How was church today?

[jimkenney12]

The preachers for the service we attended and the service we watched online focused on the parable of the mustard seed. The first preacher focused on how small acts of faith can make a big difference, to do what we can. The second shared how mustard grows as a bush and how each stem and its roots support the other stems. Her focus linked the words small and simple. While great efforts are made to understand our faith and make it complicated, it comes down to love God and love others. Keep it simple. Keep loving.

 

[BetteTheRed]

We had a guest preacher yesterday, as well (summer holidays for the Rev). A United Church minister with relationships with many of the congregation (went to seminary with one, was rev at another man's dad's church, etc. - has served quite a few Ontario charges, and known at Presbytery, etc.). Her take on the Matthew parables was to point out the various contradictions in them. That mustard seeds are certainly small, and do create a substantial bush, but apparently, birds don't really to nest in them, presumably due to the smell. And what we call yeast, would be a sourdough starter, which has two distinct meaning: the positive of rising, and the negative of "rot" (in German, it's called old dough). It was good. Missed my big guy. He's a bit funny. He's there clockwork when the rev is about, but he's got this funny view that he's more entitled to "play hooky" on days that she's off.

 

[Nancy]

Haha re: hooky. We have members that think summer means holiday from church. Even if they aren't doing anything else.

 

[Mendalla]

Haha re: hooky. We have members that think summer means holiday from church. Even if they aren't doing anything else.

Taking the summer off church is kind of a thing in the mainstream denominations, though, at least in my experience. In my church days, even my very active parents slacked off June to August. Sunday School stopped or turned into childcare when the school year stopped, people went on holidays (e.g. my family was at the family cottage for 2-3 weeks), and so on, so the church as a whole kind of wound down to a lower activity level. We only had one minister who did get vacation time so there was usually a month or so of services with lay supply (which Dad and I both did at times).

And we saw it in my UU fellowship, too, where we eventually (during my tenure on worship) moved from regular format services to what we called Evensong after the book that inspired it. Circle of chairs with the focus in the middle, more interactive, less singing. They still do it today from what I see on their website.

So I am not inclined to point fingers. The church year has long kind of been in sync with the school year and similar seasons so when life in other areas goes a bit slack, so does it. I am sure the more active, energetic churches like evangelicals have maybe managed to break that pattern but i don't know that for sure.

 

[Luce NDs]

Like setting your sheep out to the open lands for the season ... while ignoring the potential of wolves ... even romantics have there dogs ...

At the end of the season of spreading ... will the sacraments recover? Here one discovers broken threads, strings and cords of dissonance because of the misinformation ... let us repair as the philosopher said: "physician heal"! It is self related ...

Some refuse t relate to other discomforts so as to be comfortable in their anonymity ,,, hard shelling on both sides ... within the walls and mores? More X's to be cracked for the "Y" and summing (sigma, Σ) In transliteration often displaced by δ, ζ, ξ, ς, χ because of all that's unknown about alien icon, Semite, etc. There more ... even mores ... know the Mark ... if it can be identified on desire alone ... otherwise it could be a sinking point ... pithy? Thus pumice ... this can contribute to construction of bones ... and more!

 

[Delightful Life]

It was very much like some of the pagan experiences I have had


To cool off yesterday I went carousing through a local forest. A friend reminded me of where she had seen a Red Squirrel...and lucky me (a sign of the wonderbizarre things to come) had a lil critter scurry across the path...it looked squirrel like, aboot the size of a chipmunk, with a bushy tail, teeny round ears, a darker topside and a lighter underside...eventually I think the critter posed for me...sitting on a branch so i took some pics

The park is HUGE with lots of different trails and and even fresh groundwater...busy busy busy with People all over (2 and 4 and 1 and and 0 and multilegged kinds)...

So lots of meetings

These two guys, one with a latinx accent the other a Sikh. The reason I remember them is Latinx asked me something and he was using his walker off road, which I had never seen before...


