Finding Friends in an Unfriendly World

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "Finding Friends in an Unfriendly World"

Transcription

1 Keith Watkins Finding Friends in an Unfriendly World No one has greater love than this, to lay down one s life for one s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father (John 15:13 15). A They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:42) front-page article in the Portland Oregonian was headlined with a question and answer: Do you feel lonely? It s not just you. The article was based on a study by sociologist Miller McPherson who reports that one person in every four has no one with whom to discuss very important matters. Furthermore, the study indicated that the average person has only two close friends; twenty years ago, the number would have been three. McPherson declares that loneliness had been growing rapidly and that she has never seen a change that big in something so basic. She suggests that Portland is different; something about her city and its people increases the likelihood that they will find friends. Maybe loneliness is not as great a problem in Portland as in other cities across the country. This report can be paired with Robert D. Putnam s book, Bowling Alone, in which he offers a thoroughly documented description of changes in American social behavior since the latter part of the 1900s. Participation in all kinds of organizations, including churches, bowling leagues, lodges, and service clubs has Keith Watkins writes on history, theology, and bicycling. He lives in Vancouver, Washington, just north of the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon. hkwatkins@mac.com Copyright 2011 Keith Watkins

2 Finding Friends in an Unfriendly World 2 dwindled significantly. Americans, he argues, are losing the social capital that they need in order to maintain a life that is rich, full, and satisfying. Some have suggested that these changes in life are caused by the nature of life in cities. People are not thrown into ongoing, close, personal relationships as they were when everyone lived in smaller communities. The result is that people spend more time isolated in private homes or personal automobiles, and they are lonely. Another reason may be the fact that most people have to devote more time and energy to making a living than used to be the case. Today, two-income families are the norm, and even with two incomes most households live less secure lives than was enjoyed by one-income families a generation ago. Whatever the cause, people today need to find communities of love and support where they can find strength and to which they can offer their strength in return. Table-centered churches provide this possibility. Worship their most important activity focuses upon the church s family table where everyone is invited to share the friendship that comes from sharing the bread of heaven with one another. Some people have known one another for many years and always meet at the communion table. Others are total strangers, often fearful and uncertain, but they hope that Christ s invitation includes them, and they come. Some worshipers know that things are not right in their lives and they need to be reassured that God, at least, loves them as they are and will help them become the people they hope to be. In penitence and hope, they come. Whether surrounded by friends or feeling all alone, congregants can know that the church s table is a place where loneliness is assuaged and a new sense of neighborliness comes into being. The church s meal ceremony is based, in part, on the last meal that Jesus shared with his disciples on the night before his betrayal and execution. The Gospel of John (15:12 17) preserves a record of the conversation that night, including a few minutes when Jesus turned to these people who had traveled with him throughout his three-year campaign. He made a special point of calling them friends rather than employees, or staff, and he told them that their friendship was based on three factors. The most important was that he loved them so much that he was ready to lay down his life for them. Second, they were doing their part by doing what he asked them to do. Third, he had told them everything that God had revealed to him. Thus, he could call them friends. This declaration of friendship made a strong impression upon the disciples. The first few chapters of Acts describe the earlier weeks of the church s life, and it tells us that these earliest Christians met together frequently to break bread with glad and generous hearts (Acts 2:43 47). At first, these gatherings included

3 Finding Friends in an Unfriendly World 3 their evening meal, full and complete, along with the ceremonies and prayers with bread and wine that helped them remember Jesus. During the early weeks of the church s life, Christians made sure that everyone had enough. A few members, including a man named Barnabas, even sold some of their holdings and contributed the proceeds to the church so that there would be enough money to provide for the people who had nothing (Acts 4:32 37). A few years later, Paul (who had not been part of the first group of Christians but came into the fellowship several years later) stated the theological principle that was the foundation for this table fellowship: We who are many are one body for we have all eaten from the one loaf (1 Corinthians 10:17). This principle was intensified by the way that Jesus had connected the bread and wine of the Last Supper and his body and blood that were being sacrificed for his friends (Matthew 26:29 29). No matter how isolated we may be in ordinary life, at this table we can be friends with one another. Jesus provides the table, becomes the bread of life for all who gather here, and invites everyone to come, regardless of who they are. Worshipers around the table are friends, but it is a strange kind of friendship. Most worshipers know little about other people in the room, often not even names (else why do congregations arrange for congregants to wear name tags?) Or family status. The kind of work that people do, or if they are out of work and need help. Worshipers probably don t know where others in the room live, what s going on in their lives, or what draws them to this place today? Clearly, the friendship that develops around this table does not require extensive personal knowledge and the kind of intimacy that one finds at a family dinner table in private homes. Friendship that takes place here is structured, focused, marked by a special kind of intimacy that does not require the full disclosure of autobiographical details. My understanding of this friendship has been influenced by a book with a strange title: Together Alone: Personal Relationships in Public Places. It contains nine essays that describe and analyze the ways that people express intimacy with strangers in public places: teens hanging out in a fast food restaurant, family members of amateur softball players who get together in the bleachers through the season, and members of a right-wing political discussion group. In each setting, people come to trust one another, up to a point, and they pay attention to one another s needs, including certain emotional needs that seem easier to share with these stranger-friends than with people whom they know well. Often, the people in these gatherings don t even know one another s names, or they know only the first names. Yet, their regular association becomes one of the ways that they can get along in the increasingly fractured world they live in.

