'growing in faith' Tagged Posts (Page 13)
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…
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…
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…
Love
Advent is a time to practice loving every little bit that we can, trusting the holy that we can’t yet see, loving the holy child in each beautiful, dear, precious, screwed-up person, every one a beloved child of God, so far from home. ~Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Imagine
We commend this video and website to you this week as you imagine walking and turning on the The Advent Way. How does the way in which God moves to turn restore justice and set right the world make a place for you? Take time to move from scene to scene. Read the text. Imagine. The Boy
Toward Sunday
We are grateful for our time together on The Advent Way. We hope this worship series, rooted in the book of Isaiah and Matthew’s Gospel, invites reflection on how the Advent way prepares us for the beauty and mystery of Christmas. Our privilege as Christians is to receive the gracious gifts of God’s presence in Christ. Our task is to prepare for his coming so that we will not miss life’s greatest gift. Outline of The Advent Way December 1:…
God the Accompanist.
Here is an image of God. Playing along. Waiting for you to approach. Knowing your tune before you are aware. Accompanying you. What would it be like if you understood that this is how God is with us on The Advent Way?