We part eventually and sometime later

We 3 meet up again in a seperate part of thepark A very big park.

That is when the riffing or sermon or talking aboot the Secret of It All happens. Amongst the evergreens with sun waaaay up.

So fun and unexpected

I decide to sit and listen

A sacred moment

People pass us every so often

One of them stays and joins in

Latinx says he doesn't have a name. His Sikh friend says well what do you have on your ID? lol

He says that he will give a name if I ask him

He says I AM

Not that he is God or a Deity, but it seemed more of Names are misleading or make division?

There was talk of gurus
3rd eyes
Masters
How to tell a true Guru from a false one
The importance of Celibacy
Meditation
Aquaintsnces
Friends
Family (when i stuttered out a def IAM put some coins in my hat lol he smiled a lot)
Inorganics get stuck in our tissues, organic minerals are better
The importance of probiotics, things like veggies fruit, fibre, millers (a type of Sorghum?)...
How we are born knowing everything

It was a special experience
It was all experienced
I met some forest Masters
Entities
Fay Folk
Fun riffers

So many paths in life
So many paths in this forest

Thank you whomever got this to happen

 

[Luce NDs]

This post reminds me of that Anglican author that penned The Pagan Christ as lighter literature on the shadow of mankind ... without doubt parasitic ... and resembling the myth of the white viper Ouranos? Anos-ide we didn't ... but yet it slipped up on us ... as we all gather to hear the folk lore ... it draws!

Moth Eire ... now that's something else ... in the darkness ...

 

[Nancy]

Although I am no longer a LLWL, I still lead church services occasionally. For some reason, I accepted four Sundays in a row. Sunday was the first, and it happened to be one that is video recorded. I watched it and was dismayed at how uninspiring I am as a speaker. I like the writing part, but I hate the delivery part. I guess I have three more tries to improve in some way.

 

[jimkenney12]

Please carefully and lovingly discern what made it uninspiring for you. You must be doing something right to be asked to lead worship. Then ask what you can do differently to be more inspiring to you. It is possible that the scripture you used that day influenced how you led. Ask what was offered to the congregation

 

[Mendalla]

I watched it and was dismayed at how uninspiring I am as a speaker.

To what Jim said, I would add, "How did the congregation react?" I never seem to be as impressed with my own public speaking if I hear or see a recording of it as my audience seems to be.

 

[Nancy]

I think I speak too slowly and calmly...as in putting people to sleep! People seemed to respond well and even laughed at the appropriate parts. I talked about 'sibling rivalry effects' (the Joseph and his brothers story) and one man said: Thanks for talking about my life...He was the youngest of 7 brothers and 3 sisters.

 

[Luce NDs]

I think I speak too slowly and calmly...as in putting people to sleep! People seemed to respond well and even laughed at the appropriate parts. I talked about 'sibling rivalry effects' (the Joseph and his brothers story) and one man said: Thanks for talking about my life...He was the youngest of 7 brothers and 3 sisters.

3 cisterns spin stirs ... wheeling in the winds ...

 

[jimkenney12]

Most people, especially older ones, prefer speakers who speak slowly so they have time to process what is being said. My challenge is slowing down. My natural speaking speed is about 200 words/minute. Most listeners prefer 100 to 120 words/minute. Speak slowly but vary pitch and emphasis. Ideally make the words sound like what they mean but that is hard. Content matters. I suspect your listeners really appreciate the content you provide.

Different people appreciate different speaking styles. I like animated speakers. My wife hates them. The animation can be distracting for people. Well done, I find it reinforcing.

 

[Luce NDs]

Most people, especially older ones, prefer speakers who speak slowly so they have time to process what is being said. My challenge is slowing down. My natural speaking speed is about 200 words/minute. Most listeners prefer 100 to 120 words/minute. Speak slowly but vary pitch and emphasis. Ideally make the words sound like what they mean but that is hard. Content matters. I suspect your listeners really appreciate the content you provide.