4 Finding Friends in an Unfriendly World 4 None of the studies focuses on what happens in a church, but friendship formed by people who gather regularly around the communion table would be appropriate for inclusion. The writers in the book are interested in what they call anchored personal relationships, that involve recurring interaction and interdependencies. These friendships take place over time and are tied to a particular public place. They deal with a narrow range of activities that do not, or rarely spill over into private households. For many worshipers, the gathering for worship meets several of these tests. It happens repeatedly over a long period of time. A church at worship is a public place and this setting influences the range of activities and relationships that can develop. In churches, the factor that most discourages anchored friendships is that there is little opportunity to talk with one another during the service. Worshipers may sit side by side and in some slight way acknowledge one another s presence in the pew. Yet we become aware of one another if we come regularly. We sit in about the same place and begin to recognize others who always sit near by. If the order of worship makes time for greeting one another, we hear voices, perhaps make eye contact, maybe embrace or shake hands. After a few Sundays, two or three will linger in the pew after the service and talk a little, perhaps about the sermon or an issue that the congregation prayed about. Someone invites another to a class or group meeting, or perhaps to a conversation period following the service. The relationship deepens even though many details about one s life never come into the conversation. How is it possible for strangers to become friends, even in a limited way, at the church s table? The primary reason is that Jesus is the host and invites all to come despite their unworthiness. Furthermore, the occasion is not a fancy banquet with the men in tuxes, the women in designer gowns, and the children at home with sitters. Rather, it is a brief episode of tranquility seized in the midst of hard, bloody battle. Jesus stands here as someone facing death with the peace that only God can give, and he invites us knowing that we are weak, sinful, and bloodied by our own experiences in life. He says to us, Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28 30). A woman who found her faith in a strong, urban congregation in Southern California explained her coming to a vibrant religious practice this way. Her life was all messed up and in her despair she stumbled into church one morning. At the communion service, the pastor reached out, seemingly to her: Whoever you are, wherever you are in your journey of faith, you are welcome at this table. She later confessed that this radical hospitality had blown her away. When Jesus extends the invitation, any of us can come.

5 Finding Friends in an Unfriendly World 5 A second reason why strangers can become friends at the communion table is that for a little while many of the alienating distinctions in ordinary life are dissolved by the intensity of our experience of God s presence. I saw this happen in a communion service one Sunday in a church located in what once had been one of the poshest neighborhoods of Indianapolis. Long since, however, it had become a dysfunctional part of the city. Yet that Sunday, a few of the old patrician members were present along with quite a mixture of the city s people, including the poor and outcast. The service included special prayers for people with HIV/AIDS, and many congregants had come for that reason. During the communion, as people walked to the altar rail to receive the sacramental signs of Christ s body and blood, a pair of ten-year-old, tow-headed boys went forward their hair stiff and uncombed, striped overalls wrinkled but apparently clean. They were unaccompanied, seemingly very much out of place in that solemn ceremony in which the brokenness of life was so dominant. Yet they walked as though they were at home with a loving family and friends who could be trusted. After the service, I went to the parish hall for conversation, but unfortunately the sense of welcome and acceptance disappeared as regulars fell into little conversation groups. People like me who didn t know anyone were left standing by ourselves, and I longed for the feelings of friendship with God and unnamed congregants that had been expressed during the liturgy. Perhaps, I expected too much. I was not yet anchored in an ongoing personal presence in that public space. Had I continued going to worship there, the time would have come when a fuller sharing of myself with others, and they with me, could have developed. One of the newer communion hymns expresses the friendship that can develop at this table. Its title is When You Do This, Remember Me, and its words were derived from a statement by Alexander Campbell, a church leader in the mid- 1800s. It begins with a simple statement: You my friend, a stranger once, do now belong to heaven. Once far away, you are brought home into God s family. Then it states the refrain that follows every new idea: When you do this, remember me. The hymn expresses the reason why worshipers can come together:

6 Finding Friends in an Unfriendly World 6 Now my Lord is also yours, my people are your own; embraced together in God s arms, I enfold you now in mine. And again, the refrain, When you do this, remember me. Another hymn from recent times expresses the friendship of the table even more clearly. The first stanza declares that I come to the table as a forgiven, loved, and free child of God to recall the life of Jesus in love laid down for me. It affirms that I come with other Christians and find, as all are fed, the new community of love in Christ s communion bread. The hymn moves into a more profound theological interpretation of the anchored friendships that develop as we gather around the communion table. As Christ breaks bread, and bids us share, each proud division ends. The love that made us, makes us one, and strangers now are friends, and strangers now are friends. The Spirit of the risen Christ, unseen, but ever near, is in such friendship better known, alive among us here, alive among us here. Together met, together bound by all that God has done, we ll go with joy to give the world the love that makes us one, the love that makes us one. This way of understanding friendship in the church can help us understand why some people believe that their church is a friendly place while others experience it as cold and unaccepting. If the friendliness is based on shared experiences outside of the church living in the same neighborhood, having children in the same school, and belonging to the same social organization, for example then what we do in church continues this biography-based friendship, and outsiders have a hard time breaking into the conversational circle. In contrast, when our relationships with others begin with the Gospel of the Lord, proclaimed and

7 Finding Friends in an Unfriendly World 7 experienced again in worship, and with the love of God portrayed around the table, there is room for everyone. The love that comes to each of us as an individual binds us to others who have also experienced this love. As we embrace one another in the name of Christ, we embrace and are embraced by the Christ in the other person. Anchored friendships in the church need room to grow, which means that times for conversation before and after the service are important. Shared experiences in classes and mission activities in the world are important because they allow Christ s friendship with each of us to develop until it draws us into ever closer friendship with others in the congregation. When we experience God s love for us in the communion bread and, as a result, in one another, we can begin what otherwise would be an impossible task, which is to take this same love out into the larger world where we meet with family, neighbors, colleagues, and strangers. We do this, in part, by our individual interactions with other people. We also do it by the ways that a congregation reaches out to its community in organized ways. Some congregations express friendship to the world by offering food at low cost to people with low incomes. Or in maintaining low-cost medical clinics. Or programs that provide tutoring or other after school activities for young people. The intention is to demonstrate that love is an all-pervasive personal power that finally will persuade everyone to trust God and to live with one another in peace and joy. A Prayer at the Table The classic pattern for the Communion Prayer has three parts. The first offers thankful praise to God for creating the world and giving us life. This part of the prayer often includes thanks for the forgiveness that God offers the world through Jesus Christ. The second part of the classic prayer focuses upon Jesus Christ. It remembers his willing sacrifice of himself for the life of the world, The third part of the prayer calls upon the Holy Spirit to renew God s creating and saving work in the church and in the world. Holy God, You have made of one blood all the people of the world and have called us to live together as one human family spread over all the earth.

