How was church today?

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It was the first time I've led worship in 2019, and it was the water into wine miracle. I enjoyed sharing lots of different ways to look at that miracle, and the (small) congregations (2-point charge) seemed to really appreciate my offerings. I ended with: "It's more than just a good party", but I have to admit, that a 'good party' might be enough in the throes of frosty January.
 
As it's been extremely cold in Winnipeg - I mean, really really really extremely cold, this morning I attended the closest church, which is three small blocks from home.

They're a joint Disciples of Christ / UCCan congregation. The sermon was great, about Jesus reading the Isaiah scrolls. The minister preached about the need of the church to be the embodiment of the liberation preached by Jesus.
The order and the flow of the service, though, weren't good. Except for him, everyone else seemed to ignore what they should do, from the PowerPoint person to the choir. People were chit-chating aloud, coming in and out all the time, etc., even during the sermon. The order of service was very weird, too, making no sense for me.
After the sermon, though, things seemed to magically change as we went into the communion liturgy. The communion elders were very attentive and the congregation was finally quiet.

In their favor I should say everybody was extremely welcoming and the Minister has a delightful personality. A drier liturgy would make things easier form them.
 
Very cold today, yet a good turn-out at both churches: tough northerners! Embedded in the message today was the theme of politics. But also the danger of hearing something only according to your own predisposed beliefs or a current political stance. I talked about my misunderstanding of the phrase 'bully pulpit' as one example. Jesus' reading of Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth became the inaugural address to his ministry, but not necessarily accepted or understood.
 
Church yesterday was great. Excellent music including a special treat - the first performance by our Ladies Choir. In addition, Happy Birthday was sung to another person and myself and a cake was presented us. The pastor gave a biblically solid sermon on looking to God's Word rather than to spectacle. Following the service and a light lunch, a number of us walked together to a subway station in Suwon (about a 15 minute walk) where we did some evangelism.
 
Sermon today was by Lucretia Martenet speaking about the story of the Samaritan woman at the well with Jesus. The idea was how the woman asked questions of Jesus and anyone on a genuine spiritual path needs to be asking questions and not accepting the platitudes or jargon of theologians. We need to think and question everything in order to be authentic. A good sermon by an engaging speaker.
 
Before I begin, have I ever mentioned that I think John Rutter's setting of For the Beauty of the Earth is one of the great anthems of the last hundred years? Maybe ever? This morning I heard it sung by an all-female choir consisting of the women from the adult choir and the girls from the junior choir and Mysterium, a youth choral group, and it was lovely.

With that out of the way, I was at W-K again this week. For the Beauty... was one of two anthems. The second was in Swahili and sung by just the junior girls. While it was their annual meeting Sunday, they weren't too obvious about it in worship save for one segment where they alternated reflections on the past year with verses of a hymn called All Are Welcome (which was printed in the bulletin, so must be from a source other than VU). The sermon was on the salt and light metaphors from Matthew 5 and how the church is called to be salt and light to the world. So, a loose tie but one that would still hold up if it wasn't AGM Sunday. A bit of a snoozer, really, since it was rather what one might expect from a liberal/progressive minister on this text. Otherwise, a fairly straightforward service that, as I have commented before, isn't much different from what I recall from my days in the UCCan. Oh, new words to Praise to the Lord (VU 220) but I managed to resist accidentally falling back to the ones I know.
 
Excellent Sunday in church today. The opening hymn was one of my favorites, "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say" (VU 626).

Text was Matthew 16: 13-20 (Who do you say I am?) & the sermon was good.

Anthem was "No, Never Gonna Walk This Journey Alone" sung without accompaniment.

A highlight was a presentation by Randell Adjei, spoken word artist. An uplifting morning.
 
I didn't go to church this morning. Too cold and I'm exhausted of wearing heavy coats, mask etc plus walking long distances to take the bus all week long.
Next week I'm probably going to a UCCan congregation which is led by a pastor who's also a Theology Professor. Beautiful building and a fame for deep sermons.
 
Well the sermon today was loving ones enemies and how we are taught this from Jesus who informs us of Gods loving nature....but thanks to wondercafe and our discussions about evil I had many thoughts running through my head....such as God enlisting Satan as his advocate and all the God " smoting" stories in the Bible. Sometimes sermons dont go far enough......
But of course , I agree, we should love our enemies and as he mentioned its probably the most neglected scripture in the Bible.
 
Waterfall said:
but thanks to wondercafe and our discussions about evil I had many thoughts running through my head
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Funny you should say this. After the recent Matthew thread I was much more attentive than usual to the Matthew text when it was read this morning. I was also recalling some of the conversation here about the passage.

