How was church today?

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Hi,

A day of rest in our home. Following a busy week preparing for a move. We are not yet sure where to. We do have to be out of our home by the third week of this month.

The Steinbach faith community has decided to go forward without the benefits of ordained clergy. Dedicated leadership has the folk travelling a new road. Today a young member of the community gave a talk. After the service she mailed me the text. I read it to Barbara. She missed some bits as emotion moved me to tears. How pleased to think of the folk being blessed by the speaker's insight and encouragement. How wonderful to have youth stepping into order of service.

Lots of change after my three years with the folk in Steinbach. Day after my retirement service we tore up all the carpets. Soon chairs will replace the pews. The organ was donated to a faith community not far from us. Thinking of Bob Dylan's "the times they are a'changin'" as I share these thoughts.

My name is George. This is from the Greek and it signifies a plowman. Breaking up fallow ground. Others will sow the seed. Yet others will reap the harvest.

And on to the next field.

George





 
Today's service was on the theme of happiness. An interesting sermon by 15 year old Andrew. Questions were raised about the nature of happiness and how we find it. The answer is probably different for each of us. For me the work hell of being bullied into doing mandatory stretching exercises every workday morning is clearly robbing me of happiness. Going for long bike rides helps as does being at church. Just the freedom of the ride or the physical space of being in the sanctuary makes the hurt of work less, but real happiness would be achieved if I could find an employer who would treat me with dignity and respect. Anyway, glad I was in the physical space at church today and thankful for lovely warm summer weather and the blessing of a fun bike ride after worship.
 
I probably did something that ministers are probably told not to do. I took two very different passages from the lectionary and spoke on each of them.
The first was the story of Isaac and Rebecca from the book of Genesis. I did a long introduction to the reading. Having read recently that 'there is nothing of value in Genesis', I pointed out the value of 'story', and how three great world religions look back on the stories of Abraham, and how both Jews and Christians consider Abraham (Sarah), Isaac (Rebecca), Jacob (Leah & Rachel) as their forefathers (and mothers). And I told the story of Isaac and Rebecca's arranged marriage. There is enough material in this one chapter of Genesis to make it the basis of a novel.
Later in the service a member of the congregation read the Gospel lesson. I based my message mainly on the first few verses - children in the marketplace too bored to find anything interesting to do, and how Jesus compared those who failed to listen to his 'Good News' to those bored children who just couldn't see and appreciate the abundant life Jesus offered. I ended by saying that while not everybody can be joyful all the time our troubles shared become troubles lessened.
The congregation seemed to respond well and told me that they look forward to my return next week.
 
Seeler said:
I probably did something that ministers are probably told not to do. I took two very different passages from the lectionary and spoke on each of them.
Click to expand...

I heard that too, but it is one of the theory that has as many opponents as proponents.

I suspect part of the reasoning is that if you are in a church that believes that sermons should not last more than 5-10 minutes, then you should concentrate on a single subject. However, there is one issue that we were warned against: always trying to find a common thread between all readings, even when they are not related at all (it often happens in the Anglican lectionary, especially in the season after Pentecost). I have often used the "major – minor" concept in using one reading as the major focus for preaching and using hints of others to supplement the teaching.
 
GeoFee said:
Hi,

A day of rest in our home. Following a busy week preparing for a move. We are not yet sure where to. We do have to be out of our home by the third week of this month.

The Steinbach faith community has decided to go forward without the benefits of ordained clergy. Dedicated leadership has the folk travelling a new road. Today a young member of the community gave a talk. After the service she mailed me the text. I read it to Barbara. She missed some bits as emotion moved me to tears. How pleased to think of the folk being blessed by the speaker's insight and encouragement. How wonderful to have youth stepping into order of service.

Lots of change after my three years with the folk in Steinbach. Day after my retirement service we tore up all the carpets. Soon chairs will replace the pews. The organ was donated to a faith community not far from us. Thinking of Bob Dylan's "the times they are a'changin'" as I share these thoughts.

My name is George. This is from the Greek and it signifies a plowman. Breaking up fallow ground. Others will sow the seed. Yet others will reap the harvest.

And on to the next field.

George
Click to expand...
George...Your generosity of spirit is inspiring.
 
Well, this Sunday past this happened.
Quincey Baptism.jpg
I had the privilege of baptizing my first grandchild in the first congregation I served as an ordained minister.

Sadly the pic cuts off Quincey's sealskin slippers which were handmade for him earlier in the spring.

Tomorrow I drive Qball and his parental units down the coast and they fly out of Deer Lake back to Hamilton very early the next day. So it will be 870+ kms on the road along some very picturesque coastline. They haven't lucked out on any moose sightings so far this trip and last year we squeezed in four sightings on the last day.

Yesterday we took Qball over to L'anse-Aux-Meadows and the Norstead viking settlement (slightly more interactive than the Parks Canada Historic Site in L'anse-Aux-Meadows where this happened.

Chieftain Quincey.jpg

Quincey checked out the Chieftain's chair and seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. Even if we had to toss him a helm to keep him from toppling over.

Gonna miss the little lump.
 
revjohn said:
Well, this Sunday past this happened.
View attachment 933
I had the privilege of baptizing my first grandchild in the first congregation I served as an ordained minister.

Sadly the pic cuts off Quincey's sealskin slippers which were handmade for him earlier in the spring.

Tomorrow I drive Qball and his parental units down the coast and they fly out of Deer Lake back to Hamilton very early the next day. So it will be 870+ kms on the road along some very picturesque coastline. They haven't lucked out on any moose sightings so far this trip and last year we squeezed in four sightings on the last day.

