Before I left for my time away this summer, my dear friend and colleague, The Janet (Rev. Janet Ryu-Chan of Morningside High Park Presbyterian Church) asked if we could do a Zoom-conversational-sermon together for August 23rd. She knew that we would both be hip-deep in planning for the Fall, while also figuring out what measures and protocols to put in place if our Sessions decided we were ready to try to return to in-person worship, and doing a conversational sermon would lighten the load a bit for both of us.
We decided to discuss Romans 12:1-8, and the idea of finding transformation in the midst of the wilderness-time in which we find ourselves. So that is the focus of this worship blog post.
Let’s begin with Eric’s prelude, which is “Mazurka, Op. 7, No. 3” by Chopin:
A prayer to begin us today:
Our first hymn is #508 Your Word, O God, awoke the uncreated:
Until tomorrow, dear friends, rest in the knowledge that God is busy loving you into being the person He made you to be. It may not always be easy to be transformed, but God is with each of us, every step of the way.
Time to get our hearts in the right posture for worship tomorrow. I hope these offerings help you in your spiritual journey.
Let’s begin with a song that will be referenced in tomorrow’s sermon. It also happens to be the latest video put out by one of my favourite bands ever, NEEDTOBREATHE. This song hit me like a freight train the first time I heard it. It’s message is simply that God loves us better than any of us could ever deserve:
And since I’m in a serious NEEDTOBREATHE mood now, I wanted to share this duet between Chris Tomlin and NTB’s lead singer, Bear Rinehardt:
Here is a prayer of intercession that is written by the owner of the re:Worship blog, and based in part upon tomorrow’s scripture passage. I hope it is a blessing to you:
And a couple of quotes about worship from a couple of great Christian thinkers:
Until tomorrow, dear friends, live like that – like you are touched by the presence of God Himself!
Even in the midst of a year where staying healthy means keeping physical distance from others, I’m deeply aware of how important community is. In fact, in some ways the pandemic has made this clearer than ever.
That’s why the Italians were singing from their balconies in April. That’s why the news has had stories of people coming out to their driveways each day to exercise or enjoy some live music while keeping distance. That’s why rocks painted with messages of hope have become a regular thing, and signs supporting frontline workers are still around in many neighbourhoods.
We are finding new ways to have community, even as we keep our distance from each other. And it is a sign of the advancement of what it means to be human and civilized.
Take this:
It is a sign of how advanced we are that we care for the least, and the lost, and the lonely. It’s also something Jesus would have us do.
So I encourage you to find ways to reach out. Your community doesn’t have to be huge – but it should include some people who need your help, as well as people on whom you can rely for help.
Be a helper, and be willing to accept help. It will make you more civilized, more human, more connected – even in a time of separation.
Until tomorrow, dear friends, carry one another’s burdens. By this you will fulfil the law of Christ (that’s actually the second part of Galatians 6:2).
Honestly, I’m not. I’m counting my blessings daily. And there are a lot of them. And some of them are you – who give this blog purpose by reading it, engaging with me about it and by trying to incorporate the things I encourage in these posts into your life of faith. That means the world to me.
But a couple of my colleagues posted an article on Facebook today that I think needs to be shared. You can read it here. I’ll warn you that it’s not easy reading.
I want to say a couple of things about this.
First, I want you to know I am not having suicidal ideation. I have been through a season(s) in ministry in the past, in which suicidal thoughts plagued me, but this isn’t one of them. I want to be clear about that.
The article is written from an American Baptist perspective. I am a Canadian Presbyterian minister. Some of what is in this article simply doesn’t translate to my context. Sees
One of those daily blessings that I count is living in Canada – we aren’t perfect, but I think we are more moderate in our reactions to many things, and our first wave of COVID-19 is now on the slow-burn level. As far as I know, there has been no death-threat, leaving-threat, kicking-down-the-door-of-the-office threats leveled at my colleagues or myself as we wade through the murky waters of “safely reopening” our buildings for Sunday worship. (And our leadership, in this country, has proven to be careful and considered, no matter where your political affiliation falls…which means that we don’t have the same kind of pressures that plague our American neighbours right now.)