8 Finding Friends in an Unfriendly World 8 We thank you that in Jesus Christ you have broken down every barrier of gender, status, and nationality that divides us from one another and from you. Send your Holy Spirit to be with us as we share this bread through which Jesus gives himself for us. Unite us with him and with all who join us at this table wherever it is spread. Help us live as friends with Jesus, one another, and everyone we meet so that all the people of the world will live together in peace and love. This we pray through Jesus Christ. Amen. Notes: Do you feel lonely? It s not just you, by Stephen Beaven, The Oregonian, June 24, 2006, A 1. Together Alone: Personal Relationships in Public Places, edited by Calvin Morrill, David A. Snow, and Cindy H. White (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2005).

From Holy Week to Spring Break:

From Holy Week to Spring Break: From Holy Week to Spring Break: The Changing Character of American Public Life Prepared for Downtown Kiwanis, Portland, Oregon April 16, 2014 By Keith Watkins During my childhood and early adult years,

More information

Last Supper Lord s Supper

Last Supper Lord s Supper Last Supper Lord s Supper Looking Again at New Testament Texts A Study Guide by Keith Watkins g Session One / Introduction The defining element in Christian worship is the coming together around a table

More information

O God, beyond my words, let your Word be heard. Amen.

O God, beyond my words, let your Word be heard. Amen. 1 The Meals Jesus Gave Us: the meaning of the Lord s Supper [Psalm 78:18-25] Lk 5:27-34, 22:14-20, 24-30 John Rempel The First Mennonite Church January 29, 2017 O God, beyond my words, let your Word be

More information

St. Episcopal Church. Worship Booklet For the Season after Pentecost Rite II

St. Episcopal Church. Worship Booklet For the Season after Pentecost Rite II St. Episcopal Church Worship Booklet For the Season after Pentecost Rite II This version of Rite II includes descriptions of different parts of the Eucharist helpful to both, long-time members and newcomers

More information

What is Worship Like in this Church? December 6, 2015 Roger Fritts Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota

What is Worship Like in this Church? December 6, 2015 Roger Fritts Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota What is Worship Like in this Church? December 6, 2015 Roger Fritts Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota Watching the news these past few weeks, about gun violence in France, Colorado and California,

More information

Let s eat! KEY THOUGHT: KEY WORD: FELLOWSHIP The. Draw or paste a picture of the meal below.

Let s eat! KEY THOUGHT: KEY WORD: FELLOWSHIP The. Draw or paste a picture of the meal below. 1.5 ESV - 36 - KEY THOUGHT: KEY WORD: A vital part of church life is fellowship, especially eating and praying together. FELLOWSHIP The gathering of Christians who share a faith in Christ, a desire to

More information

August Parish Life Survey. Saint Benedict Parish Johnstown, Pennsylvania

August Parish Life Survey. Saint Benedict Parish Johnstown, Pennsylvania August 2018 Parish Life Survey Saint Benedict Parish Johnstown, Pennsylvania Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate Georgetown University Washington, DC Parish Life Survey Saint Benedict Parish

More information

Osceola Sermon / The Five Practices of a Fruitful Congregation Radical Hospitality August 2 nd, 2009 / Pastor Bob Vale

Osceola Sermon / The Five Practices of a Fruitful Congregation Radical Hospitality August 2 nd, 2009 / Pastor Bob Vale Osceola Sermon / The Five Practices of a Fruitful Congregation Radical Hospitality August 2 nd, 2009 / Pastor Bob Vale Biblical Focus: Deut. 10:19 And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves

More information

January Parish Life Survey. Saint Paul Parish Macomb, Illinois

January Parish Life Survey. Saint Paul Parish Macomb, Illinois January 2018 Parish Life Survey Saint Paul Parish Macomb, Illinois Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate Georgetown University Washington, DC Parish Life Survey Saint Paul Parish Macomb, Illinois

More information

Survey Report New Hope Church: Attitudes and Opinions of the People in the Pews

Survey Report New Hope Church: Attitudes and Opinions of the People in the Pews Survey Report New Hope Church: Attitudes and Opinions of the People in the Pews By Monte Sahlin May 2007 Introduction A survey of attenders at New Hope Church was conducted early in 2007 at the request

More information

Sermon 23a 2017: Going All In On This Life with God Introduction: In a Rut or Hearing a Call

Sermon 23a 2017: Going All In On This Life with God Introduction: In a Rut or Hearing a Call Sermon 23a 2017: Going All In On This Life with God Introduction: In a Rut or Hearing a Call I spent some time this week remembering the 1000 s of sermons; I ve preached over the past 25 years and no not

More information

Understanding the Mass

Understanding the Mass Nine Bulletin Inserts By Deacon Tom Foye Part 1: Jesus Loves You! The goal of this series of brief reflections is to help us grow in our understanding of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Before we can

More information

Guide for Your First. Steps as a Christ Follower

Guide for Your First. Steps as a Christ Follower A Guide for Your First Steps as a Christ Follower 1 2 A Note about this Book If we re not careful we can begin to think of the decision we just made as a kind of end: when, in fact, it is actually a beginning.

