Change and discernment

​Hey Friends!
What a season of change this has been. If you drive by the church, the front field looks a little different. There are 12 garden beds FILLED with soil and nearly ready to advertise to the community! It’s pretty incredible how far our garden has already come, and it’s so wonderful to hear of the impact it’s already having. Several of the Lincoln Intermediate Unit students who volunteer with us said that it’s their favorite part of work-study! That’s enough of a positive impact to make all the hard work worth it. Let’s keep it up!
 
Our committees are also off to a great start. The works committee has removed a pew to make room for our new streaming system, the finance committee is keeping us organized and accountable, and the outreach committee has a few awesome projects in the pipeline! The steering committee continues to work hard at visionary planning and discerning God’s call for our church.
 
One of those callings may be to become a Creation Justice church. That designation would mean some life-style changes for us as individuals and as a church. Therefore, we must consider the potential of this calling with careful prayer and discernment, understanding what it would require of us. Some ways we’ve started this discernment process include: a sermon series (which I hope gave you all some food for thought!), a book discussion (coming soon during our summer alternative worship), plastic collections for CRDC, planting native trees and shrubs on our property, and supporting The Gleaning Project (see below for canning dates and plastic bag collection).
 
We’re also experimenting with political advocacy for climate care through the UCC’s Climate Hope Cards campaign. This campaign is designed to pressure the EPA and the White House to enact climate-friendly legislation that will combat our current environmental crisis. You can participate by picking up a stack of postcards at the church, having your friends, family, co-workers, etc. fill out a card, and bringing those cards back to the church. I will send the cards to the National UCC setting, and at the end of the summer they will deliver postcards from all over the country to the EPA and the White House. (Please note that this is non-partisan political advocacy. This campaign is rooted only in our Christian calling to care for and steward God’s creation.)
 
We are in a season of discernment at Solomon’s – discerning who we are, who God wants us to be, and how we work toward that. As ever, prayer is our best tool. When you pray, don’t forget to spend time listening. When you hear God speak, don’t be afraid to share. Ideas, visions, suggestions, and feedback are always welcome in my inbox/voicemail/office! Reach out as you feel prompted. May the voice of God be loud and clear to each of us!
– Pastor Julia