iHOPE

It's More Than "Nothing"

We have a strong tendency to imagine Silence as the absence of sound. This imagination deprives Silence of being anything in itself and makes it an emptiness, a void that should be the norm. But Silence was here before anything else, and it envelopes everything else. It is the most primary phenomenon of existence, both palpably something and seemingly nothing. Silence is prior to sound, not the cessation of sound. It is already present. If we drop into quietness for just a moment, we feel the presence of Silence as an invitation.

 

Silence: The Mystery of Wholeness, Robert Sardello

We launched our first "Quiet Space" last Sunday and we'll continue through the summer. It is hosted by our Spiritual Formation Team and is held in the Sedalia Room from 9:15-9:45. Come for five minutes- or stay for thirty!

Praying for Charleston

There are too many stories like this.

Faith communities all across the country are grieving with the congregation of Emmanuel. The PCUSA is no different and you can read some of the responses here and here.

There will be a time for discussions about race and racism in the weeks and months ahead- as there should. Today is a time for prayer.

To say the name is to say the prayer:  "Emmanuel- God be with us." Amen.

Start Your Sunday With Silence

Have you discovered the power of silence? 

Silence is not the absence of sound. It is an invitation into the sacredness of life and the presence of God. It is the source of strength, creativity and renewal. There is a reason the psalmist challenges us with the invitation:

Be still, and know that I am God.

The implication is clear: If you want to "know" God (not 'know about God', but 'experience' God), be still.

That is why I am excited about a new experiment in spiritual growth and worship at New Hope this summer. We are going to take advantage of the new summer schedule (one worship service at 10:00 am) and create a place for people to practice being still as part of our worship experience. We are turning the Sedalia Room into The Quiet Room from 9:15-9:45 am each Sunday morning. Members of the Spiritual Formation Team will be there each week to host this time. We'll have materials with scripture and thoughts that are appropriate for the theme of the morning, if you choose.

It starts this Sunday (June 21) through the summer. Come for the whole time- or stay 5 minutes. Use this summer to practice "being still" as part of worship. Come and experience the power of silence!

Summer Schedule Begins June 21!

We are trying something new this summer and it all begins Sunday, June 21. We are shifting to a single service @ 10:00 am, followed by many opportunities for congregational interaction and fellowship.

Why are we doing this?

Summer Book Club Selection: "Falling Upward"

Every summer I pick a couple books that have had an impact on me and I want to share with others. I invite people to read along at their own pace (especially good for summer schedules!) and then gather  to discuss it. All of us are learners. No one is an expert. 

My first selection for the summer is Richard Rohr's, Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life. Rohr is a prolific writer and one of the leading voices on Christian spirituality. Here is a short introduction to the book from the author himself.