The minister mentioned his friendship with John Pentland today and I was remembering one of our members attends his church. Is it @You just never know?

Wondercafe is ever with us. :)
 
paradox3 said:
Is it @You just never know?
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It is, and I know this because I joined him for church one Sunday on my trip across Canada. Lovely church, very moving service, very pleasant men (both YJNK and Rev Pentland).

I could have sworn this morning's lectionary was Luke 5:1-11, because that's both what was read (badly) this a.m., and because it was our lectionary passage for the Wednesday morning bible study this week. It was our Annual Meeting today, and we historically (with our current Rev anyway) combine and worship and work in one blockbuster two hour (or more) service, followed by a potluck lunch. Then it was my team's job to do clean-up after the lunch, so I was there from 9-2 today...after spending three straight hours with my hands in the sink on Friday night.
 
paradox3 said:
After the recent Matthew thread I was much more attentive than usual to the Matthew text when it was read this morning.
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Ditto here. I know a lot of these texts from past experience but doing the reading and discussion kind of brings them back to the fore.

I failed to mention my discovery of an interesting connection to W-K. There was one I already knew about, but this second one took a while for me to clue into. There was a woman who kept sitting up at the front with the kids during storytime. She looked familiar but it couldn't quite put a name on the face. Then the dopey ape looked at the staff listing and saw the name of the director of christian education. She had basically the same job at the Unitarian fellowship maybe a decade ago. She hasn't changed a bit physically. Doesn't even look older, even though she must be pushing forty by now. Haven't spoken to her yet but have now made a mental note to do so sooner rather than later. Got some catching up to do.
 
@Mendalla - how is your experience at W-K being? What is making you go back? (Sorry if I'm asking too much - as someone who hasn't quietly found THE church, I'm genuinely interested)
 
BetteTheRed said:
I could have sworn this morning's lectionary was Luke 5:1-11, because that's both what was read (badly) this a.m., and because it was our lectionary passage for the Wednesday morning bible study this week.
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Christopher White is doing a sermon series on the New Creed and the passage was selected to fit with this. He has been with us on a short-term basis and will be leaving soon because he has accepted a call to a church near his residence.

Our previous minister had switched to the four year lectionary.
 
GiancarloZ said:
@Mendalla - how is your experience at W-K being? What is making you go back? (Sorry if I'm asking too much - as someone who hasn't quietly found THE church, I'm genuinely interested)
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To some degree it's familiarity. The service is fairly similar to what I grew up with.

It's also a lovely church with, as discussed, a fantastic organ and music program.

The theology expressed is fairly liberal. Trinitarian language is used at times, but not often and not in a strong, in your face way. There's hints of process but not in an explicit way so I'm not sure if the minister is really influenced by it or not. There are other relational, and even panentheistic, theologies out there, after all. Basically, it's a theology that's open and broad enough that I can live with it. Whether they can live with mine remains to be seen.;)
 
This morning's worship was a 'combined' service - joining the contemporary 9:02 and traditional 10:30 crowds for a 10am service followed by a congregational meeting. Service was well attended, and the preaching was from LUKE!! My ears perked up P3! Music was great, with both the contemporary band & vocalists as well as the usual choir & organ from the later service. Lots going on. Meeting went pretty well, but not much discussion or questions which is a bit disappointing.
 
Mendalla said:
To some degree it's familiarity. The service is fairly similar to what I grew up with.

It's also a lovely church with, as discussed, a fantastic organ and music program.

The theology expressed is fairly liberal. Trinitarian language is used at times, but not often and not in a strong, in your face way. There's hints of process but not in an explicit way so I'm not sure if the minister is really influenced by it or not. There are other relational, and even panentheistic, theologies out there, after all. Basically, it's a theology that's open and broad enough that I can live with it. Whether they can live with mine remains to be seen.;)
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Quite interesting. Familiarity also plays a big role for me. What I still haven't found is the marriage of familiarity to a great sermon. I'm thirsting for it. It seems most pastors take the comfort route and deliver the obvious.
 
Luke was our reading today and the cast your nets on the other side passage. Great lay lead service but a moment of disquiet at the beginning. She had arrived and set up and then rushed home to get her notes. It was starting time so as I stepped forward to do the welcome she arrived back. She did the welcome, I did announcements and then we had minute for mission. (Turns out she did not find her service outline but )power point person provided their copy and she had her sermon notes-so all was well.
 
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