More information

Building A Vibrant Spiritual Life

Building A Vibrant Spiritual Life Building A Vibrant Spiritual Life A Soul Care Self-Assessment Inventory This inventory will help you discern where you are on your spiritual journey and identify possible next steps. It is designed to

More information

Barnabas Encourages Christians in Antioch Acts 11:19-26

Barnabas Encourages Christians in Antioch Acts 11:19-26 Session 12 Barnabas Encourages Christians in Antioch Acts 11:19-26 Worship Theme: Christians worship God together. Weaving Faith Into Life: Kids will worship God together with joy. Session Sequence What

More information

Liturgy. The Entrance Rite The Congregation Gathers Prelude. On the People of God

Liturgy. The Entrance Rite The Congregation Gathers Prelude. On the People of God Liturgy The Entrance Rite The Congregation Gathers Prelude On the People of God It is important to remember that the whole congregation worships together and that includes the liturgical ministers that

More information

GREETERS

GREETERS ------- GREETERS ------- MINISTRY COMMITMENT Thank you for accepting the invitation from your Church family to become a Minister Around the Table. Serving in this special way has a profound impact on the

More information

Pastoral Letter on the Holy Eucharist and Sunday Mass Attendance July 2010

Pastoral Letter on the Holy Eucharist and Sunday Mass Attendance July 2010 Pastoral Letter on the Holy Eucharist and Sunday Mass Attendance July 2010 Dear Parishioners, Peace of Christ! God has expressed His love to us in so many ways. As His children, we follow His example in

More information

Holy Communion (Common Worship Order One) The Fourth Sunday of Easter (Vocations Sunday)

Holy Communion (Common Worship Order One) The Fourth Sunday of Easter (Vocations Sunday) WORKED EXAMPLE Holy Communion (Common Worship Order One) The Fourth Sunday of Easter (Vocations Sunday) The Gathering A hymn may be sung The president may say In the name of the Father, and of the Son,

More information

WELCOMING OTHERS. Within a month of Melissa s (all names have been. Fold. into the. We Can Do Better:

WELCOMING OTHERS. Within a month of Melissa s (all names have been. Fold. into the. We Can Do Better: We Can Do Better: WELCOMING OTHERS into the Fold Here are four ways you can help new and returning members feel like they belong. Note: No matter how strong someone s belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ,

More information

The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas

The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas The Episcopal Diocese of Kansas Moving Forward Together: Unity and Diversity in the Church By the Reverend Andrew Grosso, Ph.D., Canon Theologian of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas For many years now,

More information

CHAPTER 9 THE HEART JOURNEY AT HALFTIME

CHAPTER 9 THE HEART JOURNEY AT HALFTIME The following is an excerpt from Unlimited Partnership, Igniting a Marketplace Leader s Journey to Significance by Lloyd Reeb and Bill Wellons. CHAPTER 9 THE HEART JOURNEY AT HALFTIME I introduced the

More information

We Believe in the Church

We Believe in the Church We Believe in the Church PRE-READING I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18) We should be confident about the indestructibility of the church. Because

More information

THE LORD S SUPPER. Luke 22:19 LESSON AIM KEY VERSE ITEMS NEEDED DECLARATION OF FAITH. soul. INVESTIGATION

THE LORD S SUPPER. Luke 22:19 LESSON AIM KEY VERSE ITEMS NEEDED DECLARATION OF FAITH. soul. INVESTIGATION THE LORD S SUPPER Luke 22:19 LESSON AIM KEY VERSE ITEMS NEEDED DECLARATION OF FAITH To understand why Jesus instructed His followers to observe Holy Communion.... This is My body which is given for you;

More information

The Real Miracle of Easter By R. Larry Snow April 16, 2017

The Real Miracle of Easter By R. Larry Snow April 16, 2017 The Real Miracle of Easter By R. Larry Snow April 16, 2017 Matthew 28:1-10 As you know, for Lent, I ve been inviting people to come watch and then discuss The Story of God with Morgan Freeman. It s been

More information

THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT DECEMBER 9, :00 A.M. AND 10:15 A.M. HOLY EUCHARIST

THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT DECEMBER 9, :00 A.M. AND 10:15 A.M. HOLY EUCHARIST THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT DECEMBER 9, 2018 8:00 A.M. AND 10:15 A.M. HOLY EUCHARIST OUR MISSION: We are called to be disciples of Christ, revealing His Life, Love and Light to the World. OUR VISION: St.

More information

INSTRUCTIONS. 3. Based on your total scores, place an "X" in the boxes below the letters of your three highest scores.

INSTRUCTIONS. 3. Based on your total scores, place an X in the boxes below the letters of your three highest scores. INSTRUCTIONS 1. Using the Spiritual Gift Assessment score sheet, record your answers to the questions below in the cooresponding numbered box. Your answer will be a number from 0-3. (see the key below)

More information

February 3, :00 a.m. Fourth Sunday after Epiphany. Gathering

February 3, :00 a.m. Fourth Sunday after Epiphany. Gathering February 3, 2019-11:00 a.m. Fourth Sunday after Epiphany Evangelical Lutheran Worship Holy Communion Setting Three P Pastor L Leader C Congregation (+) Indicates appropriate times to make the sign of the

More information

WELCOME to St Philip-by-the Sea Anglican Church

WELCOME to St Philip-by-the Sea Anglican Church WELCOME to St Philip-by-the Sea Anglican Church We are part of the Diocese of British Columbia, which is a member of the Anglican Church of Canada and the world wide Christian Church. We acknowledge with

More information

Do This To Remember Me! A Book For Families on the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Rosemary Turner

Do This To Remember Me! A Book For Families on the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Rosemary Turner Do This To Remember Me! A Book For Families on the Sacrament of Holy Communion Rosemary Turner This booklet was originally printed as apart of the Let the Children Come Series by Round Table Resources,

More information

Table and font: Who is welcome?

