Sermon
Have you ever wished life was as prescriptive as school? If the life Jesus calls us to constantly reroutes our expectations, how do we keep at it and keep faith? In today's sermon, Pastor Becca speaks to these questions, and offers a spirited, more radical perspective on the oft-dreary mantra, "bear your cross."
Today was a day of swelling music, Christian rock paper scissors, environmental advocacy, and exploring how God is our rock and our foundation. Even when life is chaotic, what keeps you grounded and gives you peace?
In today's sermon, Pastor Gary explores how Christ is the rock on which we build up our church and our lives. He explains how through Christ, we can become better people and work as a whole to better our society. Not by worrying about our own perfection, but by trusting in God, working together, and letting the Holy Spirit work through us.
In today's adult conversation, Advent member Dart Westphal led us in a discussion about local environmental advocacy in upper Manhattan. We learned about a number of great advances in environmental health (things like cleaner air), and problems we are still facing in making this are healthy for everyone who calls it home. Lastly, we considered joining WeAct, a local organization dedicated to climate action and public health in northern Manhattan.
You can learn more about WeAct on their website.
After 12:45 pm Worship in Spanish, Dolores handed out more copies of our new Member and Friends directory. If you haven't gotten one, we still have more copies available in the church office.
Photo Gallery
Today, in worship and in conversation, we reaffirmed our commitment to stand in solidarity with people who are victims of discrimination and hate, outwardly and subversively, in our country today. We praised a God who loves all people. People of all skin tones, races, cultures, sexual orientations, and gender identities. And we explored ways that we can bring more of that healing, unconditional love into this still painfully divided world.
In her sermon, Deacon Abby Ferjak, lamented the overt displays of hatred and racism shown earlier this week in Charlottesville, Virginia. As people who proclaim God's love for all people, we proclaim that racism, overt or covert, is antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As people called to love all our neighbors, we commit ourselves to reject and dismantle white privilege, white supremacy, and racially biased systems and institutions.
In our Adult Conversation, Ross Murray (both an Advent member and program director at GLAAD) spoke with us about recent events related to LGBTQ advocacy, and the best actions we can take now to support the LGBTQ community. Among the most important things we can be doing now are:
- Helping movements that share common goals stay united,
- Showing up at marches and rallies,
- Calling your elected officials to share your support of LGBTQ people
- Supporting businesses with LGBTQ friendly policies
- Following action-oriented LGBTQ organizations (which we will list below)
- Reaching out to people you know to challenge cultural assumptions, familiarize them with the LGTBQ community, and advocate for your LGBTQ friends and neighbors
Some LGBTQ action-oriented organizations worth following and supporting include: HRC, National LGBTQ Task Force, Lambda Legal, PFLAG, GLSEN, Trevor Project, National Black Justice Coalition, National Coalition of Anti-Violence Project, Immigration Equality, Audre Lorde Project (NYC), Fierce (NYC), Housing Works (NYC)
After worship, many stayed and conversed in the pews.
More gathered downstairs after Spanish-language worship.
