| Budget Vote for TBC Fiscal Year 2024-25 |
There were no suggestions for changes to the FY 2024-25 Budget so you may now vote on the budget. Voting opens on June 14, and will end on June 26, 2024. Major financial expenditures like these budgets require at least 50 votes. Click here for a copy of the TBC Budget.
Click Here to vote electronically. Paper Ballots will also be available in the back of the Sanctuary.
Please remember, you need to be a member of TBC to vote and you may only vote once.
Over the course of these last two months, we’ve seen God at work specifically through:
– the deepening of relationships
– growing unity among leadership
– the offering and receiving of caregiving in our fellowship
– and the blessing of renewed hope
The list below offers a roadmap of opportunities for us to continue to gather, serve, and grow together. As it relates to your participation, we encourage you to pray for God’s guidance in your faithful “yeses” and “nos” alike. Which of these events might offer you the most joy and/or sustenance in the season ahead? Are there a handful of events God might be calling you to prioritize? Which events do you need to skip in order to be faithful to a calling God has already placed on your heart? Let’s commit to remain open to the holy nudges and assume the best in one another’s decision-making.
Every time two or more are gathered, God brings opportunity for thriving and growth in community. You are a blessing to those of us that have found a home at Tabernacle and a key part of the unfolding blessing we are called to be in the larger community. Steady on, Church……steady on!
OCTOBER
Saturday, October 21 – Community Ministry
Saturday, October 28 – Leadership Retreat with Mark Tidsworth (consultant)
Sunday, October 29 – Congregational Meeting with Mark Tidsworth (consultant), Sunday, October 29 – 8:00-8:30 PM – Way S’nah Htoo’s Baptism Service
NOVEMBER
Saturday, November 4 – Community Ministry
Saturday, November 4 – B&G meeting with Carson Dean (consultant)
Saturday, November 4 – Remember to move clock back an hour prior to going to bed (Daylight Saving Time ends)
Sunday, November 5 – All Saints Sunday
Sunday, November 5 – Quarterly Business Meeting (after worship), including initial report from B&G’s work with consultant.
November 10-12 Youth Group to CBF Virginia Retreat at Eagle Eyrie
Sunday, November 12 – Informal Fellowship on the church portico (after worship)
Sunday November 12 – TBC hosting Rachel Pierce’s Ordination Service (3 p.m) Monday November 13 – Book Club Discussion on “Caste” by Isabell Wilkerson
Monday, Nov. 13 – 15 – Annual BGAV General Assembly Meeting at Bon Air Baptist Church Saturday, November 18 – Community Ministry
Sunday, November 19 – Church-wide breakfast in the Fellowship Hall
November 20 – 24 – Mission Team to Metro Baptist Church, NY
Tuesday, November 21 – Tabernacle and Pine Street Baptist Churches join FBC Richmond for a Thanksgiving Dinner and Worship Service
DECEMBER
Saturday, December 2- Community Ministry
Sunday, December 3 – First Sunday of Advent
Sunday, December 10 – Children & Youth Christmas Parties Thursday, December 14- TCCC Christmas Pageant Friday, December 15 – packing of Christmas baskets
Saturday, December 16 – Christmas Basket Ministry (morning) + Bruton Parish Concert in Williamsburg (evening)
Sunday, December 17 – Sanctuary Choir will share their Bruton Parish Concert Music during worship. Following worship, we will celebrate with Terry Witt, as she is retiring from the staff after 25 years of service, in the Fellowship Hall
Sunday, Decembber 17 – Voting for the TCCC Assistant Director closes at 2 PM.
Sunday, December 17 – Annual Christmas in the Fan Concert
Sunday, December 24 – Christmas Eve Service
SUMMER 2024
June 12-15 – Older Children to Passport Kids Camp
June 30 to July 5 – Youth Group to Passport Choices at Converse College
Stay Posted:
Details each of these events will be shared in the upcoming weeks, via TabWeekly, the webpage, and church calendar.
