Some prayers or possible liturgies...

From this website: http://www.firstpeople.us/html/True_Path_Walkers.html


True Path Walkers

Obligations of the True Path Walkers

To bring back the natural harmony that humans once enjoyed.

To save the planet from present practices of destruction.

To find and re-employ real truth.

To promote true balance between both genders.

To share and be less materialistic.

To become rid of prejudice.

To learn to be related.

To be kind to animals and take no more than we need.

To play with one's children and love each equally and fairly.

To be brave and courageous, enough so,

to take a stand and make a commitment.

To understand what Generations Unborn really means.

To accept the Great Mystery

in order to end foolish argument over religion.

Ojibwa Prayer

Oh Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds

And whose breath gives life to everyone,

Hear me.

I come to you as one of your many children;

I am weak... I am small...I need your wisdom

and your strength.

Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever

behold the red and purple sunsets.

Make my hands respect the things you have made,

and make my ears sharp so I may hear your voice.

Make me wise, so that I may understand what you

have taught my people and

The lessons you have hidden in each leaf and each rock.

I ask for wisdom and strength,

Not to be superior to my brothers, but to be able

to fight my greatest enemy, myself.

Make me ever ready to come before you with

clean hands and a straight eye,

So as life fades away as a fading sunset,

My spirit may come to you without shame.


From this website:

From: http://www.interluderetreat.com/prayers.htm


O God, we are one with you. You have made us one with you. You have taught us that if we are open to one another, you dwell in us. Help us to preserve this openness and to fight for it with all our hearts. Help us to realize that there can be no understanding where there is mutual rejection. O God, in accepting one another wholeheartedly, fully, completely, we accept you, and we thank you, and we adore you, and we love you with our whole being, because our being is your being, our spirit is rooted in your spirit. Fill us then with love, and let us be bound together with love as we go our diverse ways, united in this one spirit which makes you present in the world, and which makes you witness to the ultimate reality that is love. Love has overcome. Love is victorious.

Thomas Merton 1915-1968

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light; and
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive---
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

St. Francis of Assisi 1181-1226


For cities and towns, factories and farms, flowers and trees, sea and sky---
Lord we praise You for the world and its beauty.
For family and friends, neighbors and cousins---
Lord, we thank You for friendship and love.
For kind hearts, smiling faces, and helping hands---
Lord, we praise You for those who care for others.
For commandments that teach us how to live---
Lord, we thank You for those who help us to understand your laws.
And for making us one family on earth, the children of One God---
Lord we praise You, who made all people different, yet alike.

Jewish Liturgy


Eternal lover of Thy children,
bring us into Thy life,
make us sharers in Thy love
and transmitters of it.
Help us to become serene and patient
in the midst of our frustrations,
but at the same time
make us heroic adventurers,
brave, gentle, tender,
but without fear
and with radiant faces.

Rufus Jones, Quaker (1863-1948)

O God, Slow Us Down (1983)
George Thomas

O God, slow us down and help us to see that we are put in charge of our lives, but with Thy help. Help us to get in tune with the rhythm that makes for life.

We keep moving, even though we know that we are made to center down, as well as to be actively engaged in the business of life. We compete for things and make those things more important than they ought to be. We eat what we ought not to eat. We neglect and misuse our bodies. We fail to discipline our minds and to be still and know that thou art God and that we are the temple of the Most High. Yet we often complain about our misfortunes and our hard luck, when at times it is we who are guilty of disregard.

Help us to know that we can be broken by life only if we first allow the victory of evil over our spirits.

May our hope and strength and faith be grounded in you; and may we recall the strength of our model, our brother and your Son.

Amen.

Rethinking this Blog

Hopefully this blog has been a tool that has allowed for increased participation and discussion.  It seems that only few people have taken advantage of the blog though....

I am wondering if it makes more sense to setup a ning account---similar to the one used by earth house. it seems to be working very well for the collective.

 this will achieve the same goal of a blog but allow for more conversatons and different types of conversations to go on at the same time.  there is also more of a personal feel to the conversation because everyone has their picture posted and allows for individual communications.

just a thought but check out ning.

October 12 Worship: Smashing Patriarchy and Building the Kingdom of God

first off, i love that we're going to use that video clip. it's hilarious!

secondly, have we thought about readers? it would be really easy to ask someone during the week to read scripture. Perhaps Barb? or even Luke? Maybe Pancho would be willing to read as well. Let's get new faces involved if we can. What about Mike or Ali (parents of baby Shiloh)? Just a thought. That would be one less thing we'd scramble for on Sunday morning.

third...music? i think it would be cool to sing some field songs, but i don't know any off the top of my head. we could sing "as i went down to the river" again, because that sounds so neat when we sing it acapella and everyone joins in. could we tie it into this theme of living as free people? also, what about some kind of contemplative listening piece? a modern song that maybe we don't have the capacity to perform, but still captures the point. didn't chad bring in alanis morissette (sp) once? that kind of thing.
here are some suggestions from our hymnal:
Go Down, Moses #448 - definitely not all the verses!
My Soul Gives Glory to my God #198 - i don't know the melody, but the words seem appropriate.

i know this is all vague, but i hope it helps give some form and direction to our service! Peace!

October 10th Service

I'm starting the conversation for the upcoming October 10th service...

What were the gospel songs we were going to sing?

Can we actively set up a station this time around?

How are we going to implement conversation in the process?

What liturgies are we going to speak together?

The 15 commandments????????????

This week we will be looking at the 1o commandments as part of the lectionary. i thought this video might be appropriate. 


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September 28 Worship Service

September 28 worship service

Everything Must Change:
Transforming the idea of mission

text:

Philippians 2:1-13

2:1 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy,

2:2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

2:3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.

2:4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.

2:5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

2:6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,

2:7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form,

2:8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.

2:9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,

2:10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

2:11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

2:12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

2:13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Matthew 21:23-32

21:23 When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?"

21:24 Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.

21:25 Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?" And they argued with one another, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'

21:26 But if we say, 'Of human origin,' we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet."

21:27 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

21:28 "What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.'

21:29 He answered, 'I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went.

21:30 The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir'; but he did not go.

21:31 Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.

21:32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him."

Retreat/Conversation?