Different people appreciate different speaking styles. I like animated speakers. My wife hates them. The animation can be distracting for people. Well done, I find it reinforcing.

Imagine hodgepodges that can cover poly maths and muti etudes with one parable ... all wrapped up in a fabric as ash awl? Diminished flames ... can a singular story/myth be expanded upon with innate know how?

I had coffee with two ordained folk yesterday ... both married to professionals from varies fields ... one a PHD in chemistry that avowed the relativity nature of alchemy! It is suggested that we fail at life if we cannot relate certain things to the fires that burn ... energy against its alter! If energy is enthalpy can you project to counter element as represented by "S"?

 

[Delightful Life]

This was Fri but the first church I went to bible school when i was twelve

LOTS of people went to get their car washed

LOTS of people came for the BBQ

I enjoyed the fellowship and community. Everyone was pretty open and friendly

Was surprised at bumping into a concentration of conspiracies (that I am used to bumping into online but in meat space it is more an isolated thing)

Was invited by the Elder to a Youth service. Rocking loud keyboard n electric twanger and voice
The Elder said some good things aboot Service and its importance
(I chuckled when he tried to get Political with grumbling aboot woke stuff)

Got to hear some"new" names, like Zeff (which of course is from the Bible)

Then they had a bonfire in their parking lot

And I thanked them again b4 heading home

Where I got to see a long lasting fireball :3

 

[Luce NDs]

This was Fri but the first church I went to bible school when i was twelve

LOTS of people went to get their car washed

LOTS of people came for the BBQ

I enjoyed the fellowship and community. Everyone was pretty open and friendly

Was surprised at bumping into a concentration of conspiracies (that I am used to bumping into online but in meat space it is more an isolated thing)

Was invited by the Elder to a Youth service. Rocking loud keyboard n electric twanger and voice
The Elder said some good things aboot Service and its importance
(I chuckled when he tried to get Political with grumbling aboot woke stuff)

Got to hear some"new" names, like Zeff (which of course is from the Bible)

Then they had a bonfire in their parking lot

And I thanked them again b4 heading home

Where I got to see a long lasting fireball :3

More disturbance as that naked booty in the garden did ... causing Eris & effects ...

 

[Delightful Life]

More disturbance as that naked booty in the garden did ... causing Eris & effects ...

Absolutely no discord, strife, or ennui at all there
Just fellowship, service, human beings

I even got to have one of those serendipitious deep convos with someone

Aaand I opened up aboot my sexuality to the Elder...va va va voom!

 

[BetteTheRed]

Pretty good service today. Bit long. It's summer, so no rev, and the sub today was the son of our music director, a 3rd year Div student at the Atlantic School of Theology. Nice message, about joy, and looking for joy, ergo, finding it. And the joy of humility and service. Quite good, good speaker, well thought out message, nice prayers. Thinking that Atlantic School of Theology is subtly more orthodox than Emmanuel. I confess to really disliking one thing: that preamble to the sermon, that starts "may the words I speak and the meditation of our hearts be ever acceptable to you, o God", or something like that. I never like walking into conversation with god thinking that I am starting as potentially unacceptable. Also, four weeks in a row (not all this guy, everyone this friggin' summer) the conventional Lord's Prayer. I'm gonna have to talk to George, who's leading next Sunday.

 

[Luce NDs]

Pretty good service today. Bit long. It's summer, so no rev, and the sub today was the son of our music director, a 3rd year Div student at the Atlantic School of Theology. Nice message, about joy, and looking for joy, ergo, finding it. And the joy of humility and service. Quite good, good speaker, well thought out message, nice prayers. Thinking that Atlantic School of Theology is subtly more orthodox than Emmanuel. I confess to really disliking one thing: that preamble to the sermon, that starts "may the words I speak and the meditation of our hearts be ever acceptable to you, o God", or something like that. I never like walking into conversation with god thinking that I am starting as potentially unacceptable. Also, four weeks in a row (not all this guy, everyone this friggin' summer) the conventional Lord's Prayer. I'm gonna have to talk to George, who's leading next Sunday.

