SONGS WE SANG

Mightier by Aaron Strumpel

Too Proud by Enter The Worship Circle

Fire And The Flood by Loud Harp

Relentless by Hillsong United

TEXT

Luke‬ ‭18:9-14‬ ‭

TAKEAWAYS

1 Prayer is an antidote (a medicine taken or given to counteract a particular poison) for my brain’s chaos and despair including but not limited to anxiety, fear, jealousy, hate, disorientation, insecurity, and saying or doing stupid stuff.

2 Find your prayer(s)

3 Join us Wednesday at noon for midweek prayer at the shop, or join online here.

RESOURCES

Podcast: Jill Bolte Taylor "My Stroke Of Insight"

BENEDICTION

Lord Jesus Christ Son Of God Have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.   PRACTICE This week, set aside 90 seconds each day to recite the Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ Son Of God Have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.

We set aside this particular Sunday to spotlight U COUNT, an organization that works to increase awareness of the crime of global sex trafficking and support at risk women, children, and survivors of sex slavery through three fronts: global projects, domestic efforts, and the marketplace.   The theme for the morning was "Change Their Story"  

SONGS WE SANG
Free by Gungor

Beautiful Things by Gungor

White As Snow by Jon Foreman   Love Song by Jason Morant

RESOURCE
Video: U COUNT Campaign Info Graphic Information: U Count Campaign  
BENEDICTION
Father,  We pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who showed loving kindness to the powerless, that You will grant to the people of this nation the will to do good, to flee from evil, and to practice all righteousness, making us respectful of life and sharers of Your blessings, caring for one another in mercy and truth.   Amen  
PRACTICE
Think of someone who you know very well, whose story you know very well. Holding their face in your mind, say this prayer: Remember to be kind  Endeavor to be aware  Of the quiet world That lives behind each face.*   Think of someone whose story you've decided you know. Someone who you've written a narrative about, that you might need to let go of. Holding their face in your mind, say this prayer: Remember to be kind  Endeavor to be aware  Of the quiet world That lives behind each face.*   Now, see your own face. Knowing your own story, say this prayer: Remember to be kind  Endeavor to be aware  Of the quiet world That lives behind each face.*   *from To Bless The Space Between Us by John O'Donohue

SONGS WE SANG

Spirit Move by Bethel Music

Nothing I Hold Onto by United Pursuit

Psalm 29 by Shawn Keefer

King Of My Heart by John Mark McMillan

 

TEXT

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

 

TAKEAWAYS

1

The worst suffering is suffering alone.

2

The curse of rugged individualism is isolation.

3

What needs to be re-integrated?

4

What needs to be unwrapped?

 

RESOURCES

Video: Psalm 29 by Shawn Keefer

Podcast: The Miraculous Healing Power of Mustard Seeds

 

BENEDICTION

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  

PRACTICE

 

This week, set aside 30-60 minutes to reflect on 2 Corinthians 1:3-7.

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what needs to be unwrapped and what needs to be re-integrated.

SONGS WE SANG

Build My Life by Housefires

Nothing I Hold Onto by United Pursuit

How Beautiful by Mosaic

Reckless Love by Bethel

 

TEXT

Matthew 17:14-20

 

TAKEAWAYS

1

Helpful and Helpless may be ego narratives

2

Be present

3

Bear Witness

4

Check In

5

Pray

 

RESOURCE

Video: As If with Malcolm Guite

 

PRACTICE

This week - in moments of feeling helpful or feeling helpless - recite the Jesus Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ,

Son of God, 

Have mercy on me.

Amen

SONGS WE SANG

Woke Up This Mornin'

It Is Well With My Soul

Mightier by Aaron Strumpel

How Great Thou Art

 

TEXT

2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:7-10‬ ‭

 

TAKEAWAYS

Everything Belongs

Everyone Belongs

Everything is Now

 

RESOURCE

Podcast: The Bible For Normal People "Episode 2: Richard Rohr- A Contemplative Look At The Bible"

 

PRACTICE

This week it will be nice weather. Find some sweet music. Put in earbuds. Look at everything. Ponder.

