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Midweek Blast of Epiphany Light

August 31, 2016

The Gospel and Colin Kaepernick

Years ago my eldest daughter ran to Gina complaining that her arm hurt.  Gina, in the middle of a moms' party, assumed Kellyn was fine and sent her back to her room to keep playing.  Later on it turned out that after falling from a chair (that she was dancing on), she landed just right on her elbow, popping a bone in her upper arm.  Even though we still give Gina a hard time for this one, it wasn't as if she was intentionally dismissing Kellyn or that she didn't care; it just got pushed aside until we realized something was wrong.  Once we realized that she was injured, we sped over to an Urgent Care and she got her first cast.
 
Colin Kaepernick is a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers and currently the most talked about player in the NFL, but not for what he can do with a football.  Last Friday (as well as the previous two preseason games) Colin intentionally did not stand for the anthem.  When asked about his protest, Kaepernick said, "I am not going to stand up and show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.  To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.  There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."  
 
You can imagine (and have probably seen and heard) the raging inferno that has ensued.  There are those who support his decision and some who respect his courage for speaking his beliefs, but there are many more who not only disagree with him, but go to great lengths, with colorful language and over-the-top actions, to say why he is wrong.  Now, whether you agree or disagree with him and his actions, let's pause for a second and ask a simple question: would Kaepernick refuse to stand and say these things if he didn't think there was a problem that needed to be addressed? 
 
Some have argued that he is only doing this for attention, and yes, this is the first time he is a household name since his rookie season three years ago, but even as a backup quarterback he has the opportunity to make millions of dollars.  Would he walk away from that payday if he didn't believe in what he was doing?  Is this really just a publicity stunt?  I seriously doubt he is looking for attention.  
 
So, before his many critics took to their favorite medium of the day, did any of them sit down and talk with him?  Did any of them try to figure out where his actions were rooted?  Where and why this all started?  Did they try to see the world through his eyes and understand his frustration?  Right or wrong, agree or disagree, was there an attempt to make sense of the situation?  Of course not!  It's much easier to spout off a quick post or a sound bite that might get picked up, or an interview where we can promote ourselves.  Instead of making things better, we have added to the great divide that is our current state.  Maybe a better question is: how can we make the situation better?  How do we fix what's broken?
 
Neither Gina nor I have been to medical school, so we couldn't tell by sight that Kellyn's arm was broken, but after a few minutes we realized something wasn't right and we made sure the situation was addressed.  You don't need "Dr" before your name to see that things aren't right all around us, so why aren't we doing anything?  We need(ed) MLK and the Civil Rights movement because things aren't (weren't) right.  We need movements like "Black Lives Matter" because things are broken and we need to work together to make the world a better place.  You can disagree with Kaepernick and his approach, but what are you doing to fix what's broken?  Until we live in a world without murder, poverty, and prisons, it's not their problem; it's our problem.  Maybe we can start there and actually go someplace.  
 
What is broken cannot be pushed aside.  It must be addressed.  We are here for a reason.  We have gifts that the world needs.  So use them.
 
Pastor Chris
 
Wednesdays at the Well tonight
Wednesdays at the Well is our midweek service. 
Community meal at 6 p.m. serves rotisserie chicken and sides.  Imagine children's choir at 6:25, and worship begins at 7.

Suggested freewill offering for dinner is $6/adult, and $3/children. Cash, checks, and credit cards accepted.

Pastor Chris continues a study of the prophet Daniel.

Come, be refreshed at the Well!

Epiphany's Newest Confirmands!
Baptism retreat last Sunday
New 6th graders and a few new 8th graders participated in a baptism retreat last Sunday afternoon. As they continue through their journey towards confirmation and affirming their baptism, they will be an integral part of our faith community this year and for the next three years. Please keep them in your prayers!
 
New Adult Bible Study
Begins September 11
In addition to our Animate adult Bible study class Sundays at 9:45, a second class will begin in September. This will be a "straight up" Bible study, led by Pastor Chris, our Intern, Anders Nilsen, member/Pastor Landa Larson, and member Tim Sanders. 
 
3rd Annual HTF Golf Classic: Register NOW!
tee shot Thursday, September 29
The annual HTF Golf Classic is the major fundraiser for summer camps in Haiti. It's also a terrific event! Join the team to help make this year's tournament a great success! It's now time to register yourself as a player, your foursome, sponsor a hole as an individual or as a corporation. Visit our website and register TODAY!
http://htfgolfclassic.weebly.com/
https://www.regonline.com/2016HTFGolfClassic 
 
College Care Packages
Believe it or not, it's time to start planning!
Epiphany has a wonderful tradition of providing care packages for our college students during fall finals week. We collect many supplies all college kids need/love, including candy, snacks, Starbucks gift cards, and personal notes of care. Start bringing your large shoeboxes to church! Also, sign your own college students up to receive these packages, delivered over the Thanksgiving holiday, plus one for a friend!
 
Epiphany's Fall Festival
October 30th!
Mark your calendars and start planning your costumes for our annual Fall Festival! Once again, we will have a cooking contest, costume contest, and Trunk or Treating for the kids! Stay tuned for more information.
 
Epiphany Lutheran Church
1350 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.
Suwanee, GA  30024
770-831-1966