It's Advent!

It’s Advent!  This season of Advent is one of my favorite times of year in our worshiping life.  The world seems to take on a more festive air during this season of preparation for Christmas.  Some of my favorite church traditions are part of Advent, such as Advent wreaths and Christmon trees. 

One of the changes we’ve had this Advent at Central is the use of blue as the liturgical color for Advent.  The colors we use in worship are filled with theological meaning.  For example, white represents purity and light.  As such, it is used to represent Jesus and is used for holy days associated with particularly important times in Jesus’ ministry such as Christmas and Easter.  Red represents the Holy Spirit and is used on Pentecost and other occasions associated with the Holy Spirit.  Green represents growth and is used for the time between seasons.  In the past, purple has been used to represent both Advent and Lent.  So why the change to blue?

Advent and Lent are both seasons of preparation for the two most important days on the Church’s calendar.  They mirror each other in that Lent is a season of preparation for Easter and Advent is a season of preparation or Christmas.  Even though they are both seasons of preparation, they have different theological emphases.  Advent is a season of preparation that anticipates both Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem and the consummation of history in the second coming of Jesus Christ.  In contrast, Lent is characterized by critical introspection, self-denial, fasting, and penitence.  Purple has been used to represent this penitential tone of solemnity and somberness.  Blue, in contrast,  represents hopefulness.  The United Methodist Book of Worship encourages the use of either purple or blue for Advent.  Additionally, the use of blue for Advent is not new.  We know that English churches used blue for Advent as long ago as the 11th century.  Many Protestant and Roman Catholic churches have recovered this ancient practice as a way to emphasize Advent’s unique themes. 

Considering all of this, the worship committee with my encouragement opted to use blue for Advent. We pray this new part of our worshiping life can help us enter into the joy and hope that are hallmarks of Advent.

Yours in Christ,

Thomas

Central's Sesquicentennial Celebration

Dear Friends,

Our 150th birthday party is just around the corner! On October 3rd we will celebrate Central’s 150 years of mission and ministry. Our Sesquicentennial Committee has been hard at work to make this a meaningful celebration. We will have one worship service in The Sanctuary at 10:30 AM where our own Bishop L. Jonathan Holston will preach. Following the service, we will have a group picture taken in front of The Sanctuary and enjoy dinner on the grounds. Please RSVP to the church office if you plan to eat dinner.

We are continuing to monitor the COVID situation and are working to make this a safe event. With this in mind, we encourage everyone to wear facemasks. The service will also be livestreamed on Central’s YouTube channel.

As we prepare to celebrate a century and a half of mission and ministry, I am mindful of all those who came before us. Faithful people joined God in planting and growing God’s work in Florence. Now we gather to thank God for the work God has done and ask to God lead us into what God will do. Let the celebration begin!

Yours in Christ,

Thomas W. Smith

Through a Meandering Detour - Tidings from Thomas

I’ve been thinking a lot the last few days about what it means for us to love our neighbors.  After all, Central’s mission is to follow Jesus by loving God and loving our neighbors.  I’ve especially been thinking of this as it relates to the constantly changing COVID-19 pandemic.  Regardless of the details of Central’s COVID protocols, we must proceed with the love of our neighbors in mind.  The state of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to change, meaning that how we love our neighbors through the pandemic may also need to change. 

The Board of Trustees discussed Central’s COVID protocols at its meeting this week.  As the group within our church that makes decisions regarding facilities and their use, the board discussed how the use of our facilities reflects our mission to love our neighbors.  To summarize, we are not changing Central’s COVID protocols at this time.  Even though we are mask optional, masks are recommended by CDC and DHEC guidelines.  With this in mind, we encourage you to consider wearing a mask in public areas.  Most importantly, we urge you to follow the advice of your healthcare providers regarding masks and vaccination.

In an earlier Tidings I compared the pandemic to a long car trip.  Like a long trip, the only way to get through it is to keep going with the knowledge that it will eventually end.  To add to the metaphor, imagine you are nearing the end of a long car trip.  When you arrive at a much anticipated Interstate exit, you see the exit is closed and traffic is being routed through a meandering detour.  The destination is the same, but the route has changed drastically.  Friends, we will get through this together.  In the meantime, let us continue to pray for our elected leaders, public health officials, healthcare providers, frontline workers, first responders, those who are at elevated risk of infection, and all those suffering the effects of illness.  Let us also continue to follow Jesus by loving God and loving our neighbors.

Yours in Christ,

Thomas

Spirit of Central - Tidings from Thomas

If you’re like me, you have looked forward with great anticipation to the sort of big church-wide events Central is known for.  With COVID-19 continuing to recede and with an increasing number of people being vaccinated, we are finally able to resume large-scale in-person events and programs.  Our first in-person Church Family Ministry event since 2019 is just around the corner – Spirit of Central!  This is going to be an inspiring night of fun and fellowship.

The meal will begin at 5:30 with a patriotic program to follow.  Quilts of Valor will be presented to several Central members who are Vietnam-era veterans and Ashley Taylor and Dan Swanson will provide a program of patriotic music.  There will be events for children and youth.  And everyone will have the opportunity to participate in Operation Gratitude by sending a note of thanks and encouragement to members of the military. 

To ensure everyone’s safety, we are asking people to register in advance by calling Shay Justice in the church office (843-662-3218) or by clicking on the Spirit of Central link at centralmethodist.net.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Blessings,

Thomas

Further Updates for Worship - Tidings from Thomas

Dear friends,

One of the biggest issues in our church’s worshiping life over the last few months has been determining when it is safe to resume congregational singing.  I am pleased to announce that we now have plans to return congregational singing to our worship services!  Beginning June 13th, we will resume congregational singing in all three Sunday morning worship services.  This exciting change prompts three questions I’ve heard from many of you:

Why haven’t we been singing?  Medical and public health professionals advised that large numbers of people singing in confined spaces is unsafe, even when masked.  Also, guidelines from our bishop have asked us not to sing.  By God’s grace, the COVID situation seems to be improving daily and the guidelines for singing have changed.

Why is it safe to sing now?  With more people vaccinated, we don’t have to worry about sharing the same air as other people.  Studies have shown the effectiveness of vaccines in protecting people from infection.  The same science tells us that for those who are vaccinated, it is safer to return to normal activities, including singing.

Why wait until June 13th?  Vaccinations are now open to people aged 12 years and up.  Waiting a couple of weeks gives time for those who are recently vaccinated to build up antibodies in their systems.

Central’s mission is to follow Jesus by loving God and loving our neighbors.  Part of loving our neighbors has been to do things like wearing masks and refraining from singing.  Now, with just a couple of Sundays to go, we can sing about loving God and our neighbors and still make our worshiping environment safe.  Thank you for your continued patience as we work together to determine the best path forward. 

Yours in Christ,

Thomas