Pentecost +17 (C)
Today was Regathering Sunday at FCS.
Opening Hymn "Come, All You People"
(I'm used to just singing "come and praise your Maker," but this had a Trinitarian formation -- "the Most High," "the Savior," "the Spirit.")
Anthem: "Here I Am, Lord" (in a slightly different tune than I'm used to, but definitely the same words)
Scripture Readings
Isaiah 42:6, 7, 9
Psalm 40:1-3
Isaiah 43:18-19
Jeremiah 31:31-33
Lamentations 3:21-23
Isaiah 65:18
2 Corinthians 5:16
Ian H's sermon ("Building the Beloved Community") was the second in a series on change, transition, and transformation. The Mission Statement was also printed in the bulletin today (along with the Vision Statement), and it ends: "We are of many minds in our spiritual beliefs, but one body in loving service to others and in joyful worship of the One who made us." Ian talked about various works of this this church and invited us to reflect on where we feel called to serve.
(I have various thoughts related to the readings, the sermon, etc., but for not I'm just recording that Ian H. quoted Irenaeus: "the glory of God is a human being fully alive")
Hymn: "Be Now My Vision"
Closing Hymn: "I'm Gonna Live so God Can Use Me"
+
I feel sort of wriggly under my skin, like God was saying, "Yes I know you've been having a rough time recently, but remember that peace I gave you on Friday? It's time for you to do some more focusing on yourself and the stuff you might be called to do."
re/New tonight's theme was "rule of life." I'd been undecided about how much I wanted to go, but after church this morning I decided I did really want to go, so I planned to leave CWM dinner fairly quickly unless it was really good. (CWM service ends ~6:30; re/New is 7-8:30; it's a 30-minute walk from CWM to FCS.) I ended up staying at dinner until we ended at 7:30 (and stayed and helped clean up, in part because I knew Julia was willing to drive me, so I still got to re/New about the same time I would have if I'd walked).
I blathered to Ari a lot this afternoon about how much stuff FCS does that I want to be involved with (that I want to attend, at least) and how that contrasts with CWM since CWM is so small, and about what do these congregations want to be and what do I want from them. Which are still valuable conversations, but it was nice to be reminded that yeah, this [CWM] is a good community and I enjoy spending time with a lot of these people.
During closing thoughts at re/New, Jeff V. shared that he was reminded of the fact that keeping the Sabbath is a commandment. Which I think is something I kind of needed to hear, because recently I've been wanting to be more intentional about certain spiritual practices, but that requires certain tradeoffs, and Jeff's comment was a reminder to me to think seriously about what's really important to me and what I'm willing to give up.
I stayed to help clean up, and Ian H. and I carried a bunch of tables.
Ian H. said (in exaggerated seriousness), "Lead me, direct me, tell me what to do."
I laughed and said, "Don't tempt me." (After Rest and Bread a couple days ago, I was chatting with people as they were settling/trickling in for a committee meeting. Once they were ready to start, Ian H. asked me if I was staying for the meeting -- it was Worship Planning, which was the sort of thing I had been talking about the whole time. I said, "Oh, now I'm tempted. I like having Opinions and telling people what to do. But I'm not sure I'm the most useful person to be a part of this meeting." And so Ian H. wished me grace and peace until we meet again and blah blah blah. I said, "Thanks. [Beat] Subtle." Everyone laughed.)
I'm Reflecting at Rest and Bread this Wednesday. On prayer. /o\ (I also need to decide soon whether I am going to commit to being one of the pre- Sunday morning service Bible Study leaders or not.)
I think I am going to go to CWAC and TBC.
***
As I mentioned, I read Stop Walking on Eggshells recently. One of the bits that really resonated was: Consider a lighthouse. It stands on the shore with its beckoning light, guiding ships safely into the harbor. The lighthouse can't uproot itself, wade out into the water, grab the ship by the stern, and say, "Listen, you fool! If you stay on this path, you may break up on the rocks!"
No, the ship has some responsibility for its own destiny. It can choose to be guided by the lighthouse. Or it can choose to go its own way. The lighthouse is not responsible for the ship's decisions. All it can do is be the best lighthouse it can be.
(p.87)
bff said, "You're a good lighthouse."
After we got off the phone today, I did art exploring the implications of that metaphor (yes, I know the analogy meant to illustrate a particular point, not to map exactly in every single way; and I took bff's "You're a good lighthouse" entirely as a good thing, which is what it was intended as). I'm not sure that the pictures I drew actually convey what I meant them to, but *I* figured stuff out, which is the important part.
art at home 7.1 [Sun. Sept. 19, 2010]
art at home 7.2 [Sun. Sept. 19, 2010]
Opening Hymn "Come, All You People"
(I'm used to just singing "come and praise your Maker," but this had a Trinitarian formation -- "the Most High," "the Savior," "the Spirit.")