When would be a good day to have a retreat? I'm thinking Saturday October 11th 9am-2pm.
Any thoughts?

Pews

This will be the space where we talk about the pews.

For anyone who's not familiar here's the backstory (as I've pieced it together from Chad and others - I wasn't there!):

Two or three years ago a months-long conversation ended with LCUMC moving the pews to an in-the-round configuration: a move to symbolize a more communal approach to worship - pastor Chad would stand in the middle, much closer to people and it often sparked a conversation and a closeness as we met in the round. Fast forward to this August, the Fringe Festival/Off the Streets is here and we moved the pews back to a traditional format for ease of viewing the plays and films.

So here are the things we need to talk about:

For many folks in the community, there is a longing to move back to the more communal setting; however the traditional format does make concerts/films/plays much easier to do.

Is there a solution that offers the best of both formats? Is it a majority that wants to go back to the in-the-round format? Should we get rid of the pews all together or keep them?

I will add a comment to this post letting you know my own thoughts, but first I'd like to hear from you - what do you think?

lockerbie litany

Here is one of the first versions of the lockerbie litany. i think it is a great first stab at of defining our church in terms of a litany to read each week during service. please discuss, critique, try to improve upon, etc.


We are emerging: not submerged, nor hidden. We are Christian: loving and serving God first; loving and serving others because of our relationship to God. We are community: not seeking our individual will, but our collective will, led by God's Holy Spirit. We are following the path of Jesus in the twenty-first century. Learning from the sinners and saints of the previous twenty centuries, re-imagining what it means to chase God’s heart. Together we seek to be in conversation, not lecture or soliloquy, engaged in actions towards building god's dreams of justice, mercy and discipleship. Let us continue the conversation to the glory of God! Amen.

Prayer Stations

What is a contemplative prayer station you ask?

The entire purpose of a contemplative prayer station is to create a time and space for people to experience God in their lives. Prayer stations can be highly creative or an incredibly simple approach to prayer and spiritual reflection. Typically, a space is set up where people can enter and participate at their own pace and level.

Here is a list of some interesting prayer stations

For this Sunday I really like this idea.
With a twist. We should have a poverty entry way and then a god's economy exit....same symbolism but with hope on the way out....for instance: Green jobs

Renewable energy creates 40% more jobs per dollar invested than coal fired plants.

Stats on poverty are rarely dealt with in a visual way. This is more of an entry way rather than a contemplative prayer station…. but it can be made into a station easily.
————————————————-
Directions for Leadership:
This is a great entry to set up, or a station for people to just walk through. Set up a long row of tables. Every few feet put one of these facts. (These are as of 2006) Find a creative way to “show” these facts. Like a bin full of empty bottled waters dumped around the the area about the bottled water and safe drinking water or a McDonald’s meal set up next to the food fact.
———————————————————

1.2 Billion people live on 23 cents a day.
1 Billion people are without safe drinking water.
Americans consumed 26 Billion liters of BOTTLED water last year.
Every 16 seconds someone in the world dies of hunger.
2 out of 3 Americans are considered over weight.
Wood consumption a day:
World – 4 pounds Americans – 14 pounds
80% of the world lives in substandard housing.
Average size of a new home built in 2005:
Ireland – 930 sq. ft. U.K. – 814 sq. ft. Japan – 1000 sq. ft. U.S. – 2349 sq. ft.
8% of people in the world own a car.
1/3 of American households own 3.
Estimates say that it would cost 9 Billion dollars to get clean water and sanitation to all.
Americans spent 27 Billion shopping for Christmas presents the day after Thanks Giving this last year.
According to the 2000 census, 8.1% of Nevada County’s Population live below the poverty line.
That is 7,332 people. (Not including children)

outline for worship on september 21

Here is a basic outline for the worship service on Sunday.... please add/take away.
art ideas? video clips? other music?

Everything Must Change
Building the Economy of Mercy

Welcome

Music: Switchfoot "Economy of Mercy," other hymns, music, etc?

Call to worship: Lockerbie Central litany

Sermon: Bob Walters

Text:

Exodus 16:2-15 16:2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 16:3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." 16:4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not.16:5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days."16:6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 16:7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your complaining against the LORD. For what are we, that you complain against us?"16:8 And Moses said, "When the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the LORD has heard the complaining that you utter against him--what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the LORD."16:9 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, 'Draw near to the LORD, for he has heard your complaining.'"

16:10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 16:11 The LORD spoke to Moses and said, 16:12 "I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'' 16:13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 16:14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground.16:15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.

Matthew 20:1-16 20:1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 20:2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 20:3 When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace;20:4 and he said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. 20:5 When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. 20:6 And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, 'Why are you standing here idle all day?' 20:7 They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.'20:8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first. '20:9 When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. 20:10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. 20:11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner,20:12 saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'20:13 But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?20:14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 20:15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?'20:16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

Benediction

Go forth with the authority Christ gives to his church.
Cry out against wrong.
Heal where there is hurt.
Feed, clothe, and defend those who live on the margins.
Train up children in the ways of God.
Show no contempt for youth; comfort the elderly.
In all things, give God the glory and praise, now and forever. Amen.

The Economy of Mercy

by Switchfoot

There's just two ways to lose yourself in this life
And neither way is safe
In my dreams I see visions of the future
But today we have today
And where will I find You?
Where will I find You?

In the economy of mercy
I am a poor and begging man
In the currency of grace
Is where my song begins
In the colors of Your goodness
In the scars that mark Your skin
In the currency of grace
Is where my song begins

These carbon shells
These fragile dusty frames
House canvases of souls
We are bruised and broken masterpieces
But we did not paint ourselves
And where will I find You?

Where was I when the world was made? (3x)
Where was I?

I'm lost without You here
Yes, I'm lost without You near
I'm lost without You here
You knew my name when the world was made

Upcoming Themes?

HEre is a run down of the Sundays through the election and our EVERYTHING MUST CHANGE theme. Nothing is set in stone. just thought i would give a brief outline of the lectionary and possible themes.

September 21: The Economy: Labor and God's Bounty (Exodus 16:2-15; Psalm 105:40-42; Philippians 1:22; Matthew 20:1-15)

September 28: Pedagogy of the Oppressed/The way we view the oppressed/ grassroots development. "It's truly difficult for us - especially those of us in the world's richest nations - to regard others as better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3), but we are called to join God's movement of restorative justice."