God thinking is an oddity and alien according to the biblical record that sat knowledge, information, thought and such process is diabolical to the kings that prefer the simple fa*ulk to be unaware and thus phobias can be introduced (a' projection to overcome)?

Knowing senior folque, that attended AST queue in their line of progress towards administration; some of them broke free of the line and read between them in analysis of what was occurring. It was revealed that there were certain conflicting elements between various protesting wings and the English catholic urges to revere kings ... and thus further dissent in DL discussion about there being no Eris 'n state of mine Dove matter ... and yet ide still comes up as wash-out function!

One prof even made mention that few students in theology school learned any more from their preschool times when impressed with the concept that knowledge was not good ... for it raised query of onus and responsibility (a TO from Fulghum's Theology?). Thus the lesson's of life versus love are hard tack to swallow being we tend towards inhibition of anything you might learn from amidst all the lies about us on atomist functions and blasts ... like a shot in the dark is Canon Crock?

Then that fey essence waiting to receive ... and stand on end to gather invisible gifts ... thus bore wash after mulling through the hard stuff of life ... sometimes in waves and riffs (because speaking of ide is denounced; now pronoun fights)! These can be pronounced dissociation as we are beamed out as radio emissions ... eminent? EM discharge in the photo electric theory of a genius --- Ein stein/one container? The theory of cramming everything into eternal domain ... with unlimited time anything could happen and will eventually of ultimately ... and thus f(aulkers) happen, often not knowing until their past their prime and done gone! This is registered in the great word ... that are virtue unknown, according to legitimacy and protocol! It could be a sigh meant from out there! Iconic lasts; may decide that all signs given must be altered of wiped from the human mine for change to allow mortals to be Gods in Shakespearean quirks ... jousting of donkey's ends? Thus squirming terminals ... lor dais! shifting's continue from unlearned administration that mist the bottom sup process ... un feted? Not a fete to stand upon ... unsung heroes shall rise ... in essence as a sense after the physical part descends ... lingering thoughts? Thus lignum bonds ... chimera! These are build into the genetic machinery ... mortals mess with it disrespectfully ... especially in asylum that appear like trees that grow about us ... Rhodes to ami*no wealth? Mostly nothing to those ignoring alchemy and relativity of everything ...

The aforesaid to develop into a sermon that none would listen too but those with darker habits of learning in quiet surroundings ... could be ah ellen-ist IHC spot ... and there one gets druids or drawn into the depths between the lines ... medium? Few would chose to go there and remain because of phobias impressed about learning circles ... " those folk are alien, possibly fallout"! They are generally denied by greatest powers ... and thus naivete is anon (that is coming toem)! Anon is like ultimate ... as in complete displacement body, mine' Dan essence (Djin & hoar moans; frosty)? But word has that quality of being observed from eternal angles as God Lies there ... without passion it would not hove been individually, anonymously laid out! That's the word as mist ...

We as collective and accrued don't get it ... because of protective shells of nature ... Eire? Ride on stone as what Ur? That's fluid sol ... sensitive to all movements from columns above ... Colo nous? Numinous bodies ... fixed as edifices ... unmoving? Sticklers about phobic things, out there ... strange item seh?

 

[Nancy]

Down to having only one more church service to lead this year! I've been pretty busy lately and, while I stress over putting something together that will be meaningful, I usually determine that I really need to retire. again. Yesterday, I led a Thanksgiving service and decided that I would not be boring (soft sonorous voice boring). And despite the horrors happening in the Middle East, I wanted to focus on gratitude. I am grateful that I pulled it off! I acknowledged world events but kept the focus on giving thanks. I checked the youtube video out and I think, for my second last time leading worship this year, I finally became a little less boring.