The Messenger
August 13, 2012 Volume XXII, No. 8 Nationalchurch.org
Exploring Current Issues of Our Faith
We have all been mesmerized by the Olympics in London this summer and inspired by the discipline and dedication of outstanding athletes from around the world. Scripture uses a great deal of sports imagery to illustrate important truths about our faith journey. We will focus on the Olympics in worship for the next two weeks: August 12 and August 19. On August 12, the sermon title is Olympic Trials: Obtaining the Crown, using as Scriptures Genesis 32:24–26 and I Corinthians 9:24-27. The Apostle Paul, who undoubtedly knew the Olympic games and almost certainly experienced the Isthmian games in Corinth, uses the imagery from these games with great richness. In this first week we will look at the image of wrestling as a metaphor for the faith journey itself, and the centrality of discipline in the faith journey.
On August 19, the sermon title is Olympic Trials: Marathon, using as Scriptures Ecclesiastes 9:11 and Hebrew 12: 1-11. Since the establishment of the modern Olympics in 1896, the final event has been the running of the Olympic marathon. Marathons in particular, and long-distance running in general, are powerful models of persistence, which is another of the hallmarks of a life of faith modeled through the analogy of sports. I will be leading Great Hall sessions at 10:10 between the worship services on both August 12 and August 19 so that we can reflect together on what lessons we can learn from the Olympics, particularly the imagery and meaning of sports in our Scripture texts. Looking ahead, on August 26 we will have a special focus on welcoming back students from American University, and my colleague Rev. Mark Schaefer, United Methodist Chaplain and Adjunct Lecturer in Religion at American University, will be preaching. Our Metropolitan-AU leadership team is already planning some special programs that will welcome the students and strengthen our ongoing partnership with the AU Campus Ministry.
Beginning in September, with the onset of the November election, we will be taking a few weeks to look at how our faith should shape our politics. On Labor Day Sunday, we are going to look at what makes for a healthy labor policy and what a healthy work life should look like for all of us. On September 9 the sermon title is Church and State: Separation? and we will address directly our call to bring our faith commitments to the realm of political discourse. Given our general discomfort with the unknown, I also want to take some time in this sermon to debunk the fears that people may have about Governor Romney’s Mormonism in the same way that it was important to debunk fears about John F. Kennedy’s Catholicism fifty years ago. On September 16, the sermon title is Church and State: Being Right and we will address the reality that one of the characteristics of politics today is the vitriolic demonizing of the other side that happens on both sides of the aisle. What would it look like if we began to hold politicians accountable not just for their positions, but for the way that they enter into dialogue with people who disagree with them? I hope that you will plan to join me in these explorations over the next several months – I look forward to hearing your thoughts and questions (remember that you can always contact me at cparker@nationalchurch.org). I am excited about these opportunities that we will have as a community of faith to explore together the intersection of our faith and our lessons from Scripture with some of the current issues in our lives.
Join us on Sunday, September 9 for our Annual Community Picnic!
Inflatables for kids large and small. Even the adults can get in on the action in the inflatable sports arena. Anyone for a bouncing game of basketball? You bounce yourself not the ball! Fun and Games. Pony rides and a petting farm. Pet an alpaca and hold a bunny in your lap. Games including an opportunity to drench a pastor, and Chuckles the Clown will be making balloon animals for all the children. Live Jazz and Food. Burgers and hot dogs right off the grill, plus salads, desserts, popcorn, and cotton candy. All Free! Come and bring your friends! This picnic is open to the public. Members of the congregations: Help us supply the sides. Please bring, if your last name begins with: A-F: green salad or fruit salad; G-M: cold pasta salad; N-U: potato salad; V-Z: coleslaw. Nursery School and Church Council: please bring desserts. Volunteers are needed to help us make this picnic a success. If you are willing to man the grill, help with set up, or take a 30-minute shift monitoring the games, please contact Jimmy Sherrod, jsherrod@nationalchurch.org or 202363-4900, ext. 24.