“Let me tell you why I come to church. I come to church – and would whether I was a preacher or not – because I fall below my own standards and need to be constantly brought back to them. I am afraid of becoming selfish and indulgent, and my church – my church of the free spirit – brings me back to what I want to be. I could easily despair; doubt and dismay could overwhelm me. My church renews my courage and my hope. It is not enough that I should think about the world and its problems at the level of a newspaper report or a magazine discussion. It could too soon become too low a level. I must have my conscience sharpened – sharpened until it goads me to the most thorough and responsible thinking of which I am capable. I must feel again the love I owe to others. I must not only hear about it but feel it. In church, I do. I am brought toward my best, in every way toward my best.”
This is excerpted from Why I Come to Church, by A. Powell Davies, written in September of 1944 when he was minister at All Souls in Washington DC. You can find meditations drawn from Dr. Davies’ sermons in the book Without Apology, collected and edited by Forrest Church. Later in the sermon he says, “Life must have its sacred moments and its holy places. We need the infinite, the limitless, the uttermost – all that can give the heart a deep and strengthening peace. We need religion with its faith and purpose; we need it as experience. We need the touch of beauty, bringing back to life its lustre and its loveliness.” The FUUSN musicians are hoping to bring that touch of beauty to our services, and we invite you to join us. Here are some upcoming opportunities:
• After the service on September 22, there will be a meeting in the Parlor for everyone interested in participating in or helping with the Annual FUUSN Musicians concert (to be held this year on February 9, 2020).
• Also on Sept. 22, our Family Choir and RE Music Coordinator, Akela Franklin, will be at a table in coffee hour – with donuts! Please drop by and hear all about our Family Choir.
• The Sanctuary Choir rehearses every Wednesday, and we are beginning to practice the music for Music Sunday (November 10). We will be singing music about exile, coming home, what’s over that rainbow, and what our dream for the world is. Join us. – Anne Watson Born