Northminster News

October 15, 2020 | The Twentieth Week After Pentecost

Without Religious Liberty, We All Lose

Northminster Family,

We hope this email finds you safe and well after the storm this past weekend. If you have a need or know of one that emerged from the storm please let us know!

And we hope you are still ready and eager to participate in the Stricklin Lectures in Church History that had to be pushed to this weekend. Dr. Gaddy's words are as vital now as they have ever been and we look forward to learning and dialoguing alongside you this weekend. Please remember that if you haven't registered for the Zoom Q&A session on Saturday afternoon you'll need to do that in order to receive the link for it. We hope to see you there!

I (Claire) wanted to revisit some of Zach's words that were intended to gear up for the lectures in the newsletter last week, before we realized we'd have to postpone. He writes:

Last week, it was my honor to record Dr. Gaddy’s 2020 Stricklin Lectures to prepare them for online streaming. As I’ve listened to his hard-won and impassioned explanations about the importance of religious liberty in the United States, I’ll admit, it may have been the first time the stakes became so clear to me:

Without a proper understanding of the separation of church and state, political powers are unfettered in their use of religion to deny aid or civil rights to vulnerable people.
Without religious freedom, whatever religious group is loudest and most dominant at the moment becomes the standard by which we are expected to abide. They define the curriculum my children are expected to learn, and the “God” to which they are to pray.
Without the separation of church and state, political powers are unfettered in claiming their political causes to be ordained by a deity, to actively encourage the transformation of social fear into theological fundamentalism into authoritarianism.
Without the separation of church and state, our sacred truths become banners of secularized trope. The ten commandments, the sermon on the mount, the Bible itself are reduced to idols and political props to be installed outside courthouses and used for photo ops.
Without the separation of church and state, the church loses all integrity.
Without the separation of church and state, the state loses its ability to look after the welfare of all citizens.
Without religious liberty, we all lose.

As we read some of the above, it may feel these things are already well underway. This is true, as Dr. Gaddy makes abundantly clear. “I am not speaking hyperbolically,” he says, “when I tell you religious freedom is under such an attack that we could return to a pre-religious freedom constitution.” The wall between church and state is fast eroding.

The Stricklin Lectures this year are an educational jumping off point, but also a call to urgent advocacy for our first freedom – the freedom of religion. They are the beginnings of the edification we need to face what is shaping up to be an increasingly uncertain season for the preservation of our most basic civil rights.

Peace,

Claire & Zach Helton

Click here for more information about the 2020 Stricklin Lectures, or to register for Saturday's Q & A session.

The Prayers of the People

An opportunity to celebrate and pray alongside siblings in our community.

We pray alongside...

Tim and Marissa Jaquess as Tim's sister Carolyn is on hospice.

Claire Helton's mother, Mary Lee, who has been diagnosed with a mild case of COVID-19.

We celebrate alongside...

Lavern Bodron (15th), Susan Roberts (16th), Al Peterson (16th), and John Gray (23rd) as they celebrate their birthday.

If you have concerns or celebrations you would like us to add to the newsletter, please call the church office or email office@northmin.org.

The Work of the People

How we are responding to the Spirit of Love

How to Be an Antiracist

by Ibram X. Kendi

Final Book Study Meeting

The work of seeking God's justice through pursuing antiracism does not end with reading books, but the right book can help to jumpstart it. A group of interested Northminster members and friends have continued to dialogue about how the church can most faithfully respond to the racial injustice in our world, and one of the ways we are continuing the conversation is through reading Ibram Kendi’s How to Be an Antiracist. Please contact Claire if you have any issues getting hold of a copy of the book.

Reading Schedule

Final Session:

Wed., Oct. 21 - Chapters 16-18

Click here to join the study group over Zoom

Stricklin Lectures Begin Tomorrow Evening!

The Thomas E. Stricklin Lectures in Church History are coming up this weekend! The lectures will take place beginning tomorrow evening via YouTube with the same live chat features we use during Sunday morning worship. There will also be a live Q&A over Zoom following Saturday afternoon's lecture.

Remember that for security purposes, you will need to register for the Q&A in order to receive the link. Click the button below to find out more about the lecture series, to find the links for each lecture, and to register to participate over Zoom!

Stricklin Lectures Info & Registration

Holy Ideas

How might we respond to the Spirit of Love?

In this new season of social distancing, we need holy ideas to help stretch our imaginations for what is possible within this community more than ever.

Since we can't make use of the physical "Holy Ideas" board in the hallway, we'll maintain it virtually and keep it updated here in the newsletter. If you have an idea for a way the church can be church in this season, or if you see an idea you'd like to support to help it become reality, email the office.

Around Town

Virtual and Otherwise

Strauss Theatre's 89th Opener:

Million Dollar Quartet

Million Dollar Quartet is a terrific musical opening the 89th season at Strauss Theater Center. Because of COVID-19 limitations the performances will be in the beautiful outdoor setting at Kiroli Park in West Monroe on October 15, 16, 17 and 18 at 6:30 each evening. Call the box office at 323-6681 or go online to buy tickets or memberships. We need help to survive!

Click Here for Ticket Information

Monroe Symphony Orchestra Presents First Virtual Performance

"The Monroe Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce the first free performance in a series of virtual musical events. The MSO Presents- Virtual Chamber Concert will be available for your viewing pleasure on YouTube beginning Tuesday, October 27th at 7:00 pm. Like so many other organizations, we are taking advantage of today’s technology in order to keep the music flowing and our local musicians playing."

There are several ways to access the event.

Find out more and view the program by clicking the button below.

Click Here for More Information

Giving to Northminster

Support Northminster's Work

We are sensitive to the reality that financial uncertainty is one of the side effects of the spread of the coronavirus. However, if you find yourself in a position to continue or increase your contributions to the church, know that your donation will be greatly appreciated. We have made the decision to honor our commitments to all those on our payroll (ministers, staff, choral scholars, childcare) who are relying on this income in an anxious time, and we cannot do that without your continued support.

To support Northminster financially, you can click here, or scan the QR code below with the camera on your phone.