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Dear [% member:name_first default="Partner in Ministry" %],
A group of us gathered on Wednesday night to support our mission partner Free Minds and engage with poetry written by people who are incarcerated. We listened as members of the Free Minds Book Club shared poetry they'd written and poetry they admire that was written by their peers. We then had a chance to respond to poems written by people who are still incarcerated. I was especially moved by a poem called Remember: a Thirst to Exist written by Alex C., that I've excerpted below:
Remember me
For the man that I could have been;
Or should have been; the one I have tried
So hard to be; or I am, in a way, I can't tell
anymore.
I have tried with all of my heart to be more than
the sum
Of all my failures, but at times the trying gets
tough.
I still keep my eyes on the future horizon.
Chasing silver linings with a magnifying glass
of some sort.
I just cannot shut that part of me down,
I can't help but be an optimist to a fault;
A person to look at the bright side, no matter the
cost.
--
This poem reminded me of a longing we see across scripture, and particularly in the Psalms: those moments where David is so overcome by his own failures that, in his desperate pleading for God to see him as more than the worst of himself, you begin to wonder if he is also trying to convince himself.
You'll hear Psalm 23 read on Sunday, which is a favorite of many. May it be a balm to your soul in the midst of uncertainty, grief, and constant change. Whether or not you realize it, you are remembered by God not by your failures but as God's beloved child: held, led beside still waters, your cup overflowing. May we remind one another of that this Sunday.
Grace
If you'd like to learn more about Free Minds, you can join their email list here and join us at the next Write Night here.
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1. Join us for Worship, This Sunday, April 26th, at 11:00am in person or on YouTube. Rev. Meghan Brown will be preaching. Corrie Berg will lead Adult Education in person at 9:45am in the Washington Room and on Zoom.
2. GPC Adult Education: Every Sunday morning, from Labor Day until Memorial Day, we gather to explore issues of importance to our faith and our community. Topics range from theology, mission and current affairs to Bible study and spiritual practices. This Sunday, Corrie Berg, Director of Children's Ministry, will share insights on "Spiritual Practices for All Ages." Then, for the remaining three weeks before summer reccess, Dr. John Franke, our Theologian in Residence, will present a series on understanding the Trinity. Email Pastor Meghan for more information.
3. Youth Sunday is Next Sunday, May 3rd! Please join us for this special worship service, which will be led by the GPC Youth Group and will include preaching by youth and communion by intinction.
4. GPC250 Capital Campaign Launches: Last Sunday we celebrated the official launch of the GPC 250 Capital Campaign, Let Us Rejoice: Honoring Our History, Building Our Future! Thank you to the many volunteers who helped make it such a special morning of rejoicing. The children helped reveal that over the last few weeks, through quiet fundraising, we have already raised $4,091,502! Now the capital campaign is shifting into full swing, and campaign volunteers are reaching out to every GPC household to share details of the campaign - and how we can joyfully and faithfully live into our shared vision for our church.
5. GPC Gathers: Preparing the Way for Our Next Senior Pastor! This is your chance to share your perspective in our pastoral search while strengthening relationships across the congregation and engaging in prayerful, scripture-backed programming. Everyone is invited to this retreat on Saturday, May 9 from 9:00am-2:30pm at National Presbyterian Church, led by Nate Phillips and General Presbyter John Molina-Moore, and hosted by the Pastor Nominating Committee. Bring a friend or make a new one there! Light breakfast, lunch and childcare provided. Please RSVP here.
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