In light of last week’s headline, World Health Organization declaring an end to COVID-19 as a global health emergency
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All humans long for stability. Throughout time, Societies have built structures to protect stability. Call it covid, call it chaos, there’s been a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on. Rigid structures don’t tend to fare well when the ground starts shaking. No structure is meant to last forever and yet when history circles back around we’re surprised by its arrival. Anything we carve or build out of rock, bricks, steel, or glass, eventually falls. Travel to Greece, Rome, the site of the former World Trade Center in NYC, or, (dare I say it) down a long stretch of Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va, historical structures eventually and always buckle under the pressure of the passage of time.
Most any group of people that find themselves finally tasting the “good life” naturally want to build a structure that can maintain, expand, and protect that way of life (aka stability). Think about the destructive cycles that spin chaos into the world from there. If building, maintaining, expanding, and protecting our “good life” requires the diminishing, disqualifying or destruction of the lives of others, expect chaos and prepare to choke on the dust of fallen idols, fortresses, and structures.
I believe God is refashioning us, not only out of the dust of our fallen idols, fortresses, and structures, but also out of the dust being stirred up by the beautiful feet of those walking beside “God with Us”
There’s a moment in the Bible when the disciples of Jesus find themselves awestruck by the Temple structure,“Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what a wonderful structure!” Jesus responds, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” The temple is supposed to be the most stable place on earth, the one place where God’s finger touches the world, therefore the one place chaos can’t possibly exist.
Later in the story, those that arrested Jesus justify their actions based on the audacity of Jesus bringing chaos, the equivalent of kryptonite, into the temple. He doesn’t help his case when he predicts the temple’s destruction or in claiming he will rebuild the temple in three days. To add insult to injury, he claims the new Temple won’t be confined by geography or any other lines we might draw in the sand. No-one-corner of the world will be able to claim this One as their own. This One, is meant to travel. This One is a throwback to the original design. Anyone with institutional memory might call him “Tabernacle”, but most of his followers call him Savior.
Church, I know we’re all longing for stability, it’s natural to do so, especially in our grieving. I want you to know that I join you in deep grieving. So much more, I want you to know that we worship a God that brings order out of Chaos.
Any version of life, built upon a structure that diminishes the potential for thriving in the lives of others, cannot be attributed to the goodness of God.
YHWH didn’t fashion us out of metaphorical dust, breathe air into our lungs, and put us on our feet, only for us to create our own versions of the “good life”. Any version of life, built upon a structure that diminishes the potential for thriving in the lives of others, cannot be attributed to the goodness of God. Any version of the “good life” that leads someone into isolation, separation, or even relational annihilation is a cheap counterfeit. God is good…all of the time. The good life Christ offers is the real deal….the Way, the Truth, and The Life. Walk in the knowledge that we follow a Savior that can take all of the fallenness, brokenness, and complexities of the stories of the past and present, all of the unintentional chaos we’ve unleashed into the world, and somehow bring profound goodness through it. Know that God can, and will, make ALL things for good.
As we move out of this global pandemic, it will be critical for us to understand that it’s not our job to rebuild our temples. God already did that, three days after his son was crucified. The news gets even better. The resurrected Savior is inviting us to tabernacle with him right smack into the middle of the chaos. He’s inviting us to join the search party for those who have stumbled into, or were pushed into, lostness and loneliness. He’s inviting us to join him in the reclamation of the abandoned, to participate in the healing of the brokenhearted, and even in the resuscitation of the hearts of the presumed “righteous”.
In this very moment, I believe God is refashioning us, not only out of the dust of our fallen idols, fortresses, and structures, but also out of the dust being stirred up by the beautiful feet of those walking beside “God with Us”. It’s an invitation to breathe again. It’s an invitation to life again. It’s the invitation of a lifetime!
Rev. Sterling W. Severns, Pastor
To those who gave birth this year to their first child — we celebrate with you
To those who lost a child this year–we mourn with you
To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food stain–we appreciate you
To those who experienced loss through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or running away—we mourn with you
To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods, tears, and disappointment—we walk with you. Forgive us when we say foolish things. We don’t mean to make this harder than it is
To those who are foster moms, mentor moms, and spiritual moms–we need you
To those who have warm and close relationships with your children–we celebrate with you
To those who have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with your children–we sit with you
To those who lost their mothers this year–we grieve with you
To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother–we acknowledge your experience
To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall testing of motherhood–we are better for having you in our midst
To those who have had abortions–we remember you on this day
To those who are single and long to be married and mothering your own children–we mourn that life has not turned out the way you longed for it to be
To those who stepparent–we walk with you on these complex paths
To those who envisioned lavishing love on grandchildren, yet that dream is not to be–we grieve with you
To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year–we grieve and rejoice with you
To those who placed children up for adoption–we commend you for your selflessness and remember how you hold that child in your heart
And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising–we anticipate with you
This Mother’s Day, we walk with you. Mothering is not for the faint of heart and we have real warriors in our midst. We remember you.
