This Week in Montreat Summer Post #5 | 07/03/2020

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Scroll to the bottom for an upcoming weekly rundown of events.

Tomorrow, of course, is Independence Day, marking the declaration of independence from England for 13 colonies which became the United States of America. It’s a time to reflect on the history of our country and the blessings of living here, on the sacrifices that so many have made, and a festive opportunity, too.  

Thanks to Montreat and its traditions, pretty much most of my life I’ve loved every bit of it. I love the annual parade, and especially the hour following the parade when I habitually walk through the crowd connecting with old friends and old memories. A couple of years ago on one of these walks I came upon Amos Disasa, a friend and fellow Montreater, standing off to the side in the auditorium parking lot.  

Amos and I visited intently as he reflected on two points that set him apart from me and virtually everyone else in Montreat’s July fourth crowd. First, though he had mostly grown up in the states, Amos had just become a US citizen by choice, having recently taken the oath at a ceremony in Charleston. Second, Amos is Black. The juxtaposition of these two realities, and the surrounding reality of a Montreat Fourth of July, had hit him hard. 

A few weeks ago, I reached out to Amos, now pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas, Texas, and asked if he’d be willing to revisit and expand on our conversation, this time publicly. He agreed, and so we recorded a Zoom call on Monday. We talked about his background, about the Fourth in Montreat, and the different ways that people gather around the “idea of America” as Amos put it. We talked about his experience as an immigrant, and a little about Montreat’s and the church’s past, current, and future struggles with race. You can view and listen here, and I offer it in hopes that you find Amos’s reflections meaningful and challenging, as I have.  

This summer, of course, Montreat’s parade and other traditional public festivities won’t take place. I grieve the loss and look forward to their return. My conversation with Amos, however, reminds me again that the Fourth is not just an opportunity to celebrate the blessing of being an American, but also a call to hope and pray that one day the ideals, freedoms, and opportunity for which our country was founded might be realized for all Americans.

God bless you all, and have a happy, safe, and reflective holiday.

This Sunday’s worship service will be posted on our website on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. For technical reasons we are pre-recording the service, and so it will be available from that time forward. Presbyterian pastor and North Carolina native Dr. Glen Bell is preaching. 

Sally Jones Pottery at the Wilbur Hoke Currie Craft Center opens for pottery and crafts beginning July 6th. (Yay Clay!) Drive by and pick up “grab ‘n go” clay kits, join us for hand-building classes under the trees, throwing classes, kid’s clay class, sewing classes and fused glass classes! Class sign-up sheets are outside by the door. You may also email montreatpottery@gmail.com. See the Community Announcements for details.

Finally, another online opportunity begins this week. The 2020 Arts Music and Theology Tuesday Night Lecture Series begins Tuesday evening, July 7th, with Dr. James (Jim) Bryan speaking on “Disease, Strategies of Prevention, Herd Immunity, Immunization.” Contact annlairdj55@gmail.com for more information, or simply go to our website and click on the link for a wonderful Montreat evening together!

More to come!

Richard DuBose

The Weekly Rundown | Sunday, July 5 – Saturday, July 11

Sunday, July 5

Monday, July 6

  • New pottery classes available! Beginning today the Sally Jones Pottery/Currie Craft Center is open for throwing clay, hand-building clay, and independent hand-building clay classes. Drive-by clay pickup and YouTube classes also begin today. Fused glass and sewing classes continue.
  • Visit the website for full details on class times/size limits, costs, and more information. Contact Ann Laird Jones at 662.347.3614 or montreatpottery@gmail.com with questions. Reservations only. Sign-up sheets are outside of the studio.
  • Ten Thousand Villages invites you to shop their holiday sale. 20% off your entire purchase. Last day of the sale. See hours listed below.
  • Yoga will begin today at 8:30 a.m. at Moore Center Field. Visit our Summer in Montreat page for more information.

Tuesday, July 7

  • The Sally Jones Pottery/Currie Craft Center will begin weekly Zoom clay troubleshooting classes today. Other classes are fused glass and sewing classes, throwing clay, hand-building clay, and independent hand-building clay classes.
  • Visit the website for full details on class times/size limits, costs, and more information. Contact Ann Laird Jones at 662.347.3614 or montreatpottery@gmail.com with questions. Reservations only. Sign-up sheets are outside of the studio.
  • The Arts, Music & Theology Summer Series starts online today. The first lecture of the series is “Disease, Strategies of Prevention, Herd Immunity, Immunization” with Dr. James (Jim) Bryan.

Wednesday, July 8

  • Visit the website for full details on class times/size limits, costs, and more information. Contact Ann Laird Jones at 662.347.3614 or montreatpottery@gmail.com with questions. Reservations only. Sign-up sheets are outside of the studio.
  • Yoga today at 8:30 a.m. at Moore Center Field. Visit our Summer in Montreat page for more information.

Thursday, July 9

  • Grab and Go – Heat and Eat pick-up day at Assembly Inn
  • Public Hike- Bear Ridge Romp. Visit our public hike schedule to learn more.

Additional Information

Summer in Montreat