Welcome!

We’d love to see you this Sunday! Visitors are always welcome. We are located in historic Uptown Lexington, NC at 104 E. Center Street, one block from the Square. Parking is available behind the Sanctuary and the Educational Building.

Sunday School: 9:45 a.m. in the Educational Building. Classes for all ages and nursery for infants and toddlers.

Worship: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in the Church Sanctuary.  Child care is provided for children six and younger in the Educational Building.

Labyrinth

The week of March 21-26th our Fellowship Hall will be a place where we will be invited to spend some time in individual prayer and reflection as a spiritual discipline during this season of Lent.  The floor will be laid out in the form of a Labyrinth which people will walk.

Walking the labyrinth is a kind of body prayer that quiets the chattering of the mind so that the Spirit can be more receptive.

The earliest labyrinths are pre-Christian, but during the Middle Ages these ancient patterns were inlaid in floors of cathedrals throughout Europe.  The cathedral itself was an image of the new Jerusalem, with the light streaming through the stained glass windows recalling the jeweled walls and gates of the heavenly city.  Christians who couldn’t make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem could instead go to one of these pilgrimage sites.

The Labyrinth has only one path, and there are no tricks to it and no dead ends.  The path winds around and doubles back on itself, becoming a mirror for where we are in our lives:  it touches our sorrows and releases our joys.  The pathway in and the pathway out are the same: only the pilgrim has changed in the process.

One way to understand the labyrinth is of an image of the Three-Fold Mystical Path—Purgation, Illumination, and Union.

Purgation, the first stage, is the journey into the center.  As we begin the journey we try to let go of our anger, self-pity, hurts, noise and judgmentalism, those things that distract and cut us off from God,

Illumination, the second stage, occurs when we reach the center, a Holy Space.  There, empty and cleansed, we wait with an open heart and an open mind to receive whatever the Spirit has for us.  It may be a sudden insight or, simply, a feeling of quiet peacefulness.

Union, the third stage, is the journey outward, following the same path by which we entered.  Now, we integrate our experiences and move out into the world with renewed energy and strength to do the work to which we have been called.  We reflect  on self, the planet, and others.

The Labyrinth in our Fellowship Hall will be open for walking during the following hours:

 Sunday, March 21 12 Noon—4:00 p.m.    6 p.m. Community Youth Group Only

 Monday, March 22 11 a.m.—2 p.m.            5 p.m.—8 p.m.

 Tuesday, March 23 11 a.m.—2 p.m.            5 p.m.—8 p.m.

 Wednesday, March 24 1 p.m. Friendship Club Only    -    5 p.m.—8 p.m.

 Thursday, March 25 11 a.m.—2 p.m.           5 p.m.—8 p.m.

There will be sign up sheets on a bulletin board in the Christian Education Building for those who wish to walk the labyrinth. Within the hours designated people may start the walk of the labyrinth every 10 minutes. 

“Living the Questions” Evening Bible Study

 It’s not too late to get in on these stimulating conversations we have been having as we react to extraordinary DVD presentations and  our written materials.  Our third series of “Living the Questions” studies will begin 7:15 p.m. Thursday, April 8, in the parlor unless we need to use the fellowship hall. 

Sunday Morning Programs for Children

We are launching a new unit in the “Roads to God” Sunday School Program for elementary school youth. The children will use computers, art, science, storytelling, cooking, music, games, and video to study lessons titled “The Easter People.” The lessons begin on Sunday, March 7 and continue until May 9.

In addition to Sunday School, we also have special programs for children twice a month during Worship, after Children’s Moment. On January 10, children will participate in Kids Club, where they are learning about the 23rd Psalm. On January 24, they’ll participate in Children’s Church, where they learn about the different elements of our church service, including saying the Lord’s Prayer, passing the collection plate, and other important traditions.

During Sunday School, the pre-schoolers will continue their study with Ms. Robbins called “Rock Solid.”

Your infants and toddlers are always welcome in the Nursery during both Sunday School and Worship services. Thanks to all of our nursery volunteers!

In Service to Our Community

Giving and community service are essential to the life of our church. Thank you to everyone who makes these benevolences possible!

Thank you to all who participated in the recent special offerings:  Haiti Earthquake Relief $3,141 and Touching Davidson County With Love $1,080.