October 5: The lectionary features the ten commandants and the parable about the wicked tenants--ie...the murder of prophetic verses..... could be interesting to take a look at the law (10 commandments) and prophetic voices and how they come in conflict with each other--especially as we tend to worship the 10 commandments without listening to the prophetic voices... Everything must change: The Law?

October 12:Everything must change: Feminism... the lectionary this week is a bit troublesome to me....especially from the book of Mathew--"many are called, few are chosen." a way to look at the lectilonary might be through the eyes of Paul--as he addresses to female leaders of the church. the hebrew scripture takes a look at idolatry--the worship of the golden calf. what might be interesting here is looking at feminism from a christian perspective--and how many christians have turned paul's anti-female writing into idols---when it definitely seems clear to scholars that paul was much more of a [prot0]feminist than what we have been led to believe.

October 19: Everything Must Change: The Empire "They answered, "The emperor's." Then he said to them, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's."

October 26: Everything Must Change. Love your neighbor.

November 2: the last day of everything must change: two days before the election. key scripture: 23:11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 23:12 All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

Countdown to Sunday

Hey all.

Please note: Everyone who has been to one our meetings can post (along with comment) on this blog. just sign in to blogger with your email account and it should work. If you have any questions drop me a line and we can get it figured out.

I just wanted to get the proposed worship service posted for sunday so we can shorten it if we have too.

I. Music----as we gather---
II. Introduction

• welcome to lockerbie/a brief intro to the church.

• everything must change intro--this week "everything must change in terms of the way we think about terrorism. quick reading from everything must change by b. mclaren
  
• get people to write their poem---"how they felt on 9/11/01"
  

III. Call to Worship--9/11 litany (we will need two big candles....)
IV. MUSIC
V. READING OF THE TEXTS. Exodus and Mark
VI. 9/11 Through the eyes of Ghandi

• eye for an eye quote...clip from 9/11/06--ghandi's first act of disobedience...short scene in movie

VII 9//11 throuh the eyes of chileans---11 minute movie about septembe 11, 1973...also read quick prayer upon pinochet's death....

VIII. sermon "forgiveness on 9/11"
IVIII. Prayers
IX. communion/passing the peace.
X. Going forth....

---can this be done in an hour and ten minutes?

A Litany of Remembrance, Penitence and Hope

This litany is from the national council of churches. it sums up quite well what our worship service is about on sunday. check it out:


We light a candle in remembrance for all those who suffered and died on September 11, 2001, in New York, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.

We light a candle to remember those who still live and who suffer because of the events of that day.

One: When we remember the stockbrokers, office workers, maintenance workers, bystanders, window-washers and all the others who worked together so valiantly to help each other, we can say together,

All: We remember great courage.

One: When we recall the firefighters who rushed upstairs as most everyone else was racing out, we can say together,

All: We remember selfless service.

One: When we recall the police officers who stood to protect and defend the people and performed their duties until the towers came crashing down on top of them, we can say together,

All: We remember selfless sacrifice for the safety of others.

One: When we recall the thousands of workers, women and men and, old and young, single and married, American-born and those born in countries around the world who did not escape the buildings, we can say together,

All: We remember the loss of human life.

One: When we recall those citizens who rushed to help, did all they could to help, we can say together,

All: We remember and give thanks for dutiful commitment to those in distress.

One: When we recall the people who stood in line at the nation's blood banks to make living donations from their very bodies, we can say together,

All: We give thanks for those who live on to pass on life and love.

One: When we remember the millions of Americans who gave so generously of their life and labor to endow funds to help the survivors and their families recover from their losses, we can say together,

All: We are grateful for generosity.

Remembrance begins with deep, personal identification. It begins with remembering the affliction of our brothers and sisters, and marking their pain as our own. Remembrance is a sacred moment when we raise up and hold to the light of the eternal moment, the good who have passed.

We light a candle, in penitence, recognizing that we have not done enough to address the sources of anger, hate, dehumanization, rage and indignation that lead to acts of violence

One: In our sadness, horror and shock we acknowledge that our own fears turned murderous and we have sought revenge, sometimes against even the innocent.

All: We confess and regret our own anger and recognize its dangers to our spirits, our health, our community, and others.

One: In the midst of the aftermath of the events of September 11th, 2001 we have been tempted to seek only our own good, hear only our own truth, acknowledge only our own suffering

All: We know that peace will come to us and to our children only when the concerns of justice anywhere become the subject of political and social will everywhere, and that no justice leads to no peace

One: In striving for national security and domestic peace we run the risk of confusing might for right and participating in the very behaviors we condemn

All: Guard and guide our country that in our search for security we may not trample the rights of the innocent nor disregard the rule of law. Let us not confuse leadership within the global community as the voice for the whole community.

Repentance means to turn away from wrong deeds. Repentance means choosing instead deeds which require moral restraint, and are more beneficial to all persons who suffer.

We light a candle to light the way to a better world for our children and our children's children, and all the children of God.

One: We recall with joy the unity we felt in the outpouring of help, kindness, thoughtful words and deeds from at home and around the world.

All: We must hold firmly to our unity, borne forward now not of tragedy but of loving kindness.

One: We place fresh confidence in international organizations and conversations that bring the diverse gifts of the world to the problems of poverty, injustice, terror and strife

All: We long for wise policies that forego short term gain for long term stability, justice and peace.

One: In a year filled with tragedy we dare to hope for an era yet to come in which the slaughter of innocents, greed, the ambitions of power, and cultural, racial and religious bigotries are but memories of a dim and unenlightened past.

Unison Prayer:

God of the ages, before your eyes all empires rise and fall yet you are changeless. Be near us in this age of terror and in these moments of remembrance. Uphold those who work and watch and wait and weep and love. By your Spirit give rise in us to broad sympathy for all the peoples of your earth. Strengthen us to comfort those who mourn and work in large ways and small for those things that make for peace. Bless the people and leaders of this nation and all nations so that warfare, like slavery before it, may become only a historic memory. We pray in the strong name of the Prince of Peace. Amen.

some notes on last sunday

things we liked about sunday

Bob's sermon: message was very relevent and intriguing
music--especially WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF YOU.
communion--the holy meal!

things to be improved:
participation/response/art
don't need hyperactive--making sure more voices involved
the litany of welcome--where is it?
feeling disconected---pews not right for who we are and our size

what are we going to do with pews?????? is there a way to create a more intimate feeling with the pews? what about meeting downstairs? disconnected:

powerpoint: figuring out how to do the bulletin in one page

September 14 Lectionary

Exodus 14:19-31

14:19 The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them.

