How was church today?

Welcome to Wondercafe2!

A community where we discuss, share, and have some fun together. Join today and become a part of it!

Register Log in
It was a good morning in church. We had the Parable of the Prodigal Son as the lesson and sermon topic. We have just been discussing the three parables from Luke 15 on the Luke thread.

We have a new supply minister and I am enjoying his approach. Rumor has it he is eligible to apply for the permanent position but I have no idea if he is interested in it.
 
BetteTheRed said:
I admit to having another bad morning. Alarm woke me in plenty of time, shut it off and rolled over and woke again too late to make it to church. Some days it feels like I'm trying to move underwater.
Click to expand...

Dealing with assorted 'stuff' can leave one sluggish and out of sorts. My heart says - Good for you. You took some needed extra rest. Carry one taking it easy!
 
Our service was also based on the Prodigal son. Minister & 3 others did a dramatic reading of the scripture which was a nice change. Sermon was good. She mentioned that 'prodigal' also has another less known meaning - of delicious and luxurious! So that was my new bit of learning, as well as reflection on the message.
 
A good service today, the guest minister was theologian and author Austen Hartke. He spoke of what it was like growing up in a conservative Lutheran church as a transgendered person and how he had to stop going to church as a teenager because of the hate being preached at him. A good speaker to have, as today was the 10th Anniversary of Hillhurst becoming an Affirming congregation where folks of all ages regardless of where they are on the sexual continuum are treated with dignity and respect and not with judgement.
 
Hate is often a favoured subject in church ... even if all are unconscious to it if it serves success! Thus the objective is beyond that ... and deservives great questions as to: how, when, where, why, who and what!!!!! De dell ... someone fell into it ... vale of bones ... supporting the myth ... as nothing!
 
Church was fine. First time I've missed two weeks a row in possibly forever, but I showed up, and my friends there really do make me feel loved. Potluck lunch afterwards, which was nice, especially since, for a change, it was not my Team's job to either prep or clean up, so I could just eat.
 
Church was fine - went to the early service & sat with someone from my old church whom I haven't seen in a while, which I enjoyed. After church I caught up with somebody to inquire about a traffic project in the works, and then sat with a high school student who was working as Sunday host - we had the BEST discussion :-)
 
Today's sermon was by Right Relations Lead Tony Snow. He was preaching on the themes raised in the movie Roma, which was about class struggles in Mexico in the 1970's. Tony tied this into Palm Sunday and the struggles of folks like Jesus who were up against a religous power structure not unlike the political power structure of the 1970's dictatorship in Mexico. Always a treat when Tony does the sermon as his talks are well thought out.
 
You just never know said:
Today's sermon was by Right Relations Lead Tony Snow. He was preaching on the themes raised in the movie Roma, which was about class struggles in Mexico in the 1970's. Tony tied this into Palm Sunday and the struggles of folks like Jesus who were up against a religous power structure not unlike the political power structure of the 1970's dictatorship in Mexico. Always a treat when Tony does the sermon as his talks are well thought out.
Click to expand...

It is always about the conquest for power and nothing about the humbler cause ... leaves one like a gypsy mind ... drifters, wanderers and pilgrims --- according to John Way-in ... a dark attribute in the story of narrow visions ... then it opens up!

Could be that dark Lensing ... a function of density!
 
We had a Palm Sunday service with the kids. It was my year anniversary of my baptism. I hadn’t actually been to church for awhile, regrettably - I have been meeting with my home group, though. I was glad to be there. I wish we had an afternoon service because I am not a morning/ 9-5 regular schedule routine type. Anyway, it was good. The sermon was about trust and doubt, and love. First, a member of the church led us in prayer - first to think of someone we really care about, and to wish them peace, joy, and to know they are loved. Next, to think of someone we don’t know so well, and wish them the same. Then to think of someone we don’t like...and wish them the same.

The band was really rocking out yesterday. That was fun.
 
After worship, two of us went to an Art Gallery event of a Micmac woman telling stories, playing the drum and singing with a beautiful voice ( actually, she taught us the “ friendship song” and had other rhythm instruments for the audience. It was meaningful and beautiful and had a touch of “reconciliation through song.”
 
You just never know said:
Today's sermon was by Right Relations Lead Tony Snow. He was preaching on the themes raised in the movie Roma, which was about class struggles in Mexico in the 1970's. Tony tied this into Palm Sunday and the struggles of folks like Jesus who were up against a religous power structure not unlike the political power structure of the 1970's dictatorship in Mexico. Always a treat when Tony does the sermon as his talks are well thought out.
Click to expand...
I haven't seen Roma yet. I have to make a point of doing that.
 
A snow day so took the bus to Knox. The regular ministers were both away so the sermon was by a Lutheran pastor named Ryan Andersen. A good sermon based on Saul's meeting Jesus and going blind and his subsequent conversion. Interesting that a Lutheran preaching to a United congregation had a theme of conversion. ;) It was good to hear a different take on the story and how Saul had been a fundy and so sure of himself and his version of truth. Then he encounters Jesus who tells him to quit persecuting him. Saul had been persecuting followers of Jesus, but Jesus identified with the persecuted. Ryan was an interesting speaker, so glad I went to Knox today. Also, great coffee and brownies at Sanctuary Cafe after worship so helped make up for a snow day off my bike.
 
I had the opportunity to go to an Covenanting Service, the first such service I've been to since the demise of Presbytery. It was a bit different than the standard Presbytery way of doing things. Quite a refreshing change.
 
Church was good – I hope!! For the second week in a row I did worship at the little church I used to attend. This was my first time leading worship this year; I didn't make myself available through the winter. I spoke about the ordinary times Jesus spent with his followers particularly times he shared in the fellowship of the meal with them. Such a time was on the shores of the Sea of Galilee when he called to them 'come and have breakfast'. I compared this to the reading from Acts and the call of Paul. We don't always see Jesus in a flash of light and a voice from heaven; sometimes it is in the ordinary things of life where we are called to share the loaf of bread or bit a fish. The important thing being that we are in a relationship with God and with one another in love.

I spent many hours in preparation before I choose the prayers, drafted the order of service, consulted with the music director and the secretary, and drafted the message, revised it and prepared the final copy. One Saturday I was talking with a friend who is leading the early morning service at her Anglican Church. She told me that she was going home that afternoon to check the scriptures and see what should be talking about next day. She explained that she didn't need much preparation; she just used the prayer book. She didn't type up her message in advance but just a little prayer that God would put the right words into her mouth. Always seem so easy, but somehow with the positive feedback I got from the congregation, I was glad I had put time into preparation and that I had the script before me to refer to as I delivered my message.
 
Sounds like you gave an excellent reflection @Seeler.

Church was good in my neck of the woods as well. We have a new music director who has quite the talent. Even with my untrained ear, I can tell he is pulling more out of our choir. And they are having fun up there.

We have a supply minister with us for a few more months - - a young guy who has accepted a call for September. I am realizing that ministries do not need to be long term to be meaningful.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top