This Sunday, we reflected on this past year and how we have grown and evolved as a church. The future looks different than it did maybe a year ago, so we strive as a community to be true to who we are but agile in this ever-changing world.

Tim Woody shared a little bit of his story of how he came to be a part of Storied Church (at the end of the podcast). He shared this quote from Margaret Mead, "Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

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This Sunday we celebrate All Saints Sunday. We celebrated the many people in our lives that have gone before us and also recognized their continued presence in how they have formed and shaped our lives.

We mentioned an article by Willie Jennings. You can find it here: https://reflections.yale.edu/article/spirit-and-politics-finding-our-way/aiming-world-toward-hope

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This Sunday our friend Amy preached about what it means and ways that we might be light in one another's world.

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This is the fourth and final week in our series "Benediction".

This week we talked about our baptismal identity and carrying confidence in who God created us to be and that we can make a difference in our world.

Each week we dismiss with these words, "May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace."

Anger is no doubt a complicated emotion with many roots... but it is also one that causes us to make the issues in a world personal and to work towards transformative change in our world.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU with discomfort,

at easy answers, half-truths,

and superficial relationships

so that you may live

deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger

at injustice, oppression,

and exploitation of people,

so that you may work for

justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears,

to shed for those who suffer pain,

rejection, hunger, and war,

so that you may reach out your hand

to comfort them and

to turn their pain to joy.

And may God bless you

with enough foolishness

to believe that you can

make a difference in the world,

so that you can do

what others claim cannot be done,

to bring justice and kindness

to all our children and the poor.

Amen

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This is the third week in our series "Benediction".

This week we talked about the issues in our world that break our hearts and how we are often times feel helpless. But our prayer each week is that whatever it is that breaks our hearts... that we might be the kind of people who reach out our hands to turn others pain into joy.

Each week we dismiss with these words, "May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace."

Anger is no doubt a complicated emotion with many roots... but it is also one that causes us to make the issues in a world personal and to work towards transformative change in our world.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU with discomfort,

at easy answers, half-truths,

and superficial relationships

so that you may live

deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger

at injustice, oppression,

and exploitation of people,

so that you may work for

justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears,

to shed for those who suffer pain,

rejection, hunger, and war,

so that you may reach out your hand

to comfort them and

to turn their pain to joy.

And may God bless you

with enough foolishness

to believe that you can

make a difference in the world,

so that you can do

what others claim cannot be done,

to bring justice and kindness

to all our children and the poor.

Amen

NEW TO STORIED?

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instagram.com/storiedchurch facebook.com/storiedchurch

Songs from Sunday Gatherings: https://soundcloud.com/storied-church-mebane

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdgmDHRPhzLFxD-Oc8tiA4g

This is the second week in our series "Benediction".

This week we will be talking about the value of anger. Brene Brown says, "Anger, in response to experiencing or witnessing injustice, pain, and struggle, can be a powerful catalyst for change." Anger is an emotion that we all experience. But there is a lot of shame around anger as an emotion we shouldn't feel. Especially as people who follow Christ who we identify as the gentle and loving savior. A constructed image that forsakes the stories of Jesus getting angry at his disciples and flipping tables. He was a human who experienced human emotions.

Each week we dismiss with these words, "May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace."

Anger is no doubt a complicated emotion with many roots... but it is also one that causes us to make the issues in a world personal and to work towards transformative change in our world.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU with discomfort,

at easy answers, half-truths,

and superficial relationships

so that you may live

deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger

at injustice, oppression,

and exploitation of people,

so that you may work for

justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears,

to shed for those who suffer pain,

rejection, hunger, and war,

so that you may reach out your hand

to comfort them and

to turn their pain to joy.

And may God bless you

with enough foolishness

to believe that you can

make a difference in the world,

so that you can do

what others claim cannot be done,

to bring justice and kindness

to all our children and the poor.

Amen

NEW TO STORIED?

Storied Church Linktree: linktr.ee/storiedumc

JOIN OUR LISTSERVE: storiedchurch.org/connect

YOUR GIFTS MATTER: storiedchurch.org/give storiedchurch.org

instagram.com/storiedchurch facebook.com/storiedchurch

Songs from Sunday Gatherings: https://soundcloud.com/storied-church-mebane

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdgmDHRPhzLFxD-Oc8tiA4g

This week we started a new series called Benediction. Benediction means to speak well of. They are the words we dismiss with each Sunday and we are invited into this holy work of being co-creators in sowing good in the world.

This week will talk about the gift of discomfort.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU with discomfort,

at easy answers, half-truths,

and superficial relationships

so that you may live

deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger

at injustice, oppression,

and exploitation of people,

so that you may work for

justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears,

to shed for those who suffer pain,

rejection, hunger, and war,

so that you may reach out your hand

to comfort them and

to turn their pain to joy.

And may God bless you

with enough foolishness

to believe that you can

make a difference in the world,

so that you can do

what others claim cannot be done,

to bring justice and kindness

to all our children and the poor.

Amen

Link to graphic: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dreamstime.com%2Fcomfort-fear-learning-growth-zones-vector-illustration-diagram-go-making-excuses-being-afraid-to-developing-new-skills-image169963207&psig=AOvVaw2rYaTwpqpDEtohYgYE9_MM&ust=1664989206806000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCIi12qSGx_oCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAH

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What do you need? Naming what we need can be a very difficult task. Maybe because we don’t want to burden someone with our problems or because we carry shame and guilt about our needs. We can’t help one another if we aren’t able to articulate what it is we need. This week we will be talking about how we might find the courage to name what we need. And that on the other side we might create space to help to hold and carry one another’s needs.

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This Sunday we read from the book of Jeremiah. We talked about how Jeremiah was a depressing prophet to read. But this story isn't without hope for the now and the future. Jeremiah reminds us that every day and every moment we have a chance to lean into the beautiful ways of the divine.

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Have you ever thought to yourself that if someone could just walk a mile in my shoes, they would know what it feels like to live in my skin? Maybe if we did such a thing we would treat one another and ourselves with more kindness. This Sunday we will be reading from Luke 15 where Jesus is questioned by religious leaders as to why he breaks bread with those that they deem unclean and far off from God. Jesus’ invitation to them is to walk in their shoes. Live in their skin. Feel what it must be like to be them.

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