Belmont church to honor Evolution Weekend

Congregational Church of Belmont, 751 Alameda de Las Pulgas, Belmont, CA | Get Directions »
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Evolution Weekend will be celebrated at the Congregational Church of Belmont on Feb. 13.

The church will be one of hundreds of congregations from across the country and around the world to observe Evolution Weekend, Feb. 11-13, a period designed to recognize that religion and science, two fields of critical importance to humans, should be seen as complementary rather than confrontational.

A geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park and a cartographer from San Mateo, who are members of the Congregational Church of Belmont, a United Church of Christ affiliate, will discuss how science and spirituality co-exist in their lives during worship at 10:30 a.m. The church is located at 751 Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont.

“Our faith needs to be big enough to embrace reality,” the Rev. Kristi Denham, pastor, said. ” Science has shown that evolution is the Creator's way of enlivening our world. What a wonderful mix of mystery and meaning is available to us if we will allow our minds and hearts to be open to God's continuing incarnation in the world around us.

"We celebrate Evolution Sunday to remind us that we see no contradiction between science and our faith. The first complements the second by reminding us of all the amazing wonders of our physical world. Our loving God creates through Evolution.

“God is not done with creation yet."

Religious institutions in 14 countries on five continents as well as all 50 states will participate in the broader observance of Evolution Weekend.  A list of participants can be found at www.evolutionweekend.org.  Scientists on six continents, representing 29 countries, have signed on as consultants.

Evolution Weekend is sponsored by the Clergy Letter Project, which Michael Zimmerman, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Butler University in Indianapolis, started in 2004.  

The Clergy Letter has been signed by more than 11,800 Christian clergypersons who agree that “religious truth is of a different order from scientific truth. Its purpose is not to convey scientific information but to transform hearts.” 

Companion Letters by Rabbis (with more than 400 signatures) and Unitarian Universalists (with more than 100 signatures) have recently begun circulating as well.

The signers, Zimmerman said,”are demonstrating that those who are promoting their narrow religious views as the norm, are not speaking for most of the world’s religious community. 

Child care will be provided during the service, and visitors are invited for coffee and refreshments after in the Dining Room. Further information is available on the church’s website at http://www.uccbelmont.org/.