WHAT: An open forum engaging the community-at-large, community organizations and community leadership in healthy discussion concerning the documented incidences of police brutality involving African American women in 2015 around the United States.
WHEN: Saturday, November 14, 2015, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
WHERE: First Congregational Church, 1024 Center St. North, Birmingham, AL 35204
Continue reading She Matters forum at First Congregational UCC
You are invited to the Alabama-Tennessee Association Annual Meeting at Covenant Community Church Friday October 2nd through Saturday, 3rd, October 3rd, 2015. This meeting will begin on Friday with a dinner at 6 pm and will conclude on Saturday afternoon around 3.
On Friday evening, we will hear a keynote address from Rev. Traci Blackmon (shown above), pastor of Christ the King Church UCC in Florisant, Missouri, who is a voice for justice in Ferguson and beyond. We will also enjoy worship led by Rev. JR Finney and the worship team at Covenant.
Saturday, we will have workshop discussions on race and will continue the business of the AL/TN Association of the UCC.
For details and a registration form, please contact Mr. Joe Griffin at Covenant Community Church, 205-599-3363.
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I might not always choose this hymn to share, but it spoke to me particularly in Lent.
In this hymn I am most lifted up by the final 4 lines. The thought of the spirit’s healing being poured out on us, bringing forth joy and boldness, gives me such a full heart I can’t help but burst into a broad smile whether anyone is around or not!
The “measure” of “gain and loss” sounds potentially discouraging, but perhaps that’s a source of “the hopes that lead us onward” as well as “the fears that hold us back”. Those fears and that timidity! They are not God given.
Earlier in this Lent I heard and saw several references to our need for faith and courage in responding to the visions God has for us. It came up in the children’s lesson with Abraham and Sarah being good models in leaving their homeland for a place known to God but not to them. I also remember Reverend Wright challenging Beloveds in a sermon preached before the roof damaging storm, to listen for God’s message and be prepared to step out of our comfort zone in order to fulfill the work God has for each of individually and for us collectively.
Thus I pray,
God, you know our strengths and weaknesses, reinforce and undergird the love we know, that all those whom we meet may also know that love and share it as they are called to do.
Amen
-Nancy Sales
Philippians 1:3 – 8 (NRSV)
“I thank my God that every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your hearts, so all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for you with all the compassion of Jesus Christ. “
Such joy and thanksgiving in Paul’s writing to the Christians of Philippi! Whenever I read this passage I am filled to overflowing with thanks to God for Christ’s followers. That sounds pretty flowery for my usual talk – well, maybe that is because I am writing not speaking face to face, but it is true. Not that any one of us is a saint in the perfect sense. However, each of us is a saint in Paul’s sense – a believer.
To think that Paul, though imprisoned, could write with such joy and confidence! Surely Paul’s words reflect the truth in his heart and life seen in a part of another of today’s lectionary readings, Psalm 31:14-15a, “I trust in you O Lord: I say, You are my God. My times are in your hands.” I know that in my own life, I often do not think or act in the sense of those words, trusting in the Lord. But I also know that the more I hear and read of others whose lives show trust in God, the more I am aware of the possibility of living in such trust myself.
Hearing the personal experiences from Beloveds and in sermons of others meets such a powerful need I and perhaps all of us have, I ache for Paul and those today who long for the fellowship and live worship but are unable to be present. Thus it is that I am so thankful for the opportunity of Christian community on each Sunday.
May Paul’s prayer, Philippians 1:9, be our prayer – that our love may overflow more and more with knowledge and depth of insight to be able to discern what is best (NRSV & NIV adapted), and may we share that love and insight and discernment with one another.
-Nancy Sales
In Ephesians 2: 11-22, one of the lectionary scriptures for today, Gentile readers/hearers who have recently come to the Christian faith and those persons of a Jewish heritage are told that they are together, brought together by Christ. Whether they knew and had experienced the covenants and promises of God from their ancestors’ time or barely had heard of them, they now all know Christ and Christ has “brought down the walls between them.” As written in Eugene Person’s contemporary language of The Message: “He (Jesus) started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people, separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everyone.”
