Beyond the Pulpit 9.28.25

Hello Crozet UMC Family,

This week started with 8 folks who joined Kathy Micucci for a walk in our community… unfortunately I wasn’t one of them! But I did host the last 2025 IMPACT House Meeting on Monday evening. We had a great group of 15 people, including four people from Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church (beside the post office). One of the things I most appreciate about IMPACT is the interfaith partnerships which enhance our efforts to bring about justice in our local community. There were lots of concerns shared, including the need for more mental health resources as well as gun violence prevention. I expect our CUMC Justice Ministry network will be growing even more in the coming year.

Additionally, I did regular check-ins with staff, as well as Chapel for the Crozet Avenue Christian Preschool, and made a variety of pastoral care visits throughout the week.

This week I also participated in a 2-day professional development opportunity through my seminary, Candler School of Theology at Emory University. I was able to join in virtually for 4 lectures / panel discussions featuring Tim Alberta, journalist, author of The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory, and son of an evangelical pastor, Kristin Kobes Du Mez, historian and author of Jesus and John Wayne, Katherine Stewart, investigative journalist and author of Money, Lies, and God,  and Matthew D. Taylor, scholar of religion and extremism and author of The Violent Take It by Force. The overarching theme of this lecture series was Pastoral Leadership in a Time of Christian Nationalism. This is, indeed, a very real challenge in the church today, and it is a reminder that Christians are called to remain steadfast, diligent in searching for and proclaiming the truth of Christ, and committed to living it out with integrity. In our world today, we cannot afford to be swayed by rhetoric that distorts the gospel and divides the body of Christ, but we must instead model an authentic faith that leads with love, grace, and truth. I invite you to join me in this endeavor.

And on Friday we got to see our youngest for the first time since he went to Randolph Macon College. It was Family Weekend and he’s doing great!

Pastor Christy