Another of those daily blessings I count is that I’m Presbyterian and Presbyterians have a lot of systems in place that make it impossible to simply “fire the pastor.” There are processes that all involved would have to go through in order to remove a minister from their congregation in the Presbyterian Church in Canada, which discourage the knee-jerk firing that sometimes happens to pastors in other denominations.
None of the congregations I know have had a death from COVID-19 among their active members. Certainly not from gathering together and flaunting health measures. I’m not saying it couldn’t happen here, I’m saying to the best of my knowledge, it hasn’t happened here yet.
And that’s the point.
That little three-letter word, “yet.” It is the word that haunts my nightmares and the nightmares of my colleagues. Most of us carry a weight of anxiety that is largely unseen by our flock as we move toward re-starting in-person worship in September. We are exhausted by the worry of putting our people in a situation that could lead to spread of this virus. We are anxious about someone getting sick from attending worship. Many of us can’t even talk about the possibility of a member of our congregations dying after contracting the virus at worship. We are trying to figure out how to manage that anxiety.
For myself, I know that part of dealing with all of this, is simply putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward. The only way out is through. (Though I should say that the Session and Board of my congregation struck a steering committee to carefully plan a whole whack of health measures for in-person worship, and I am deeply grateful that they have been very considerate when I said I was uncomfortable with one option or another.)
But I write all of this because I think there is something YOU can do to help your pastor. In fact, there are MANY somethings you can do.
You can be kind. That’s probably one of the most important. Be kind. Keep the criticism to yourself. Be an encourager. Let the little things go.
You can pray. That’s super important, too. Pray that your minister knows the comforting presence of God in these uncertain days, pray for the leadership of your church, pray for the finances, pray for the shut-ins, pray for the secretary and the music director, pray for the custodian, pray for the volunteers. PRAY.
Support the church. In whatever way you can. If you have some extra funds, give. If you can volunteer to help with some of the measures brought in by the leadership of your congregation, volunteer. If you can reach out to members over the phone to listen to them and let them know they are cared for, do it. Whatever you are able to do to help your church, support it.
I’m feeling a little exposed and worried about even posting this. I’m feeling anxious. But the only way out is through. So here we go.
And until tomorrow, dear friends, keep following Jesus, keep trusting God, keep making your way through.
I don’t know who needs to hear this right now…but here you go (And wow, I’m thankful for a wordless post on a very busy day that has already included a good, helpful but long phone call with The Janet, a workout, and will include an errand out in Brampton and a Presbytery Zoom Business Cte meeting tonight! So you see – this is apropos to me today!):
Until tomorrow, dear friends, keep putting one foot in front oft the other, getting one task done, getting through the next moment, and be gentle with yourself when you’re overwhelmed.
I’ve written before on the blog about Nadia Bolz-Weber. She’s a Lutheran minister in the States, known for her plain-spoken faith, sometimes using curse words in her prayers or her sermons, and really connecting with people who would never think of themselves as “church people.”
During the pandemic, while unable to meet in person for worship she’s been sending out “Sunday Prayers,” each week. Occasionally she writes and records a video of a sermon, but more often it’s simply Sunday Prayers.
More than once her prayers have moved my to tears (I’ve subscribed to her, and so they arrive faithfully in my email each Sunday. You can subscribe here, if you like). This week’s prayers hit me like a freight train. I love it when another minister says something so profound about our faith, that it literally vibrates in my soul. This is what she wrote:
This is it. This is what 2020 is like – taking turns freaking out. Some of you may not have taken a turn for a while (maybe because I’ve been taking more than my fair share of turns!). Others are taking their turn daily.
I’m a little tired of the talk about the mental health toll this unprecedented time is taking on everyone. But I’m also convinced that part of the reason I’m tired of talking about it, is that there is a part of me that hopes if I ignore it, the mental health strain will go away. I know better, but I still find myself hoping that. I still find myself practicing avoidance. I still find myself struggling. Just plain struggling.
So I’m deeply comforted in the reminder from a colleague I’ve never met that God never needs to take a turn. That His steadfast, loving, compassionate presence is the solid rock I can slump against when my turn has become too much for me, and I’ve exhausted myself again. I hope you are comforted, too.