14:20 It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night.

14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided.

14:22 The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.

14:23 The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and chariot drivers.

14:24 At the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic.

14:25 He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, "Let us flee from the Israelites, for the LORD is fighting for them against Egypt."

14:26 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers."

14:27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before it, the LORD tossed the Egyptians into the sea.

14:28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained.

14:29 But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.

14:30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.

14:31 Israel saw the great work that the LORD did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the LORD and believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

---

Exodus 15:1b-11, 20-21

15:1b "I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.

15:2 The LORD is my strength and my might, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.

15:3 The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name.

15:4 "Pharaoh's chariots and his army he cast into the sea; his picked officers were sunk in the Red Sea.

15:5 The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone.

15:6 Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power-- your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy.

15:7 In the greatness of your majesty you overthrew your adversaries; you sent out your fury, it consumed them like stubble.

15:8 At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.

15:9 The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.'

15:10 You blew with your wind, the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

15:11 "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders?

15:20 Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing.

15:21 And Miriam sang to them: "Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea."

---

Romans 14:1-12

14:1 Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions.

14:2 Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables.

14:3 Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them.

14:4 Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

14:5 Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds.

14:6 Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.

14:7 We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves.

14:8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.

14:9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

14:10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

14:11 For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God."

14:12 So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

---

Matthew 18:21-35

18:21 Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?"

18:22 Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

18:23 "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.

18:24 When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him;

18:25 and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made.

18:26 So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.'

18:27 And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt.

18:28 But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, 'Pay what you owe.'

18:29 Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.'

18:30 But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt.

18:31 When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place.

18:32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

18:33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?'

18:34 And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt.

18:35 So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart."

Everything Must Change: Terrorism

This Sunday, we are taking a look at terrorism. Thursday marks the seventh anniversary of the attacks on New York and Washington DC.

the thought is to honor all victims of war and terrorism. and look at 9-11 from not just our perspective but what happened in Chile in 1973 and in South Africa in 1906.



September 11, 1973




September 11, 1906

In 1906, Gandhi called a meeting of 3,000 Indians in Johannesburg to discuss a strategy for defeating the Asiatic Registration Ordinance, a statute that required all Indian immigrants to register with the government. All those in attendance pledged to disobey the registration legislation and to accept the penalties that would result from their resistance. This meeting proved to be critical in the development of Gandhi's strategy and the formation of the concept of satyagraha.

It was not long after the Johannesburg meeting when Gandhi read Thoreau's Essay on Civil Disobedience, the same essay that would later influence King. The essay provided Gandhi with a means for articulating his concept for nonviolent resistance in English. Inspired by Thoreau's insistence on disobeying unjust policies, Gandhi spent the next seven years leading the struggle on behalf of the Indian minority in South Africa. This philosophy also influenced Gandhi's thinking about India, as expressed in Hind Swaraj (Indian Home Rule), a 1909 booklet outlining his early thoughts regarding Indian independence. Gandhi wrote that "violence was no remedy for India's ills” and that the country's civilization “required the use of a different and higher weapon for self-protection."

bulletin for september 7

Worship Service for September 7th

Here is the plan for the service:

Bob is speaking on conflict in the church. From our discussion last night (only he and I were there) it sounds very interesting and thought provoking.

ORDER?
SONGS? ORDER OF?
SPEAKING PARTS?
CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT?
BULLETIN?

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost -- September 7, 2008 (Green)

Exodus 12:1-14. God instructs Moses and Aaron in preparation for the Passover of the Lord and for its observance throughout all generations.

Psalm 149 or 148 (UMH 861).

Romans 13:8-14. [Advent 1, year A uses verses 11-14.] Paul exhorts the Romans to "owe no one anything except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law."

Matthew 18:15-20. Jesus gives instructions on dealing with conflict between church members, speaks of binding and loosing, and promises his presence wherever two or three are gathered in his name.

Themes

So as we enter the last quarter of the year it is worthwhile to start thinking about themes. During the last few meetings, we talked about three themes that would carry us through the end of the year:

1. Everything Must Change: This series would carry us through election day. the series would take a look at the great change that our society is going through and how we deal with crisises facing our world and our faith.


2. Spirit and Place: This will be a brief series that ties us into the spirit and place events that are happening at the church.

3. Advent: This will take us from the end of november through christmas.


What do you think?

Where do we go from here?

Hey all, Mike here. Sounds like Sunday's service turned out quite nice. Hope Joe is feeling better. We are about to enter the church busy season---school is in session, the summer lull is about to lift, and we are steaming towards Christmas. It is probably a good time to start discussing where we might be going with this experiment. Some brief thoughts:

1. I have enjoyed the worship meetings. It looks like Wednesday is not quite working out as a preferred date. Is there a way we can move worship meeting to monday nights and have Joe join us via some sort of technologically advance way (web/tele-conference)?

2. The blog works best if we keep it lively and active. full of pictures and musings and plans and dreams. so please contribute to it. if you do not yet have a password to contribute then please email me so you can get it.

3. bulletins: do you like the bulletins or can we move more of the text and imagary to powerpoint?

4. Music: jordan and crew has done a great job. should we restructure service so that maybe we do three songs up front, delve into the service, have a mediative song after the sermon and end with some music? or something like that. it might be good to do something like that to get the blood flowing and allow a window for latecomers to get settled in....

5. hospitality: how do we do hospitality better? from greeters to coffee and donuts/muffins to getting people's email, etc.

August 31st Worship Service

Better late than never. What are we doing this Sunday? Be sure to publish any discussions that may have happened already. It's Labor Day weekend, so labor or laboring could be a theme. Who what when why where and how are we making this one happen? Thanks for your continued input!