Written by Amy Young
*** CONNECTION CARD: Click here to let us know you were present with us in worship, to ask a question, or share a prayer concern.
IT’S TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY! FEB 19 @ 11 AM (EST)We hope you’ll make plans to join us for this morning’s worship service. We will conclude the season of light celebrating the Transfiguration of Jesus. We will conclude the worship service in a circle of candlelight, turning our attention to the Lenten journey ahead.
During the invitation hymn, those participating virtually will be encouraged to log out of the livestream AND immediately log into the zoom link below. This will allow our virtual participants, each holding candles, to be visually seen alongside those in the physical sanctuary. It only would make sense to do this if you’re comfortable turning on your zoom camera to be seen in the circle of candlelight. If you’d rather not be seen, it’s best to just stay in the livestream.
1) Login into this zoom link when prompted:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3425677717?pwd=eTBUWW9vSkx5OHpEZjVhOHdyUHc0UT09
Meeting ID: 342 567 7717
Passcode: 909439
2) Turn on your camera so that you and your UNLIT candle can be seen on the monitor in the Sanctuary.
3) Be sure your microphone is muted.
4) You’ll be prompted to light your candle, when those in the physical room are lighting theirs.
In decades past, previous generations at Tabernacle set aside time, often full weeks or weekends, to come together purposefully and expectantly. Long ago, these gatherings were called revivals and more recently spiritual renewal weekends.
Though the format of those gatherings have changed, the longings and expectations of each generation, including our generation, have not wavered. For almost 150 years our local congregation has come together, often in our most vulnerable chapters of communal life, to express our yearning for revival, to pray for inspirited vision, to petition God to give us unity in the (re)discovery of purpose and call.
The weekend of January 13-15, 2023, our generation will come together, in both the physical church building and in our virtual acre. Mark Tidsworth, our facilitator, will help us explore the challenges and opportunities standing before the Universal Church and guide our local church in prayerful discernment/dialogue.
We will introduce three questions as an invitation into discernment.
What might God do, in and through us, if we were to shift away from __________________ and move toward _________________?
On Friday night, Mark will provide a format we’ll use for capturing our insights and we’ll continue to gather and glean throughout the entire weekend. This, plus the insights generated during multiple small group discussions, will be funneled to church leadership after this weekend. In turn, the leaders will determine how we can effectively continue to discern together as a congregation.
The Holy Spirit is prompting our old church to embrace a new day in this new world we’re all living in and we offer our praise to God for what we’re about to see and hear. Tabernacle, yet again, Christ is on the move, and, yet again, the revived, renewed, and re-missioned Church is called to follow.
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Retreat Schedule:
Friday, January 13 6-9 pm (dinner provided)
Saturday, January 14, 9-12 pm 12-12:45 (lunch provided), 12:45 – 3 pm
Sunday, January 15, 9 – 10:30 am + worship
Cost:
There is no registration fee. However, we do ask that each participant bring a pack of bottled waters or canned beverages + a sweet/salty snack to share.
Childcare:
Whereas, we won’t be able to provide a nursery on-site, we can help offset some of the expense of baby sitting in your homes and possibly identify babysitters.
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The decision to postpone tonight’s zoom mtg. is based on updated information our lay leadership received this morning. Thanks for your flexibility and also for helping us put the word out to your classes, committees, teams, and small groups.
We’ll reschedule the meeting after we’ve explored the info we’ve just received.
Video specifically mentions two sign-up links. Please RSVP ASAP
1) Youth Night – this Friday, September 13
2) This Sunday’s lunch. (Sept 18)
“What would the church look like if everyone in the church used their God-given gifts and talents to equip the rest of the church in such a way that the entire church became more like Jesus?” For if the whole church looked and lived more like Jesus, how much more would our neighborhoods and cities look more like heaven?
