Participating worship leaders

MUSIC:

I really hate I missed the processional, We Gather Together.  The interfaith choir was wonderful and there was a full orchestra and pipe organ.  The children's choir  directed by Caldwell Presbyterian's Anne Hunter Eidson and assisted by Allyson Neeriemer from Park Road Baptist did an amazing anthem, Thanks Be to God with We Shall Overcome as a counterpoint.  I'm sure there was limited rehearsal time with the children and adult choirs, but they were great! A cantor from Temple Beth El, Mary Rebecca Thomas, did a recurring Congregational Refrain, Let It Begin with Me  with a contemporary bent that was infectious.  Her offertory, Lift Up Your Voice, was also terrific and used the orchestra, piano, and organ.  Tears came to my eyes during the congregational hymn, Let There Be Peace on Earth.

MESSAGE:

Joe Marusak wrote a piece for the Observer that summarizes the message well.

I would just add that I felt honored to hear Rose Hamid's Prayer for Peace.  I highly respect her writing in the Observer. She encouraged us to stand for justice when we see prejudice. I was especially moved when James Ford, the Teacher of the Year last year acknowledged how life changed forever (and not for the good) for our Native American brothers and sisters   when they welcomed strangers who were seeking peace and religious freedom.  He said we must work not for the absence of strife but for the positive work of justice for the marginalized among us.  Max Lewin,  a student at the Northwest School of the Arts called for us to work to end hunger and promote sustainability.  He definitely represented the hope for the future  that Dr. Dennis Foust spoke of in his children's sermon.  He gave the children 5 kernels of corn to represent God, commitment, worship, thanksgiving and hope for the future.  Then a cornucopia of corn kernels were passed around to the congregation.

I was also moved by the 3rd responsive reading for peace:

OBSERVATIONS AND OUTREACH

• A few months ago I was in the parking lot picking up my granddaughter from preschool at Christ Lutheran on Providence Road and an older couple drove in obviously in a hurry.  They were supposed to be at a funeral at Providence Baptist and asked me directions.  It was only then that I found it humorous that Providence Baptist is NOT on Providence Road but on Randolph.
• During the reception afterwards tables were staffed from SHARE Charlotte and United Way.
• I remember when my perspective on Thanksgiving (especially the plays children put on in preschools!) changed forever when a Native American preschool teacher came to me in tears thanking me for my session on cultural sensitivity.  She explained to me that in her culture Thanksgiving is also viewed as a day of sorrow.
• The Christmon tree was already decorated in the narthex and was exquisite.  I forgot to take a picture

No funny this week.  I am beginning to grieve for my dad who is entering a Hospice Center today and is beginning to shut down.  I am thankful for the gifts of humor and storytelling he gave me along with his examples of faith, marriage, hard work, and how to treat all folks with fairness.  This picture was taken during Providence Lutheran's 150th Anniversary on week 12 of this blog, just 5 weeks ago.  God gave him 92 extraordinary years.  Just yesterday he regaled us with a tale of producing the Sophisticated Pigs, a country music band, at one of Columbia's first radio stations!

The Bulletin:

#16 A Powerful Preacher and a National Sermon on Race

Dr. William Barber, Architect of the Moral Monday Movement

WHERE I WENT AND WHY:
Another hectic week of elder care kept me from coming to Charlotte in time for a morning service, and made attending in South Carolina difficult.  Myers Park Baptist (one of the MP3!) was on my list and I noticed in the paper that Dr. Barber would be delivering a special sermon Sunday night.  MP Baptist is known in Charlotte as a progressive Baptist church, so it definitely was on my "list".  And a chance to hear Dr. Barber made this a slam dunk! (Not to mention the convenient time.  I'm a little chagrined about how often I choose a church because it's services are at a time that fits my schedule.  This has become a distinct advantage when choosing a church each week, but somehow I don't think God would validate this part of my criteria!)

WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GO:
Myers Park Baptist is in the triangle of Queens Road, Selwyn Avenue and Sharon Road.  Parking was intense!  I got the last spot in the preschool circle, and folks were parking in the median on Queens when I arrived 20 minutes early.   By the time the service started, they were seating folks in the choir loft in the chancel!  It was a packed house!! I'm not sure if it would be quite that way at a regular service, but with the MP3 within 2 blocks of each other, I'd plan some extra time for parking.  Dress was church casual with folks more on the dressy side even in the late afternoon.

The massive pulpit and chandeliers are amazing!

REFLECTIONS ON WORSHIP

MOOD:

When I arrived, the church was already just about full and I ended sitting on the front row!  The atmosphere was electric with anticipation.  The pews are in "boxes" and I thanked the woman next to me for letting me crowd in.  She is a regular member and we had a pleasant conversation about their new minister (Dr. Boswell) who also delivered a healing sermon this morning.  After hearing about my project, she invited me back to a regular service.

MUSIC:

The youth choir at MP Baptist began the service with a great anthem "You are a Child of God". 

On week #2 I wrote about the Caldwell Presbyterian Gospel Choir.  Supposedly they were not at full strength that day.  Well they were Sunday night!  Their rendition of "Time to Serve the Lord" got a 2 minute standing ovation!  They were supposed to close the service with another anthem, but Dr. Barber did an impromptu altar call of the clergy and anointed them to go out and deliver a message of peace.  This resulted in them skipping their anthem which I was looking forward to! (A small snippet is in the video on the Observer link further down.)

MESSAGE:

Dr. Barber is a commanding figure and his delivery can be hard to follow sometimes.  When reading, he can speak very fast (and he quoted numerous sources).   I was writing furiously and had no idea how I would summarize the more than hour-long sermon!  The sermon was based on 1st Samuel where God gives the Israelites a king even though He spoke against it through Samuel, the Prophet.  He told Samuel, that the people were not rejecting him, but rejecting God's counsel and that he should continue to prophesy and call upon the people to repent. He related this to our electing Trump president.  He quoted Langston Hughes  and called upon us to seek resilience, revival and redemption.  Our principals were not "unelected" last Tuesday and we will need them even more in the next 4 years.  His review of how African Americans have repeatedly been rejected and marginalized since the Civil War, through Jim Crow, the backlash to the Civil Rights Bill of the 60's, and mass incarceration of young black men in the war on drugs dovetailed perfectly with my reading of The New Jim Crow.   He said that Trump is not an anomaly,  and not the worst thing to happen to racial unity (remember slavery?!) but just one more obstacle in the way to healing the racial divide.  Poverty programs have been racialized but they help more poor white people than African Americans.  We must not let society pit one race against another, but work together to help everyone fulfill the American dream.

I am really glad Tim Funk from the Observer was there and wrote a great piece about his sermon in Monday's Observer. The piece in the physical paper is a little longer and more detailed, but this link from the Observer website has a 3 minute video of Dr. Barber preaching and the Caldwell Presbyterian Choir.  http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/article114575968.html

OBSERVATIONS AND OUTREACH

• Myers Park Baptist's reputation as a progressive church was more than validated with this service.  I was moved by the mood, message, and music!
• The church is also conducting a study on racism and  reconciliation.
  

THIS WEEK'S FUNNY:

With all of my traveling back and forth to South Carolina for elder care, I have been listening to several books on tape.  I just finished Mark Russell's God is Disappointed in You.  It is an irreverent summary of the books of the Bible and is hilarious and poignant!  I want to get a hard copy so that I can also enjoy the cartoons.  Here is a short review:

The Bulletin:

#15 TRANSFIGURED IN THE MOUNTAINS

This is what a mountain church should look like!!

WHERE I WENT AND WHY
After a hectic week of eldercare with my dad, I took a respite and visited our new vacation home in Black Mountain for the first time since we closed!  I pass by The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration on my way there.  

WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GO:
The location is 106 Saylor Lane, Bat Cave, NC (You can see it from Hwy 9).    Worship is at 10 am.  Parking is "up the hill" when you enter the driveway.  Dress was church casual, with EVERY woman in pants! There was a nice laminated card in the pew explaining the service to newcomers.

