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The road of life is long and weird and winding. Along the way, I think that all of us spend some time putting on a “brave face,” trying to mask pain(s) that we have long carried. In many cases, the pain that we carry is physical. But many of us are also carrying emotional and spiritual pain too. Regardless of the pain that we have, our society really doesn’t like talking about it.

Our cultural signals suggest that pain is something we should hold in silence, or that we should only share in “appropriate” settings. Think about the settings that we’ve decided are “appropriate.” There aren’t many. They typically aren’t free. And, they often include person(s) who would not otherwise be part of our communities, but for their presence in the setting we’ve decided is appropriate for one to lay their burdens down.

You may be thinking, “but what about church!” Does church really make space for your pain?  Does it really provide space for the pain that everyone might be carrying? We’d all love for the answer to be “yes!” But, I’m not sure that the present answer actually is “yes.” Indeed, there are plenty of folks who have found their churches to be sources of pain, even when they proclaim an extravagant welcome.

We’ve all heard the refrain “God loves [us] as we are, and loves us too much to let us stay that way.” One day, maybe that’ll apply to the church as an institution too. You’ll find throughout this worship series that I believe all of its questions are, at their core, about belonging and being a part of. I believe that these questions also invite us into a an intentional kind of curiosity that might help us anchor ourselves in who we are(and who we might like to one day be).

• Where Are You From?
• Where  Does It Hurt?
• What Do You Need?
• Where Do We Go From Here

Perhaps we’ll also be open to whatever the responses may be. Below are a few things have been in my head over the past few weeks, in addition to the usual commentaries I consult:

Music: “Messy” by Lola Young

Film: “Inside Out” by Disney-Pixar, “Wreck It Ralph” by Disney

Writings: “Sorrow Turned To Song” in The Book of Belonging:  Bible Stories for Kind and Contemplative Kids by Mariko Clark and Rachel Eleanor, “Fat Church: Claiming a Gospel of Fat Liberation” by Rev. Dr. Anastasia Kidd, and “After Whiteness: An Education in Belonging” by  Rev. Dr. Willie James Jennings

Dear Siblings, 

Can I brag on the youngest among us for a moment? Last week in worship, we talked about our common origin in the “dust of the earth and the stars of the sky.” After worship, one of the kids was so excited to share with me, Linda, and Josie that he made a person out of the clay and stardust from the Story for All Ages. A+ for listening to the story!

And, after the Celebration of Life for Lennie Vaux, a few of the great-grandchildren were sitting in Kids Space waiting for the reception to end. The youngest in the group, S.,  looked up and said:

S: Who are you?

T: I’m Thomas! Who are you?

S: I’m S!

S: Wait, where do you live?

T: I live in Downtown Decatur. Where do you live?

S: I live in Ellijay! It’s kind of far from here…

He wasn’t even in worship, and yet the questions we asked each other were born out of real curiosity and led to genuine connection. In worship this week, we’ll continue in our I’ve Been Meaning to Ask series. On Sunday, we’ll sit with the question: Where Does It Hurt?

If you’re curious about what’s been bouncing around my head as I’ve prepared this Sunday’s sermon, check out the “Sermon Sandbox” later this evening. You can find the sandbox on our website or on our facebook page. Speaking of our facebook page, please interact with us there! Our street sign needs a repair, so, for right now, Facebook is the best way to share a bit about who we are at Central.

Aside from worship, opportunities abound for community and connection! Check those out below.

See you Sunday(or sometime soon),

Thomas

Our summer break is almost over and the New Perspectives class will meet on Sunday, August 2nd for a planning session to determine where we go next. 

The class was started four and a half years ago to look at Scripture from a different perspective: bringing a historical background to Scripture. 

Our studies have covered a wide range of topics from series about the New Testament to Violence in Religion, the Gnostics and the Christian Nationalist movement among others. 

If you have not joined us previously, or if there is a topic you would like to explore, please join us downstairs in Room 103 at 9:45 a.m.  on August 2nd.   All are welcome! 

Please contact Nancy W. for more information.

Madeline Reamy is offering 20 percent off on her wall paintings for the last two weeks of her art show in the Commons. All paintings are ready to hang and make great additions to your home or as gifts for friends and family. The smaller tabletop paintings are still available for sale as marked and not discounted. 

Twenty percent of all sales go to Central to support our many programs. 

Madeline’s message for you: “Thank you for your support, and please contact me with any questions or if you are interested in art classes and future opportunities to see or purchase my paintings: [email protected]”.

Hey Siblings!

I’m SO EXCITED to launch our July(and smidge of August) worship series: I’ve Been Meaning to Ask. This series invites into a season of curiosity, intentionality, and community. My prayer is that it will help all of us set the stage for the kind of radically collaborative ministry that is possible with co-pastors and partners in ministry. 

On Sunday, we’ll start with: Where Are You From? Think about how you might answer that question? Think about what you’re expecting to hear when you ask someone that question.

In our scripture readings on Sunday, we’ll sit with the question, laden with bias: Can anything good come from Nazareth? Maybe. Maybe not. Let’s find out together. Come to worship ready to get your hands dirty! Okay, not really dirty. But, you will use them on Sunday. There’s no Sermon Sandbox for this week, but I encourage you to check out last week’s! Some of those things might pop up in this week’s sermon too. 

This Sunday, we’ll also celebrate the life of Lennie Vaux at 2pm. I hope that you’ll be able to join us in this celebration and memorial of Lennie. 

May love be our song and our prayer! See you Sunday,

Thomas

Dear Siblings, 

I’ve been thinking a lot about the relationship, if any, between the American experiment and the Protestant reformations. I think there’s something really important there. In the past few weeks, I’ve been exploring Mercerberg Theology, one of the cornerstones of the Evangelical & Reformed Church that is now part of the UCC, and some of their earliest theologians offer the notion that the Protestant reformations were an inevitable consequence of the process of becoming. Put another way, reformations weren’t a one time event or separation, but rather the continuation of the work of more fully living into God’s call for creation.

I think this is similar to the becoming project of this republic. The preamble of our constitution is actually very clear… “in order to form a more perfect union.” There’s an acknowledgement that this experiment isn’t a “one-and-done” endeavor, but rather a constantly unfolding, emerging and reemerging project of becoming something that more fully realizes the highest ideals, visions, and aspirations of who we could be. 

Indeed, in the long history of this republic, there is much to celebrate and much to lament. And through it all, we are here. 250 years old. On Sunday, we’ll sit with text from Zechariah and Matthew, which both also form an understanding of “becoming.” If you wanna know a bit about what’s informed some of my thoughts for Sunday, check out the Sermon Sandbox!

Please remember that we’ll have a special Sunday School class on Sunday: America 250: The Words We Remember! This group will gather in Room 206 at 9:45 AM. You can learn more about it below!

See you Sunday (and be safe this weekend),

Thomas

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

Dear Siblings, 

This Sunday, we’ll gather in the bittersweet celebration of Rev. Liz’s ministry with Central. I’m grateful to our History Team, particularly Allen Moye, who combed through our archives and determined that Rev. Liz is the 33rd Senior Minister of Central Congregational UCC. Our service on Sunday will reflect on the words of the psalmist found in Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18. We’ll have special music during the service too! 

Please be sure to plan to stay after the service for a farewell luncheon in honor of Rev. Liz!

See you Sunday,

Thomas