– JR Woodard
The Pastoral Staff has been hard at work in preparing to equip the church in this next season of life together. Early this week, we’ll share the details of what the church can expect. This document will serve as a primer in better understanding why we’re beginning “here” and what to expect from each space we’re creating. Our goal is to prompt each one of us to take a deeper step in our walk with Christ; we make the road by walking.
It’s all about equipping the people of the Church to be more like Jesus in a world that needs the love of Jesus. Christian discipleship is about calling others to join us in practicing a way of life in which we embody (flesh out) the life of Jesus in the context of the world as we journey to fulfill God’s mission together.
Explore the primary tool we’re using to develop three unique spaces of belonging in Fall 2022.
Explore our fall programming guide
Short on time? Here’s a snapshot of what to expect this fall
* Adapted from Jr Woodard's Creating a Missional Culture: Equipping the Church for the Sake of the World
This report was submitted back in June from Donna and the Building and Grounds Committee. Since it was a large and costly project, we thought for those of you who may have missed it the first time around, we would bring it back to the top of the posts so you can have a chance to read it again.
It’s been an exciting month of activity around our buildings for the month of May and into early June. You may not notice unless you look hard or unless you are spending time in the choir area or Blue Room! The members of the Building & Grounds Committee thought you would like to see just how hard folks have been working for needed repairs and renovations, thanks to our partnerships with local experts. Old World Masonry Restoration, Vassars Services and Jeter Flooring all did an excellent job for us!
To read the full report which includes pictures of the project, click here.
Many thanks to Vincent, Donna and the Building & Grounds Committee.
This is the budget from the Finance Committee for everyone’s review. Click here to access the budget. There was a zoom call this past Sunday evening at 7 PM for anyone that wanted to ask questions or add input before the Finance Committee submitted the final budget today. If you missed that meeting but would like to view it, click here for the recording of the 7 PM meeting from Sunday, June 5.
The timeline for the budget will be as follows:
Beginning June 8 – please review the budget. If you have any questions please reach out to Margaret Ailes, Jim Soyars, or Dan Herman our Finance Committee members.June 22– Online voting begins for the Budget – Click here to vote electronically. June 26- Paper Ballot in Worship and Vote Closes at 3 PM.
The TCCC Budget can be reviewed by clicking here.
We’re anticipating a wonderful season of re-connection and welcome. Now is the time to get ready for company.
TECHIES
Reset a wifi enable deadbolt and connect to TBC wifi.Deadline – February 15
PEOPLE THAT LOVE SORTING AND MATCHING OFFICE SUPPLIES AND/OR ORGANIZING CABINETS
It’s well past time for us to pull everything out of the cabinets in our copy machine room and the supply closet just around the corner. We need 2-3 folks to tackle this. Probably would take a day of working together or two half days? Deadline – February 15
SPREADSHEET PEOPLE…..
* Enter data related to worship attendance over multiple years into a spreadsheet AND create some charts that help us track trends. * Gather some specific content from annual Book of Reports, enter said content into a spreadsheet. Deadline – FEBRUARY 28
PEOPLE THAT LOVE SANDING, PAINTING, and REFINISHING*
We’ve got a small handful of wooden tables and desks that need to get freshened up. No presumptions as to how many you’d knock out. Just let us know what you’re up for and we’ll assume others will do the same. Deadline – FEBRUARY 28
KEY MASTERS…..*
We’re looking for a curious sleuth to go through random keys, attempt to identify matching locks AND/OR label and re-organize our current keys. Deadline – MARCH 1
Interested parties…..please contact pastor@tbcrichmond.org. Sterling will connect you to the appropriate coordinator and we’ll take it from there.
Stay posted as lots of other opportunities will be posted in the week(s) ahead.
| Please RSVP For Wednesday Night Meal |
(Revamped) Dinner Church on Wednesday Night
We hope you’ll make plans to join us for Dinner Church on Wednesday, January 25. Please note the second iteration of this new ministry model is slightly different from the original:
5:30 – 6 p.m.
Early arrivers will help prepare the physical space
6 – 7 p.m.
