Pastor’s Corner (06/06/19)
“Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.” Psalm 32:11
The author of Psalm 32 invites us to “be glad in the Lord and rejoice.” Although there are reasons that many of us feel tremendous sadness, there are also ample reason to be glad and rejoice. As we enter the month of June, many of us rejoice in the warmer weather and all the signs of Summer. The heavy days of winter have passed and we rejoice in the signs of new life all around us. Soon we will come to the end of Eastertide and make our way into the days of Ordinary Time. But, this year is far from ordinary for us here at FCC as we continue to mark our 150th year. There will be abundant opportunities to celebrate and rejoice, as a congregation and with others. This year on Pentecost, not only will we celebrate the birth of the Church, we will celebrate the birth of FCC. In fellowship with our brothers and sisters at First Presbyterian Church, we will all rejoice in our 150th year of ministry and mission here in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska. We will gather together at Antelope Park on June 9th for worship and fellowship. Our day will begin with worship at 10:30 a.m. in the band shelter. After worship we’ll move to the Auld Pavilion for a shared meal. Come join us for this casual and joyous time and bring your family and friends.
The joy and celebration doesn’t end there. In September we’ll celebrate with our Disciples’ brothers and sisters from the community, the Region and the national church. General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Rev. Terri Hord Owens, will join us for a weekend of worship and celebration. After her arrival on Saturday September 7th, we’ll all gather at Wyuka Cemetery for a picnic and celebration of our past. Now, I can hear you saying, “We’re having a picnic at a cemetery!” Wyuka is also 150 years old and was modelled after cemeteries in the US and Europe that were created as burial grounds with a park-like atmosphere. The vision was to create a place where families could go to spend time with loved ones, those alive and dead, and rejoice in nature. In addition to fun we’ll take some time to ponder and rejoice in our past. On Sunday September 8th, we’ll shift our focus to the future. Rev. Hord Owens will preach and share in the leadership of worship. Following our worship we’ll have a shared meal and look to our future.
Joy is definitely best shared. It’s imperative that we celebrate our past and look with joy to our future.
With love and joy,
Pastor Karen
