Young Adults
Ministry at
Fourth Church
Connects
people of
similar ages in a
common place
Serves
as an entry point
for young adults
into the life of
Fourth Church
Welcomes
seekers,
questioners,
the convinced,
and the agnostic
Provides
opportunities
for serving others
Engages
in thoughtful
exploration of
discipleship
Offers
a space to
encounter the
intersection of faith
and (post)modern life
Achieves
the above
while holding on
to a sense of
fun and
fellowship
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Look for Us Online
. . . where we have
photos, the latest
information about
upcoming events,
and more.
Be sure to
check out the
on the Fourth
Church website.
____________
Want to be in
touch with other
Young Adults?
Need some prayer
and support?
Interested in
hosting a
potluck dinner?
Looking for others
to join you on a
trip to the
Art Institute?
Visit our
Facebook page!
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Interested in
helping with
Fourth Church
Young Adults
Ministry?
We're always
looking for people
to welcome new
folks at Coffee
Hour and help
plan activities.
If you're
interested, email
Hardy Kim at
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Pastoral Care
Available
If you or someone
you care about is
facing a difficult
time and you need
someone to pray
with or talk to,
please don't hesitate
at 312.981.3399.
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In this issue
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Easter greetings to you!
I hope you experienced a good Holy Week and a joyful Easter. It was great to see some of you at our Easter services--especially the sunrise service at Oak Street Beach. I am always amazed by the fact that so many people show up so early in the morning, and I'm consistently awed at the beauty of creation that we experience there, out in the open.
Though the warmth of our Easter celebrations is still with me, it's also hard for me to forget how difficult Lent felt. It seemed that, daily, there were new tidings of local disasters or global conflicts. With all that is happening around us, it feels like it's hard to continue in a spirit of carefree happiness--even though we claim that Christ is risen.
It's times like these when I try to remember that God's work in creation is much deeper, wider in scope, and not prone to comprehension by my narrow perspective. This is not to say that I should not feel assured that God is at work in my life; nor do I believe I can remain complacent about the injustices occurring around me. Instead what I mean to say is that I need to live in ways that express my trust that--along with me and my community--God is also alive and active in the world. That's what it was like for Jesus' disciples after the resurrection, after all. Their world was still a dangerous place; they were still afraid. But Jesus was alive and on the loose! Who knew what might happen?
Poet Wendell Berry expresses this kind of quiet hope much better than I ever could. So I'll leave you with his words:
All that I serve will die, all my delights,
the flesh kindled from my flesh, garden and field,
the silent lilies standing in the woods,
the woods, the hill, the whole earth, all
will burn in man's evil, or dwindle
in its own age. Let the world bring on me
the sleep of darkness without stars, so I may know
my little light taken from me into the seed
of the beginning and the end, so I may bow
to mystery, and take my stand on the earth
like a tree in a field, passing without haste
or regret toward what will be, my life
a patient willing descent into the grass.
--Wendell Berry, "The Wish to be Generous"
Peace.
Hardy
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Gathering
--Our Place in Creation
The season of Eastertide, when we look for signs of God's new life in the world, is a very appropriate time to actually pay attention to the world around us. We claim that, in our Easter reality, we look forward to the resurrection--the recreation--of the whole world, not just our individual selves. What does this look like for us, as Christians in this modern world?
One take on interacting with the world in new way is presented in
this article
. The author talks about his search for new ways of connecting with the world around him, based on his growing conviction that "
the way we produce and consume something as basic as our food not only determines our physical and environmental health but is a reflection of our social health and a contributing factor of our spiritual health."
Join us this week and next, as we consider our human place in God's wild creation, which is so much greater than just human.
Sunday, April 23
12:30 p.m., Room 5A
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April Book Group
The next book for the young adults book group will be The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. Join the young adults as we meet on Monday, April 24 at Whitney Holmes's home for discussion, reflection, and fellowship. Contact Whitney
if you are interested in attending. Below is a description of the book:
A. J. Fikry's life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It's that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry
is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.
Time and place
Monday, April 24
7:00 p.m. at Whitney Holmes's home
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Earth Healing Worship Service
Earth Day is this Saturday and to celebrate, Fourth Church is having an Earth Healing Worship Service on Wednesday, May at 6:30 p.m. outside in the courtyard. Abbi and the Care of Creation Committee will be leading the service as we take special note of the prayer and transformation of which our earth is in need.
Come join us for worship outside of our usual Sunday time and style. It'll be fun!
Time and place
Wednesday, May 3
6:30 p.m.
The Michigan Avenue Courtyard
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Spring Retreat, May 5-7: Farm Life
The time has come to sign up for the upcoming Young Adults spring retreat! This retreat will involve spending time in and enjoying God's creation--including doing some work on Ed and Lola Coke's farm in Michigan that Saturday. We will be helping them prepare for bees! We'll build bee homes and plant plants that will help the bees thrive.
All of this will be taking place Friday, May 5 through Sunday, May 7 at the Grand Beach Inn in New Buffalo, Michigan. We hope to see you all there, so be sure to sign up to reserve your spot.
If you have any questions about the great weekend we have planned, email Abbi.
Time and place
Friday, May 5 through Sunday, May 7
Grand Beach Inn, New Buffalo, Michigan
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Throughout the course of five days later this year, more than 300 women will come together to fund and build the home of a female-led Habitat Chicago family.
Click
here for Facebook pictures from the 2016 Habitat for Humanity Chicago Women Build.
Stay tuned for more info on how you can be part of Women at Fourth's Habitat for Humanity team!
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Calendar
Wednesday, May 3
Earth Healing Service
6:30 p.m
The Michigan Avenue Courtyard
Friday May 5 through Sunday, May 7
Young Adult Spring Retreat
Grand Beach Inn, New Buffalo, Michigan
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