This issue of Soundings includes:
Calendar
News from current Seekers and alumni and sermon summaries
CALENDAR
Sun., August 3—InterPlay, 1–4 p.m., Seekers Sanctuary (see story)
Fri., August 29—Seekers Singalong, 7:30 p.m., Carroll St., Circle location downstairs. Bring a snack to share. Sing from Rise Up Singing. Glen Yakushiji plays guitar and facilitates.
SEEKERS COMMUNITY NEWS AND LINKS TO SEEKERS MESSAGES
News of people in our entire community, with some links to stories.
Jean Adams celebrated her 80th birthday (it happened July 30) with an August 2 event at Seekers that included an InterPlay performance, contradancing, and birthday cake. Here’s your chance to give her your good wishes if you haven’t already heard.
Jean’s sister, who had a fall and subsequent surgery, is doing well—Jean had requested our prayers.
Marian Seat— Brenda Seat writes: On August 1, Marian had abdominal pains, and after seeing her doctor, she (and Chris who was with her throughout this long ordeal) was sent to Holy Cross to get more tests and a CT scan. Her pains were finally determined late Friday to be caused by appendicitis. They got her straight into surgery, which occurred around 12:30 am. Everything went very well, and we saw her when she came out of recovery and into her room at around 2:00 a.m. She may be sent home as early as this afternoon. We will let you know any further developments. We are so grateful for great medical care and for a hospital so close by!—Brenda and Keith and Lauren
David Hilfiker talk—Jeannine Carraciolo writes—David gave a long talk, "What Can I Do? What Can We as Faith Communities Do?" at the "Another World Is Possible" event that those interested in the 4Ps might like to read. I cut off his long introduction about how other empires have fallen in the past to get to the main question we all ask. [See the excerpt at Jeannine’s email to all Seekers, dated July 28.]
Prayer request from a stranger—Kate Cudlipp sent all Seekers an email (July 28) with a prayer request from a man who responded to our website invitation, "Write us." He asks our prayers for several issues.
Jackie and Dave McMakin, travel update—Kate Cudlipp, in an email (July 25) forwards news of them from their son Tom. J & D were nearing the end of their long European bicycle trip and will be starting home in early August.
Andy Holmes—Trish Nemore writes—A propos the building-wide conversation on race and race relations that Sandra and others are organizing, I thought you would be interested in hearing our own child-of-Seekers, Andy Holmes, speak on the subject. Andy co-preached at Christ Congregational Church after participating in that church’s race conversations. You won’t be surprised at how articulate and thoughtful Andy is; I’m confident you will enjoy and be challenged by his words. See http://christ-ucc.org/schedule/Sermon-2008/sermon08.htm. Thanks to Sallie for sharing this with us.
Cari Willis—Cari was a seminary student and C of S intern these last few months, who’s attended Seekers and several Seekers mission groups, as well as participating in other C of S churches and missions. We all got to know Cari and are sorry she has left. She is now in Warrenton, VA, with her father, who will have surgery on Monday, August 4. She asks our prayers.
Aeren Martinez (email of July 29) sends a notice of new jobs available at Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place (CCHFP), where she’s Development Director for Individual Giving. The Council is starting a new permanent-housing program, which needs staff.
INTERPLAY NEWS
We are now forming the fall DC InterPlay Life Practice Program, formerly known as InterPlay Leadership Level One. Please contact Billy or Kate Amoss (301-681-8860) or interplaydc@yahoo.com with questions.
And Phil Porter, co-founder of InterPlay, will be flying in from Oakland and leading a weekend Untensive September 19–21: "The Personal and the Political in Performance." The North Carolina Performance Group, are special guests. It promises to be a great time to explore a whole new realm of political possibilities!
THE EARTH CHARTER
Sue Johnson, who sends this charter, says, "This is part of what inspired me to join the Green Team at Seekers."
The Earth Charter (Preamble)
We stand at a critical moment in Earth’s history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise. To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations.
(Created in 2000 under the auspices of an international commission that organized consultations involving thousands of individuals and hundreds of organizations from all regions of the world. Referred to by David C. Korten in "The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community". To learn more: www.earthcharter.org.)
FILM, "THE GREAT DEBATERS"
Friends Of Jesus/C of S Spiritual Support Group #4, Committee for Education and Training for Racial Healing, presents "Movies That Move Us"—a discussion series to build multiracial bridges of trust and understanding around issues of racial inequities and our hopes for reconciliation .
Showing: "The Great Debaters"
Denzel Washington’s drama is based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College, TX. In 1935, he inspired students to form the African American school’s first debate team, which went on to challenge Harvard in the national championship.
When: SAT., August 9, 2008, 2–5 p.m. (every second Sat., we hope)
Where: The Festival Center, 1640 Columbia Road, NW in Adams Morgan, DC
Coming Discussions: Sat. Sept. 13: "The Green Mile & Prison Ministry?"
For more information: Harold Vines or Dawn Longenecker, 410-730-9064.
"What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?"—Micah 6:8
SEEKERS SERMONS IN JULY
A thumbnail of July’s sermons follow, and you can read the entire sermon at the Seekers website. Click on "Worship" and then "Sermons." Also, complete sermons from recent months as far back as 1995 can be found at the website. Click on "Worship" then "Sermons" then "Sermon Archive."
July 27. "What You Tell Yourself" —Lia Scholl of Starlight Ministries
[Lia is an ordained clergyperson whose ministry is to women sex workers in strip clubs.]
Did you ever hear that it takes 10 compliments to counteract one negative comment in a person’s life? Imagine this. How many negative comments do you hear a day? How many have you heard in your life? And then, how many positive comments do you hear?
July 20. "Emmanuel—God With Us"—Cari Willis, C of S intern 2008
[Cari will be returning home soon for her final term and graduation from Duke Seminary.]
One of my favorite titles for Jesus is "Emmanuel" as it means, "God with us." I found it interesting that my New Testament professor, Dr. Kavin Rowe, told us that Emmanuel is a framing device for the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew wants to make the theological point that Christ is the definitive fulfillment of Torah because he is the Emmanuel.
July 13. "My Journey in Pefan"—Shani Senbetta
Seekers was privileged to hear the story of Pefan (www.pefan.org), a nonprofit organization offering help to the homeless and underserved children and their families on the streets of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. "The main hope and goal of PEFAN is that the children and youth under its care will one day become self-sufficient and contributing members of Ethiopian society."
July 6. "Yoked Together"—Marjory Bankson
This week I fished my work boots out of the downstairs closet to get ready for the Faith At Work Pilgrimage to Guatemala later this month—and found that the cat had been using them as a hideaway for some time. I’ve cleaned them up and sprinkled soda inside to take away odors and have been wearing them to walk in each morning.