August 24th Worship bulletin

notes from august 24th meeting

Good Citizenship Sunday

Welcome
Song
Genesis reading
Call to worship
Matthew reading
Message:
- Archaic religion: dependance, single file line
- Modern religion: individualism, spreading out/bubbles
- Historic religion: transcendent power, rocks – who do you say I am?
Pledge/Prayer juxtaposition…Prayer wins
Passing of peace/Blessing bowl
Communion
Song
Benediction


THOUGHTS:
Pledge to the slaughtered lamb
Focus on Jesus
The Church’s One Foundaton – song
On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand – song
Cannot serve God and ____________
“Undr God SUGGESTS A HIGHER LOYALTY
Factoid box on bulletin
Peter’s Rock in every nation
Peter vs. Petroleum
Not bashing, but calling to a higher loyalty
Go Down, Moses – sing for Labor Day?
Shall we gather at the river – song


NEEDS:
Rocks
Sharpees
Readers
Musicians

Do you know my Name?

I have really enjoyed listening to Rickie Lee Jones' album THE SERMON ON EXPOSITION BOULEVARD over the last year or so. Here is a blurb from a New York Times article about the album:

Whatever it is Christ said doesn’t get a fair shake,” Rickie Lee Jones said. On a rainy December day, she was sniffling and coughing, fighting a bad cold and losing. “There’s not much written, it was done 150 years later, and it was used to create an empire. So can we get rid of all that and just see what the guy said?”

Anyways her song "WHAT"S MY NAME" fits this week. It might be good just to have this music in the background before and after service--the same way that the church basement roadshow folks used bruce springsteen after and before their performance.

Here are the lyrics.

For a thousand years
I've lay upon the Lake Victoria
I was winged and many-colored
And nobody knew my name

For a thousand years
I fell out of the sand into the Guadeloupe
And I made many songs into the air
And nobody knew my name

I fell like water
In sweet gasps of hydrogen up
Into the sea over the Bikini Islands
And I dove into the liquid concrete of sweet silver lake
The liquid concrete of down by the river
And nobody knew my name

Now I walk among them and I sing to them
And I open up my wrists
And nobody knows my name

And I translate into many hours of history
But nobody knows my name
I stood in the four winds
I stood in the four winds
I stood in the four winds
And nobody knows my name



So I walk again
Yeah, I walk every night
So I walk again
I look at you
Sweet every face
Do you know my name
Do you, do you know my name
Do you know my name
Do you know my name
Say it
Do you know my name
Say it
Do you know my name
Do you know my name
Do you know my
Do you know my name
Do you know my
My...

August 17th Worship Service Bulletin

August 24th Worship Service

let's start looking ahead to get ourselves better organized...cool. there is already a really good august 31 discussion going.

15th Sunday after Pentacost

* Exodus 1:8-2:10: A pharaoh who did not know the family of Joseph made his descendents into hard-labor slaves and tried to reduce their numbers by infanticide. The Hebrew midwives and the daughter of Pharoah had other ideas, and Moses is born and raised in the royal household.

* Psalm 124 (UMH 846): Refrain: Alternate refrain: "If it had not been for the Lord on my side" (TFWS 2053). See "Psalms for Singing" for an alternative.

* Romans 12:1-8: Against the backdrop of their mixed Jewish-Gentile community, Paul calls the Christians at Rome to offer themselves fully to God with transformed minds (not conformed to a Jewish-Gentile dichotomy/enmity paradigm), but with the awareness that we are being made into one body, each of us with differing gifts.

* Matthew 16:13-20: In a stronghold of Roman authority, Jesus asks the disciples who others say that he is. Peter confesses, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus then calls Peter and the church in which he will eventually lead to storm the gates of death, assured of victory, and to take authority to "bind and loose" on earth.


Art Response:

First Voice:
Who do people say that I am? (Matthew 16:13)
Second Voice:
Some say you are a figment of imagination.
Some say you are irrelevant.
Some say you never existed.
Some say your existence doesn’t matter.
Some say you belong to another race.
Some say you belong to another party.
Some say you belong to the status quo.
Some say you are weak.
Some say you look after the rich, the powerful, and the famous.
First Voice:
Who do yousay that I am? (Matthew 16:15)
(Invite responses, and then end with the following.)
You are our Lord
You are our Teacher
our example
our Savior
our friend
our comforter
our advocate
our companion.
You are mother and father when none can be found.
You are love!
You are the firstborn of all creation.
You are for all races and peoples.
You belong to no political party.
You are on the side of the poor and weak.
Your arm is long and bends toward justice.
You are our source and our destination,
Our Alpha and Omega,
Our beginning and end.
You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

August 17th Worship Service

thoughts?

Lectionary:

Genesis 45:1-15: The other "bookend" of the Joseph story --Joseph, now second in command in Egypt, reveals his identity to his brothers and promises to provide land, food, and protection for the family during the famine and beyond, thanks to God's gracious provision.

Psalm 133 (UMH 850): The blessing of living together in unity -- a fitting response to the Genesis reading for today. See "Psalms for Singing" for another alternative.

Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32: Paul concludes his excursus on the theological connection between God's covenant with Israel and the church (which includes both Jewish and Gentile people, but especially Gentiles) with a strong affirmation of Israel's place in God's saving intent toward the whole world. All-- Jew and Gentile -- receive salvation by God's mercy and grace, not by merit. And to Gentiles -- God's calling and gifts cannot be called back, which means Israel's place is permanently secure while Gentiles are like grafts of a wild olive tree into a domesticated olive tree (verses 16-21, not in the lectionary reading, but critical to the argument).

Matthew 15:(10-20), 21-28: Jesus tells the crowd that it is what comes out of the heart that pollutes us. Then Jesus discovers great faith coming from the heart of a foreigner (the Canaanite woman) who won't take "no" for an answer.

Fringe Festival Tie-in: I talked with Kate Lamonte yesterday. She is performing in a Fringe Festival performance that opens next weekend. It is called Moved and Kate will be singing. She said that she would be willing to perform on Sunday morning and also perhaps bring one of the dancers along with her.

Dramatic Reading of Genesis?

