February 8, 2007

 

One Faith

 

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ first ever mid-year graduation ceremony caused community uproar because a school administrator asked a gifted legal immigrant student to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in both English and Spanish.  Yesterday, School Superintendent Dr. Peter Gorman directed that in the future, the Pledge would only be recited in English so that the school administration could focus on educating students rather than spend time engaging in the national debate over immigration policy.  In other words, the school administration was going to make the main thing (education) their main focus.

 

Eight years ago, as part of my doctoral thesis, I surveyed all Episcopal priests that were age 40 and under in an attempt to capture a picture of the life and attitudes of our clergy and their congregations as these attitudes related to sharing the good news of Jesus with our culture.  One question I asked (to be answered on a scale between “agree” and “disagree”) generated hate responses and a few (I’m not kidding) written death wishes.  It was phrased like this:  “I love the un-churched more than I love Episcopal Church tradition.”  Unfortunately (in my view), a slight majority of all the respondents surveyed could not agree with this statement.

 

Now before we spend time, as Jesus put it, in getting “the splinters” out of the eyes of our sisters and brothers in Christ who answered this survey, I think it is appropriate to examine the logs that may be in our own.  It is a fact in today’s culture that very few people seeking a church do so based on denominational loyalty.  If folks are brave enough to walk through the front doors of a church, they, most of the time, are looking for a place that can help them enrich their spiritual lives (and the lives of their children).  As people move from place to place, it is not uncommon to find them worshipping at a church of a different denomination in their new town.  The days of the average person remaining in one Christian faith tradition her entire life is as remote as a person spending his entire working career with one corporation and then retiring with a pension.  That idea might make us uncomfortable, but it is reality.

 

I discovered a dynamic and living relationship with Jesus Christ in the Episcopal Church, and I will be forever grateful for this ancient Christian tradition’s continuing influence on my life.  Yet, it is interesting to note that nowhere in our tradition’s liturgies of baptism, confirmation or ordination do we say anything about the Episcopal Church.  Persons who are baptized and confirmed, in actuality, are affirming and reaffirming their faith as Christians.  Persons who are ordained are made deacons, priests and bishops of Christ’s one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.  Our rituals are trying to point us to the main thing—that we are first and foremost Christians (who just happen to have been gifted with the treasures of an Episcopal/Anglican heritage). 

 

At Church of the Beloved, we seek to welcome all who are on a spiritual search.  Roughly half of the folks who currently worship at Beloved arrived from a different Christian tradition, whether active in that faith tradition or not.  Conversations about “being an Episcopalian” from those of us who have an Episcopal background miss the main focus of our common life together—making disciples for Jesus.  In a world where materialism, secularism, humanism and Islam compete to influence the ways in which people view themselves, others and their Beloved Creator, I believe it’s time to refocus us on the main thing.  When we talk about the Church of the Beloved or when we share our faith with others, let’s talk about how Beloved’s community life has drawn us closer to Jesus.  To use a metaphor, I want the world to taste and then to enjoy the wonders of ice cream.  I will always do this influenced by the particular Anglican “flavor” of my heritage.  So will you.  Let’s just stop trying to focus on the flavor.

 

J. Derek Harbin, priest

 

 

 

Around Beloved…Something special is planned for you in place of Christian Formation this Sunday.  Don’t miss it!  Sunday Christian Formation will resume after the Presidents’ Holiday Weekend on  Sunday, February 25^th.  To see the Christian Formation Beehive schedule, click here.

 

Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger is something usually seen as being most important in developing countries.  Yet we don’t have to go outside the boundaries of our own county to serve those in the Name of Jesus who are hungry!  For thousands in the greater Mecklenburg area, hunger becomes a fact of life.  Loaves & Fishes is one local agency that tries to meet this need.  People in need are provided with a week’s worth of nutritious groceries.  This year’s February 3-11 Annual Food Drive is a way of raising funds and food to help people who are “in over their heads” though tough times without seeing their families go hungry.  Beloved’s Human Needs Outreach Committee team invites you to bring bags or boxes filled with canned or non-perishable food to church this Sunday, Feb 11, and leave them by the back of your vehicle in the parking lot.  (Hint: To maximize impact and help with transport, ask your grocer to allow you to purchase an entire unopened case of a non-perishable item that you can afford.)  Food will be collected during worship and transported to the Arboretum to be added to the Loaves & Fishes Truck following the service.