Centuries later many more than two groups, we know we have been brought together by Christ and we are together in Christ. I find myself especially aware of that in worship, and having perceived it in worship I am more likely to hold onto being ‘together in Christ’ through the week.
Of course, we know that those who are together in Christ are all of God’s beloved’s (with a small ‘b’). Still, I think it helps me to truly be one with all, worldwide, when I have a community with whom I see, feel, taste that togetherness on a weekly basis. Thanks be to God for Beloved Community Church and God’s other congregational families around the world!
Recently I was particularly touched by this portion of a prayer: “God of wisdom here at week’s end as we prepare for worship in community,… May we have and take the opportunity to, in the words of another scripture for today: … shout praises to God, raise the roof for the Rock who saved us! …march into God’s presence singing praises, lifting the rafters with our hymns!
(Psalm 95:1-2, The Message)
-Nancy Sales
Revelation 19: 9 -10
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And the angel said to me, “These are true words of God.” 10 Then I fell down and worshiped at the angel’s feet, but the angel said to me, “You must not do that! I am a servant along with you and your comrades who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
“Worship God!” Well, isn’t that what I do? But not angels. Is that it? Do I do that? Maybe I do need to think about that. With all the angels in Revelation (or angel imagery as a commentary says), we may be surprised to read, “I am a servant along with you and your comrades.”
God alone is worthy of worship. What may I be worshiping without really being aware of it? Some of my role models? My spouse/partner/friend? Habits? Power over others? This certainly does provide me with some challenges about my relationship with God and with other things.
May we all be blessed by the study of God’s word, personally and with others.
Nancy Sales
Psalm 105
1 O give thanks to God, call on God’s name,
Make known God’s deeds among the peoples.
2 Sing to God, sing praises to God;
Tell of all God’s wonderful works.
3 Glory to God’s holy name;
Let the hearts of those who seek God rejoice.
4 Seek God and God’s strength;
Seek God’s presence continually.
5 Remember the wonderful works God has done,
the miracles, and the judgments God uttered,
6 O offspring of Abraham and Sarah, God’s servants,
children of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah, God’s chosen ones.
This psalm of God’s faithfulness to Israel begins with 15 verses so uplifting they, along with verses from Psalm 96 and 106, are quoted in the account of the ark of the covenant being brought into Jerusalem under David’s direction. (1st Chronicles 16:8-22). The more I read theses verses in preparing this reflection, the more uplifted I feel. Does that suggest that I might more regularly spend time reading the scriptures? No doubt there are good reasons some faith traditions include a psalm in weekly worship. In addition to giving thanks and praise for all that God has done and is doing, is any other response needed? In a commentary on this psalm I read, “Note that God’s grace called for the people’s responsibility as well as their praise…It involves both privilege and responsibility.” “Privilege and responsibility.”
That’s something to think about. What are the responsibilities that challenge us? I’m frequently aware that I do better in giving thanks to God in public worship than I do in letting persons I meet outside church know how great God is God’s grace and mercy. Others may be good at telling friends, family and co-workers what wonders God has done, but find it hard to join with brothers and sisters in regular worship. Why is regularly telling about God so hard for some? Why is being in worship regularly so hard for others? Could we benefit by sharing these difficulties and supporting each other? At least for me some help is also in verse 4. How do we seek God, God’s strength, and God’s presence continually? We’re advised that those words and phrases mean pray. That’s certainly another good reminder from this psalm.
Looking for variation in translations I found that Today’s English Version verse 3a really touched me. It reads “Be glad that we belong to God.” I have no idea why that is so different from the translation above, but I like the TEV so much I had to include it and how I respond to it. It doesn’t say that I belong to God, but that we do. The versions are similar in 3b. When I recognize that we all belong to God, I rejoice and want to encourage others to do the same.
Nancy Sales