A Dramatic Reading of Scripture: Genesis 45:1-5
(Adapted from Genesis 45:1-15, CEV)
Female Voice: When Joseph was alone with his brothers, he told them,
Male Voice:“I am Joseph.”
Female Voice: Then he cried so loudly that the Egyptians heard him and told
about it in the king’s palace. Joseph asked his brothers if his father was still alive,
but they were too frightened to answer. Joseph told them to come closer to him,
and when they did, he said:
Male Voice:Yes, I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt. Don’t
worry or blame yourselves for what you did. God is the one who sent me ahead of
you to save lives. Now hurry back and tell my father that his son Joseph says,
“God has made me ruler of Egypt. Come here as quickly as you can. You will live
near me in the region of Goshen with your children and grandchildren, as well as
with your sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else you own. I will take care of you
there during the next five years of famine. But if you don’t come, you and your
family and your animals will starve to death.”
Female Voice: Joseph and Benjamin hugged each other and started crying.
Joseph was still crying as he kissed each of his other brothers. After this, they
started talking with Joseph.
(Tony Peterson, Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year A)


Dramatic Reading of Mathew:

The reading from Matthew for this Sunday provides two stories that can be read perhaps most fruitfully side by side, assuming you include the optional verses (10-20). Indeed, they might be read precisely alongside each other as you offer the reading of the text as follows:
Reader 1: 10-11 Reader 2: 21-23a
Pause for reflection

Reader 1: 12-14 Reader 2: 23b-26

Pause for reflection

Reader 1: 15-20 Reader 2: 27-28

Silence

Labor Sunday - Aug 31

The Romans passage is good for a Love and Harmony in the workplace idea.
The Exodus passage could go with a "Moses was a Labor Guy" message.
I'll keep looking for ideas to share in upcoming Tuesday meetings.
Joe

What You Preach--central song for 9-11 worship service/?

Can we learn it?

Click here to listen to it

WHAT YOU PREACH
[ folk -- written by Sarah Crews; Prescott, AZ ]


We are living in dangerous days
And I am freightened by what you say
We are bound to guard our borders
Sacrifice our soldiers

What kind of world is this
Where hatred can persist?
It chills right to the core
This talk of holy war

Really love your brother
Love your neighbor like that too
And only do to others
What you would want them to do to you

What they did in New York City
Is the darkest kind of crime
What can we tell our children
If we respond in kind?

We only teach them violence
It is how the West was won
Destroy the man who is different
Than your own begotten son

And really love your sister
Love your neighbor like that too
And only do to others
What you would want them to do to you
What you would want them to do to you

We are living in dangerous days
And I am freightened by what you say
It chills right to the core
This talk of holy war

We are No. 4! In terms of cool things to do this week according to Indy.Com

Indy.com ranks things to do each week and the FRINGEFILM ended up no. 4. Second Skin (that's my brother-in-law on the poster) got featured as the film to see. The article has nice things to say about the church.

Indy.com top 10

Bulletin for Sunday august 10th

Communion/Passing the Peace...what about this text?

HolyCommunion - Summer

Revd Rex A E Hunt
eMail: rexae@optusnet.com.au
Web site: www.rexaehuntprogressive.com



CELEBRATING COMMUNITY: SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION...

Invitation
O God, true source of humanity, mother and father of us all.
You renew us so we may grow like you.
All We gather together.

Thanksgiving
May God be with you.
All And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
All We lift them up to the Holy One.
Let us give thanks
All It is right to give our thanks and praise.

God of the summer’s day and the (holiday) season,
All Praise and wonder be.
God of the lingering sunset and early dawn,
All Praise and wonder be.
God of the hot north wind and the refreshing shower,
God of the shady tree and the cool water bag,
God of the ripening harvest and sparkling sea,
All Praise and wonder be.

All creation blesses the Source of Energy and Life.
For all things bright and beautiful.
For all things dark and mysterious and lovely.
For all things green and growing and strong.
For all things weak and struggling to push life up through rocky earth.
For all human faces, hearts, minds, and hands which surround us.
And for all non human minds and hearts, paws and claws, fins and wings... (G A Ricciuti/bb)
All Praise and wonder be.

So we join our praise with all your people across the generations, saying
All Holy, holy, holy, Celebrating God,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
All Hosanna in the highest.

In our praise and thanksgiving we also remember the ways of Jesus
who walked the dusty roads of Galilee,
who taught from seashore and mountainside,
who told stories of the sower and the seed,
the lilies of the field, and the birds of the air.

May we, too, know your presentness in the beauty of creation.

We also remember, Creating God,
that your care for this earth and your people can be denied;
for your goodness was abused
and the Human One betrayed.

On the night of his arrest, so our tradition reminds us,
Jesus shared a meal with his disciples.
Bread taken, blessed, broken in silence
Wine taken, poured out in silence

Through grain and grape, bread and wine,
he spoke of his coming death and new life,
asking his disciples to remember him.

Blessing
Be present with us now, Enfolding God, as we share this sacrament.
Let your Holy Spirit brood among us...
and upon and through this bread and wine.

Bless us with a desire to praise in song and story and poetry.
Bless us with a sharpened awareness of your presence.
Bless us with deep compassion.
Bless us with the patience and daring of the mystics.
All Abide with us always.
Abide with us in our daily work.
Abide with us when we rest.
Abide with us in our journeying.
Abide with us at all times and through eternity.

Communion

After communion
Generous Giver of life, you supply us with all good things.

May this bread and wine be the nourishment we seek, and may it transform us
into disciples who serve in your creation.

The peace
This is a house of God. A place of peace.
A place where we befriend one another.

Let us then greet another as a sign of God's peace.
The peace of God is here... to stay.
All Thanks be to God.
You are invited to share the peace with your neighbours.

Some of the resources used in shaping this liturgy:
Abbott, M. 2001. Sparks of the cosmos. Rituals for seasonal use. SA: Unley. MediaCom Education.
Iona Community. 2001. Iona abbey worship book. Scotland: Glasgow. Wild Goose Publications.
Jones, Robert V. 2005. Liturgy: The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. In private circulation from the author.
Mitchell, R. C; G. A. Ricciuti. 1992. Birthings and blessings. Liberating worship services for the inclusive church. NY: New York. Crossroads.
Morely, J. 1992. All desires known. Expanded edition. Gt. Britain: London. SPCK.
Morwood, M. 2003. Praying a new story. VIC: Richmond. Spectrum Publications.
Prewer, B. D. 1983. Australian prayers. SA: Adelaide. OpenBook Publishers.
Seaburg, C. (ed). 1993. The communion book. MA: Boston. UUMA.
Uniting in Worship. Leader’s Book. 1988. VIC: Melbourne. Uniting Church Press.
Withrow, L. 1995. Seasons of prayer. Resources for worship. Gt. Britain: London. SPCK.

