Friends in Faith,
We are excited to be welcoming back Dr. May Tucker, Bethany’s music director, this Sunday, September 6, for our Facebook Live service. We are all looking forward to enjoying her musical gifts again!
We also want to thank pianist Natalya Amelchenko for all of her incredible playing over the past several months. She has been such a gift to our community!
Thankfully, for the time being, Dr. Tucker and Natalya will take turns leading the music for our Facebook Live services.
On September 6, I’ll be offering Part 2 to last week’s sermon concerning “The Myth of Scarcity.” We’ll be taking an inventory of abundance. Also, please note that we will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper at both of our virtual worship services this Sunday. We will share in communion “together” so please have some bread and a glass of wine or juice available in your home.
Over the years, Facebook has become an excellent resource for pastors. I regularly stumble upon a lot of helpful material. I just found this prayer by the Lutheran pastor and author Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, and it certainly hits home for many of us. Please excuse some of the language, and I hope you find comfort and humor in her prayer:
God of many names,
We don’t know how to feel less tired.
We don't know how to vanquish our own fears.
We don’t know how to stop being angry at stupid people on Twitter. (personal note: that might just be me)
We don’t know how to live through a global pandemic and anti-black violence and wildfires and hurricanes and the fact that Chadwick Boseman just died. (Personal note: please keep anyone who might say some kind of “God needed another angel in heaven” nonsense far from me for their own safety, Lord)
We don’t know how to sustain the effort it takes to not completely freak out, and the effort it takes to keep from freaking out is one of the things that is making us so tired.
So we need some reminders right now, Lord.
Remind us that for every tragedy that’s “newsworthy” there are a million kindnesses, and countless acts of love that go unreported.
(Personal note: remind me that I can take Twitter off my phone. Like, always an option)
But more than anything, remind us of our own souls. Remind us that there is an essential, holy, un-hurtable part of ourselves that never tires, that does not know fear, that is un-affected by other people, that cannot be irritated, that has nothing to achieve.
If taking a few deep breaths reminds us of our truest center, then nudge us to breathe (but personal note; please, Lord, not in the voice of a 24 year old white girl yoga teacher. You know I can’t handle that). If laughing our asses off reminds us of what is most true, then nudge our friends to send funny texts. If eating a damn vegetable now and then reminds us that our bodies need us, then give us the will to make a salad.
Amen.—Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber
Peace to you all,
Jesse
UPDATES:
Our Sunday Facebook Live service (10:30 a.m.) is then followed by our Zoom worship service which usually begins around 11:10 a.m. This service is an informal time of prayer, sharing, and music. If you plan on attending the upcoming Zoom service, please have a glass of wine or juice and bread available for home communion.
The links for these services—as well as links for Tuesday Bible studies (11 a.m.) and Wednesday Check-In (also at 11 a.m.)—are always available on our website. We hope you will join us!