Break break and explore faith (older children – Senior Adult)
* Preschool – 1st Grade will eat and participate in a different space.
7 p.m.
Parents and children head home. Others may do the same or opt to help clean-up and enjoy unstructured fellowship.
7:15 – 8:15 p.m.
Those with a desire to delve deeper into the conversation are invited to gather in the Sanctuary with our pastor.
Hope you’ll make plans to join us on Wednesday, February 1. Please CLICK HERE to RSVP so we can plan for dinner. Please RSVP by 7:00 PM Monday, January 30.
***If you would like to attend and bring your own meal, please feel free to do so.***
The cost for the meal will be $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children and youth with a maximum of $20 per family. We will accept cash, check (made payable to Tabernacle Baptist Church), scan the QR Code or Credit/Debit card.
This Saturday is our annual Christmas Basket Community Ministry, and you’re invited to come be part of this meaningful day! While the tradition of providing holiday meals continues, this year will look a little different as we live out our values of hospitality and dignity in new ways.
Instead of packing baskets, we’re offering neighbors the opportunity to choose the ingredients that best suit their needs—just as we normally do in the food pantry. Choice matters because it honors our neighbors’ preferences and experiences.
There are so many ways to be involved, and not every job requires heavy lifting! We need help with set-up, guiding neighbors through their selections, carrying groceries, and—just as importantly—offering a warm smile, a listening ear, and a spirit of welcome.
Come be part of this special day of connection, care, and joy. Together, we’ll share the love of Christ in the way we welcome and serve one another.
How Can I Participate? Sign Up Here
1. Volunteer to help prepare baskets and other Community Ministry food on Friday, December 20.
2. Join us Saturday, December 21 as we welcome our neighbors for breakfast, choice pantry and Christmas Basket distribution. 7:30am to 1pm
3. Commit to praying for our neighbors receiving baskets. Join me in praying for the invitation that will be extended around each table. Pray that the host and participants will recognize belonging. Pray that our neighbors will see Christ as they engage with those around their table. Pray for the lonely that they will be comforted. And pray that doors will be opened through relationships.
On December 21, Tabernacle’s Community Ministry will provide holiday meal ingredients to over 250 families, and we need muscle power to make it happen!
We’re looking for strong volunteers to help during these times:
• Friday, December 20, at 9:30 AM @Aldi: Load bags of apples, oranges, potatoes, and shelf-stable items into trucks at Aldi and transport and unload at Tabernacle (2 hours max).
• Saturday, December 21, at 7:30 AM @Aldi: Load turkeys, chickens, hams, milk, and eggs in to trucks @Aldi (1 hour max).
• Saturday, December 21, 7:30 AM – 1:00 PM @Tabernacle: Help to carry groceries to cars throughout the morning. Feel free to join us anytime!
Your strength and time will make a huge difference as we share the joy of the season with our neighbors. If you’re able to help, we’d love to have you!
Please reach out to April@tbcrichmond.org to let the team know you are coming!
Doug and Lea Coppage are looking for people to help with next summer’s Baseball Camp in Vác, Hungary! The camp will be Monday, June 30, through Saturday, July 5; the trip would be (approximately) Friday, June 27, until Tuesday, July 8.
These are the kind of people we’re looking for:
1. 8-12 year olds who play baseball/softball,
2. their parents
3. any age ball players
4. chaperones
5. people interested in helping in any way.
Please ask God whether you might take part in this. If you do, contact pastor@tbcrichmond.org
Date Details:
Friday, June 27 at the latest: FLY to Hungary
Saturday, June 28: ARRIVE in Hungary
Sunday, June 29: REST, PREP for camp
Monday-Saturday, June 30 – July 5, 2025: CAMP
Sunday, July 6: Go to church in Budapest AND/OR Budapest tour.
Monday, July 7: Budapest tour OR fly back to the States.
Tuesday, July 8: fly back to the States.
We lift up the Cochrane Family and all those who loved and shared life with Jimmy. In this time of sorrow, let us find meaningful ways to be the heart and hands of Christ, bringing comfort and compassion to those who are grieving. As we honor his life, let’s also express our gratitude for the many ways Jimmy touched our lives and the life he continues to share with God. Let’s commit to pray, for comfort and thanksgiving!