Web sites:
UUA Worship Web. MA: Boston. UUA.

"Living on the Fringe" poem written by LCUMC during August 4, 2008, service

"Living on the Fringe"
A Poem by Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church
August 4, 2008

Living and acting on the edge,
on that thin sliver of creative thought
that sparkes the flame of humanity.
Not conforming to traditional ways of being
or what others expect you to be.
Desperate creativity.
Isolation,
aloneness,
but also following my own path.
Caring about people I barely know.
Outside
Lonely
Frustrating
Without a voice
Genuine
Stereotypes
Unashamed
Secondary
Fuzzy
Disconnected--
Or partially connected--
Confusing
Unfamiliar
Uneven
On the edge
Being marginalized by society.
Risking my comfort zone
so that others can possibly have
a comfort zone for the first time.
Giving up things so others will experience less
war,
hunger,
poverty.
Being on the outside looking in.
Seeing what others have
and you don't.
Feeling powerless.
Scrambling each day to find what you need,
trying to keep hope.
And with a scandalous grace,
we actively love.
A tangible expression...
connecting our hearts
with the hearts of others.
Is your identity in Jesus
or the fringe?

Church Basement Roadshow

How was it? What inspired us? What can we take from it?

August 10th Worship Service Planning

Let's use this post to comment on what we would like to try in this week's service. There are lots of posts started, so let's continue to comment on those as desired and use this post to volunteer for parts of the service. Maybe you volunteer to read, maybe you specify what you volunteer to read. Then others can comment. Maybe you volunteer to play music. Then we can blog back and forth about who is helping where, who needs what help, etc. I'll get us started...

Remaining Lectionary for August: August 31, 2008 Lectionary (Labor Day Weekend)

Exodus 3:1-15

3:1 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

3:2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed.

3:3 Then Moses said, "I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up."

3:4 When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."

3:5 Then he said, "Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."

3:6 He said further, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

3:7 Then the LORD said, "I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings,

3:8 and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

3:9 The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them.

3:10 So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt."

3:11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

3:12 He said, "I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain."

3:13 But Moses said to God, "If I come to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?"

3:14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." He said further, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

3:15 God also said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you': This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.

Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26

105:1 O give thanks to the LORD, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples.

105:2 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works.

105:3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

105:4 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually.

105:5 Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,

105:6 O offspring of his servant Abraham, children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

105:23 Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.

105:24 And the LORD made his people very fruitful, and made them stronger than their foes,

105:25 whose hearts he then turned to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants.

105:26 He sent his servant Moses, and Aaron whom he had chosen.

Romans 12:9-21

12:9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;

12:10 Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.

12:11 Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.

12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.

12:13 Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

12:16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.

12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.

12:18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

12:19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."

12:20 No, "if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads."

12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Matthew 16:21-28

16:21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

16:22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you."

16:23 But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."

16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

16:25 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

16:26 For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

16:27 "For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.

16:28 Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

All passages quoted from the New Revised Standard Version.

Remaing Lectionary for August: August 24 2008

Exodus 1:8 - 2:10

1:8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

1:9 He said to his people, "Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we.

1:10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land."

1:11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh.

1:12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.

1:13 The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites,

1:14 and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.

1:15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,

1:16 "When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live."

1:17 But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live.

1:18 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?"

1:19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them."

1:20 So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong.

1:21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.

1:22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live."

2:1 Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman.

2:2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months.

2:3 When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river.

2:4 His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.

2:5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it.

2:6 When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him, "This must be one of the Hebrews' children," she said.

2:7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?"

2:8 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Yes." So the girl went and called the child's mother.

2:9 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed it.

2:10 When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, "because," she said, "I drew him out of the water."

Psalm 124

124:1 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side—let Israel now say—

124:2 if it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when our enemies attacked us,

124:3 then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us;

124:4 then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us;

124:5 then over us would have gone the raging waters.

124:6 Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth.

124:7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped.

124:8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Romans 12:1-8

12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

12:4 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function,

12:5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.

12:6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith;

12:7 ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching;

12:8 the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Matthew 16:13-20

16:13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

16:14 And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

16:15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

16:16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

16:17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.

16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

16:20 Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

All passages quoted from the New Revised Standard Version.

Remaining Lectionary for August: August 17 2008

Genesis 45:1-15

45:1 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, "Send everyone away from me." So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

45:2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it.

45:3 Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.

45:4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come closer to me." And they came closer. He said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.

45:5 And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.

45:6 For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.

45:7 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors.

45:8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

45:9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay.

45:10 You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have.

45:11 I will provide for you there—since there are five more years of famine to come—so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.

45:12 And now your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you.

45:13 You must tell my father how greatly I am honored in Egypt, and all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here."

45:14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck.

45:15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.

Psalm 133

133:1 How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!

133:2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.

133:3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the LORD ordained his blessing, life forevermore.

Romans 11:1-2, 29-32

11:1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

11:2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?

11:29 ...For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

11:30 Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience,

11:31 so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy.

11:32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.

Matthew 15:10-28

15:10 Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, "Listen and understand:

15:11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles."

15:12 Then the disciples approached and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?"

15:13 He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.

15:14 Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit."

15:15 But Peter said to him, "Explain this parable to us."

15:16 Then he said, "Are you also still without understanding?

15:17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?

15:18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles.

15:19 For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander.

15:20 These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile."

15:21 Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon.

15:22 Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon."

15:23 But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us."

15:24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

15:25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me."

15:26 He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs."

15:27 She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

15:28 Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly.

All passages quoted from the New Revised Standard Version.

9/11 in Three Verses

What I think is most fascinating about 9/11 is that there are three very important events on this date.

