Posts by tablemanna (Page 6)
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass might have classified many professing Christians with the scribes and Pharisees of whom Jesus said, “Do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach” (Matthew 23.3) Douglas recalled that his one-time owner had “attended a Methodist camp meeting and there experienced religion. If it had any effect on his character, it made him more cruel and hateful in all his ways.” How? Because with…
Saviorism
A Good Ally avoids saviorism and constantly reflects upon their role and place in the larger struggle. …Sometimes in our vigor and passion to fight injustice, we fall into the trap of saviorhood. The male that fights for women’s rights, the straight/CIS person who advocates for LGBTQ people, the White person confronting racism. I have no doubt that most begin with great intentions, but as we have seen over and over again, when unchecked and unreflective, even the most passionate and…
Responding to Racism
Doug Worgul’s novel, “Thin Blue Smoke”, chronicles the life of LaVerne Williams, the owner of a Kansas City restaurant, and touches upon everything from God to race to friendship to character to, as you would expect of a Kansas City writer…Barbeque. At one point, LaVerne’s son Raymond (who is african american) and his best friend A.B. (who is caucasion) are arrested after they locked their keys in their own restaurant. As the officer comes to release Raymond and A.B. from…
Racism
This week we turn to race and racism in our exploration of controversial social issues of our day. The United Methodist Social Principles Statement on the Rights of Racial and Ethnic Persons (paragraph 162.a) includes the following, “Racism is the combination of the power to dominate by one race over other races and a value system that assumes that the dominant race is innately superior to the others. Racism includes both personal and institutional racism….We rejoice in the gifts that particular…
Toward Sunday
We move into the first topic of our new worship series this Sunday called Don’t Talk About That at The Table. Our worship series will invite reflection & conversation on many of the topics we “aren’t” supposed to talk about in church. This week we will consider Race. The outline of our current series: January 12: United Methodist Social Principles (Acts 10.34-43) January 19: Race (Matthew 5.38-48) January 26: Immigration (1 Corinthians 1.10-18) February 2: Abortion (Micah 6.1-8) February 9:…
Let’s talk.
It is often difficult to share my thoughts and concerns with those I love the most. This will come as a surprise to some readers. I am not known as a soft-spoken person or someone who holds back her opinions. And there is also the fact that I am a preacher. There’s that. But standing in the pulpit and delivering a crafted message that has taken many hours of preparation is not the same as sitting around the kitchen table…
Today is the day.
A prayer to accompany our work together in the coming weeks. This was written as a litany but may also simply be a daily prayer. How might it be for you to practice daily prayer during this worship series? Focus on the phrase “Today is the day” as you read these words slowly aloud or to yourself. God in the Spirit revealed in Jesus Christ, calls us by grace to be renewed in the image of our Creator, that we…
Social Creed
A social creed was adopted by The Methodist Episcopal Church (North) in 1908. The social creed was adapted over the decades and The Social Creed of The United Methodist Church now states: We believe in God, Creator of the world; and in Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of creation. We believe in the Holy Spirit, through whom we acknowledge God’s gifts, and we repent of our sin in misusing these gifts to idolatrous ends. We affirm the natural world as God’s…
Toward Sunday
We begin a new worship series this Sunday called Don’t Talk About That at The Table. Our worship series will invite reflection & conversation on many of the topics we “aren’t” supposed to talk about in church. For many, kitchen tables offer a place for deep & intimate conversation. Some of these conversations bring tears of joy, others tears of disappointment. We hope this worship series will create safe environments for challenging conversations. We will begin this week with an…
Wise Women
The Shimmering Hours by Jan Richardson There is so much I want to say, as if the saying could prepare you for this path, as if there were anything I could offer that would make your way less circuitous, more smooth. Once you step out you will see for yourself how nothing could have made you ready for this road that will take you from what you know now to what you cannot perceive except, perhaps, in your dreaming…
Morning prayer.
God of this new morning, you have awakened me to the brightness of your dawn. I begin this day in gratitude, recalling your mercies through the night, anticipating glimpses of your glory in the hours ahead. Make my face shine today with the joy of your grace, so that another is helped to see your presence and find hope. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. (from the worship companion to Feasting on the Word, Vol 1, year A) How might…
Toward Sunday
This week our worship will be rooted in Matthew 2.1-12 and the Magi’s arrival at the birthplace of Jesus. We will celebrate Epiphany which is the day after the twelve-day celebration of Christmas (or, in some liturgical calendars, the twelfth day of the Christmas season). The English word “Epiphany” comes from the Greek word epiphaneia, which means “appearing” or “revealing.” Epiphany focuses on God’s self-revelation in Christ. On this day, many Christian traditions pay special attention to the visit…