James “Jimmy” H. Cochrane, Jr departed Newport, the Hokie Nation and his SCV camp unexpectedly on October 24. He was born in Richmond, spent much of his childhood and adult years in Rockville. Jim graduated from the Collegiate Schools, Virginia Tech (Architecture) and the University of Richmond (Transportation Management). He was the ultimate Tech fan, rarely missing a Hokie football or basketball game. When he was not wearing orange or maroon, he might be found in Civil War battalion attire or a Scottish kilt. He was pre-deceased by his parents J. Harwood Cochrane and Louise “Lulu” Blanks Cochrane, and his sister Suzanne Austell Martin. He is survived by his sister Judith Cochrane Hines, seven nieces and nephews, twelve great nieces and nephews and fiance’ Dale Hawthorne Harper. Jim worked at Overnite Transportation, Highway Express, then owned and operated a TourTime America motorcoach franchise.
He served on the boards of the Richmond Ski Club, the Museum & White House of the Confederacy, Huguenot Springs Cemetery and the American Frontier Culture Museum. Jim was fiercely proud of his Cochrane Scottish heritage and his brotherhood in the Kappa Alpha Order. He was well versed in American and military history. He was a long time member and Commander of the J.E.B. Stuart camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, coordinating and commanding numerous reenactments throughout Virginia and the south. He dedicated his life to civil war history and the battlefields of the Shenandoah Valley will forever be a part of his legacy. He retired to Wintergreen and subsequently Newport to be near his beloved Blacksburg.
He was larger than life and will be greatly missed by his family and friends in the Richmond Ski Club, the Knibbs Battery cannon battalion, Kappa Alpha and at Virginia Tech. There will be a memorial service at 11am Wednesday 11/6/24 at Woody Funeral Home at 1771 North Parham Rd Richmond, Va 23229. A private interment will follow. A Celebration of Life will follow a cannon salute at Huguenot Springs Cemetery on a later date.
Learning to See: Join us this Thursday, Oct. 24 at 6-8 p.m.
Just days earlier, they had witnessed Jesus’ brutal death in Jerusalem, leaving them overwhelmed with grief and uncertainty. Two of His followers, one named Cleopas and the other unnamed, now walk the road to Emmaus, their minds swirling with questions. How could this have happened? What if everything they believed was wrong? What next? Along the way, they find themselves hosting a stranger, and as they walk, they speak repeatedly of the burden of failure. As the sun begins to set, stillness—the great amplifier of anxiety—settles in. Broken hearts break bread together, and then it happens—the stillness is broken with the miraculous. Eyes are opened, the presence of the risen Christ is made known, and the presumed hosts find themselves invited yet again into a future wide open.
The Emmaus Road is long, and while you won’t see it on any map, it intersects at every corner in the city we call home. Just after the pandemic, Alcoholics Anonymous began meeting weekly in the “Blue Room” of the little church at the corner of Emmaus and Grove. There, each week, just after the sun goes down, the brokenhearted gather together and inevitably find themselves less alone than they thought they were. Stories of brokenness, despair, healing, and transformation are shared in that space. It’s on the road to Emmaus the future is resurrected, one broken heart at a time, one step at a time.
This Thursday, I’d like to invite you to the corner of Emmaus and Grove. We’ll gather together with one of the leaders of the AA meeting that takes place every Wednesday in the Blue Room. We’ll hear stories, and perhaps some of us will even feel called to share some of our own. Perhaps, in the sharing of stories and also in the stillness—the great amplifiers of God’s presence—we’ll all catch a glimpse of a resurrected future? Perhaps we, each and every one of us as guests, might leave that place more resolved to keep walking, one step at a time, toward that future together?
I hope to see you there.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Sterling W. Severns
Pastor
Details for Thursday, October 24, 2024:
Scripture: Romans 6:1-11, Sermon by Rev. Sterling W. Severns
Reflection Questions
The sermon emphasized that spiritual growth is not a one-time event but a continuous journey. Baptism represents the ongoing pattern of dying to our false selves and rising with Christ, over and over. Paul calls us into a lifelong relationship with God that demands daily surrender to grace.
