How was church today?

[Jaebius]

@Jae moving the sabbath-or Lord's day to sunday is not biblical it is historiacal. It was done after Bible times. Jeesh-I thought you studied church history....

Okay. Moved based on the most significant biblical event. At least most significant for most Christians. Guess some see things different.

 

[Luce NDs]

Okay. Moved based on the most significant biblical event. At least most significant for most Christians. Guess some see things different.

Some see it darkly ... and thus Christian blinders ... a horse without a name? How would one call to it? Use multiple languages ... strange linguistics ... just because of us excluded in essence ... the denial of parts ... a human gesture meant for looking into?

Pure icon ... resembles something else in essence! Tis dark out there ... MOG it is ...

 

[Seeler]

So... a church conference without church at the conference. Were delegates at least able to visit a local house of worship to participate in a service there?

I think Carolla said that there were three services of Worship - including one with communion.

Actually we think of our entire Conference as Worship - beginning with the opening prayer and ending with a benediction, invoking the Spirit to be with us and to guide us in doing the work of the church. Formal times of worship or simple moments experienced in between are all part of connecting us with God and working together as God's people.

 

[Jaebius]

I think Carolla said that there were three services of Worship - including one with communion.

Actually we think of our entire Conference as Worship - beginning with the opening prayer and ending with a benediction, invoking the Spirit to be with us and to guide us in doing the work of the church. Formal times of worship or simple moments experienced in between are all part of connecting us with God and working together as God's people.

Okay. Thanks for clarifying Seeler. I had thought Conference was for the discussion of denominational business and policy.

 

[Luce NDs]

Okay. Thanks for clarifying Seeler. I had thought Conference was for the discussion of denominational business and policy.

Tis a triune blend of the powers of staunch faith, business, and polity ... essence of the love of wisdom is denied ... too genteel!

It can settle on a rare few .. those on the fringe ... like Rahab in the wall ... observation of both sides ... from the Bactrian Camel ... two humps required to create the hyperbolic saddle ... a western concept associated with eastern invasion of philosophy in opposing religion! That'd be my ancestors ... the Huns ... they carry the pot fer despots ... something to catch eM in when they collapse ... kind 'a like Jaerd verses of sin to the haut ones ...

Some would say Satyr-like verses ... middle eastern humus? Tis fertile for digging into ... GNOSH-ite!

 

[revsdd]

This past Sunday I worshipped at the ordination service for Bay of Quinte Conference. Actually, only four were ordained, and one person was received into the United Church ministry from the ministry of the Free Methodist Church of Canada. The guest speaker was Dr. Malcolm Sinclair from Metropolitan United Church in Toronto. He's certainly a wonderful speaker and he was getting rave reviews from everyone - but, somehow, I found his message a bit "off." Not sure I could put it any better than that. The best part of the whole service for me was the Children's Story. (This was also the normal Sunday morning service of Wall Street United Church in Brockville.) Rev. Kimberley Heath of Wall Street did a wonderful story about "paper air rocks" that made valid points about celebrating our spiritual gifts and using them wisely and teamwork - very appropriate for the nature of the service. Kimberley (who's involved with Cruxifusion - gasp!!!) is now our Conference president-elect, and Rev. Wanda Stride was installed as Conference president.

 

[Luce NDs]

Air-rocks as resonance from the Movie AVATAR? Tis an archived word for icon ... regardless of the iconoclast that would redact ... creating diversity ... divides intellect from emotion ... and thus real folk can think when terrorized by absolute light ... when the incite is just a flash! The light is scattered and out there ... tobe gathered ... ecclesia?

Hidden in the dark form ---Plato!

 

[Nancy]

I'm interested in the idea of paper air rocks. Can you explain?

 

[Jaebius]

I'm interested in the idea of paper air rocks. Can you explain?

It's a variation on rocks paper scissors.

 

[Nancy]

This past Sunday I worshipped at the ordination service for Bay of Quinte Conference. Actually, only four were ordained, and one person was received into the United Church ministry from the ministry of the Free Methodist Church of Canada. The guest speaker was Dr. Malcolm Sinclair from Metropolitan United Church in Toronto. He's certainly a wonderful speaker and he was getting rave reviews from everyone - but, somehow, I found his message a bit "off." Not sure I could put it any better than that. The best part of the whole service for me was the Children's Story. (This was also the normal Sunday morning service of Wall Street United Church in Brockville.) Rev. Kimberley Heath of Wall Street did a wonderful story about "paper air rocks" that made valid points about celebrating our spiritual gifts and using them wisely and teamwork - very appropriate for the nature of the service. Kimberley (who's involved with Cruxifusion - gasp!!!) is now our Conference president-elect, and Rev. Wanda Stride was installed as Conference president.

Even really good speakers can have some 'off' Sundays, or 'off' messages sometimes. I am always amazed at ministers who deliver inspiring messages each and every week. I know that they are God-inspired, but sometimes, as flawed humans, they must feel tired, or unenergetic, or unenthused. I know if I do too many church services in a row, I feel I run the risk of not having anything new to say. And sometimes when I don't 'receive' something special from the message, I know that it is my own mindset that is interfering. Yet, on those days, it might be a hymn or words from a friend that speak to me in some way that I need to hear.