1. United States. 9/11/2001: The attack on the World Trade Centers

2. Chille. 9/11/ 1973: On the morning of Tuesday 11 September 1973, two jets launched a deadly attack on the Presidential Palace of La Moneda in the heart of Santiago, Chile. A military coup led by Augusto Pinochet ousted the presidency of Salvador Allende, the world's first democratically-elected Marxist head of state.

3. South Africa 9/11/1906: 3,000 people, mostly Indians, packed the old Empire Theater in Johannesburg, South Africa. They came to protest a draft of the Asiatic Law Amendment Ordinance that would require that every Indian over the age of 8 be fingerprinted and carry a registration card. Moreover, the law stipulated that the police could enter the home of any Indian at their discretion and fine, imprison or even deport those found without proper identification. This date marks the birth of Ghandi's nonviolence movement.

This service could be very interesting....

9/11 Memorial Worship Service

Should we do one? It is on a Thursday....

August 10, 2008 lectionary

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost -- August 10, 2008 (Green)
(See the texts online at the Vanderbilt Divinity Library. )

Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28: Sibling rivalry moves from murderous intent to economic gain as Joseph's brothers sell him into slavery.

Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22,45b: See The United Methodist Hymnal, 828 for verses 1-11. This Psalm continues the Joseph story beyond the first lesson. For this Sunday, you will need to print the Psalm portion to get the verses specified. The hymnal Psalter is based on the former Common Lectionary (1986), but this fuller selection comes from the Revised Common Lectionary our church adopted in 1992. See "Psalms for Singing" for another alternative.

Romans 10:5-15: The connections between hearing, believing, confessing and calling upon the name of Jesus as Lord for salvation.

Matthew 14:22-33: Jesus frightens the disciples when he walks toward them on the stormy sea. He tells them not to be afraid. Peter walks toward him and sinks, only to be lifted by Jesus. The disciples declare Jesus to be the Son of God.

The Virgin Mary of Nagasaki; 8500 Christs

8500 CHRISTS by Taki Yuriko

So you see,
It was the Christian enclave,
Nagasaki's Uragami district,
Upon which the atomic bomb fell.
"It came because Kokura, the first target, was
clouded over."

"It came to beat the Soviet Union's entrance into the
war."
No, these are wrong. They are excuses.

The bomb was heavenly punishment,
And those killed were criminals, sinners.
So thought the wartime Japanese.

For 350 years,
The blood of martyrs had flowed.
Christian believers were all criminals,
Had always been traitors.
Until August 15, 1945,
Japan's god was by law
The One and Only Emperor.
So the Christians -
Praying continually for "World Peace"
Even after WW II had begun -
Were lawbreakers, evildoers.
These Christians believers,
Who even refused military service,
Were the traitors.

Uragami Catholic Church,
Japan's sole Christian holy place,
And the Far East's largest Catholic Church.
6000 at once could
Pray together inside.
8500, inside and outside, were
Praying for peace
When the bomb fell.

"It's because there were no taller building around"
No, no. Another excuse.
Those who died were
Criminals,sinners,
Chosen to die.

We pray to them who burned instantly
In that purgatorial fire,
The 8500 Christs
Who atoned for sins against humanity
Through their deaths.
We pray to a radioactive "Angel Bell"
We pray to a blasted Virgin Mary;
"May Uragami be earth's last atomic blast site".
"The very last", we pray.

The Story of Sadako

Before we move on with our planning, I just want to post two more things about our worship service from August 3rd. Here is the story of Sadako:



From Wikipedia:

Sadako and the paper cranes

Every day more cranes arrive at the memorial from children all over the world in the hope for peace. On August 3, 1955, Chizuko Hamamoto — Sadako's best friend — came to the hospital to visit and cut a golden piece of paper into a square and folded it into a paper crane. At first Sadako didn't understand why Chizuko was doing this but then Chizuko retold the story about the paper cranes. Inspired by the crane, she started folding them herself, spurred on by the Japanese saying that one who folded 1,000 cranes was granted a wish. A popular version of the story is that she fell short of her goal of folding 1,000 cranes, having folded only 644 before her death, and that her friends completed the 1,000 and buried them all with her. This comes from the book Sadako Sasaki and the Thousand Paper Cranes. An exhibit which appeared in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum stated that by the end of August, 1955, Sadako had achieved her goal and continued to fold more cranes.

Though she had plenty of free time during her days in the hospital to fold the cranes, she lacked paper. She would use medicine wrappings and whatever else she could scrounge up. This included going to other patients' rooms to ask to use the paper from their get-well presents. Chizuko would bring paper from school for Sadako to use. During her time in hospital her condition progressively worsened. Around mid-October her left leg became swollen and turned purple. After her family urged her to eat something, Sadako requested tea on rice and remarked "It's good." Those were her last words. With her family around her, Sadako died on the morning of
October 25, 1955

After her death, Sadako's friends and schoolmates published a collection of letters in order to raise funds to build a memorial to her and all of the children who had died from the effects of the atomic bomb. In 1958, a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane was unveiled in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, also called the Genbaku Dome. At the foot of the statue is a plaque that reads, This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world.

There is also a statue of her in the Seattle Peace Park. Sadako has become a leading symbol of the impact of a nuclear war. Sadako is also a heroine for many girls in Japan. Her story is told in some Japanese schools on the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing. Dedicated to her, people all over Japan celebrate August 15 as the annual peace and love day.

Sadako's story has become familiar to many schoolchildren around the world through the novels The Day of the Bomb (1961, in German, Sadako will leben) by the Austrian writer Karl Bruckner and Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr, first published in 1977. Sadako is also briefly mentioned in Children of the Ashes, Robert Jungk's historical account of the lives of Hiroshima victims and survivors. Her story continues to inspire millions to hope for lasting peace in the world.

In 1969, the Dagestani national poet Rasul Gamzatov may have been inspired by Sadako's story to write his most famous poem, "Zhuravli". (Gamzatov may, however, have taken his inspiration from Soviet soldiers who died in the battle for Stalingrad. Associating cranes with World War II victims already appears, for example, in 1957 Soviet movie Letyat Zhuravli.) The jazz fusion band Hiroshima wrote a song called "Thousand Cranes" inspired by Sadako's story and as a tribute to the band's namesake city. Toward the end of the song, children's laughter can be heard. Another song inspired by Sadako's story is Fred Small's "Cranes Over Hiroshima".