Table and font: Who is welcome? Table and font: Who is welcome? An invitation to join the conversation about Baptism and Communion Font to table or table to font Bryon Hansen This paper was originally presented at the annual meeting

More information

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! - Orthodox Liturgy

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! - Orthodox Liturgy CELEBRATING THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD JESUS This holy and blessed day is the first of the week, the king and master of all days, the feast of feasts and the season of seasons. On this day we bless Christ

More information

COME TO THE PARTY Luke 14: Dr. J. Howard Olds January 25, 2004

COME TO THE PARTY Luke 14: Dr. J. Howard Olds January 25, 2004 COME TO THE PARTY Luke 14:15-23 Dr. J. Howard Olds January 25, 2004 One of my favorite childhood memories is Sunday dinner. My mother was an excellent cook. Student preachers were always hungry. The combination

More information

INTRODUCTION How To Kill Sin, Part 1 (Romans 8:1-4)

INTRODUCTION How To Kill Sin, Part 1 (Romans 8:1-4) INTRODUCTION How To Kill Sin, Part 1 (Romans 8:1-4) Attention-getter Be killing sin or sin will be killing you. Let s think about that for a moment and then we ll pray. Be killing sin or sin will be killing

More information

Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church

Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church Liturgies of the Seasons For use in the weekly gathering of God s people for worship and thanksgiving 1 Times and Seasons: the Christian Year (Adapted from the Introduction

More information

The Parish Church of St Faith, Great Crosby. The Eucharist on Mothering Sunday

The Parish Church of St Faith, Great Crosby. The Eucharist on Mothering Sunday The Parish Church of St Faith, Great Crosby The Eucharist on Mothering Sunday 2 The Gathering Hymn +In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Grace, mercy and peace from God

More information

Building Spiritual Connections

Building Spiritual Connections Building Spiritual Connections Spiritual connections are made through worshipers' private devotional activities and their participation in congregational activities such as worship. Private Devotions 1

More information

Unity in the Body of Christ

Unity in the Body of Christ August 5, 2018 Proper 13 Semicontinuous 2 Sam. 11:26 12:13a Ps. 51:1 12 Complementary Exod. 16:2 4, 9 15 Ps. 78:23 29 Eph. 4:1 16 John 6:24 35 Unity in the Goal for the Session Adults will reflect on the

More information

Fellowship. Philippians 1:1-6

Fellowship. Philippians 1:1-6 1 Fellowship Philippians 1:1-6 In 1773 a young preacher at a small, poor church in Wainsgate, England was offered a job at a larger, wealthier church in London. As he loaded his wagons for the move, many

More information

Spiritual Gifts Assessment Traders Point Christian Church

Spiritual Gifts Assessment Traders Point Christian Church Spiritual Gifts Assessment God has given every Christian at least one spiritual gift, and probably more. This questionnaire is designed to help you understand what your spiritual gifts are and how to use

More information

Saint Robert Bellarmine Parish. Celebrates the Sacred Triduum. March 28 31, 2013

Saint Robert Bellarmine Parish. Celebrates the Sacred Triduum. March 28 31, 2013 Saint Robert Bellarmine Parish Celebrates the Sacred Triduum March 28 31, 2013 THE SACRED TRIDUUM The Season of Lent ends quietly at sunset on Holy Thursday. With the Gathering Rite of the Mass of the

More information

Building Spiritual Connections

Building Spiritual Connections Spiritual connections are made through worshipers' private devotional activities and their participation in parish activities such as worship. How often do you spend time in private devotional activities

More information

Ever since his birth in a small Italian

Ever since his birth in a small Italian June 2018 Inside 3 A Letter From Our Pastor: Surrounded by Saints and Good Stewards 4 A Look Back on Recent Events and Activities at Our Lady Star of the Sea 6 The Men s Basketball Group 7 Bereavement

More information

A Quiet Day Celebrating, Instructing, and more deeply Experiencing the Holy Eucharist March 5, 2016

A Quiet Day Celebrating, Instructing, and more deeply Experiencing the Holy Eucharist March 5, 2016 A Quiet Day Celebrating, Instructing, and more deeply Experiencing the Holy Eucharist March 5, 2016 9:30 a.m. In the Church Welcome --Fr. Furman Blessed be God Collect for Purity Gloria in Excelsis, Kyrie,

More information

DEFINING MISSIONARY Romans 15:14-24

DEFINING MISSIONARY Romans 15:14-24 Mission Precision Dr. David Platt June 12, 2017 DEFINING MISSIONARY Romans 15:14-24 If you have a Bible and I hope you do let me invite you to turn to Mark 3. We re thinking about key terms when it comes

More information

Building Spiritual Connections

Building Spiritual Connections Building Spiritual Connections Spiritual connections are made through worshipers' private devotional activities and their participation in parish activities such as worship. Private Devotions 1 About 37%

More information

Ordinary People Extraordinary God Small Steps Toward Big Destruction

Ordinary People Extraordinary God Small Steps Toward Big Destruction St. Paul s Lutheran Church, Muskego, Wisconsin June 10, 2018 Ordinary People Extraordinary God Small Steps Toward Big Destruction Judges 16:1-22 One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute.

More information

Division and Reconciliation: A Sermon

Division and Reconciliation: A Sermon Division and Reconciliation: A Sermon The following is perhaps the closest I ve ever gotten to preaching a political sermon. It is also a good example of what to do if you misread the lectionary reading.

