The prophet Isaiah reminds us that God’s people belong with those in need—releasing people from the bonds of injustice—and with the hungry—whom we are to welcome into our homes. And in Matthew 25, Jesus calls the church to be with those who are thirsty, imprisoned, and suffer illness. Read More
Blog
PPT Awards Hope Academy’s Adjoa Opoku-Dakwa First Place
More than 400 area students from 60+ schools competed in the preliminary rounds of Pittsburgh Public Theater’s 28th Annual Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest. Participants submitted video performances of monologues and/or scenes they had chosen from the works of William Shakespeare. Teams of judges evaluated each participant, and the selected finalists competed in The Showcase of Finalists at the O’Reilly Theater on February 28. Read More
Pastoral Message | April 2022
A writer recently paraphrased Susan Sontag and said that “biography is the revenge of research upon the intellect.” What she meant is that biography takes a lived life—a human existence full of events both mundane and extraordinary—and turns it into “the life,” something described as a “coffin full of rattling facts and spectral suppositions, less an invitation to read than a handy, bulky excuse not to.” Read More
ELPC Responds to the Crisis in Ukraine
On February 24, the world witnessed Russia invade and wage war on Ukraine. We’ve heard reports on the devastation, loss of life, and destruction; and witnessed the estimated 10 million (primarily women and children) who have or are fleeing to bordering countries for safety. Read More
Church School Classes | April 3
Here’s a list of what’s happening this week in our Church School classes. We offer Christian Education classes for persons of all ages, from infancy through adulthood, on Sundays, 9:45–10:45 am, unless otherwise noted. Read more about our adult classes and children and youth offerings. Read More
Worship with Us | Week of April 3
Here’s what’s happening this week in worship. As a reminder, our services are currently being held virtually. Click here for a live feed of worship services at their scheduled times. Please note, there will be an error message if there is no live broadcast. Read More
Worship with Us | Week of March 27
Here’s what’s happening this week in worship. As a reminder, our services are currently being held virtually. Click here for a live feed of worship services at their scheduled times. Please note, there will be an error message if there is no live broadcast. Read More
Letter from Birmingham Jail | Session 2
Following Sanctuary worship on Sunday, March 13, the Facing Systemic Racism Committee presented our second session on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail. Led by Dr. Beverly Harris-Schenz, we explored a summary of one of the seminal issues in Dr. King’s letter: “just” vs “unjust” laws. A video of the presentation is available below.
Dr. King explains the use of “legality” in authoritarian societies, as a means to control and discriminate against marginalized people. Such “laws” apply to those groups, but rarely to those in authority. As examples, Dr. King cites laws used by segregationists in Alabama to prevent Blacks from voting; the laws of Nebuchadnezzer, which led Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego to follow a higher moral law; as well as the laws employed by Hitler to discriminate and isolate Jews, and those in Hungary against their freedom fighters.
There is no dearth of other historical examples. However, our discussion will focus primarily on how “unjust” laws have been used in the past and are currently used in our country to discriminate against and marginalize people of color. This presentation will be followed by small group discussions, both in person and on Zoom.
Revisit Session 1. Mark your calendars for Session 3 on Saturday, April 9, 6 pm.
Church School Classes | March 27, 2022
Here’s a list of what’s happening this week in our Church School classes. We offer Christian Education classes for persons of all ages, from infancy through adulthood, on Sundays, 9:45–10:45 am, unless otherwise noted. Read more about our adult classes and children and youth offerings. Read More
We’re Now Accepting Easter Flower Orders and Food Pantry Donations
You are invited to help provide Easter flowers for our Sanctuary worship service on Easter Sunday, April 9, or to make a monetary donation to support the EECM Food Pantry.
Following worship, the flowers may be picked up by the donors for their own use. The names of those honored and memorialized will be included in the bulletin that day.
Download the order form.