Anthem: "Here I Am, Lord" (in a slightly different tune than I'm used to, but definitely the same words)
Scripture Readings
Isaiah 42:6, 7, 9
Psalm 40:1-3
Isaiah 43:18-19
Jeremiah 31:31-33
Lamentations 3:21-23
Isaiah 65:18
2 Corinthians 5:16
Ian H's sermon ("Building the Beloved Community") was the second in a series on change, transition, and transformation. The Mission Statement was also printed in the bulletin today (along with the Vision Statement), and it ends: "We are of many minds in our spiritual beliefs, but one body in loving service to others and in joyful worship of the One who made us." Ian talked about various works of this this church and invited us to reflect on where we feel called to serve.
(I have various thoughts related to the readings, the sermon, etc., but for not I'm just recording that Ian H. quoted Irenaeus: "the glory of God is a human being fully alive")
Hymn: "Be Now My Vision"
Closing Hymn: "I'm Gonna Live so God Can Use Me"
+
I feel sort of wriggly under my skin, like God was saying, "Yes I know you've been having a rough time recently, but remember that peace I gave you on Friday? It's time for you to do some more focusing on yourself and the stuff you might be called to do."
re/New tonight's theme was "rule of life." I'd been undecided about how much I wanted to go, but after church this morning I decided I did really want to go, so I planned to leave CWM dinner fairly quickly unless it was really good. (CWM service ends ~6:30; re/New is 7-8:30; it's a 30-minute walk from CWM to FCS.) I ended up staying at dinner until we ended at 7:30 (and stayed and helped clean up, in part because I knew Julia was willing to drive me, so I still got to re/New about the same time I would have if I'd walked).
I blathered to Ari a lot this afternoon about how much stuff FCS does that I want to be involved with (that I want to attend, at least) and how that contrasts with CWM since CWM is so small, and about what do these congregations want to be and what do I want from them. Which are still valuable conversations, but it was nice to be reminded that yeah, this [CWM] is a good community and I enjoy spending time with a lot of these people.
During closing thoughts at re/New, Jeff V. shared that he was reminded of the fact that keeping the Sabbath is a commandment. Which I think is something I kind of needed to hear, because recently I've been wanting to be more intentional about certain spiritual practices, but that requires certain tradeoffs, and Jeff's comment was a reminder to me to think seriously about what's really important to me and what I'm willing to give up.
I stayed to help clean up, and Ian H. and I carried a bunch of tables.
Ian H. said (in exaggerated seriousness), "Lead me, direct me, tell me what to do."
I laughed and said, "Don't tempt me." (After Rest and Bread a couple days ago, I was chatting with people as they were settling/trickling in for a committee meeting. Once they were ready to start, Ian H. asked me if I was staying for the meeting -- it was Worship Planning, which was the sort of thing I had been talking about the whole time. I said, "Oh, now I'm tempted. I like having Opinions and telling people what to do. But I'm not sure I'm the most useful person to be a part of this meeting." And so Ian H. wished me grace and peace until we meet again and blah blah blah. I said, "Thanks. [Beat] Subtle." Everyone laughed.)
I'm Reflecting at Rest and Bread this Wednesday. On prayer. /o\ (I also need to decide soon whether I am going to commit to being one of the pre- Sunday morning service Bible Study leaders or not.)
I think I am going to go to CWAC and TBC.
***
As I mentioned, I read Stop Walking on Eggshells recently. One of the bits that really resonated was: Consider a lighthouse. It stands on the shore with its beckoning light, guiding ships safely into the harbor. The lighthouse can't uproot itself, wade out into the water, grab the ship by the stern, and say, "Listen, you fool! If you stay on this path, you may break up on the rocks!"
No, the ship has some responsibility for its own destiny. It can choose to be guided by the lighthouse. Or it can choose to go its own way. The lighthouse is not responsible for the ship's decisions. All it can do is be the best lighthouse it can be.
(p.87)
bff said, "You're a good lighthouse."
After we got off the phone today, I did art exploring the implications of that metaphor (yes, I know the analogy meant to illustrate a particular point, not to map exactly in every single way; and I took bff's "You're a good lighthouse" entirely as a good thing, which is what it was intended as). I'm not sure that the pictures I drew actually convey what I meant them to, but *I* figured stuff out, which is the important part.
art at home 7.1 [Sun. Sept. 19, 2010]
art at home 7.2 [Sun. Sept. 19, 2010]