How was church today?

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Today's message was by Rev. Sheena Trotter-Dennis. The topic was being awake and how often times we can be oblivious to what is going on around us. And how difficult it can be to be fully awake. I know what she means as I am seldom "all there" at workplace safety meetings where I tend to drift off and be somewhere else. A good message and glad I was awake to take it all in. And then I was awake enough for a 72 km bike ride and I remember where I was on the ride so some of the message must have sunk in. ;)
 
I love a topic about being awake (especially in church). I recall seeing my Dad sound asleep during church, viewed from my position in the choir loft! I led worship yesterday to a congregation of 10 people. As I had been away all week (visiting lovely Calgary!), I had prepared it in advance. I don't think it was my best effort, but I hope it resonated with some. It was basically about truth, based on the reading in Ephesians that begins with telling listeners to put falsehood aside. it was especially poignant for me, as my involvement with our local church camp is hampered when I can't find the truth in what information is coming my way. Perception, especially self-righteous perception, can hamper the openness we need to learn anew, and re-direct our actions (and live according to the instructions outlined in the rest of the letter to the Ephesians). My own struggles with truth and perception certainly permeated the message.
The week before, I had a pleasant surprise at a two-point charge: Two full churches on the long week-end. And one was full of young people!
 
You just never know said:
Today's message was by Rev. Sheena Trotter-Dennis. The topic was being awake and how often times we can be oblivious to what is going on around us. And how difficult it can be to be fully awake. I know what she means as I am seldom "all there" at workplace safety meetings where I tend to drift off and be somewhere else. A good message and glad I was awake to take it all in. And then I was awake enough for a 72 km bike ride and I remember where I was on the ride so some of the message must have sunk in. ;)
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Can you imagine awake in a world ruled by psychosomnolance ... :sleep: ... resting over the excessive emotional trials ... we trysts ...
 
I went to church with my daughter and her kids, in Michigan. It was a huge church, full of more young people than people my age. (At my home church, I am considered one of the 'young' ones.) The music was amazing, the message about how to deal with our work lives in a godly fashion, was good. The energy for a 9:00 worship service was pretty amazing. Afterwards, bags of cookies were handed out to the college students in attendance. A large list of activities was presented during announcements. The theology wasn't the same as mine, but the sincerity, and faithfulness were evident. It made me wonder if our beloved United Church has been doing a disservice to young people, and now it is hard to attract them. I know of young people in my community who want to attend church, but the somber, unenergetic services they attend in traditional churches don't really inspire them. Just thinking about all of this....
 
Nancy said:
I went to church with my daughter and her kids, in Michigan. It was a huge church, full of more young people than people my age. (At my home church, I am considered one of the 'young' ones.) The music was amazing, the message about how to deal with our work lives in a godly fashion, was good. The energy for a 9:00 worship service was pretty amazing. Afterwards, bags of cookies were handed out to the college students in attendance. A large list of activities was presented during announcements. The theology wasn't the same as mine, but the sincerity, and faithfulness were evident. It made me wonder if our beloved United Church has been doing a disservice to young people, and now it is hard to attract them. I know of young people in my community who want to attend church, but the somber, unenergetic services they attend in traditional churches don't really inspire them. Just thinking about all of this....
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Crumbs under the table ... wee bits at a time ... as steps to get up? Eris in cognizance ... that we are supposed to be responsible ... and few respond ... thus collapse and fallout ... in a domain that might be labelled indeterminate ...
 
Today was Pride Sunday in Calgary. Had a fun performance by 3 talented Drag Queens at Hillhurst. A tough act to follow, but Lucretia still did a fine job with the scripture reading managing a few dance moves as she read the story from Matthew about how we should be salt and how we should not hide our light under a basket. The scripture morphed well into the sermon by our Affirming Coordinator Keith Murray who spoke of how folks need to come out of their closets and shine like the light Jesus was speaking about. A good day to be in worship at Hillhurst as a lot positive energy in the place. :)
 
Was Jesus in drag as drawn across the land casting shadows? It is said only the shadow knows ... and something follows ... fresh awareness?
 