More information

OCTOBER 4, 2015 WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY

OCTOBER 4, 2015 WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY Lakeside Sermons Lakeside Baptist Church Rocky Mount, North Carolina Jody C. Wright, Senior Minister OCTOBER 4, 2015 WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY How Many At Your Table? Isaiah 25: 6-10; Luke 14:12-23 There

More information

SPIRITUAL GIFTS ASSESSMENT DISCOVER YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS

SPIRITUAL GIFTS ASSESSMENT DISCOVER YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS SPIRITUAL GIFTS ASSESSMENT DISCOVER YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS NAME : DATE : C3CHURCH SPIRITUALGIFTS 1 YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTINGS Rate the following question and place answer on back page. 3 = Consistently / Definitely

More information

Nihil Obstat: Rev. Kevin J. O Reilly, STD Censor Liborum December 2, 2015

Nihil Obstat: Rev. Kevin J. O Reilly, STD Censor Liborum December 2, 2015 Nihil Obstat: Rev. Kevin J. O Reilly, STD Censor Liborum December 2, 2015 Imprimatur: His Eminence, Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan Archbishop of New York December 2, 2015 The nihil obstat and imprimatur

More information

Sunday, August 19, Time after Pentecost Worship at 9:30 AM GATHERING

Sunday, August 19, Time after Pentecost Worship at 9:30 AM GATHERING Sunday, August 19, 2018 Time after Pentecost Worship at 9:30 AM GATHERING Hymn Sing Confession and Forgiveness All may make the sign of the cross, the sign marked at baptism, as the presiding minister

More information

Evangelical Lutheran Worship Marriage

Evangelical Lutheran Worship Marriage Evangelical Lutheran Worship Marriage Marriage is a gift of God, intended for the joy and mutual strength of those who enter it and for the well-being of the whole human family. God created us and blessed

More information

EASTER SUNDAY. Pastor. Parish Staff APRIL 21ST, Rev. W.R. Harris. Mass Schedule. Mrs. Connie Sauers Parish Secretary

EASTER SUNDAY. Pastor. Parish Staff APRIL 21ST, Rev. W.R. Harris. Mass Schedule. Mrs. Connie Sauers Parish Secretary Pastor Rev. W.R. Harris Parish Staff Mrs. Connie Sauers Parish Secretary office@protocathedral.org Mrs. Sandy Campanario Pastoral Assistant for Administration admin@protocathedral.org EASTER SUNDAY APRIL

More information

Sherwood United Methodist Church

Sherwood United Methodist Church Sherwood United Methodist Church Reaching out to the hungry: in body or spirit December 2015 The United Methodist Church is called to be a community, diverse and united in God s saving love, sent out in

More information

VIDEO SERIES RESOLVED. Firm in purpose or intent; determined

VIDEO SERIES RESOLVED. Firm in purpose or intent; determined VIDEO SERIES RESOLVED Firm in purpose or intent; determined Start Here You re about to embark on a life-changing journey. I m not just saying that to pump you up. I really mean it. In the next ten episodes

More information

Non-Eucharistic Liturgy

Non-Eucharistic Liturgy Non-Eucharistic Liturgy Congregation, you are invited to say all that is bold. Please stand for our opening hymn: Open our lips, Oh Lord, and we shall declare your praise. This is the day the Lord has

More information

THE ABSENCE OF JESUS (Mark 16:1-7) Through our joint mid-week Bible and book studies with our bridgebuilding

THE ABSENCE OF JESUS (Mark 16:1-7) Through our joint mid-week Bible and book studies with our bridgebuilding 1 THE ABSENCE OF JESUS (Mark 16:1-7) Through our joint mid-week Bible and book studies with our bridgebuilding partner congregation Christ the Solid Rock Baptist Church, I was confronted with a fascinating

More information

Beginning of Good News

Beginning of Good News St. Paul Lutheran Church In Jesus name, Do justice, Love kindness, Walk humbly with God. St. Paul is an open, affirming, and inclusive church, welcoming all who seek God. 515 South Wheaton Avenue - Wheaton,

More information

Like Families and Soccer Teams

Like Families and Soccer Teams ejournal Church and Parachurch Like Families and Soccer Teams by Campus Crusade worker Byron Straughn Five years ago my family moved to Pennsylvania and began looking for a new church. At the first church

More information

Salt & Light Various passages April 17, 2011

Salt & Light Various passages April 17, 2011 Salt & Light Various passages April 17, 2011 Introduction: Talk about my time up at the conference and our visit with Jane. We re taking a break from 1 Corinthians to discuss Salt & Light. Read Matthew

More information

Welcome from the pulpit of Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania by the Reverend Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet

Welcome from the pulpit of Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania by the Reverend Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet Welcome from the pulpit of Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania by the Reverend Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet Readings: Matthew 10:40-42 June 29, 2014 1 John 4:7-16 The story was published a few

More information

The Table of Hospitality

The Table of Hospitality Luke 7:36-50 May 14, 2017 The Table of Hospitality The idea for this series grew out of conversations at Worship Commission about how we get to know each other. We reflected that we are good at welcoming

More information

WHAT S HAPPENING IN YOUTH CONFIRMATION? Confirmation Leader Responses

WHAT S HAPPENING IN YOUTH CONFIRMATION? Confirmation Leader Responses WHAT S HAPPENING IN YOUTH CONFIRMATION? Confirmation Leader Responses About You (Please check only one item in each question.) 1. You are a (1)_76%_Pastor (2)_13%DCE (3)_1.4%Teacher (4)_9% Youth Leader

More information

6 1-6 Four hundred and eighty years after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the

6 1-6 Four hundred and eighty years after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the GOD S HOUSE Oct. 1, 2017 HUPC Sanctuary 50th 6 1-6 Four hundred and eighty years after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon s rule over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second

More information

Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate

Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate Special Report: Parish Life Today About CARA CARA is a national, non-profit, Georgetown University affiliated research center that conducts social scientific studies about the Catholic Church. Founded

More information

Ask to Be Healed. He said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.