Until tomorrow, dear friends, trust in the God who never needs to take a turn at freaking out.
Happy Monday to you! I hope that some of what I’ve collected this week will make you smile, encourage your faith, and give you a couple of giggles.
I’m not saying that people are a little more argumentative than normal right now, but I’m just going to leave this right here:
Grammar jokes are awesome:
Making light of the need to wear masks helps me feel better about the fact that we may be wearing them for quite a while (I also think – ooooooh, warm ears!!):
This seems legit:
I’m sad for my Leafs-fan friends, but this still cracked me right up:
This is exactly the motto the doggies in my family live by:
Remember, we are all children of God – love this reminder to live up to the calling we have:
This is lovely (and appropriate for anxious times!):
And finally, a blessing for your day:
Until tomorrow, dear friends, keep trusting in our God – He will meet your needs!
Welcome to Sunday worship! We are beginning a new series today. This comes out of a conversation I had with a congregant I had recently, in which we were talking about the weirdness of these days. We were recognizing that in Canada, the worst (at least, of the first wave) is over, but we don’t know what’s coming, and we are stuck in this strange “in between” moment.
We’ve seen what can happen, but we don’t know what’s to come.
And it reminded me of the experience of the Hebrew people after they had escaped Egypt, but before they’d made it to the Promised Land. Theologians call this time the “wandering in the wilderness.” Because that’s exactly what the people were doing. And if it feels that way to you right now, you’re not alone. So for the next while, we will be looking at what God has to say to us in this ‘in between’ time.
Let’s begin this morning with Eric’s prelude, “On Eagles Wings,” by Michael Joncas, and arranged by Douglas A. Wagner:
A prayer of invocation to share with those you are with, or simply to read on your own:
Our first hymn is #500, Open My Eyes that I may see:
Our Scripture this morning is Exodus 16:1-12, commonly known as the “manna and quail” passage:
Welcome to Saturday on the blog, and another round of worship resources to prepare you for tomorrow’s online service.
Let’s begin with with this centering prayer from the re:worship blog:
I know country music isn’t everyone’s jam, but I thought this song was both fun and meaningful when it popped up on my YouTube feed. And since yesterday’s post was about gratitudes, it seemed quite apropos to share it today:
Another piece of music from one of my favourites. I’ve written about Andrew Peterson and used some of his music as jumping-off points throughout the pandemic. This little piece entitled, “Romans 11 (Doxology)” takes a portion of the 11th chapter of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome and sets it to music. I hope this is a blessing to you:
And a couple of thoughts to guide your heart as we prepare for worship. I love this acronym for Worship:
And this encouragement to practice the presence of God, rather that just the knowledge of God:
Until tomorrow, dear friends, let’s continue to live every moment as an act of worship!
I’m sensing a lot of anxiety in the air right now – as parents consider whether to send their kids back to school, as churches figure out how to come back to safe in-person worship, as the Fall looms ever nearer with the possibility of a second wave. We are all a little unsure about what’s going to happen next.
One of the ways I deal with anxiety is by taking the time to count my blessings. It reminds me that God is good all the time. It reminds me that I have much more to give thank about than to worry about. It reminds me that I can focus on the positive things, rather than the negative and reorienting myself towards God’s goodness is a great way to make life better. So let’s get to it!
I am grateful for:
My colleagues and friends in ministry. We’re all trying to figure out our next steps. We’re all stressed out about it. But we are also all able to life each other up, encourage each other, pray for each other. I wouldn’t have made it through a single week since March without my colleagues who care and are a source of inspiration for me.
The fact that enough restrictions have lifted that I was able this week to upgrade my internet. Not taking hours to upload content to the blog is already making a difference for me!
Friends all over the world who are going through very different and very similar things in the midst of this historic time we are living in. And the technology to hear from them regularly and widen my point of view and my understanding of what is happening in our world.
As always, I encourage you to take some time to count your own blessings and gratitudes! It will make your day even better.
Until tomorrow, dear friends, keep thanking the Lord with all your heart!
Rebekah's World 