Last month the Worship Liturgy Team invited our congregation to ponder: “What’s going on for you these days? What’s taking up room in your mind or heart?” You responded with more excellent topics than we can do in one series, so look for those not on this list to pop up through the year.
The “What’s Going On?” series started this past Sunday, and each week we’ll ponder how we, as Christians, might engage with others for whom these topics loom large. We hope you’ll join us this summer! (note: topics and dates may shift as needed)
May 26 – Evangelism. It’s been such a dirty word for many of us because we believe there are many paths to God. How do we share our faith (evangelism means sharing the Good News) with others if we find it hard to even claim we’re Christians?
June 2 – Grief. We all experience it, whether through death or separation, some change in the world around us, or even in our own abilities. How do we support people in grief? What rituals can help us through? Pastor Sharon will interview retired Hospice chaplain
Rev. Cheryl Smith.
June 9 – Kindness Crisis. How we treat one another in our culture seems to have become indifferent at its best and cruel at its worst. How do we talk with each other with more kindness when we’re not able to agree? What insights does scripture have to offer?
June 16 – Israel/Palestine. We intentionally placed this discussion the week following the “kindness crisis” topic because our society finds the war between Israel and Palestine polarizing. What is our call, as Christians, to respond in this moment? Pastors Page and Sharon will attempt to model this challenging conversation.
June 23 – Events That Didn’t Happen. The pandemic stole some key moments from many—graduations, retirement parties, sharing the birth of a child in community, being present at a loved one’s death… These moments can’t be duplicated, and they can happen even without a pandemic (you miss a flight or get sick and can’t attend an important event). How do we integrate the loss, or how might we create alternative celebrations? We’ll hear 3 illustrations from people who experienced “events that didn’t happen.”
June 30 – Aging. Aging is, by far, the most repeated topic on your minds—and that makes sense! All of us are aging, our abilities changing or deteriorating in ways that leave our minds agog (“But I still feel X years old!”). How we encounter aging and loss from a spiritual perspective can keep meaning-making possible even as we learn to let go into life’s cycles. Rev. Rody Rowe will be our guest for this topic.
It's been humbling to hear what’s been on your hearts and minds in this season—thank you for sharing. If you’re interested in participating in the work of the Worship Liturgy Team or giving a testimony on one of these topics (now or in the future), please let me know.
In faith,
Pastor Sharon
If you miss a service you can always worship later in the week at https://www.youtube.com/@firstcongregationalchurcho2633
