| Devotion - October 9, 2009 |
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Dear Friends,
There's an old story of a pastor who is conducting a children's moment during a Sunday service.
"Are there any dogs in heaven?" she asks.
One particularly adorable little girl looks up and says in a loud voice, "Of course there are dogs in heaven. There have to be.
"Trying to get to her point, the pastor presses on and asks, "So tell me why do you think there have to be dogs in heaven?"
"Well," says the little girl, "if there were no dogs in heaven, then it wouldn't be heaven."
"If there were no dogs in heaven, then it wouldn't be heaven." If you're an animal lover, that pretty much sums up your attitude toward your pets. And we accept this to be true despite all the warnings of animal behaviorists about anthropomorphizing our human feelings onto our pets. We persist in projecting human characteristics--like love--onto animals that have no such capacity for human emotion.
Nevertheless, many of us feel strongly that not only do we love our animals but that they in some sense love us back. They provide us with so much more than companionship. If they are close to your heart then you know that they do provide love and affection. And love is the basis of blessing.
In this spirit, CUCC will be conducting a Blessing of the Animals this Saturday, October 10 at 3 p.m. just outside the Meeting House on the lawn. All pets are welcome, as well as beloved stuffed animals.
Peace, Pastor Craig
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| Last Updated ( Sunday, 11 October 2009 ) |
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| Devotion - September 25, 2009 |
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Dear Friends,
I?ve been thinking about what it means to be in ministry to a community such as Columbia and the wider society in which we live. What does it mean to be a church that worships God and advocates for peace and justice, and a church that studies the traditions and scriptures that have held great meaning to Christians for centuries? Do we see ourselves as spiritual beings, at least as much as we view ourselves as physical bodies? Is this a place where we are taught to tread as lightly upon the earth as humanly possible and to hold as sacred the natural order upon which all life?our own included?depends? Do we honestly wrestle with what it means to be a faith group in the day and age in which we live? Do we carry on our life as a congregation in an open and affirming manner that makes all people and viewpoints feel respected and heard? Are we effective in passing along those values to future generations?
To answer these questions will require something more than your average 50-second decision cycle. To do all this?and more?requires effort, patience and, not least of all, resources. In the coming weeks CUCC will be going through a discernment process?a process of carefully seeking an answer to how we can best fulfill our calling as a faith community in difficult times. The end result will be, I hope, a holistic approach to stewardship. It will not be just a stewardship program but a way of conducting ministry in and to a hurting community that is in the midst of profound change.
Much Peace, Pastor Craig
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 25 September 2009 ) |
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More...
- Devotion - August 13, 2009
- Weekly Devotion - July 24, 2009
- Weekly Devotion - June 26, 2009
- Weekly Devotion - June 5, 2009
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