First Christian Church

08/28/2026

Pastor's Note - September 2026

Hello, Disciples!

Somehow, September is here already, and with it comes the regular fall flow for many families. Teachers and students are back in classes - myself included. There’s something comforting about the regimented schedule that comes with being in school. Expectations have been set ahead of time: a plan for what we’ll be doing, clear guidelines for how we’ll share our space and time together, and by the end of the semester, we’ll hopefully meet the anticipated outcomes. But as much as I love being in school, the sheer amount of work can be overwhelming. It’s good work, of course, but there are times that I sit, staring at my to-do list in despair. “How in the world is all of that going to be done by mid-December?”

Of course, many of us aren’t back in a classroom, and many in that group give thanks to God for another September without school. This is just another month. Their work schedule stays the same. Or their retirement schedule stays the same.

But a third group comes to mind this month - people who feel stuck, whether their schedule is changing or not. It could be people who are grieving. Who are anxious about what the future holds. Who are angered by injustice happening around them and in our world. People whose bodies aren’t as healthy or capable as they once were. There are plenty of ways we get stuck, and feeling trapped can trigger that same kind of despair: “Are things always going to be this way?” “Am I always going to feel this way?” “Is my life never going to get better?”

Usually, this is when I remind us how we have victory in Jesus, that God has already won the battle, and that we are held in the arms of God, even when we’re on the verge of despair. That’s all true, of course. But sometimes, assenting to ideas like those isn’t enough to keep our heads above water. I might even remind you to be steadfast in prayer. That’s a good one, too. But lately I’ve had this quote from a cartoon in my head. In Avatar: The Legend of Korra, there comes a point where the hero, Korra, is overwhelmed by the task ahead of her, fully overtaken by anxiety and despair. And a wise old friend tells her, “You will find if you look for the light, you can often find it. But if you look for the dark, that is all you will ever see.”

In one sense, the antidote for despair is hope. We do hope with all our might that what is broken now will be repaired, including us. But sometimes hope is more a posture we hold than a practice we do, and it makes it feel hollow. Hope in action looks like resilience: not pretending there is no suffering or pain, but choosing to focus on the light and taking a step forward. It’s those little sacred moments when we glimpse God in another person, or feel the peace of an early morning with the wind blowing and the birds singing, or hear stories of progress and healing.

If September finds you near despair’s door, I pray that the God of peace and comfort will draw you near and point out all the light. I promise, there is light out there. And the more we see it, the more resilient our hope becomes.

Blessings,

Pastor Adam

07/31/2026

Pastor's Note - August 2026

Hello, Disciples!

One thing you likely know about me is that I haven’t been around all that long. I don’t mean around Centralia, though that is also true. This year, I’m turning the ripe old age of 27. Because my birth year starts with ‘19,’ any time I’m around kids at camp or in church, they think I’m ancient. But of course, they’re about the only ones. Really, I haven’t been around all that long. I’ve grown up in an age of rapid technological and societal transformation. I have never known the world not to be evolving quickly. Yet even I have looked around and found myself overwhelmed at just how fast everything seems to be changing. I’m reminded of the words of the great poet Bob Dylan: “Come gather 'round people, wherever you roam, and admit that the waters around you have grown. And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone, if your time to you is worth savin'. And you better start swimmin', or you'll sink like a stone. For the times, they are a-changin'.”
Historically, this has not usually been one of the Church’s strengths. We often don’t like to admit when the waters around us have grown - when our society has become vastly different than it was when we established our certain way of doing things. Whenever we see that the waters have risen, the first question that we have to ask is, “What do we put our faith in?”

Two of the dangers in a rapidly changing world are that we will put our faith in the things we’ve done before, or the opposite, that we will put our faith in new ways of being. Our old ways of being won’t keep us grounded, relevant, or even useful when they no longer look anything like the world outside our doors. No, and mindlessly taking on the shape of whatever seems new and exciting at the time will leave us completely adrift. In both cases, we tie ourselves, our identities, our hopes and dreams, our whole worldview, to something that withers like grass. The easy, wonderful, Sunday School answer to “what do we put our faith in?” is Jesus. And it’s entirely right. When the times are a-changin’, what does not change is where our faith should rest. When our faith is in Jesus, the Church can be confident that whatever kind of times we find ourselves in, we still have a message of hope to share with our words and actions. But the shape of that message, the ways we share it, even the language of the message has to continue to adapt to the world around us, or it will ring hollow to those who hear it. We do need to learn to see, hear, and speak in our evolving world. The key is to do so with discernment.

