Resurrection Life in Upcoming Events at CCA
As we continue to celebrate Easter, I’d like to draw your attention to two special events coming up in the next few weeks, and send out a “save the date” for another special event at the end of May.
First, our bishop, Keith Andrews, will be with us the weekend of Sunday, April 22. Because we have a relatively large number of individuals to be confirmed or received, he’s agreed to have a special confirmation service on Saturday morning, April 21, at 10 a.m. So, please mark that down, and, if you are at all able, join us for this special service of prayer, celebration, and welcoming new members into our body. We’ll have our normal schedule on the 22nd, with the bishop celebrating and preaching at each service, and we’ll certainly recognize those who have been confirmed or received that morning as well.
Second, on Sunday, April 29, we will have a marriage ceremony at the 9 a.m. service. Megan Comstock and Tyler Williams will be exchanging vows in the context of our standard Sunday morning worship service in order to root their marriage in the sacramental life of our congregation. The service will flow like a normal Sunday service, except that Megan and her dad will process down the aisle after the acolytes, choir, and clergy, and that, in place of the creed, prayers of the people, and confession of sin, Megan and Tyler will exchange vows and rings, we’ll pray for the couple, and ask God’s blessing on their marriage. The Eucharist and final blessing and dismissal will follow. As our culture continues to experience deep confusion over the nature of marriage (this, of course, was true well before the Obergefell decision of 2015), making the sacramental rite of Holy Matrimony distinct from legal marriage in our state or country seems necessary for pastoral reasons, but there might also be an evangelistic dynamic as well. As Christians model healthy, life-long, committed marriages, rooted in the worship and fellowship of the church, many in our culture who are looking for a better way might just find it.
Finally, please do save the date and time of Friday, May 25, at 7 p.m. for the ordination of Matt Rucker to the Diaconate. We’ll be blessed to have Bishop Keith here again for the ordination, and to celebrate the beginning of Matt’s ministry as an ordained person among us.
This is a slice of resurrection life—people coming into deeper faith and fellowship, a man and a a woman making solemn vows in the presence of God and the church to love one another “until death do us part,” and setting apart a faithful servant of the Lord for a lifetime of ministry in the church. Please plan to join in and celebrate these moments of grace in the life of our congregation.
Peace,
Chris