Life & Faith returns to High Park Bar and Grill on Monday, June 2. Whoever is free that evening is welcome to drop in for conversation about situations where what we believe is colliding with the dilemmas of day-to-day live.
Arrive by 6:30 PM to place your order for beverage or dinner (your choice); conversation runs 7:00 to 8:00 PM. We haven’t settled into a routine, so look for our red Life & Faith comma either on the patio or inside.
All who come are invited to bring your life-collides-with-faith question for the group to discuss. Alas, if no one has a question, we will discuss one of Jane Smith’s (Jane serves as convener and timekeeper).
Jane’s June back up question
We are approaching Pentecost and the stories of the early church which faced daily the dangers of empire. How did they respond? They pooled their resources so that no one lacked what they needed to live and they kept telling in the marketplace their stories of grace. What would it mean for CUCC to be a place where both parts are true?
CUCC’s 2023 vision focuses on capacity building for ministries of love, both within and beyond our membership. That vision was generated before our members were DOGEd out of jobs, before Medicaid cuts were budgeted, before family and friends were threatened with deportation. We still have good news to tell (“All are welcome!”) but we didn’t realize in 2023 that we might also have one another’s health insurance to pay.
What capacities do we need to build that we hadn’t expected so that we may truly love one another in this time, and our love might be a light in the darkness?
Resources for thought: Jane’s question was inspired by two sources.
Conversation between Rev. Jim Keat, Digital Minister at Riverside Church, and Rev. Dr. Cláudio Carvalhaes. While I invite you to watch the whole video to see the humor and humility of Rev. Carvalhaes, my question arises from the discussion which begins at minute 15:00. Rev. Carvalhaes invites us to worship any way we want, but to be sure that “Everybody’s going to take care of everyone.” No one in our church goes without what they need to live – health care, food, a safe place to live….
“You Are Already Part of the Solution: Advice for overwhelmed Christians from Jarvis Williams, a pastor turned pro-democracy organizer” Interview by Betsy Shirley in Sojourners, June 2025. Using un-church-y and un-political words, Rev. Williams urges us to respect “the day-to-day care people give” in their church and their zip code. These experiences and relationships are the basis for building the community of advocacy for big picture changes. He invites us to tell the stories of those local acts of caring so we can see it happening all around us and be strengthened, wise, and determined.
If you would like to be added to the Life & Faith monthly reminder list, contact Jane. Her info is in Breeze or via office.cucc@gmail.com.