 

[revsdd]

I'm interested in the idea of paper air rocks. Can you explain?

The story began with Kim talking about people who had been "gifted" with the ability to make paper airplanes, and how those airplanes could swoop and soar and dip and rise and fly long distances. Then she said that she had tried making paper airplanes and wasn't very good at it and couldn't make them fly far but that she had been "gifted" with the ability to make paper air rocks. She demonstrated by crumpling up several pieces of different colours of paper individually into balls. These were her "paper air rocks." She showed how she could throw them - threw a few out into the congregation. But then she said after a while it got boring, and the paper air rocks wouldn't fly very far and she couldn't get them up to the people in the balcony and she was ready to give up - but she got an idea. She had a blanket with her, and had the kids gather around to hold the blanket and all the coloured paper air rocks were thrown on to the blanket and were tossed up and down and what you ended up with was a "dance" of all different colours going on. You can't do that with paper airplanes. The point was that we all have different gifts, and all of them have a use, and we're called to use them all together and if we do we have a whole church of all different kinds of people with all different kinds of gifts "dancing" together in response to the Holy Spirit.

That was it - as best as I can describe it. I found it very effective.

As to Malcolm Sinclair, yes anyone can have an off day. When I said he seemed "off" to me, though, what I meant was that I thought his sermon was too closely directed to the five people being ordained/received. Maybe the other ministers in attendance could take some things out of it. Maybe the other members of Conference could get something from it. But I thought that the congregation from Wall Street United (who, as I said, were present because it doubled as their Sunday service) were largely cut out of it.

 

[Nancy]

Yes, that makes sense about why it would seem 'off'. Thanks so much for explaining such a great message. I love it.

 

[Jaebius]

He didn't. He was ELCIC when he died (you didn't notice that I mentioned one of my encounters was his funeral?) though with his dementia, he hadn't done more than attend services for a while before. I was already UU (or en route, at least) when he joined so it was never an option I considered. Dad, like me, grew up in the UCCan and remained there until he remarried, long after I was an adult and married myself.

How would you compare an ELCIC service to a UCCanada one?

 

[Luce NDs]

They have eve angels ... the ladies of dusky shades?

Tis the twilight zone ... depending on perspective of shady flighty things ...

 

[Mendalla]

How would you compare an ELCIC service to a UCCanada one?

Meant to answer this earlier and forgot. Liturgically, not much different from more formal UCCan services IME. Theologically, more traditional. Lots more references to salvation, resurrection, etc.

 

[Luce NDs]

Nothing like torri adored bull ... red flagging inclusive ...

As long as the BS doesn't move we're safe ... conservative tradition?

 

[You just never know]

A good sermon today by Rev. Sheena. She was speaking of Holy Spirit wind on this Pentecost Sunday. Interesting ideas about wind, in Calgary we welcome the warm Chinook winds that take the edge off the brutal prairie winters. Rev. Sheena, however, grew up in Los Angeles where the winds of October/November are the unwelcome scorching Santa Ana winds blowing off the deserts and toppling trees and causing devastating wild fires. Sometimes the Holy Spirit can be like the Chinook and other times can be like the Santa Ana's. Sometimes bringing comfort and sometimes knocking us out of our comfort zones. Glad I was at worship today, lot's to think on. The choir was in top form as well today so another reason it was good to be at worship this day.

 

[Jaebius]

Enjoyed worship today at the local Evangelical Lutheran church. The sanctuary was nicely decorated with red banners, flowers, and red balloons (which they gave to kids after the Children's Time). Their theology was a tad liberal for me (they spoke of loving "everyone", about how Jesus came for "everyone" - that kind of thing; and while preaching the Pastor once referred to the Spirit of God as "She") but besides that it was good. The music, which was played very well on piano and violin, included hymns I recognized from UCCanada services, and songs I know from Baptist services. They had a "continuous communion" which was good, and a confirmation service in which five young girls affirmed that they believed in their baptisms. There were five Bible readings and in the spirit of Pentecost, they read each in a different language! The Pastor gave a good (but short!) sermon on how the Spirit of God is still active in today's world. Everyone we met was quite friendly to us, especially the three older ladies sitting one pew ahead of us.

 

[crazyheart]

red banners - check

red balloons - check

Jesus loving everyone - check

Spirit of God - She- check

continuous communion - don't know what this is

short sermon- check

Spirit of God still active - check

 

[Jaebius]

red banners - check

I can live with such things. I "get" the symbolism.

red balloons - check

It was cute for the kids.

Jesus loving everyone - check

Yes, it sounds excellent, but I can read between the lines.

Spirit of God - She- check

Believe it or not, I'm okay with it.

continuous communion - don't know what this is

Just keep moving. Just keep moving. It means we all walked up to the front, got the elements, and then ate/drank them while returning to our pews. There was no stopping up at the front and kneeling or anything while the Pastor gave the elements to us. I was okay with it.

short sermon- check

It seemed about the right length for the day - given that there were multiple Scripture readings, communion, and confirmation. I would hope that most Sundays there is a longer sermon.

Spirit of God still active - check

Yep.