David Camon
Loved his music.
He loved his family.
He loved his church.
Above all,
He loved his God.
He loved with a fierce love,
A protective love,
An obedient love.
All posts by Angie Wright
Lenten Reflection from Angie Wright: In Search of a Round Table (poem by Chuck Lathrop)
Concerning the why and how and what and who of ministry,
One image keeps surfacing: A table that is round.
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Lenten Reflection from Rev. Angie Wright: The Promise
Today’s reflection comes from Rev. Angie’s parting words to us at her final service with us last month.
I once had a dream that I was given a very sacred duty of safely carrying a very large, very fragile vessel across a fallen log suspended over a raging river.
I dropped it.
Continue reading Lenten Reflection from Rev. Angie Wright: The Promise
Advent + Christmas concerts each Sunday at Beloved!
Join us each Sunday evening during Advent for special musical celebrations!
Sunday, November 29th, 6:00 PM: Featuring Alvin “Cornbread” Garrett + David Sea of the Temptations Review
Sunday, December 6th: Featuring Perfect Praise + Mark Kelly
Sunday, December 13th: Joint UCC Christmas service with special guests from Pilgrim UCC, Covenant Community Church + First Congregational UCC. Continue reading Advent + Christmas concerts each Sunday at Beloved!
Lessons from the early church: learning to listen
Imagine that you are part of a small church. Imagine that your small church is racially and culturally diverse.
Some people in the church have ancestral roots in the land where you live and the others come from foreign lands.
Some speak one language and the others speak another.
Some come from the dominant religious background and the others come from another.
One group has historically had the upper hand of privilege. The other has historically been looked down upon and denied basic human rights.
I’m talking about the earliest church. It’s their story as much as it is ours.
Continue reading Lessons from the early church: learning to listen
A note from Angie: looking ahead
I am not a planner. That probably doesn’t come as a surprise to many of you.
When it comes to travel I make all my plans at the last minute and I make sure they are flexible because who knows what might come up to alter your plans.
In a way, I take heart in my lack of planning. The old saying makes sense to me, that “when people plan, God laughs.”
I’m not much of a planner but when I look back on my life, it makes sense. Even with all the mistakes I have made along the way, I can see some intelligent design, and the intelligence is not mine.
A charge to our neighbor, Rev. Paul Eknes-Tucker
The following was Rev. Angie’s charge to Rev. Paul Eknes-Tucker, the new pastor at our sister church Pilgrim UCC, on the occasion of his installation service Sunday, October 4th, 2015 in Birmingham, Alabama.
I charge you to love wastefully.
Cast seeds of love everywhere
Without thought of where they land,
Without worry about whether
Under the dark earth
They are beginning to sprout
Or whether they will bear fruit.
It is not your job to bring fruit from a seed,
That is God’s work.
Your work is to sow the seeds
Of wanton, prodigal love
In the hearts of your people
And to remember that
All people
are your people.
Continue reading A charge to our neighbor, Rev. Paul Eknes-Tucker
Beloved 2015 All-Church Retreat Saturday, October 10th
Join our retreat at Birmingham’s Fresh Air Farm in Bluff Park to discuss our spiritual life, God’s work in our community and our direction as a church.
Friday, October 9th (evening): Church Council retreat
Saturday, October 10th, 9 am – 3 pm: Full church retreat
All are welcome! The cost is free, but we welcome donations to help defray the costs of food and lodging.
Shake off the dust: or, leave it as you found it
I used to think that Jesus’ admonition to “shake the dust off your feet” was a silent, nonviolent and slightly snarky protest against those who didn’t welcome the followers of Jesus.
But recently I joined faith leaders from across the country in a deep immersion in Honduras and Guatemala seeking to understand root causes of migration.
Now I hear Jesus saying,
“When you go into a community, go with your hands and pockets empty. Bring no gifts that leave room for empty promises, no gifts that can be used to manipulate, no gift that may insult or mislead. Come with empty hands and an open heart. If the community does not receive you, then leave, and as you leave, shake the dust off your feet. Take nothing that is not freely given, not even the dust on your feet. If the community doesn’t welcome you, leave it just as you found it.” Matthew 10:9-14.
Continue reading Shake off the dust: or, leave it as you found it
Potluck Supper Sunday, August 30th, after 6 PM service
This Sunday, August 30th, we’re celebrating the end of summer and the beginning of school with our usual fifth Sunday potluck after the service!
We’ll have the dessert portion covered, with homemade ice cream and all the toppings. You just need to bring yourself, friends or family and your favorite dish.
See you Sunday at 6!