In May, we introduced our Summer One-Reads program and selected three books for our First Baptist Greenville community to explore. We invited you to read one or more of them and promised to engage in conversations about them this fall. Fall has arrived, and it’s time to begin those conversations!
Over the next several weeks, I will preach a sermon series titled Beyond the Grind: The Power of Sacred Self-Care. This series is inspired, in part, by one of our Summer One-Reads: Sacred Self-Care: Daily Practices for Nurturing Our Whole Selves by Chanequa Walker-Barnes. Her book is a gift that dives into the crucial topic of self-care, explored through the lenses of clinical psychology and Christian spirituality. She grounds the practice of self-care in God’s example—how God rested on the seventh day after creation—and in how Jesus often withdrew from the crowds to find rest. Walker-Barnes helps us grasp the essential aspects of self-care, from understanding and loving oneself to setting healthy boundaries, nurturing emotional well-being, and incorporating self-care into everyday life.
With some breaks for World Communion Sunday and All Saints, here is an overview of where we are going in the sermon series:
Sept. 29: 1 Kings 19:1—Rest for Your Soul
Oct. 13: James 2:12-13; Mark 12:28-31—Befriending Your Inner Critic
Oct. 20: Genesis 1:26-26—The Paradox: ‘You Are Enough’ and ‘You Aren’t Enough’
Oct. 27: Luke 4:22-24, 28-30; 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12—Setting Boundaries in the Digital Age: Following Jesus’ Example?
Nov. 10: Mark 6; Hebrews 4:9-11—Permission to Cease
You are also invited to join me during the second block of our Wednesday nights to discuss the book Sacred Self-Care: Daily Practices for Nurturing Our Whole Selves. On October 2, we will have a Breathe Wednesday, and there will be no regular Wednesdays@First programming except for Sanctuary Choir rehearsal. We will take a week to catch our breath between Wednesday courses. Then, on October 9 and 16, I will lead a book discussion in the Media Center. These conversations will be open and informal; if you haven’t had a chance to peruse the book, it is not too late to pick up a copy and join the conversation.
—Carol