“Calling them like I see them”

From the pastor

The Women Who Raise Us

I’m kind of a little obsessed with the photo for the next sermon series. It’s from the Library of Congress archives apparently, and if you can make out the date on the calendar there (which you totally could if I didn’t make it so small), it’s 1943. About as old as our church! But I love looking at the different generations of women in this photo. What do they look like, sure, but where are they looking? What’s their expression? Who are they? What makes them like that? What is the story of these women?

The next sermon series comes from last spring. Every 6 months or so, I sit down with about 100 different Scripture passages from the lectionary (a cross-denominational set of readings for every Sunday), and then I look for patterns or themes. One of the patterns was a set of stories in Genesis and Exodus. There are several different ways to go through those stories, and we have over my time here. But the thought occurred to me that it would be powerful to read them from the perspective of the women, who we often call the Matriarchs. God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but in the same way also the God of Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah (& Rachel). And if you take the stories from their perspective, they shine a different kind of light, another facet of the truth.

The women who we revere in the pages of the Scripture have lessons to teach, but generally they’re not battle and conflict and confrontation. They are of a different sort, where you have to work in ways that aren’t easily discovered. They exert a secretive power, but it is power. What can we learn from them? What lessons do they have for us who may want to change the world, but don’t have a sword or a scepter or a seat at the highest table?

When you look at that photo up there, what do you see? A bunch of women? Yes. But I hope you also see it’s a room full of power and wisdom. If you’re brave enough to listen, it might just rub off on you.

Peace, Rory

Before His Presence with Singing

“HymnSing 2026”

We’re going to get together and sing hymns! Few sentences stimulate more dopamine in my system. Hymns are my favorite music, and when ordinary people come together to sing hymns, my happiness factor goes through the roof.

HymnSing 2026 will take place at 2pm on Sunday, September 20 in room 105. In your bulletin for the next two weeks, you will find an insert that offers you a chance to suggest up to 5 hymns you’d like us to sing. From those lists, we’ll devise a singing plan.

Pick a favorite hymn. Pick a hymn you’ve never heard before but have wondered how it goes. Pick a hymn that reminds you of someone. For those who are willing, we’ll ask you to share why you’ve picked a given hymn.

When my family gets together, we sit around in my late sister’s living room with her 3 daughters, 10 grandchildren and often several family friends and sing from the Celebrating Grace hymnal. We sing familiar classic hymns, obscure, rarely sung hymns – whatever is called out. It nearly brings tears to my eyes. At Christmas, we sing carols.

And it’s a rare thing, especially these days. It is an exceptionally satisfying thing to look back on. It is a bonding event for people of faith.

Some of you and I have had a taste of what’s coming in the last couple of Wednesday nights. At the beginning of Bible Study each Wednesday, we sing a couple of hymns together. Because of the work being done in Fellowship Hall recently, we’ve been singing those hymns in room 105. That room provides a better acoustic for the singing because it allows the ensemble to be heard by the singers. In the vernacular: we’ve been sounding good! Ya oughta come and hear! Come and sing.

And for HymnSing 2026, you also oughta come and hear! Come and sing! No vocal training needed. Just you and a desire to hear God’s people singing together.

When you get your insert in your bulletin, fill it out and drop it in the offering plate. We’ll do the rest. Hope to see you there!

In Christ, Tim

Ecumenical Storehouse Needs

The Ecumenical Storehouse needs the following donation items:

• Pillows (Queen and King sizes)
• Mattress covers (King & Queen sizes)
• Manual can openers
• Blankets (King & Queen sizes)

September FBCFBC

Join us at noon on Monday, September 7, when Nancy Denton will lead a discussion of Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind by Ann B. Ross.

Note: This and other books in the Miss Julia series are available in the church library. Please enter through sanctuary door.

Labor Day

7 September, 2026

Church Office Closed

Meetings: Council & Committee

Church Council Meeting
Sunday, September 13, 2:00 p.m. / RM 105

Deacons Meeting
Sunday, September 13, 3:00 p.m. / RM 105

Personnel Meeting
Sunday, September 13, 4:00 p.m. / RM 105

Movie Discussion Group

Movie: Stranger than Fiction (2006), starring Will Ferrell.

Viewing: Streaming on many platforms for ~ $4.

Time & Place: Friday, Sept. 18, 6:30 pm at Joy Reedy’s home.

Children’s Volunteers