Sunday, December 1st

By: Chad Hyatt
Matthew 24:36-44
Reflection – v. 37 ‘as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man’

Apocalypse does not portend the end of the world. It literally means ‘revelation.’ This is not just a technical point: apocalyptic language reveals, uncovering the truth about our reality and the times in which we live—however strange and obscure the language may seem. That brings us to a second point. Apocalypse is about our times—not the end-times. To put the apocalypse off into the future robs its dramatic power and shields us from its call to action. Worse, it leaves us numb to the truth of God’s liberating activity in our present. Apocalyptic language helps us diagnose the truth of our times, determining where God is in the seeming chaos of our world. While images of many-headed beasts and earth-shaking signs may seem strange, even frightening, that language may help us to name the beastly power of systems and institutions and currents of racism that threaten human community, sending shockwaves around the globe. This language grabs our attention with ultimate urgency so that we might see that our own times are as critical as the ‘days of Noah’ or the end of the world—for these are our days and this is our world. Right now and right here is where the drama of our salvation unfolds. Apocalyptic literature gives us language to name the truth that we must work for justice when it seems the world is on fire. We are called to live out our faith besieged by forces that are bigger than us—but not bigger than our God.

Prayer: Help us, God of truth, to see our world as it is.

Brittany grew up in Jacksonville, Arkansas. She first learned about God and what it means to be a church community that loves and cares for one another from First Presbyterian Church, Jacksonville, AR. Brittany graduated from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. After teaching abroad and working for a travel company, Brittany began her studies at Columbia Theological Seminary, taking steps to answer a call to ministry that she had felt since her childhood. Upon moving to Atlanta, Brittany’s passion for being present with those on the margins led her to volunteer at Peachtree and Pine’s Taskforce for the Homeless and to become a pastoral intern with Mercy Church. After completing her MDiv at Columbia, Brittany began a PhD program at Emory University, but left to answer God’s call on her life to full-time ministry as a pastor to our community. Brittany was jointly ordained by the PC(USA) and Mercy Community Church in 2018. Outside of Mercy, what gives Brittany life and joy is spending time with her husband Cooper and daughter Emi, traveling via plane, train, and foot, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and nerding out over Karl Barth.

Contact Brittany at brittany@mercyatl.org.

Holly grew up in Ocala, Florida where she was nurtured by her faith community and encouraged to find ways to be a leader in the community. Holly graduated from the University of North Florida with a degree in Psychology. After a period of discernment, she was called to a church community in Lady Lake, Florida where she served as the Youth Director for over six years. She began her seminary career in 2014 at Columbia Theological Seminary where she earned her Masters of Divinity and Master of Arts in Practical Theological (Pastoral Care). During her time in seminary, Holly began attending Mercy Community Church where she fell in love with the community. Upon graduation, Holly served for two years as a Chaplain Resident at Grady Memorial Hospital and specialized in pastoral care through the lens of behavioral health.

In her free time, Holly loves to exercise, travel, spend time with her family, read, and organize.

Tracey grew up in the Chicagoland area with a small but close-knit family. Her mother was Catholic, her father Lutheran and she was brought up in a household that always acknowledged God. She attended Northern Illinois University and graduated with a B.S. in Family and Social Services in 1997. Before she earned her college degree, she also attended the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago and graduated with a baking a pastry certificate. Throughout the past 20 years Tracey lived in a variety of places including Michigan, Seattle, India, and Brazil. She has called Atlanta home since 2016 where she lives with her daughters, Riley, and Shayla.

Tracey chose to care for her young family on a full-time basis until 2019 when she began her studies at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. She graduated with a Master of Divinity in 2022 and was ordained as a pastor by Mercy Community Church that same year. Tracey’s call to seminary was rooted in a deep desire to lead and live through her faith in God. She attended seminary with a hope of learning what that could mean while also knowing her path was not clear. As she served as an intern at Mercy Community Church for two years throughout her seminary studies, she began to discern that pastoring this community was a call she wanted to accept. Tracey loves to engage with the community through artistic expression, pastoral care and cooking delicious meals. She is honored to be a member of the Mercy community.

When she’s not with the Mercy crew, Tracey loves to dabble in all things creative, hang out with her fabulous teenage daughters, spend time with her pets, and run a few miles while contemplating the meaning of life.

Mercy Community Church Atlanta

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Pastor Chad

Pastor Brittany

Pastor Holly

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Pastor Tracey