Posts from July 2013
Open Communion
Theologian Jurgen Moltmann in his book The Church in the Power of the Spirit sets out the theological rationale for “open invitation” to the Lord’s Supper (pp. 244-246): “…It is the Lord’s supper, not something organized by a church or a denomination. The church owes its life to the Lord and its fellowship to his supper, not the other way around. Its invitation goes out to all whom he is sent to invite. If a church were to limit the…
Picnic
What Becomes a Picnic Most Huckleberries, boysenberries, grapes Disregard for clocks Cradle of friends Cloth napkins Influence of clouds: arcs, tufts, flocks Water moving No money Lemon,lime,and vinegar (sour notes refresh in heat) Shade Atmospheric effects: light pillars, coronas, waves in the sun Buckeyes sipping nectar Expectations of night – later, inside (from picnics by Hilary & Alex Heminway) What becomes your faith the most?
Toward Sunday
We continue our summer worship series, Notice Grace All Summer, with reflection on picnics. We will be invited to consider what the church might learn from the practice of eating “outdoors”. Worship will be rooted in Psalm 107.1-9,43. This Psalm is usually categorized as…a song of thanksgiving and may have been used as a congregational liturgy accompanying a thanksgiving sacrifice offered in the Temple….it is helpful to think of it as a sermon on God’s steadfast love (‘hesed’). When we picnic we…
Pumpkins. Harvested from a vine or a can?
“On the drive home from our morning’s errands we even passed a pumpkin field where an old man and a younger one worked together to harvest their crop, passing up the orange globes and stacking them on the truck bed to haul to market. We’d driven right into a Norman Rockwell painting. Every dog has its day, and even the lowly squash finally gets its month. We may revile zucchini in July, but in October we crown its portly orange…
Born to Farming
The Man Born to Farming by Wendell Berry The grower of trees, the gardener, the man born to farming, whose hands reach into the ground and sprout, to him the soil is a divine drug. He enters into death yearly, and comes back rejoicing. He has seen the light lie down in the dung heap, and rise again in the corn. His thought passes along the row ends like a mole. What miraculous seed has he swallowed that the unending…
Gardening and Godliness
“I think gardening is nearer to godliness than theology. True gardeners are both iconographers and theologians insofar as these activities are the fruit of prayer ‘without ceasing.’ Likewise, true gardeners never cease to garden, not even in their sleep, because gardening is not just something they do. It is how they live.” -Vigen Gerona, from The Fragrance of God Is there a way in which your practice of faith is “never ceasing?” How is it that you “live”. What would…
Weeding or planting?
” In my world, gardening consists of a desperate scramble to remove marauding foliage before it engulfs the house. PLANT something? When? I suppose It might help if I were diligent. But I’m more of a diva gardener, awaiting the muse’s call. Conditions must be perfect — not too hot or cold or wet or buggy — or I simply cannot set foot on the leafy stage. But occasionally, the stars do align and I head bravely into the yard,…
Toward Sunday
We continue our summer worship series, Notice Grace All Summer, with reflection on gardening. Worship this coming Sunday will invite us to consider what the church might learn from gardening and be rooted in Psalm 85. The psalm begins with remembrance of God restoring the community in the past. The psalmist pleads for God to renew their struggling community. The psalm closes with celebration of God’s blessing and deliverance. Think of a time when your garden seemed hopeless in the…
Rest Day and Sabbath
Rest days are important in Crossfit. Your body needs time to recover from intense workouts. Here are a few folks from our community of faith reflecting on the importance of Rest Days: [wpvideo TcR6TFMQ] While the church could learn a great deal from Crossfit, our Christian tradition has a unique take on rest days or Sabbath. Dorothy Bass writes, “Sabbath keeping is not about taking a day off but about being recalled to our knowledge of and gratitude for God’s…
Functional Fitness and Functional Faith
We shared this video last summer and we think it’s worth revisiting. This grandfather was in the worst shape of his life just a few years ago. Crossfit has been transformational. Watch his story here: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=folIky4brRo&feature=player_embedded] How is your experience of rooting your life in Grace through worship shaping the way you live and move and have your being in your every day life? How is your experience of gathering weekly to watch over in love the folks in your…
Setting Goals in Crossfit and Faith
Denise’s first goal in Crossfit was a handstand pushup. She met that goal some time ago, but tries them over and over again on a regular basis to keep her skills and strength up. Last fall many of us submitted Deep Commitment cards. We were asked to consider how we would like to deepen our commitment to our community of faith for the coming year. We set goals in the following areas: rooted in Grace How do you hope to…
Breath prayer
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/23569694] Did you know there is a way of praying known as “The Breath Prayer”? When you breathe in you say “Lord Jesus” and when you breathe out you say “have mercy”. You may choose your own words, but the point is that prayer can be as natural and necessary as breathing in and out. With few syllables you may express your hope, your desire, your need, your love…to grow in faith. Here are a few examples: “Holy one”…