Discussing Impossible Things
“While there are many troubling and evil forces we know mean to do us harm in the wider world, we also need to remember the communion of saints, the cloud of witnesses, those people and relatives who surround us with care, love, and nurture. Encircling prayer calls all of those good forces to surround and embrace us as we walk out into the world. Come to rest and feel emboldened by their presence.”
Gun Violence in America
Can we talk about it?
Once again, I am so grateful for all the ways this congregation is willing to join hands and work on our spiritual growth together. We have used ancient forms of worship and spiritual practice to grow our hearts and strengthen our capacity for God’s love. To date, we have regularly practiced lectio divina, breath prayer, meditation (open, guided, and tonglen), and, again this month, encircling prayer.
In June we began conversations about issues that have come before our national church and its national meeting, General Synod. We opened up a conversation about “the digital divide” and what we believed to be a faithful response to this General Synod resolution.
As I have shared, my great Pastoral Care professor, Dr. Peggy Way, a University of Michigan alum, always defined Christianity as “coming to the table to talk about the impossible things.”
Taking up a suggestion I heard from our last dialog sermon, we are going to discuss the next two resolutions on Java Joe's Sundays (the second Sundays of the month). The first resolution comes out of the Colorado Conference and is a model for how we engage the gun violence in our country. Much like our first discussion, I will provide some framework, some background, and some presenting questions.
I am asking that you all read the resolution so that you might be better informed and more prepared for our dialog. You can find the whole of the resolution here:
Affirming Guns to Gardens and Other Gun Violence Prevention Ministries
https://generalsynod.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/G.-Guns-to-Gardens.pdf
I believe by discussing the impossible things like gun violence, we strengthen our spiritual muscle for these discussions in the wider world. We become a people who can show ourselves to be hardy, resilient, and willing to engage multiple perspectives. We become, as Dr. Way might have said, more Christian.
Worship begins at 9:30 a.m.
Sunday, July 2, Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Communion Sunday
Genesis 22:1-14, “Sacrificing our children” We read from one of the most disturbing Biblical stories. Is God really asking us to sacrifice our children to show our faith?
Sunday, July 9, Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time,
Java Joe's
Discussing the General Synod Resolution, “Affirming Guns to Gardens and Other Gun Violence Prevention Ministries,” https://generalsynod.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/G.-Guns-to-Gardens.pdf
Sunday, July 16, Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Romans 8:1-11, “Law and order or something deeper?”
What does the apostle Paul mean when he refers to the “flesh,” and the “Spirit?”
Sunday, July 23, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Genesis 28:10-19a, “How awesome is this place!”
Sunday, July 30, Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52, “You don’t need much but you got to get in there.”
Meditation Service, Sunday, July 9, Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 7:00 p.m., Encircling Prayer
While there are many troubling and evil forces we know mean to do us harm in the wider world, we also need to remember the communion of saints, the cloud of witnesses, those people and relatives who surround us with care, love, and nurture. Encircling prayer calls all of those good forces to surround and embrace us as we walk out into the world. Come to rest and feel emboldened by their presence.
