12 October 2007

Dawn

 

In the early morning of 12 October 1492, Christopher Columbus left his command post on the Santa Maria to enter a tiny rowboat that was heading for shore.  As his feet touched the ground of this tiny island in the western hemisphere, he wept tears of joy and offered to God a prayer for the dawn of a new day…one his deeply held Roman Catholic faith had instilled in him after years of use:  "Blessed be the light of day, and the Holy Cross we say; and the Lord of Truth, and the Holy Trinity. Blessed be the light of day, and He who sends the dark away."

 

In our era of secularism, most history books will leave out the fact that Christopher Columbus’ primary life motivation was his mystic spirituality. As a layman who valued the monastic tradition, he said his prayers several times daily.  Columbus wrote what he called a Book of Prophecies, which is a compilation of passages Columbus selected from the Bible which he believed were pertinent to his mission of discovery.  Columbus believed that his unique call from God, his faithful response as a follower of Jesus, involved somehow sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean.  He believed that God would bless his faithful response to this call, and in so doing provide a blessing to the world.

 

Unlike songwriter Ira Gershwin’s famous line "They all laughed at Christopher Columbus when he said the world was round,” Christopher Columbus and his contemporaries knew very well that the earth was not flat.  Medieval science had been built on the precise studies of Greek scholars.  Not only had the ancient Greeks discovered the earth to be round, but the philosopher Eratostenes accurately calculated the earth's circumference in the third century before the birth of Jesus Christ.  Medieval scholars debated such details as how big are the oceans, and great medieval religious scholars (such as the Venerable Bede, Roger Bacon and Thomas Aquinas) added to the Greeks' knowledge with their own calculations, but no serious academic in Columbus’ day believed the earth to be flat.  They were only ignorant about the existence of what would be later called the Americas. 

 

For Columbus there was not conflict between his faith and the study of science.  His faith helped him to understand his life’s calling; his scientific knowledge helped him to successfully execute it.  It is no wonder that when the astronauts of Apollo 11 were looking for a visionary name worthy for the spaceship that would take them on humanity’s dramatic quest to land and walk on the moon, they unanimously chose Columbia.

 

J. Derek Harbin

 

 

 

Coming Saturday evening, December 1st... 

 

 Beloved Evening with Friends & Family

 

 

...a Gala of Serving

 

 

Around Beloved…Your Beloved Fellowship Planning Team is excited to announce a very special upcoming event.  Mark your calendars for Sunday, December 9.  Immediately following worship and Christian Formation we will be offering a wonderful opportunity.  There will be a delicious brunch prepared by members of Church of the Beloved.  Mary Reid and Janie Wooten are heading the committee to prepare this wonderful meal.  If you would like to help in the preparation of the food or would like to contribute to the efforts, please notify Mary (704.540.3057) or Janie (704.321.2466).  The second event of that day will be the Christmas Workshop where there will be handmade items for sale.  Since this is our first year for this, we are starting on a small scale.  We want to focus on gifts that our children may want to buy for their parents, siblings, or perhaps teachers.  There will also be simple gift-wrapping available for their purchases.  If you would like to assist this team in making simple gifts (No special training or talents needed!) please click here.  To add to the fun of the day there will be a cakewalk.  If you would be willing to donate baked goods, please contact Betsy Fox here.  We are counting on your support, both as a volunteer and as a participant in the fun on December 9.  Your planning team is excited about this event.  All proceeds of the brunch, Christmas Workshop, and the cakewalk will go towards our Beloved Building Fund.  Look for more details to follow.

 

 

Calling all Beloved Men!  It’s time again for what we do best: Eat, Drink and be Merry!!  Please join us for our first meeting of the season at 7pm this Monday, 10/15 @ Showmars Restaurant, 9783 Charlotte Highway (US 521 South, Fort Mill, SC 803.802.0667).

 

 

In our ongoing effort to achieve financial independence, Church of the Beloved will be one of the non-profit organizations participating in the fourth annual Simon Evening of Giving at SouthPark Mall on Sunday, November 18^th.  For every $10 ticket to this event we sell, our church keeps $7.  The remaining $3 will go to the Simon Youth Foundation, which provides support and resources for at-risk children.  Packets containing tickets and additional details for this event continue to be available to COB participants after worship or by clicking here.

 

 

It’s not too late to participate in the CROP Walk!  If you’d like to walk with the Beloved group after church on October 14, please solicit sponsorship from your friends, family, neighbors, or co-workers to help alleviate world hunger and record them on a packet you can pick up at church this week before the walk.  Members of Beloved who are not walking, please make every effort to sponsor at least one person who will walk on your behalf.  Collection of financial commitments will be on Sunday, October 21.  Please make arrangements to honor your commitment if you won’t be in church that Sunday.

 

 

All Saints Sunday (November 4) will be here in three weeks.  During this service, we remember those who have died and gone to God’s heavenly feast since last year’s All Saints celebration.  At Church of the Beloved, we parade into worship with banners bearing our loved ones’ names, reminding us that they are “Christ’s Own Forever.”  The church provides the banner, while family members prepare the letters of their beloved one’s name to go on the banner.  If you have had a relative die this year, please contact the Development Office by October 25 so that you can learn how to prepare your banner for this special day.  Instructions will be sent via email following the October 25^th deadline.

 

 

Christian Formation for all ages will follow worship this Sunday.

 

 

Beloved eNews publishes each Thursday.  News and calendar information should be submitted via email by the Monday preceding the publication date.

 

 

September 30…Attendance: 107; Worship Offering: $2045.  Income needed for ministry each week: $5,500 (fully funded) à $4,400 (requiring other funding sources i.e. fundraising events).  The financial goal of Church of the Beloved is to reach self-sufficiency (i.e. pay all expenses without income from outside sources) by 12/31/2008.

 

Scripture Readings for October 14…2 Timothy 2:8-15 & Luke 17:11-19

 

Serving at God’s Altar on October 14…Complete setup/complete teardown: New Angel Army Team #5; Acolytes: Elizabeth Nichols, Jackson Widener, Lauren Widener, Paige Wilson; Offering Basket Passers: Joseph Duty, Sam Ryan, Holly Burnett, Maddie Mooney; Offering Tellers: Bud Moore (Head) & Liz Wilson (Assistant); Presenters: Dick & Toni Reif; Altar Bread Baker: C; Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Al Krantz & Harris High; PowerPoint: Elizabeth Nichols & Mitchell Harbin; Reader: Anna Moore.

 

 

 

In our Prayers…click here

Upcoming Calendar…click here