Today, on Transgender Visibility Day, Brookmeade stands with and for all transgender people. 

The God we reverence and worship loves every single human being as created, because every single human being is created in the image of God. God loves those who come to realize they inhabit a body that does not match the rigid preconceptions of many others, which whose preconceptions they feel obligated to wear. God has compassion for the distress caused by this disconnect, and for the confusion, even trauma, this can cause for those seeking only to live into the fullness of who they are as created by God. God also has compassion for those facing transgender identity in others, especially in loved ones.  

At Brookmeade, as individual members of the Body of Christ, we are free to believe and act in accordance with our perception of God’s will for our lives. But we are called to live in a loving, covenantal relationship with one another. That requires us both to affirm the truth of what we each uniquely experience of our embodied selves—pains, joys, and all else—and also to commit ourselves to accept and uphold  how others come to identify themselves in this world.  To uphold these covenants, we take up the ongoing work of educating ourselves on, and honoring—despite our prior expectations—the infinite range of our many God-given gifts and differences. 

So we call upon all our fellow human beings to join us in this covenantal and caring work of educating themselves about this long, mostly hidden phenomenon of transgender identity, and to trust others’ declarations of their own identity, because declaring an internal God-created identity at odds with preconceptions of the world takes courage and is the end result of wrestling with soul-deep pain. 

An excellent educational opportunity will unfold this evening. Please join us in joining our friend Dahron Johnson this evening at 6:00pm, through the link below. 

God calls each and every one of us to emulate God’s compassion and love toward all persons, and to act accordingly. 

Link to Event:

Click HERE for Facebook Event – Join the Facebook Event to be redirected to the Zoom link

In light of the events of this week, we want to support the families of Covenant School and Presbyterian Church by attending the citywide candlelight vigil held this evening at Nashville Public Square Park behind the Courthouse at 5:30 pm tonight. Please join us.

Vigil details:
* When: Wednesday, March 29 at 5:30 p.m.
* Where: 1 Public Square Park, Nashville, TN 37201 
* Who: Mayor John Cooper, District 25 Metro Council Member Russ Pulley, State Rep. Rev. Harold M. Love Jr. and Metro Nashville police Chief John Drake

Easter Sunday we have three celebrations to anticipate: a potluck breakfast at 9:45 am coordinated by our industrious Fellowship Team, Easter worship at 10:30 am, and an Easter Egg Hunt following worship designed especially for our youngest members. We will all have fun before and after our time of joyful worship!

On Maundy Thursday 2023, Thursday evening, April 6th, Brookmeaders will again gather at 6:00 pm for a simple supper of soup, bread and beverages followed by holy communion at 6:40 pm. As in the past, our fellow UCC congregations in Nashville have been invited to join us. Come for this time of holy reflection and fellowship accompanied by reflective music.

First Sundays of the month we collect our COW Offering. Monetary donations are split between Second Harvest of Middle TN and Heifer International. You can also bring canned goods on Sunday morning to donate to Second Harvest. Please designate your check for COW Offering or if you give online you can choose COW offering on the drop-down menu on Tithe.ly. Thank you for supporting these important organizations and helping Brookmeade fight hunger!

Our next trip to the Project CURE Warehouse (2300 Clifton Ave.) is scheduled for Saturday, April 1st from 9:30 am – 12 pm. We will be sorting medical supplies. Newcomers are very welcome! For planning reasons we need a head count for our group prior to volunteering. Please RSVP to the church office ASAP if you plan to attend. Thanks and see you there!

We are joining Holy Trinity UCC at 6727 Charlotte Pike, 37209 (located just 5 minutes from Brookmeade) this Sunday March 26th, where Robert Pearson, a UCC Member-in-Discernment at Holy Trinity Memphis, and his partner Patrick will lead us in worship. Robert’s message will address the Ezekiel 37:1-14 text from our common lectionary.  Please remember to come to Holy Trinity before 10 am so that we can worship together, visit with our friends, and hear a timely message on our identity as a beloved child of God. 

For those unable to attend in person, you can watch the service online here:
www.htccnashville.com/worship or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL8cAQFktLM

Click for Directions

Every year UCC congregations band together in One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS), one of four special mission offerings of the United Church of Christ. This Lenten Offering supports the disaster (think Turkey and Syria), refugee (think Ukraine), and development (needed on every continent but Antarctica) ministries of the United Church of Christ within Wider Church Ministries. Brookmeade will be collecting for OGHS through Sunday, March 19th. You can write a check (memo: OGHS) or donate via Tithely (choose OGHS UCC Offering on drop-down menu). Please give generously as you are able! To learn more about the OGHS offering and the impact your donation can make, watch the video:

Please place your orders for Easter Lilies and Hydrangeas no later than Sunday, March 26th! Lilies are $20, Hydrangeas are $30. Please contact the church office to place your order, or pick up an order form in the front foyer of the church this Sunday! Flowers will be available to take home on Easter Sunday (April 9, 2023).

Download your copy of the 2023 Lent Prayer Journal from Raise the Roof Academy featuring a short prayer for every day of Lent written by their students. Raise the Roof Academy develops high-quality education centers, provides community health programs, creates income generating opportunities, and grows alongside local leaders in rural Uganda. This multi-faceted, participatory approach builds local capacities and long-term relationships to create lasting, community-wide advancement. Find out more by visiting their website: https://www.raisetheroofacademy.org/ . If you are interested in sponsoring a student through Brookmeade please contact the church office!