For all of us, being discerning requires having the most accurate information about the world around us. For people of faith, it also means being in conversation with our sacred traditions and scripture. It’s not an easy task to figure out how to show up in the world. But, as I’m fond of saying, the work of faith is always to ask, “What does it look like to be faithful in the time and place I’m in right now?” It’s far too easy to be overwhelmed when we endeavor alone. Come, struggle together in community, and we’ll walk together into these changin’ times with hope and purpose.

Blessings,

Pastor Adam

07/10/2026

06/28/2026

We are excited to celebrate Pastor Adam Carlson's one year anniversary at our church and look forward to many more years to come.

Thank you to Rev. Cassie Sexton-Riggs, Associate Regional Minister, for bringing the message today and leading the reaffirmation during worship.

A special Thank You to Terri Rogers for designing and creating the stole for Pastor Adam.

06/26/2026

Pastor’s Note - July 2026

Hello, Disciples!

I can’t believe it’s already been a year of ministry together! It has all passed so quickly. I have loved getting to know this community and taking part in FCC traditions. Together, we have thought about our Disciples identity and heritage and how our church fits into the picture. We’ve talked about our dreams for the church and our grief for the days that have been left behind. We’ve wrestled together in worship and in the study of scripture, seeking a better sense of what it means to be a faithful Christian in 2026. I am so grateful to all of you who took a chance on a young seminary student, and I look forward to more good years ahead.

As we step into our second year together, let’s take a moment to look back before we look ahead. Right now, we are studying the book of Acts together. This week, in fact, we’re looking at Stephen’s great sermon and subsequent martyrdom. So much of his speech was a look back at the entire history of their people - Abraham, Moses, David, and the Prophets - to highlight the failures they had made in the past so that they might not make the same mistakes now. Healthy ministry does much of the same work. We have to look back on the 170 years of our church and reckon honestly with the missteps, conflicts, and struggles - not to be ashamed about the past, but to be equipped to take on the future. No matter where we go or who we choose to be together, we carry forward the legacy of those who came before us. In a way, we shape it. The saints of First Christian Church Centralia have their trust in God’s provision and in the church’s future leaders validated when we steward our church's resources well. Through our successful ministry, by proclaiming the hope of the Gospel and making that hope real right here in our community, we honor those who came before us and further prepare the way for those who will come after us. By avoiding the pitfalls that those before us fell into, we honor the hard lessons they learned. So I ask that you continue dreaming of a better future. Bring your vision to the table. Speak up, lend a hand. And together, with the wisdom of scripture, our sacred traditions, and those who came before us, we will see how God blesses the work that we do.

Blessings,

Pastor Adam

06/26/2026

Congratulations to Rev. Dr. Andrew Packman on his promotion at United! Theological education is so important, and we're proud of the good he's doing in the world.

We are delighted to announce that, effective July 1, Rev. Dr. Andrew Packman will become the Associate Professor of Christian Ethics, supported by the McVay Endowment, and Director for Formation.

Announced during Commencement in April, the McVay chairship reflects the esteem with which United’s board and faculty members regard Professor Packman.

In February, Dean Kyle Roberts proudly reported that Dr. Packman was being promoted from assistant to associate professor and transitioning from a three-year contract into a tenure-track position.

Read the announcement in full at https://buff.ly/9ndi7Cu!

05/29/2026

Pastor’s Note - June 2026

Hello Disciples!

For those of us whose lives revolve around school calendars, we have entered into an annual time of transition. The school year comes to an end - some of us graduate and prepare for what’s next, others finish out another year knowing there are more still ahead. Some see summer as a time of rest and relaxation, and others get ready for a busy season and the different challenges that it may bring.