Yesterday we took Qball over to L'anse-Aux-Meadows and the Norstead viking settlement (slightly more interactive than the Parks Canada Historic Site in L'anse-Aux-Meadows where this happened.

View attachment 934

Quincey checked out the Chieftain's chair and seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. Even if we had to toss him a helm to keep him from toppling over.

Gonna miss the little lump.
Click to expand...
What a beautiful boy, children keep us humble and connected.
 
revjohn said:
Well, this Sunday past this happened.
View attachment 933
I had the privilege of baptizing my first grandchild in the first congregation I served as an ordained minister.

Sadly the pic cuts off Quincey's sealskin slippers which were handmade for him earlier in the spring.

Tomorrow I drive Qball and his parental units down the coast and they fly out of Deer Lake back to Hamilton very early the next day. So it will be 870+ kms on the road along some very picturesque coastline. They haven't lucked out on any moose sightings so far this trip and last year we squeezed in four sightings on the last day.

Yesterday we took Qball over to L'anse-Aux-Meadows and the Norstead viking settlement (slightly more interactive than the Parks Canada Historic Site in L'anse-Aux-Meadows where this happened.

View attachment 934

Quincey checked out the Chieftain's chair and seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. Even if we had to toss him a helm to keep him from toppling over.

Gonna miss the little lump.
Click to expand...
They're lucky to have been officiated by relative of Beorn the Skinchanger
Good photos as well
You continue 2 rock that beard out of the park
 
Adult conspiracy moment: young congregant (4 or 5) tells me aboot a hole. I dont grok so he takes my hand in his teeny paw and takes me waaay back to point out a hole in the wooden vent int the floor. I get really into it and wonder what might be down there?

The Lord talked to me today. I heard my full name and no one was there. Oh, stop it already :3

The childz sermon was aboot Fidget Spinners, Australian Sheps and giving onez heart to da Laird

The other sermon today was aboot Red and Ankle Grabber and why g_d should hate Red but love a con artist...

Today the outside was delightfully cooler than thr inside (which was HUMID and STUFFY...)

Also heard a rumour from a congregant that an Anglican church is currently trying to make a gender neutral service for their happygaygay weddins

LA DI DAH!!!
 
Inanna, where did the adult sermon go with the story of Esau and Jacob? Our rev talked about it in the context of a dialogue with another of our ministers, with questions and comments invited from the pews. It was interesting, if extremely inconclusive. Some general direction about the mythology arising from the conflict between hunter-gatherers and the emerging agriculturalists, a bit of a riff about how Godde likes to upset the natural order (the firstborn getting the birthright). We also got into a bit of a discussion about the re-emergence, in the Christian church today, of a more Jewish habit of "wrestling with the text" instead of spoonfeeding answers.
 
Really feel blessed today. I preached at a small but loving Baptist church plant in a shopping mall. My second time there. There was good singing and praise time. Then I gave my message from John 21:1-14 "Journeying with Jesus." A delicious pizza lunch followed.

Sadly, because of transportation reasons, today was my last regular Sunday with this church plant. It's a great church, but it's 2 hours from my place by way of bus. I'll happily return as a guest preacher, but I need a local church as my church home. Yobo and I have decided to return to one of our former churches (we have been invited to by the Pastor).
 
BetteTheRed said:
Inanna, where did the adult sermon go with the story of Esau and Jacob? Our rev talked about it in the context of a dialogue with another of our ministers, with questions and comments invited from the pews. It was interesting, if extremely inconclusive. Some general direction about the mythology arising from the conflict between hunter-gatherers and the emerging agriculturalists, a bit of a riff about how Godde likes to upset the natural order (the firstborn getting the birthright). We also got into a bit of a discussion about the re-emergence, in the Christian church today, of a more Jewish habit of "wrestling with the text" instead of spoonfeeding answers.
Click to expand...
I would have enjoyed that it sounds like

Rector gave the story, said what their names meant, almost acted out E's life and J's life and was talking aboot he struggled with the why and how of it, how to reconcile with his views on Deity, seemed to be the point of the sermon...the struggle of it. He kept on using terms of con artist and trickster. And also made an analogy of when he saw his wife when she had triplets one time all 4 of them engaging in this strange moment (i think he said almost disturbing).
 
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We have a student preaching for the next 4 weeks. He's a young person who has grown up in our church, discerned here, and now is in school. He is blossoming into a good preacher - the development is very interesting to observe.

So his take on E & J today - he re-wrote the story very creatively in present day & in our neighbourhood - made it very relate-able & with lots of good description and touches of humour - quite captivating actually. Then went on to reflection. Did an excellent job of it IMO.
 
Carolla said:
We have a student preaching for the next 4 weeks. He's a young person who has grown up in our church, discerned here, and now is in school. He is blossoming into a good preacher - the development is very interesting to observe.

So his take on E & J today - he re-wrote the story very creatively in present day & in our neighbourhood - made it very relate-able & with lots of good description and touches of humour - quite captivating actually. Then went on to reflection. Did an excellent job of it IMO.
Click to expand...

Sounds great. "E & J?"
 
Today the sermon was on the spiritual dimensions of cycling. Resonated with me as I went for a 92 km ride after church. My favorite line from the sermon was when Rev. John said, "Going for a bike ride and thinking about God is better than going to church and thinking about a bike ride." Mind you, it is July, ha ha will be a different story come January. A great closing hymn as well about our relationship with Gaia, Mother Earth.
 
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