Ask to Be Healed. He said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease. Ask to Be Healed He said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease. Mark 5:34 How many of us live in dis-ease, a state of feeling uneasy, uncomfortable,

More information

WELCOME TO UNIVERSITY LUTHERAN CHURCH 2 Epiphany January 20, :30 AM & 10:45 AM

WELCOME TO UNIVERSITY LUTHERAN CHURCH 2 Epiphany January 20, :30 AM & 10:45 AM WELCOME TO UNIVERSITY LUTHERAN CHURCH 2 Epiphany January 20, 2019 8:30 AM & 10:45 AM Gathering The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God. Prelude Precious Lord Mark Hayes; Union Seminary -

More information

NOT ALONE. An Edge Night on Loneliness and Depression EDGE NIGHT OVERVIEW GOAL

NOT ALONE. An Edge Night on Loneliness and Depression EDGE NIGHT OVERVIEW GOAL NOT ALONE An Edge Night on Loneliness and Depression EDGE NIGHT OVERVIEW GOAL For the youth to come to know that in the midst of loneliness and depression they are not alone and that there is a God and

More information

I N T R O D U C T I O N. You walk into Church. (It can be Sunday morning or Sunday night)

I N T R O D U C T I O N. You walk into Church. (It can be Sunday morning or Sunday night) Message for THE LORD S DAY EVENING, August 4, 2013 Christian Hope Church of Christ, Plymouth, North Carolina by Reggie A. Braziel, Minister Though We Be Few In Number Matthew 18:20 (NKJV) Please turn with

More information

The Pressures of Ministry Life

The Pressures of Ministry Life The Pressures of Ministry Life By Bill Scheidler The key to the success of the local church as it is in every other area of society is leadership. If the leadership of the local church is strong the local

More information

Glory to God. the presbyterian leader.com. Introducing the New Hymnal. the presbyterian hymnal. Introduction. I Love to Tell the Story

Glory to God. the presbyterian leader.com. Introducing the New Hymnal. the presbyterian hymnal. Introduction. I Love to Tell the Story Introducing the New Hymnal Glory to God the presbyterian hymnal the presbyterian leader.com This is one in a series of articles introducing Glory to God, the new Presbyterian hymnal. Introduction Collections

More information

BUT: What I have learned is that community, the New Community in Christ

BUT: What I have learned is that community, the New Community in Christ The Radicals! The Feast of Love! Love Feast: we re called to be the New Community, serving each other; fellowshipping in love, fed by the Savior. Acts 2:42-47 Pastor Sandi Evans Rogers What do you know.?

More information

2016 Visitation Service Eucharist: A Welcoming Church

2016 Visitation Service Eucharist: A Welcoming Church 2016 Visitation Service Eucharist: A Welcoming Church The Gathering There may be a hymn or worship song God shows us what is good, and what then is required of us? That we act justly, love mercy and walk

More information

A Service of Induction of a Deacon (Approved in its present form by the July 2013 Assembly Standing Committee)

A Service of Induction of a Deacon (Approved in its present form by the July 2013 Assembly Standing Committee) A Service of Induction of a Deacon (Approved in its present form by the July 2013 Assembly Standing Committee) Notes 1 The induction of a deacon into a placement within the bounds of a presbytery is an

More information

May Parish Life Survey. St. Mary of the Knobs Floyds Knobs, Indiana

May Parish Life Survey. St. Mary of the Knobs Floyds Knobs, Indiana May 2013 Parish Life Survey St. Mary of the Knobs Floyds Knobs, Indiana Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate Georgetown University Washington, DC Parish Life Survey St. Mary of the Knobs Floyds

More information

Sharing Enough. Sermon Outline Lines of Abundance

Sharing Enough. Sermon Outline Lines of Abundance Sharing Enough Sermon Outline Lines of Abundance Summary The theme, Sharing Enough, presents itself in this sermon that describes lines that set limits, lead in directions, and direct and focus our thoughts

More information

Growing an Engaged Parish. Christ The King Parish March 3-4, 2014 Al Winseman, D.Min. Sr. Learning Consultant Gallup, Inc.

Growing an Engaged Parish. Christ The King Parish March 3-4, 2014 Al Winseman, D.Min. Sr. Learning Consultant Gallup, Inc. Growing an Engaged Parish Christ The King Parish March 3-4, 2014 Al Winseman, D.Min. Sr. Learning Consultant Gallup, Inc. What if your parishioners... Were three times as satisfied with their lives? Spent

More information

Build 1 Corinthians 3:8-16 November 3, 2013

Build 1 Corinthians 3:8-16 November 3, 2013 Build 1 Corinthians 3:8-16 November 3, 2013 We re going to start with a little game. I m going to show a series of structures. Burj Khalifa, Millau Viaduct, Ulm Minster, Gateway Arch. All amazing structures.

More information

Why and How do we do liturgy at Grace Vancouver Church?

Why and How do we do liturgy at Grace Vancouver Church? Why and How do we do liturgy at Grace Vancouver Church? Why do we come to worship? There are two reasons one might come to worship on a Sunday morning. The first is to be there for God, the other is to

More information

1 Corinthians 11:23b-24 (New Revised Standard Version). 1 Corinthians 11:28-29 (NRSV). ###

1 Corinthians 11:23b-24 (New Revised Standard Version). 1 Corinthians 11:28-29 (NRSV). ### Sermon Communion Sermon Sunday, September 2, 2018 Scripture Readings: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, Matthew 5:21-26 Trajan McGill Westminster Presbyterian Church Springfield, Illinois Our first reading comes

More information

Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit

Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit 3461 Cedar Crest Blvd. EMAIL Info@holyspirit-emmaus.org Emmaus, PA 18049-1599 www.lchsemmaus.org PHONE 610.967.2220 www.facebook.com/lchsemmaus FAX 610.966.3021 Seventh

More information

Guided Meditation Rev. Janet P. Salbert, May Verses 13-14: On that same day things that had happened.