With Pentecost Sunday behind us, we’ve entered a similarly transitional time. Some call it “Ordinary Time” for the way the weeks are counted (“ordinal” numbers: first, second, third, etc.) and because it stands outside of other holy seasons. It is often described as a time for growth. Coincidentally (or maybe not), after Pentecost, the early church saw a whole lot of growth. Their time of face-to-face instruction was over, school was out, Jesus was ascended, and then the Holy Spirit arrived on the scene to get stuff done. The Spirit pushed and pulled Disciples further and further from Jerusalem, ever overturning and dismissing the human-established boundaries that previously boxed people in and inhibited the unity and flourishing of God’s Children: cultural and religious identities (Jew/gentile), political positions and affiliations (Roman citizen/noncitizen), and social hierarchies (rich/poor, slave/free, male/female). More and more people found themselves drawn into the powerful and loving presence of God, welcomed to the growing table of the Lord. In word and deed, Disciples witnessed to the Good News: Jesus is alive and humanity has seen the first glimpses of the Realm of God.

Whether the beginning of summer marks a change for your day-to-day or not, the same Spirit that overturned boundaries and tore down walls in the early Church is still on the move today. It may not mean that we travel further and further to share the good news of Jesus, but it definitely does mean that God still calls Disciples to witness to the Gospel in word and deed. Nearly 2000 years removed from those early days, there is no “proof” of Jesus’s death and resurrection we can offer - just our testimony of how God has moved in our lives, directed our paths, and called us to love beyond our carefully-constructed boxes. The evidence of God’s transformation in us should be a clear and powerful witness to the Gospel. And if you don’t feel like your words and deeds bear the mark of good news, well you’re in luck: we’ve entered the season of growth. God’s arms are open wide, the Spirit is ready and willing to get to work, and the Church is here to meet you where you’re at and walk alongside you. A bigger table means you’re welcome, too.

- Pastor Adam

04/25/2026

Pastor’s Note - May 2026

Hello, Disciples!

April has brought us many wonderful things: the Easter season and all its joyful celebrations of resurrection, a baptism into the family of God, more consistent warm weather, and the stirrings of change that come from new classes, fresh ideas, and a spirit of curiosity and imagination. As we move into May and its even warmer weather, we will continue to walk toward abundant life, asking, guessing, praying, and discerning what that might look like for us, our church, and our community.

Of course, we cannot properly talk about new life without acknowledging the tragedy of death. April also brought Centralia a mass shooting. In an era where we’ve numbed ourselves to the sting of gun violence, inundated as we are with story after story of them in the news, few things shock us more than for those stories to become our own reality. But even in the midst of grief and horror, even when it stands in stark contrast to what we see around us, the Church must continue to witness to our resurrection hope. Jesus is alive, and that changes everything. Nothing that hate or death have destroyed will remain unnoticed, untouched, or unaffected by the God who “so loved the world.” So let us proclaim with our voices that resurrection power is still at work here. But more importantly, let us witness with our hands and feet that new, abundant life can grow even in the midst of tragedy. Get involved somewhere, anywhere where there are folks working to alleviate suffering and meet people’s needs. With our senses attuned to the world around us, our hearts and minds attuned to the Gospel, in partnership with God’s Spirit, we will see this Earth look more like heaven.

Blessings,

Pastor Adam

04/04/2026

Join us for an Easter Breakfast before the service tomorrow!

03/27/2026

April 2026 Courier: Pastor’s Note

Hello, Disciples!

We’re rounding the corner on our wilderness journey through Lent. Following in the footsteps of so many faithful people before us, we ventured into the wilderness to learn, grow, and find new direction. For the Israelites leaving Egypt, there was a long way to go to get to the promised land. Many miles to cover and a lot of lessons to learn.

Often in Lent, we who do not feel like we’re in the wilderness pretend as though we are, so that we can learn alongside the people in our sacred stories. But our church doesn’t need to pretend. If the wilderness is that place between where and who we once were and where God is leading us, we are absolutely in the wilderness. And that’s okay! As Terence Fretheim writes, “deliverance in the wilderness is not deliverance from the wilderness.” We’re here to learn. Learn to listen for God’s voice. Learn to follow God’s instruction. Learn to trust that wherever God is leading is a place of blessing, a land flowing with milk and honey.

On Ash Wednesday, we committed ourselves to the work of repentance - realigning ourselves with God. In Lent, we wander in the wilderness, re-learning how to be God’s People. And now, we see Easter on the horizon. New life awaits. Resurrection awaits. Transformation awaits.

So let us continue to seek out God’s direction in diligent prayer and dialogue. Continue learning the lessons of the wilderness. Because we already know that new life lies on the other side. All we have to do is walk in faith. God is not done with us.

Blessings,
Pastor Adam