🌟 JULY THEME : GOD'S GENDER REVEAL:🌟

🌟 Reclaiming Queer Heroes in the Bible 🌟

🌟 Monthly Worship Service 🌟

✨ Come be inspired, affirmed, and challenged.

📍 New Day at Other Lands

🕥 10:30 a.m. Worship

All are welcome. All are beloved. All have a place in God’s story. 🏳️🌈

In a world that too often erases queer stories, Scripture gives us surprising heroes in unexpected places. This Sunday, we meet Ebed-Melech—an outsider, a foreigner, a eunuch—who risks everything to rescue the prophet Jeremiah. His story reminds us that God lifts up those the world pushes aside.

Join us as we explore the courage, compassion, and quiet strength of the heroes we need right now—those who speak truth, protect the vulnerable, and stand up even when it’s risky.

Congregational Chat about Budget following Service

NOTE: We will NOT be having a formal congregational this week but a chat about where the congregation would like to go as the Board of Elders prepares a revised 2025 budget to reflect the sale of our building and our new location. Once the Board of Elders has finalized the budget revision, this budget will be presented to the congregation for approval.

Dear Beloved Community,

WHY WE MUST WRESTLE WITH SCRIPTURE

One of the joys—and challenges—of sermon preparation is discovering the layers of meaning buried in Scripture. This week’s study reminded me of something crucial: we do not—and have never had—a single, definitive version of the Bible, not even in the original languages. Take the book of Jeremiah, for example. The version of Jeremiah preserved in the Septuagint—the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures used by Jesus and the apostles— is very different from the Hebrew version that underlies most modern Bibles. Sections of Jeremiah are reordered, wording is changed, and about 15% of the passages are omitted entirely. In other words, the Bible Jesus would have read and quoted from did not match the exact text we have today. That’s not a flaw—it’s a testimony to how Scripture has always been a living, evolving conversation.

The impact of translation and textual choices became especially vivid for me as I sat with the story of Jeremiah and Ebed-Melech in Jeremiah 38. A little background: Jeremiah had made enemies among the political and religious leaders of his day by daring to speak God’s truth about injustice and destruction. For this, he was thrown into a muddy cistern and left to die. Enter Ebed-Melech, an outsider—a foreigner from Ethiopia and, according to the text, a eunuch—who courageously intervenes to save Jeremiah from certain death.

I usually hold up the New Revised Standard Version (2021 Updated Edition) as the gold standard for biblical translation, appreciating its scholarly rigor and commitment to inclusive language. I also appreciate the devotional power of The Message by Eugene Peterson. But this week, I was surprised at how much these translations shifted the story.

For starters, The Message completely leaves out the detail that Ebed-Melech was a eunuch. This isn’t a minor omission. It erases a crucial aspect of his identity—and with it, the opportunity to see a marginalized figure emerge as a biblical hero. Without that detail, we lose a moment where Scripture highlights someone many would have seen as “other” stepping up in faith and courage.

The NRSV does retain the reference to Ebed-Melech being a eunuch, but it quietly diminishes his authority and the risk he takes. In the original Hebrew, the king tells Ebed-Melech to take “men under your authority” to go and rescue Jeremiah. But in the NRSV, that phrase disappears, as does the original number of men—thirty—who accompany Ebed-Melech. Instead, it simply says three. Thirty men suggest a serious, even dangerous, mission—a need to protect oneself in hostile territory. Three men make it seem like a minor errand.

All of this invites us to think more deeply about how Scripture comes to us—not as a static, unchanging text, but as a living witness passed down through the generations. Every translation is an interpretation. Every editing choice can amplify some voices while silencing others. This is why we must approach the Bible with curiosity, humility, and a heart attuned to justice. We must learn to ask, “Whose stories have been softened? Whose courage has been minimized? Whose presence has been erased?” Because how we tell the story matters—especially for those who have too often been left out of it.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

New Day continues its mission to become a "church beyond the walls" with a broad range of activities to build community and several ways to grow in your faith and spirituality over the rest of this month.

*Note the location for each event.

Upcoming Events Summary

Restorative Yoga: Saturday, August 3, 2025. 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. AYMC at First Baptist Greenville.
Bible Study: Sunday, August 4, 2025. 10:30 a.m. at Other Lands with congregational meeting about revised 2025 to immediately follow.
Worship Service: Sunday, August 17, 2025. 10:30 a.m. at Other Lands.
Monthly Service Project: Sunday, August 24, 2025, 9:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m. at Project Host.
Monthly Social Gathering: Tuesday, August 26, 2025. Greenville Drive Chamber Night. Game begins as 6:45 p.m. Please RSVP to Pastor Brian ASAP. Tickets are $10 and include game, meal, and drink. Pastor Brian will order a block of tickets so we can be seated together.

If you'd like to add anything for next weeks' community prayer, please contact Pastor Brian at pastor@newdayccc.com.

Prayers for Jason's mom who is having difficult side effects from chemo.
Prayers for Michael's friend Jim who is in the hospital.
Prayers for Julie's family as they mourn the drowning of her two-year-old nephew. Prayers especially for her sixteen nephew who was watching his brother at the time.
Prayers for Ed as he gets his blood pressure under control.
Prayers for Andrea and her pain as they try to get the implant adjusted correctly.
Prayers for those who are struggling with physical, mental, and economic challenges.
Prayers for those who have suffered trauma and those who suffer from anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.
Prayers for those suffering the effects of war.
Prayers for our nation as we face local, national, and global challenges.
Prayers for those of us who are suffering from the blistering attack on our community by the current administration.
Prayers for Pastor Brian, Scott, Beth, Andrea, and others who have unspoken requests this week.

Please support the work of the church

by donating your time, talent, and tithe.

As we embrace new opportunities in 2025, your support is more vital than ever. Your generosity fuels our mission to serve the LGBTQ community, provide a welcoming space for worship, and grow into all God calls us to be. Every gift, no matter the size, helps us continue creating a space of love, connection, and hope. Thank you for being part of this journey—your contributions truly make a difference.

As of 7/18/25

Tithe Income: $7,198

Other Income: $13,936

Interest Earned: $1,737

Expenses: $28,829

Net Loss: -$5,958

Click the link below to give through our Flocknote portal or donate through Zelle to treasurer@newdayccc.com.

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New Day Christian Community Church
MEETING LOCATION - OTHER LANDS

731 Rutherford Road, Greenville, SC 29609

New Day Christian Community Church exists to provide a diverse, open, and affirming Christian community to all who desire a discipleship walk with Jesus Christ by offering challenging worship experiences, mission-based service opportunities, and Biblical learning so that we are empowered to reach out to others, introduce them to the love and strength of the beloved community, and invite them to join the faith journey of discipleship.