Quotes:
Reflection Questions:
Baptism symbolizes more than a one-time moment of salvation. It’s an invitation to participate repeatedly in the death and resurrection of Christ. Paul teaches that we don’t leave behind sin in a single act, but we live in a daily pattern of surrender and renewal.
Quotes:
Reflection Questions:
Sin is not just a list of wrong behaviors, but an expression of our disconnection from God. It’s a failure to trust in God’s love and provision. Paul invites us to go deeper than surface-level morality and look at the spiritual root of sin—our distance from God.
Quotes:
Reflection Questions:
The root of sin is a failure to trust in God’s sufficiency, leading us to live out of fear. We create idols—control, success, or security—when we feel uncertain. Living in fear keeps us from relying on God’s provision and invites us to hold onto false securities.
Quotes:
Reflection Questions:
We are continually pulled by fear, the root of all sin. The tug of grace is what gets our attention, but it’s not enough to keep us from being pulled under. It’s the invitation to decide: will we allow fear to drown our true selves, or will we let go of the rope, die to self, and let God’s grace drown our false selves?
Quotes:
Reflection Questions:
Paul teaches that true spiritual life comes through repeated death to self. We are called to continually surrender our false selves—our fears, pride, and need for control—and trust in God’s resurrection power. This ongoing death and resurrection is what allows us to live fully in Christ.
Quotes:
Reflection Questions:
Quotes for Further Reflection
We were the only two in line, strangers waiting for the pharmacy to reopen. It took her little or no time to begin to openly share her story with me. As she spoke about her journey through illness and healing, her hands told the story as much as her words.
She gently touched her head, right where the tumor had been, explaining how peace first entered her life—something she grasped intellectually after the surgery, as she processed what she had been through.
Then, she placed her hand over her heart, describing how that peace deepened, becoming something she could feel more fully.
But it was when she placed both hands on her stomach that her voice softened, and she said, “But now, I know it here.” This was peace she carried in her gut, a knowing that had grown through suffering, endurance, and the long journey now behind her. And she couldn’t keep it to herself—the peace had become too real, too profound, not to share.
Her testimony brought to life the very words of Paul in Romans 5. He speaks of suffering producing endurance, endurance shaping character, and character leading to a hope that does not disappoint. There are no platitudes here—no quick fix for pain. Paul is sharing the journey that he, and so many others, have walked: through suffering, into endurance, and into a hope that transforms us from the inside out. This is not about earning anything—it’s about receiving the grace of God, who walks with us and delivers us through every trial. God is with us every step of the way.
As we sang together at the end of last Sunday’s sermon,
“Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come; ’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.”
The suffering we endure becomes the very path through which God leads us into hope. This journey isn’t about mere survival—it’s about discovering a peace so deep, a hope so life-altering, that we are never the same.
I invite you to take some time this week to reflect on these powerful truths. If you feel called to explore further, our reflection guide is available on the website as a helpful tool to guide your prayers and thoughts. It offers an opportunity to dive deeper into how God may be transforming your experiences of suffering into endurance and hope.
Thanks be to God for the gift of grace……leading us home.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Sterling W. Severns
*Atrium Roofing Project Update
Due to safety concerns voiced by the scaffolding company and our desire to avoid risk of interference with our duty as a voting precinct for the upcoming elections, the atrium roofing project is delayed. We do not have a definite start date currently. We will coordinate with Chandler Construction to also avoid any overlap with the scheduled elevator project timeline of November 7-21, 2024. Other details remain the same:
*Elevator Control Panel Replacement Project
Please mark your calendars now—this project requires that our elevator is out of service for two weeks. This work is scheduled for November 7-November 21, waiting until after the Presidential election to be sure that there is no interference for that commitment.
The B&G Committee, pastoral staff, and Administrative Board are making every effort to communicate this information to all building users. We are researching options for how we can best serve our building community during this project time frame. More details will be provided as we get near the start of the work. Please keep reading the TAB for updates.
We sincerely appreciate your understanding as we manage these two important improvement projects.Please direct any questions you may have regarding these building initiatives, or any other suggestions regarding our facilities, to Donna Soyars at soundsidedfs@gmail.com.