I led worship at a church a little over an hour drive away. It's a church that I haven't visited in over 3 years, but I sure enjoyed the people. I called the message: "Is God Asking Too Much?" (Luce...you'll have fun with that one.) People said they enjoyed the thinking that was inspired.
 
Today the sermon was on the Prodigal Son story and how we all need a home to come home to. For some it may be the church home and sadly for others it can be elusive to find.
 
We visited the lovely little United Church in Canmore today. It was very friendly and welcoming. We arrived late because we had trouble finding parking, and you can't just squeeze a 1 ton Ram into any old spot. The service was thought provoking. It was a nice way to start the day.
 
No church ... attended the wife's 50th Nursing Reunion ... saw folks unseen for nearly 50 years ...

Possibly received condemnation at home church for deviation in routine ... purely unacceptable as prodigal tradition is broken ... on call received ... as someone thought we might be ill ... foregone conclusion by some that don;t understand the abstract concept ... tis short form ... incomplete yet dear lord ... we have to get it together at the termination ...

Some claim this to be similar to NDE or OBI ... tis beyond me ... so I read into it ... humanity, a deep pain ... oh the inhumaniity of it ...
 
A friend from church who is a UCCan staffer and I did a presentation on GC43 instead of the usual sermon. All the prayers, scripture and music were from the issue of Gathering that was focused on GC43. We got good feedback that we had helped people understand what GC is all about, both the experience and the business aspects, with some asking for more info. Attendance is certainly dwindling at my church as we move further into amalgamation process.
 
Are people having a hard time adjusting to change Carolla? Personally I find myself flip flopping on it. I love changes that I want and worked for, loathe changes that I see as a backward step.
 
KayTheCurler said:
Are people having a hard time adjusting to change Carolla? Personally I find myself flip flopping on it. I love changes that I want and worked for, loathe changes that I see as a backward step.
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Kay - do you mean changes coming about in the national UC or changes relative to our local amalgamation?
 
I was thinking mostly about the local congregation and the amalgamation. No doubt many are like me and prefer changes they see as positive. Some, I suspect will see the changes as a negative experience as buildings close or ministers get shared.
 
Change is unacceptable to some who are stuck with that cognate ... while others move on due to lack of something ... that is missing something ... nothing to fret over ... if you believe it'll come around or about in time ...

What one believe is critical pathy! Some go too far on that pathee ... thus psychosis throws down that famous smear ... in suite pairs it may be as Moor of blind flash ... or doppelganger in doubling up as if siblings ... when not ... acknowledging strange stuff? Cares, cautions and worries fit with alien relations ... sex and cultivation are dangerous grounds ... separate adequately ...
 
Today's theme, based loosely on the Mark passage where Jesus asks his disciples who people think he is, was about names. Ways we describe ourselves. Ways which we include and exclude others.

Fun things going on in the life of the church right now in which I'm involved:

A final celebration of Presbytery at Camp Big Canoe next Saturday; we're doing a tent with a discussion circle called "Conversations that Matter" based on modern/progressive theology.

A submission for a nice big grant chunk (from a dissolved congregation) to mount two plays (youth actors, local/Ontario written playrights) to a rotation of churches next summer, social justice themes, rehearsed and billeted by and supported by our congregation.

Harvest dinner in October. I'm co-chair of the pie sub-committee.

Two candidates meetings prior to the October municipal elections, one for Ward 1 councillor candidates, the other more general free-for-all, "what is your vision for Barrie from a social justice perspective"?

My slightly older than I (about a decade) next door neighbour belongs to a more orthodox evangelical church. They do a LOT of street outreach downtown. She invited me for a swim this afternoon where we horrified her adult daughter (who owns the house) and her rather straight boyfriend by having a loud and cheerful argument about whether the downtown city addict is less worthy of aid than a Syrian refugee. I like having friends/neighbours who like to talk about real things.
 
Camp Big Canoe ah the memories. That is where I learnt to Paddle, and gunwhale bounce. The tents on the platforms. The mosquito "fogger" that would go by early evenings. It is named after Chief Big Canoe..
 
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