30
Nov 2018
Here’s a little tool to help you prepare for Advent. For the last several years, Sardis has created Advent calendars to give our community members a self-guided devotion each morning. It’s simple: read a new verse each day, and give thought to what the coming of the Christchild will mean for you in the coming year. And each day, enjoy a memory of the year we’ve had together. Advent Calendar 2018...
Read More
30
Nov 2018
The first Sunday of Advent arrives this coming Sunday 12/2. This year’s theme at Sardis is Different Voices One of the great advantages of reading our Scriptures is that the stories introduce us to diverse characters who glimpse pieces and moments of God’s intended world. They come from all backgrounds and experiences, and yet they find commonality in God: a force that calls them, molds them, affirms them, empowers them, and uses their gifts in extraordinary ways. When we hear their stories, we learn that God can (and does, and will!) use us,......
Read More
12
Nov 2018
Every morning, I drop my little girl off for daycare. In the parking lot, there is a long, yellow curb nearly 75 feet in length. It’s her balance beam. She grabs my hand, and insists to walk the beam from start to finish. With total concentration, and with unlimited wonder, my little acrobat performs her daily ritual. And for a moment, our world slows down. It’s just me and her. The emails, and phone calls, and her breakfast can wait. This is important. She’s connecting with the world around her, and she’s......
Read More
25
Sep 2018
This Saturday, September 29, 2018, Sardis will hold its third annual Blessing of the Animals. This is an opportunity to offer thanks for the very special animal friends in our lives — the ones that model how we should love one another. We’ll pause to pray for, celebrate, and bless these special creatures. You can learn more about the event here. During last year’s event, we had the special privilege to meet Jessica Wallace from Bullies 2 The Rescue, a Charlotte-based animal shelter that rescues English and French Bull Dogs. The Bullies crew has......
Read More
18
Sep 2018
On Saturday, September 29, 2018, Sardis will hold its third annual Blessing of the Animals. This is an opportunity to offer thanks for the very special animal friends in our lives — the ones that model how we should love one another. We’ll pause to pray for, celebrate, and bless these special creatures. You can learn more about the event here. During last year’s event, we had the special privilege to meet Jessica Wallace from Bullies 2 The Rescue, a Charlotte-based animal shelter that rescues English and French Bull Dogs. The Bullies......
Read More
05
Sep 2018
Each Sunday morning at Sardis, our congregation passes the Peace of Christ. To the outside observer, this activity might look like a five-minute worship interruption: “It’s nothing but people saying ‘hellos’ they could have said if they’d gotten here on time!” Our forcefield worshippers might say, “Ugh, don’t make me do this! I just want to sit in reverent silence.” So why do we pass God’s peace with one another? At Sardis, passing the peace is a regular opportunity to acknowledge in a public way, the joy and comfort we feel in......
Read More
07
Aug 2018
We’ve been programmed to remember the Last Supper as the First Communion. And it was in a formal sense. But in reality, that kind of meal was nothing new. Jesus offered Communion everywhere he went. Jesus saw every gathering as a potential table. And he understood humanity’s need for constant refueling. I think what separated Jesus from others, was his concern for marginalized persons — Where were their tables? Where were their sources of community? Where was their source of refreshment for the heart, for the soul, for the body, for the......
Read More
31
Jul 2018
Worship never looks the same at Sardis. Literally. Each week, we tailor our meetinghouse to match specific themes. Sometimes those themes mimic the liturgical calendar: Lent, Advent, World Communion and All Saints Sundays. Other times the themes are more topical: The meaning of Freedom, graduations, and harvest to name a few. These themes are most pronounced in our worship displays. Below is a summary of recent themes. We hope you’ll take time to notice “what you see” the next time you worship with us. The Meaning of Freedom: July is a month......
Read More
24
Jul 2018
May God’s Spirit swirl all around you And leave you with a grin And may that grin turn into a smile And may that smile turn into an act of kindness And together, we will be a chorus of love Empowered to be the hands of Christ in our community Go now with God’s blessing And in God’s peace Over the past few months, several people have asked me where our weekly benediction comes from. I wrote it. And since you asked, I’ll tell you how it came about. In all the......
Read More
02
Jul 2018
One January Sunday morning a few years ago (my first at Sardis), we were scheduled to have a baptism. And while all baptisms are different, there is generally one requirement that supersedes all others: a source of water. During the week, I readied the meetinghouse, and on Friday, I filled up the baptismal to ensure it had plenty of time to warm up for Sunday morning. Feeling confident we were all set for our service, I went home to enjoy the weekend. At 8:00 am on Sunday morning I got a frantic......
Read More