The pastor acknowledged his initial resistance to Paul’s teachings, especially the perception of Paul’s arrogance. This resistance is something we often experience when faced with uncomfortable truths that reveal our own vulnerabilities. Paul’s writings, especially in Romans, challenge us to embrace grace over pride, and to let go of the need to control or judge. It is in releasing our resistance that we find transformation.
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Paul teaches that suffering is not a curse but a pathway to growth and transformation. As Paul writes in Romans 5:3-4, “suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” This chain reaction is how God shapes us through hardship. Instead of seeing suffering as something to avoid, Paul invites us to see it as an opportunity to grow deeper in our faith and trust in God’s love.
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One of the key themes of the sermon is that God is not distant or uninvolved in our suffering but walks alongside us through it. Paul understood this deeply, having endured great personal suffering. His message is that God doesn’t cause suffering, but God is present within it. This reframes how we view hardship—not as something to escape but as a place where we can encounter God’s love most powerfully.
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Justification, as explained in the sermon, is about God “putting us in our place”—not to humiliate or punish, but to ground us in grace. Whether we find ourselves feeling superior or inferior, justification reminds us that we all stand equal before God, with our feet firmly planted on the same ground of grace. Paul’s message is clear: we are all recipients of God’s love, and that levels the playing field.
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The sermon emphasizes that endurance isn’t just about getting through hardship, but about being transformed by it. Paul teaches that through endurance, our character is refined, and that character leads to a hope that will not disappoint us. This hope is rooted in God’s love—a love that doesn’t falter in the face of suffering, but is strengthened by it. Endurance, then, becomes a spiritual practice, not just a survival tactic.
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The peace Paul speaks of in Romans 5:1 isn’t just the absence of conflict—it’s a profound sense of reconciliation with God, a peace that permeates our entire being. This peace, described in the Greek word eirene, points to a state of wholeness and restoration that goes beyond what we can intellectually understand. It’s the kind of peace that, as the woman in the pastor’s story described, resides “in the gut” and transforms our outlook on life.
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In the pharmacy, the woman’s story reflects a powerful journey of healing—one that moves from the intellectual understanding of suffering to a deeper, more embodied peace. She begins by touching her head, the site of her tumor, acknowledging where her suffering began. Then she speaks of the peace she felt in her heart—a peace that came after surgery and recovery. But months later, her description of peace had moved even deeper, down to her gut. This profound shift symbolizes more than just healing from illness—it reflects a deep, embodied understanding of God’s peace, beyond emotion, rooted in lived experience.
This story beautifully parallels the movement of faith from intellectual belief to heartfelt trust and finally to an embodied knowing that transcends mere feeling. The woman’s peace in her gut, as the pastor describes, is akin to the peace that Paul speaks of in Romans 5:1-5, a peace that results from enduring suffering and growing in hope.
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This deeper, gut-level peace is not just an emotional state; it is a knowing that transcends intellectual understanding and reaches the core of our being. It is the kind of peace that comes after we have walked through suffering and emerged with a renewed sense of God’s presence.
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Romans 3:21-31 (The Message )
Paul’s letter to the Romans reminds us that we don’t “set things right” by our actions—God does it for us through grace. In the sermon, you mentioned how “God isn’t waiting for us to get things right. He already took care of that on the cross.”
You talked about how Jesus walked at a human pace—about 2-3 miles per hour. Not in a rush, but always moving forward in grace. You said, “Discipleship happens one step at a time. We’re walking with Jesus, not running a race.”
In the sermon, you mentioned how easy it is to think we’ve made it to higher ground spiritually. You said, “We think we’re walking with God, but sometimes all we’re doing is climbing up to a pedestal.” This can lead to a sense of superiority or separation from others.
You shared that God wants us to have our feet on the ground—not up on a pedestal, but also not buried in the dirt of shame. “God is always putting us back in our place—not to knock us down, but to walk with us back home.”
You referenced the phrase, “We’re all just walking each other home,” showing how, in the Christian life, we’re not on this journey alone. We’re meant to walk with others in grace.
You described justification like aligning a Word document—God takes what’s out of place in our lives and brings it back into line with His love. “It’s God saying, ‘We’re good’—not because of what we’ve done, but because of who He is.”
Closing Reflection: In what ways does understanding God’s grace more deeply affect your relationships—with God, with others, and with yourself?
