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Welcome to the first (published) edition of Sermon Sandbox! This won’t happen every week, but, from time to time, I think it’s helpful to give you an idea of some of the things that I’ve encountered and found helpful in preparing a sermon or worship service. The content below is by no means exhaustive! And it is in addition to a handful of commentaries that I tend to consult. If you’re curious about the things that go into a sermon, then the Sermon Sandbox is for you! See below for for this week’s edition!

On March 27th, 2002, the Christie’s Auction House sold a 2-page document, in fine condition, oblong in shape, that noted a list of supporters of a student enrolled at the Charity School of Wolverhampton, England. The document was sold for 270,000 dollars, which is nearly half a million dollars today. In almost every other case, a document like that would be more sentimental than monetarily valuable. And yet, this document carried significant value. It’s not the content of the document that mattered, but rather one of its signers: Button Gwinnett. Gwinnett’s signature is among the rarest of all the signers of the Declaration of Independence. This is due mostly to his death in a duel a few years after the signing of the declaration. Button Gwinnett was born in England, was a failed businessman in the colonies, but was respected politically. When Georgia sent its representatives to Philadelphia, Gwinnett was one of them. Before his death, Gwinnett also briefly served as the President of Georgia, one of the only people to hold that office. All of this may seem random, but it’s important to note that Gwinnett was a Congregationalist! Gwinnett, and one of Georgia’s other signers,  Lyman Hall, were both members of Midway Congregational Church. This really shouldn’t be a surprise. Congregationalism is linked to an unending thread of independence. 

A handful of Central members were once members of the now closed, Button Gwinnett UCC! I don’t imagine we’ll talk much about Gwinnett on Sunday, but reading more about his story has been very helpful in thinking about what relationship might exists between the reformations and the journey of the United States.

A few other things have been helpful in my reading and preparation  for this sermon, you can find a few of those things listed below:

Music: “American Dreaming” by Sierra Ferrell, “American Anthem” by Norah Jones, “eyes locked on the king” by abbie gamora & the upper room, “The American Suite Op. 98 B. 190” by Antonin Dvorak

Film: CARS by Disney Pixar

Art: “Statue of Liberty” by Ulysses Davis, “The Boy with No Past” by Amy Sherald, “Sunshine to Put in My Pocket” by Amy Sherald, “Transforming Liberty” by Amy Sherald, “For Love, and for Country” by Amy Sherald. All of these pieces are currently on display at the High Museum, as part of the “American Sublime” exhibit

Writings: “On Being a Christian in a Time of Peril and Pain” by Rev. Dr. Nancy Taylor, “Let America Be America Again” by Langston Hughes, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “Remarks at the Presentation Ceremony for the Presidential Medal of Freedom(Jan. 1989)” by Ronald Reagan, “Remarks on 2008 Presidential Election” by George W. Bush, “2012 DNC Speech” by Rev. Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver, “The Principle of Protestantism” by John W. Nevin, “Ain’t I a Woman” by Sojourner Truth, “Strangers and Pilgrims: Female Preaching in America” by Catherine Brekus