 

 

Beloved’s combined Fusion youth groups thank all who placed cash in their Souper Bowl of Caring soup pot for the hungry last Sunday.  The $306 raised at Beloved will be part of Beloved’s combined gift to Loaves and Fishes.  As of the electronic publication time of this eNews, Beloved was one of 8,916 groups around the nation who have, thus far, reported raising a total of $3,860,050 for hunger relief across the nation.

 

 

The Sunday Beloved Beehive Honeycomb #5 (for those ages 12-15) will gather at Beloved Garden this Friday from 6:30pm-9pm to view film(s) as they prepare the Easter Vigil Story for this year’s worship celebration (April 7 at sundown).  Please bring $3 to cover the price of food and soda.

 

 

Our prayers of support and encouragement go to Bud Moore and Jennifer Sanders who were selected on Sunday to serve on Beloved’s Advisory Team until February 2010.  If you were not present for the selection liturgy last Sunday, many are commenting on how palpable the presence of God’s Holy Spirit was throughout.  Bud and Jennifer’s terms of service begin immediately. 

 

 

Can you help?  Community House Middle School’s drama class will be performing on Thursday and Friday, February 15 & 16.  Fr. Derek needs help setting up and tearing down Beloved’s curtains before (3pm) and after (8:15pm) each performance.  Offering the use of Beloved’s equipment in this way is one important way that we can serve the school that is so good to us!  To volunteer, click here.  

 

 

Last Sunday…Attendance: 147; Basket Offering: $3,757

 

 

Serving at God’s Altar This Sunday…Angel Army Team 3 (Captain: Mark Leinenkugel; Administrator: Kris Leinenkugel; Pastor: Jim Skrobot; Convener: Scott Sanniota); Acolytes: Victoria Floyd, Clare Harbin, Miles Harbin, Jake Scheppegrell; Altar Bread Baker: Shari Wynn; Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Dick Reif & Betsy Fox; Offertory Basket Passers: Ben Heckmann, Gabi Leinenkugel, Jack Sanniota, Katie Sanniota; PowerPoint: Dylan Lang; Presenters: Steve & Lisa Lang; Reader: Tori Leinenkugel.

 

 

Sunday’s Scripture Readings…Jeremiah 17:5-10 & Luke 6:17-26

 

 

In our Prayers…Bertie, Bonnie Lowder’s mother who is in Hospice care….Wes Nichols‘ father, Jim who has been discharged from hospital…Janie and Samuel Wooten who are each healing from broken bones…Michelle Dezzutto who is with her terminally ill sister, Joan…Clifford King Harbin who travels to Wisconsin for her on-campus work in Church History as she continues her theological education…Jeannie, dear friend of the Floyd family who has throat cancer…Mike Montagnino who is recovering from surgery…John and Bob, Lee Frickhoeffer’s father and uncle…Elizabeth, Shari Wynn‘s sister…Kevin, Deb and Dan Blackwood‘s nephew…Phyllis, Linda Mellon‘s mother who is undergoing surgery this week…Mike, Dick Reif’s brother as he recovers from cancer treatment…Melissa, Donna Elyea’s cousin…Emily, Nancy and Tony Hodgson's granddaughter…Michel, Catherine Atwood’s father…those serving in Iraq, especially Bob, Clifford King Harbin‘s nephew, Jared, Wes and Michele Nichols’ nephew; Ron, Marilyn Doyon‘s brother-in-law...Palmer, Betsy Fox’s teenage cousin…Jessie Powell…Ed and Jean, Dick Reif's parents…Pat Kitts, friend of Beloved…Mary Ann Ingram, friend of the Scheppegrell family, who has liver cancer…Penny Crawford and Chris Morley as they seek permanent employment...the staff and students of Community House Middle School.

 

 

Upcoming Calendar…click here