Summer has officially arrived, and the longest day of the year will be today. I love the different rhythms of summer: trips to the beach, lake, and mountains, the aroma of honeysuckle, the taste of vine-ripened tomatoes on bread slathered with Duke’s mayonnaise, late sunsets, family reunions, outdoor concerts, ice cream, watermelon, cantaloupes, and fresh vegetables. This is the time of year I take my hat off to honor our farmers whose hard labor and ingenuity put healthy food on our tables that not only make our bodies fit but tickle the taste buds! We are truly blessed to live in North Carolina, the breadbasket of the South. I do hope that you and your loved ones take full advantage of the delights of summer before the leaves begin to change their colors and the cold, fall winds begin to blow.
I am grateful to Shelley Clayton, David Brown, and Tom Carrigan for preaching for me while I am on vacation this summer. I am proud that these elders have discovered and developed their gift for preaching and are willing to share this gift with our congregation. I am also grateful to Lexi Everett and her friend Vianne Waldo for their liturgical dance last Sunday while I was away. I am especially fond of this gift since our daughter, Anna, did a lot of this when she was in school.
Last week on the beach, I read David Brooks' new book, The Second Mountain, and was moved to tears on several pages. His spiritual journey has been a profound one. He was raised in New York City by cultural, non-religious Jewish parents and was attracted to Christian thinkers and theologians like Augustine, Dorothy Day, and C.S. Lewis in his study and writing. Then he fell in love with and married a devout Christian whose faith and commitment to Jesus finally nudged him over the edge.
In his book he talks about living on two mountains in life. The first mountain we climb includes the achievements we make: education, vocation, parenting, and building wealth, reputation, and status. These are necessary and good things we need to acquire, but they will carry us only so far toward happiness, peace, and fulfillment. They may make us comfortable and secure, but they will not bring us the deep joy and peace we all seek. That can be found only on the second mountain in life, the spiritual one. Here we discover that we can find true meaning and contentment by letting go of all our achievements as the path to joy so that God can give us the wonderful gift of grace and unconditional love. On the second mountain we learn that we cannot earn our salvation, because it is a divine gift that can only be received through faith. This is a hard thing for people who have done so well on the first mountain, because we have to let go of our pride and sense of self-sufficiency. Here we discover the paradoxical nature of the gospel: in order to find our life, we must lose it; the last shall be first, and the first shall be last; what does it profit a person to gain the whole world and lose her life?
If you find this kind of thinking interesting, I hope you will join us for worship on Sunday when I will be explaining what Brooks has to say in more detail. In the meantime, please pass the watermelon and ice cream. Summer is here!
We received $222 for PCUSA's Pentecost offering on Sunday, June 9th. Thank you! A gift to this denominational offering helps the church encourage, develop, and support its young people, and also addresses the needs of at-risk children. The Presbyterian Mission agency will receive $133.20, and Trinity will retain $88.80 to use for programs that support youth. We appreciate your generosity!
Upcoming communion dates: Sunday, July 28th and Sunday, August 25th.
We are delighted to share worship space with Emmanuel Presbyterian and Iglesia Santuario. Often our congregations work together, for workdays and for special Sundays, such as World Communion Sunday in the fall. We are grateful to each church’s leadership and their congregants for their careful use of our shared space, and for their financial contributions to Trinity’s Extraordinary Revenue Fund.
(Pictured above: children and youth from Emmanuel Presbyterian)