 

For Advent, we’re following the guide Celebrating Abundance by Walter Brueggemann. We want to create space to sit in the tension between our illusions of abundance and the abundance of newness. Or as Brueggemann says about Advent: "Advent is preparation for the demands of newness that will break the tired patterns of fear in our lives."

Advent 3: The What & The When Of The Christ Child

Song: Spirit Move by Bethel Music

Recognition of Souls Prayer:  We confess that we are inured to chaos, O God. We are well accustomed to fear and scarcity, and so we do not easily discern your transformative power. Make our hardened hearts supple once again, so that we might be prepared to celebrate the lord of abundance.

Amen.

Songs:  Beautiful Things by Gungor O Come O Come Emmanuel Revelation Song by Jesus Culture The Stand by Hillsong

Readings & Commentary: John 3:1-9 Sermon by Darren Fred   Benediction:

God, may we live in the mystery of Christ in us, and us in Christ, and move in Christ and have our being in Christ. May we be in Christ. May Christ be in us. May we see and be seen. May we know and be known. May we let go of our perceived need for certain experiences. May we experience everything. Amen.

Resource
A Conversation With Walter Brueggemann from Image Journal

Practice Enter into John 3:1-9 through the practice of Imaginative Prayer, which you can read about here.

For Advent, we’re following the guide Celebrating Abundance by Walter Brueggemann. We want to create space to sit in the tension between our illusions of abundance and the abundance of newness. Or as Brueggemann says about Advent: "Advent is preparation for the demands of newness that will break the tired patterns of fear in our lives."

Advent 2: Energy At Midpoint

Song: Reckless Love by Bethel

Recognition of Souls Prayer:  By your loving spirit, may Advent be a time of remembering and giving thanks, and also a time of renewing our energy and our resolve for mission.

May we rest and obey.

Amen.

Song: Nothing I Hold On by United Pursuit

Readings & Commentary: Isaiah 40:31   From Celebrating Abundance: The poem [in Isaiah 40] reflects a faith community in which the possibilities of the Gospel seem to have failed. We might call it burnout. They could not generate the old vitality. Nothing seemed to work. In this world, appeal to the power of God did not carry much weight.

Song of Reflection: Scattered Stones by Young Oceans Reflection Prompts: 

Song: O Come O Come Emmanuel

Readings &Commentary: 

From Celebrating Abundance:

The news in this poem is for the faint in the church, those who have run out of steam, out of patience, out of courage, out of imagination, out of generosity.

The reason we have run out is that we have believed the world too much. We have listened to the Babylonians. We have yearned too much for the American dream. And people who get caught in Babylonian dreams or American dreams wind up without energy for faith and mission.

But as we focus on the God who is free and restless and at work, we break the spell of the empire, and we are free again.

Song: Beautiful by Phil Wickham

Song: King Of My Heart by John Mark McMillan

Benediction:
God, You are here
God, You are good
God, You are enough
Amen

Resources
A Blessing For Longing by Jon O'Donohue Album: Advent by Young Oceans

Practice
In moments of longing this week, stop and pray:
Come, thou long expected Jesus

Then imagine the Holy Trinity turning to you and saying: Come, thou long expected Child  

For Advent, we’re following the guide Celebrating Abundance by Walter Brueggemann. We want to create space to sit in the tension between our illusions of abundance and the abundance of newness. Or as Brueggemann says about Advent: "Advent is preparation for the demands of newness that will break the tired patterns of fear in our lives."

 

Advent 1: Newness Is On Its Way

Song: Children Of The Earth by Josh Garrels

Recognition of Souls:

Living God, visit us in this season with your Holy Spirit that we may get carried away to do obedient things we have not yet done, kingdom things we did not think we had in us, neighbor things from which we cringe. May you act in us, through us, beyond us, more than we imagine, because newness is on its way among us.

Amen.

Song: Are You Listening by United Pursuit

Reading:

John is not the newness. He prepares us for the newness. And his word is that if we want to be immersed in the life giving power of God, then we must do as john says: share your coat and shoes and goods; manage money in neighborly ways; quit being the heavy in social transactions. Who would’ve thought such concrete acts are the tactic whereby God's newness will yet come!