REFLECTIONS ON WORSHIP

MOOD:

I found this to be a very friendly congregation.  Wendy greeted me and immediately offered help in following the service.  After the service several folks made a point to come by and introduce themselves.  I am such a newby to the area, I couldn't tell them where our house is ("its off a road that begins with an "s"... lol  Thank you God, for GPS!!)

MUSIC:

The music was very traditional and the organist was competent, playing the SIX (!) hymns at a nice pace.  The choir did not sing an offertory or anthem.  The congregation used both a hymnal and Book of Common Prayer (for the liturgy).  

MESSAGE:

This was Stewardship Sunday, and instead of a sermon, several folks gave "temple talks" about why they are pledging and give to the church.  Churches often shy away from talking about money and I thought this was good stewardship.  Jo Ann was perhaps the most articulate.  She talked about how the church feeds her hunger for scripture interpretation and using her faith in the community and world; it feeds her Spirit with Holy Communion, her soul with music and her heart with friendship, compassion and caring.  Finally her body gets fed during the coffee hour!  Mike (?) talked about all of the congregation's recent accomplishments, mostly building and ground improvements plus the vestry wants to start a health initiative.  The pastor just recently bought a house, so they are figuring out what to do with the adjoining manse.  Jack spoke about joining with the Church of the Advocate in Asheville and starting a clothes closet for homeless and disadvantaged folks.  Wes, the pastor finished with talking about looking for opportunities to join together to do God's work in the world.

Since Sunday I have exchanged emails with the pastor, Rev. Wes Shields, and he pointed out that not only did the church devote a Sunday to parishioners' "temple talks", but that he had preached a stewardship sermon the week before.  I went to the link on the website and listened to it.  The sermon while not "firey" was excellent!  His delivery style is much as I expected, very folksy and low key... but he had some real zingers on stewardship if you listen.  He talked about "time, talent, and treasure" and emphasized that it is not one at the expense of the other.  In talking about tithing, he stressed that it is about setting ourselves free from the weight of our possessions.  God loves us and wants us to know the joy and freedom that tithing brings (God doesn't need the $$!!)  He also talked about the church's journey to tithing 10% to outreach.  You can view Wes' sermon at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcFgeTUc3h4&feature=youtu.be  So many churches shy away from talking about money.  If this is you, or you want to see stewardship in action from the pulpit (tho he didn't use it!! lol), I invite you to view his sermon.

I was reminded of an experience David and I had early on in our marriage at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Raleigh when a speaker at a stewardship dinner and an "every member visit" taught us how to  tithe.  Start where you are and add 10% a year.  Within a few years we were tithing and it hadn't "hurt".  This was a discipline we needed as a young married couple and it set the tone for both our giving and spiritual life for the last 43 years of marriage.

OUTREACH AND OBSERVATIONS

• The mood and message touched me today.  I applaud the congregation in devoting a Sunday's message to stewardship.
• Prayer shawls and Bare Necessity kits to Haiti were blessed today.

I loved this picture from their website.  I think this is the same baby that received a prayer shawl today.
They did the baptism at Lake Lure.

• The congregation cleans the church without hiring help. During the announcements they acknowledged a man named Carl who had taken on this ministry.  Unable to continue, they are setting up a cleaning rotation.  It reminded me of Advent's early years.
• The bulletin was printed with just page numbers listed for the various components of the service.  This required a good bit of "book shuffling" and searching for pages.  I told my husband later that I felt sort of lazy and a little frustrated being about a verse behind finding my place.  Lazy because this is exactly how the bulletin was structured when I was growing up, but I've gotten used to everything being printed out.  His comment was that this is a function of the advent of computers and printers which do NOT eliminate paper, but make it easier to print and copy.  However we agreed that we do not miss the old mimeographs!!

THIS WEEK'S FUNNY:

  I thought about several cartoons that mixed politics and religion, but since the election will thankfully be over when you read this, I decided to look up stewardship cartoons:

THE BULLETIN: