What’s Going on at the Church
“Weighing Truth and Life”
We are living in an unprecedented time in our history. It’s undeniably true that there have always been times when evil has been carried out by our government, society, religion, and more. However, we are experiencing evil these days in so many and unprecedented ways it is overwhelming, and scary. Here are some thoughts about this from Matthew Kelly.
We become the stories we read, hear, and watch. Todays story tellers appear to be committed to the normalization of evil, and by extension, the annihilation of human dignity. We are dehumanizing a whole civilization by desensitizing people to evil. When we dehumanize people to evil it changes the way we treat each other. People begin to debase each other, rather than ennobling each other. We sterilize every form of brutality by placing it at a distance and depersonalizing it, but the effects of evil are always deeply personal.
Dehumanization takes many forms. Some things are dehumanizing by their very nature: violence, slavery, abuse, injustice, torture, poverty, sexual abuse, discrimination, objectification, and genocide. There are other things that can be dehumanizing, such as work, technology, debt, laws, entertainment, social media, and even education. Anytime the value and individuality of a person are being denied, that person is being dehumanized, and the more someone has been dehumanized, the more a person will operate from the primal tendencies of fight or flight.
The future of humanity depends on a great movement of rehumanization. Rehumanization is an effort to reverse the effects of dehumanization by restoring human dignity, helping each and every person develop a healthy sense of self, a reprioritizing people above money, objects, systems and institutions. Rehumanization is about learning to be human again. The process of rehumanization reminds us of what it means to be an individual of worth. It rekindles a healthy sense of identity and helps us rediscover our humanity.
Human beings with a healthy sense of self, when their basic needs are met and their survival is not threatened, want good things for other people. Emotionally healthy human beings desire good for each other. At our best, we are kind, well-meaning, generous, compassionate, benevolent, thoughtful, sensitive, and empathic. Empathy is a leading indicator of human flourishing. Empathy is the natural condition for a human being who is mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy. It is time to turn our efforts toward the great rehumanization of the human family. It’s time to focus on things that support this. It’s time to celebrate those things that bring out the best in people.”
Blessing and Peace, Ed
Looking to donate to our thrift sales?
If you have any furniture to donate, please take a photo of what you have and send the photos to office@1stpresrahway.org. At this time, we’re not accepting clothes or shoes.
Members usually work on Wednesday’s for our sales from 10:30 am -1:30 pm. If that’s not a convenient time for you to drop off donations, other arrangements can be made. Please email the church office and your request will be forwarded to the “sales crew” so they can respond to your inquiry.
As always, thank you to all who donate. Our sales have been a great success this year because of you!
Important Message from the USRC Board of Directors:
Please read these guidelines about Squier Hall and the formation of the USRC Board of Directors, who will be overseeing the groups meeting in Squier.
As part of the guidelines, please use this form if you have any concerns so that they can be addressed.
Interested in Getting Involved?
We have a lot of different ways for you to get involved – short-term projects, one-time opportunities, working with our livestream technology on Sundays, plus much more. Click on the button below to see what we have on our ‘volunteer wish list’. As more opportunities become available, we will be sure to update our listings.