Advent is not the kind of “preparation” that involves shopping and parties and cards. Such illusions of abundance disguise the true cravings of our weary souls.  Advent is preparation for the demands of newness that will break the tired patterns of fear in our lives.

Song: Everything Now by Arcade Fire

Reading: Luke 3:15-16

Song: O Come O Come Emmanuel

Sermon: Darren Fred

Song: For Joy by Aaron Strumpel

Song: May You Find A Light by The Brilliance

Benediction:

God, You are here

God, You are good

God, You are enough

Amen

 

Resource

Celebrating Abundance by Walter Brueggemann

Practice

During times of stress this week, pause and repeat this:

God, You are here

God, You are good

God, You are enough

[Your name], you are here

[Your name], you are good

[Your name], you are enough

Heading into the holidays, we are in a three week series thinking about Hospitality in terms of welcome, comply, and farewell. The holidays can be a space in time when anxious scarcity is the loudest voice and heaviest feeling. By practicing hospitality, we begin to depart that system and realize the wealth of what we have to offer to one another: generous abundance. It just so happens that ‘Celebrating Abundance’ is the title of the guide we’ll be using for Advent in December. See where we’re going with this one?

 

TEXT: John‬ ‭13:1, John‬ ‭14:27

TAKEAWAYS:

• When we are with people this next month, let’s remember to see them, listen to them, wish them well.
• Is there someone we didn’t properly say goodbye to? Might we need to circle back?
• In small ways and larger ways, what are we leaving with each other and what are we receiving from each other. When we remember each other, how do we feel?
• Some things to leave when we leave: A joke. A compliment. A truth. A note. A small gift. Food. Peace.

RESOURCE:

Watch this and revel in times gone by. When Darren played the song at the beginning of his teaching, we had no idea what was going on. We just knew we didn't know what to do, so some of us laughed.

PRACTICE:

This practice is not directly tied to the sermon this week, but it is relevant to the time of year and our heading into Advent. Brene Brown talks often about joy coming from gratitude. This week, practice an examen of gratitude:

• Take 10 minutes to think about the past 24 hours, past week, past year. Whatever length of time, think through it from beginning to end.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to be your guide in revealing the gifts you might come across.
• Practice gratitude for these things. Thank God for them. Thank people for them.
• Admit something: they did not come from you.

SONGS WE SANG:

• Relentless - Bethel Music
• Skeleton Bones - John Mark McMillan
• Centuries - Aaron Strumpel
• You Found Me - Loud Harp

 

Heading into the holidays, we are in a three week series thinking about Hospitality in terms of welcome, comply, and farewell. The holidays can be a space in time when anxious scarcity is the loudest voice and heaviest feeling. By practicing hospitality, we begin to depart that system and realize the wealth of what we have to offer to one another: generous abundance. It just so happens that ‘Celebrating Abundance' is the title of the guide we’ll be using for Advent in December. See where we’re going with this one?

SONGS

Mightier - Aaron Strumpel

Build My Life - House Fires

Nearness Of You - Loud Harp

Reckless Love - Bethel

TEXT

Mark 10:35-52

TAKEAWAYS

• What do we really need?
• A quality product (read:love) in a timely manner with kindness
• When we want to be special, what we need is to be known
• Most of us feel like the weird one most of the time
• Kingdom hospitality is to remember that no matter how someone is acting, what we are all looking for is love.

RESOURCE

With That Moon Language by Hafiz (trans. Daniel Ladinsky)

Admit something: Everyone you see, you say to

them, “Love me.”

Of course you do not do this out loud, otherwise

someone would call the cops.

Still, though, think about this, this great pull in us

to connect.

Why not become the one who lives with a full

moon in each eye that is always saying,

With that sweet moon language,

What every other

eye in this world is dying to hear?

PRACTICE

This practice is not directly tied to the sermon this week, but it is relevant to the time of year and our heading into Advent. Brene Brown talks often about joy coming from gratitude. This week, practice an examen of gratitude:

• Take 10 minutes to think about the past 24 hours, past week, past year. Whatever length of time, think through it from beginning to end.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to be your guide in revealing the gifts you might come across.
• Practice gratitude for these things. Thank God for them. Thank people for them. Admit something: they did not come from you.