Pastoral note, from Garrett
What are your plans for the 4th of July? Fireworks? Hot dogs? Celebrating the liberty of conscience and its role in creating an atmosphere where faith can thrive in our country?
If that’s the case, take a moment to read over Buddy Shurden’s Address to The Religious Liberty Council of the BJC in 2006. Or take a moment to learn a little about Roger Williams, who founded the first Baptist Church in America, in this address to The Religious Liberty Council by Bill Leonard. These renowned Baptist historians offer a profound reminder of the importance of the traditional Baptist witness for the sake of our country.
In fact, the economist Adam Smith used religion to make his point about the value of free markets in his book The Wealth of Nations. Smith argued that the religious vitality we see in the United States is due in large measure to the fact that, throughout our history, we have abided by the venerable Baptist principles of church-state separation and liberty of individual conscience.
The short-term gains religion receives when it is privileged by the state do not compare to the long-term threat to the well-being of non-coercive faith-- which is a redundant statement. Faith is only faith when it is not coerced. This is the central tenet of Baptist identity.
Whatever your plans are, I hope you have a great 4th. The church office will be closed on July 3 in observance of Independence Day.
On Sunday, we will celebrate communion for the first time in Maresh Hall. Our deacons are ready to pass the elements. Thanks to a large group of people who have started attending the 9 a.m. service, we have opened up a lot of space at 11 a.m. This has helped us a lot. Thank you. We now have plenty of space in the later service.
The building shuffle continues this week. The 1st-2nd grade class and the 3rd-5th grade class will be moving temporarily from the sanctuary building to the Youth Center. The builders will begin working on the playground entrance to the Sanctuary and removing a wall in the children’s area to provide more space for those classes.
Grace and peace,
Garrett Vickrey