Minister's Message continued below                                          

Sunday, January 6, 2019
Sarah Vekasi, MDiv.
Active Hope

Change agents, caregivers, activists and cultural workers all have skills for keeping focus for the long haul. Join Eco-Chaplain Sarah Vekasi in a discussion about the often overlooked secret to preventing burnout: inner resiliency, a good skill for all of us.

Sarah Vekasi, M.Div., is the founder of the Eco-Chaplaincy Initiative which offers support for environmental and social justice activists throughout Appalachia. Sarah lives in Black Mountain and makes her living as a potter with Sarah Sunshine Pottery.
 
 
 
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Rev. Michael J. S. Carter
Compassion
 
In the West we label it love. In the East, it is referred to as “compassion.” I like this distinction because in my experience, “love” is so misunderstood somehow, and can be mistaken for martyrdom, sacrifice, and dysfunction. It is also very difficult to live up to the idealized concept of love here in the West. In the Buddhist tradition, Quan Yin, is the Goddess of compassion. Perhaps Miriam, the mother of Jesus is the closest we in the West come to as a female figure of the embodiment of compassion. Yet whatever you want to label it, compassion is something the world does not seem to be overflowing with at the moment. But just what is this thing called "compassion" and how do we attain it?
 
 
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Rev. Michael J. S. Carter
Race and the Year of Jubilee
 
Levticus 25:9-10: On the day of atonement you shall have the trumpet sounded throughout all of your land and you shall hallow the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land and all of it’s inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee year for you; you shall return every one of you to your property and everyone of you to your family.
 
You see in First Testament times (sometimes referred to as the “Old Testament) around 1000 to 800 BCE, every seventh year was a Sabbath year of rest and rejuvenation. After 49 years, the 50th year was called a Jubilee year during which time liberty was restored to the slave so that equality was restored, property was restored to it’s rightful owner exonerating debt and to remit debt to the indebted, thereby restoring the economy and to restore rest to the land so that the earth could replenish itself. The Jubilee year allowed people to come together and to start over with a clean slate. We could sure use that Jubilee year right now in America. On this Dr. King Holiday, let's explore Race and the Year of Jubilee.
 
 
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Rev. Michael J. S. Carter
A New Concept of God
 
It is true that human evolution can appear to occur at a glacial pace, especially for those of us who want to see humanity progress and evolve into " The Beloved Community," one can see a shift in consciousness happening. For many human beings in our society, a new concept of "God" is being born. This new consciousness has been foretold centuries ago by prophets, saints, and sages.
 
Behold the words of a more contemporary scientist and prophet by the name of Albert Einstein:  
    “The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend a personal God and avoid     dogmas and theology. Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity."
 
For Einstein, Buddhism fit the bill. I say there are other paths as well. Get ready to explore!
 

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We put aside our unit about the element of Air and learning about our congregation in order to focus on the most common winter holidays and discuss the similarities as well as the differences. Our explorations included Hanukkah, Yule, and Christmas. 

 

So, the new year will be ushered in with our unit on Air in the elementary class and our preschoolers will be continuing to learn about all the things that make our congregation unique. 

 

The Religious Education classes are still hoping for a label maker and some magnetic name tags. If you think you might be able to help on that front, see our  fancy Chalice on the wall in the foyer.

 

And now for the part you've all been waiting for: Meet RE! 

 

Meet Nosara. Named after Nosara, Costa Rica, she loves hiking with her family, being a big sister, doing art projects, building forts and playing dress up. Her favorite food is pepperoni pizza and anything sweet.  She is excited about starting kindergarten in 2019!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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