Guided Meditation Rev. Janet P. Salbert, May Verses 13-14: On that same day things that had happened. Guided Meditation Rev. Janet P. Salbert, May 2011 Verses 13-14: On that same day things that had happened. Take some time to get into the story a bit further, so imagine you are walking, a seven mile walk,

More information

Christ the King November 25, :30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

Christ the King November 25, :30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. S T. ANDREW S Lutheran Church 1416 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29210 Christ the King November 25, 2018 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. The Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW) is the red worship book found in

More information

324 College Avenue, Modesto, California (209)

324 College Avenue, Modesto, California (209) 16th Sunday after Pentecost September 9, 2018 Emanuel Lutheran Church Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 324 College Avenue, Modesto, California 95350 (209) 523-4531 www.emanuellutheran.org Staff Presiding

More information

BELONGING. Supporting children, young people and young adults with additional needs to belong in your church

BELONGING. Supporting children, young people and young adults with additional needs to belong in your church BELONGING Supporting children, young people and young adults with additional needs to belong in your church What should church be like for children, young people and young adults with additional needs

More information

Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church North Chatham County, North Carolina

Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church North Chatham County, North Carolina A Sample of Our Worship Bulletin with Explanatory Notes Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church North Chatham County, North Carolina Reformation Sunday Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time October 25, 2009

More information

Spirit Alive! upbeat Christ-Centered

Spirit Alive! upbeat Christ-Centered Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit 3461 Cedar Crest Blvd. EMAIL Info@holyspirit-emmaus.org Emmaus, PA 18049-1599 www.lchsemmaus.org PHONE 610.967.2220 www.facebook.com/lchsemmaus FAX 610.966.3021 Spirit

More information

Youth Ministry Training Lesson Fourteen: Youth Ministry Discipleship Community and Belonging. Lesson Introduction

Youth Ministry Training Lesson Fourteen: Youth Ministry Discipleship Community and Belonging. Lesson Introduction Youth Ministry Training Lesson Fourteen: Youth Ministry Discipleship Community and Belonging Session Overview Biblical Theological Foundations Games and Play as Trust-Builders Small Groups as Arenas of

More information

Are We Silent, Too? Mark 9: The gospel of Mark will never win a prize for its literary style. It is jerky, each section seemingly

Are We Silent, Too? Mark 9: The gospel of Mark will never win a prize for its literary style. It is jerky, each section seemingly 1 Are We Silent, Too? Mark 9: 14-37 The gospel of Mark will never win a prize for its literary style. It is jerky, each section seemingly disconnected from others, as it lurches from one scene to the next.

More information

Or - - that we should DO something - - in response? Well - - in the Old Testament - - the prophet Zephaniah says: Lord is in our midst.

Or - - that we should DO something - - in response? Well - - in the Old Testament - - the prophet Zephaniah says: Lord is in our midst. 1 Gathered Together Zephaniah 3:14-20; Luke 3:10-16 Sunday Dec 16, 2018 Rev. David Hutchinson What would it mean - - for you - - for God to be NEAR? Would it make you - afraid? Or - - would you feel comforted?

More information

The Start of a New Vision

The Start of a New Vision The Start of a New Vision This is what the Lord says Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the

More information

St. Margaret s Uniting Church Mooroolbark. Celebrating 50 years of ordination Rev. Franklyn Parrent. Welcome

St. Margaret s Uniting Church Mooroolbark. Celebrating 50 years of ordination Rev. Franklyn Parrent. Welcome St. Margaret s Uniting Church Mooroolbark Sunday 7 th October, 2018 20 th Sunday after Pentecost Holy Communion Celebrating 50 years of ordination Rev. Franklyn Parrent Welcome All are invited to share

More information

Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit

Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit 3461 Cedar Crest Blvd. EMAIL Info@holyspirit-emmaus.org Emmaus, PA 18049-1599 www.lchsemmaus.org PHONE 610.967.2220 www.facebook.com/lchsemmaus FAX 610.966.3021 Second

More information

COOPERATIVE MINISTRY by A. Clay Smith

COOPERATIVE MINISTRY by A. Clay Smith Hinton Models for Ministry COOPERATIVE MINISTRY by A. Clay Smith Models for Ministry in small membership churches are occasional publications of the Hinton Rural Life Center and demonstrate examples of

More information

Race in America: Finding Common Ground A Sermon by Reverend Lynn Thomas Strauss

Race in America: Finding Common Ground A Sermon by Reverend Lynn Thomas Strauss Race in America: Finding Common Ground A Sermon by Reverend Lynn Thomas Strauss It may be a good thing that the ugly truth of racism has reared up so blatantly in America in recent weeks. Perhaps dragging

More information

The Holy Eucharist In Contemporary Language For use with instructed Eucharist

The Holy Eucharist In Contemporary Language For use with instructed Eucharist The Holy Eucharist In Contemporary Language For use with instructed Eucharist Common Worship as adapted for use during Ordinary Time at St. Michael and Angels Church Peoria, IL Throughout this booklet,

More information

REMEMBERING THE SACRIFICE 1 Corinthians 11:17-29

REMEMBERING THE SACRIFICE 1 Corinthians 11:17-29 REMEMBERING THE SACRIFICE 1 Corinthians 11:17-29 As we age, we find that our memories become less acute and we tend to lose ability to associate names with faces and places and dates. That is one aspect

More information

The Meaning of Covenant Church Membership an Introduction

The Meaning of Covenant Church Membership an Introduction The Meaning of Covenant Church Membership an Introduction INTRODUCTION To be a member of a Christian church is to live as a New Testament Christian. We live in a time when too many are saying that church

More information

AN ORDER FOR A MARRIAGE SERVICE WITHIN A CELEBRATION OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST

AN ORDER FOR A MARRIAGE SERVICE WITHIN A CELEBRATION OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST AN ORDER FOR A MARRIAGE SERVICE WITHIN A CELEBRATION OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST 2 Combined English Document (amended 27 June RC-JL).pdf 6 07/02/2013 10:17:19 AN ORDER FOR A MARRIAGE SERVICE WITHIN A CELEBRATION

More information