Greetings! 

 

The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Cearley

Lead Pastor of Congregational Life

 

Greetings all!

One of the gifts of being a part of a community is the sharing of wisdom and experience across generations. While often we spend much of our time with folks who are at similar life stages of our own, church is one place where we can easily talk with, study with, worship with and come to know one another.

As Ian likes to say, church is a workshop in community. It's a place to practice listening, understanding, compassion and appreciation. It's a place to alter your stance...to look at an issue, a theological truth, a faith perspective that is different than your own.

I'm always so encouraged to see young families whose immediate families may live far away, sitting with "grandparent age" church friends, folks teaching Church school whose own children have long since grown, and multi-generational discussions occurring at educational events. In a time when our extended families are not always in close proximity to us, church is a wonderful place to remind ourselves of those who have paved the way for us and those who will come after us.

I encourage you to seek out someone of a decade or a generation different from your own. You will find the conversations so full of meaning and insight. And you will find that your sense of community is deepened when you reach out.

May we be a community of tender heart toward and with one another.

Blessings for your week.

Cindy  

 

The Rev. Ian Gregory Cummins
Lead Pastor of Spiritual Life

 

Hi Everyone,

Here is the Lectio Divina text for this week:

"Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you."
Ephesians 4:31 - 32

What should we do with the anger we feel? Certainly to bottle it up or to deny it isn't the answer and sometimes we just need to 'get it out'. But often when we express anger, rather than feel better, we feel more worked up than before. Anger is a source of tremendous energy; energy that can either create or destroy. When our anger is out of control, we are more likely to hurt than to help. As we mature in our faith journey, we are able to do as Paul says and "put away" our anger until we have enough perspective to use it wisely. That doesn't mean we don't defend ourselves or work to right some wrong. But by holding the big picture of faith, we learn to use our anger rather than have it use us.

Grace and goodness,

Ian 

 
Join Our Mailing List

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter