Improvising Faith within the Beloved Community | Becoming the Beloved Community
Zoom Link for The Sunday Liturgy | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89752784023
The Call to Worship
Lighting of the Christ Candle
The Invitation to Pause & Become Present
Our Vision
FōS is a community creating space for everyone to find hope, beauty, and possibility in the story of Jesus by reimagining faith together.
We are a community practicing Big Tent Christianity.
We include because we have been included.
We love because we have been loved.
We invite because we have been invited.
We welcome diversity through open tables and open conversations.
We create space for God's generous guest list to be present and to participate fully.
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who is in heaven,
may your name be held holy,
your kingdom come, your will be done—
on earth, as in heaven.
Give us today the bread that we will need;
and forgive us our debts,
as we have forgiven those to whom we are indebted;
and do not put us to the test,
but deliver us from the evil one.*
*A New New Testament: A Bible for the Twenty-first Century Combining Traditional and Newly Discovered Texts
Community Scripture Reading | 1 John 3:23-4:2
23And this is his command, that we should believe in the name of his son Jesus the Messiah, and should love one another, just as he gave us the commandment. 24Anyone who keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. This is how we know that he abides in us, by his spirit that he has given us. 4:1Beloved, do not believe every spirit. Rather, test the spirits to see whether they are from God. Many false prophets, you see, have gone out into the world. 2This is how we know God’s spirit: every spirit that agrees that Jesus the Messiah has come in the flesh is from God,
—1 John 3:23-4:2*
*Wright, N. T.. The Kingdom New Testament, eBook (p. 487). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
The Message
Conversation Series | Becoming the Beloved Community
In the first letter of John in the New Testament, the author presents a vision of what a beloved community could be like. In this conversation series, we are delving into the concept of becoming the beloved community. This journey requires us to transcend the boundaries of being merely a benevolent community and aspire to something even greater.
Message | Improvising Faith within the Beloved Community
This week, Glenn continues our conversation on becoming the beloved community by exploring what improvising faithfulness means and looks like.
The Eucharist Litany (portions of this litany were written by Naomi Lippett)
Reader: This is Christ's table. The table of remembrance, which on the night He was betrayed, in the company of friends, he took bread and broke it saying, this is my body given for you, eat this in remembrance of me. He then took the cup of wine, and gave thanks saying this is my blood of the new covenant. Drink this in remembrance of me.
All: This is Christ's table
Reader: Remembering, therefore, this command of the Saviour, and all that came to pass, we pray:
All: We consume the broken body of Christ becoming the broken body of Christ present in a broken world.
Formational Learning
Rules of the Table
It’s Christ’s table, and we are all guests, a good guest makes sure everyone present can stay at the table.
This is a place to process together. Questions of curiosity and process are encouraged, not questions to force agreement or coerce a specific answer.
Keep answers to 1-2 minutes so everyone has room to share.
The facilitator will interject when the conversation moves too far away from our explicit topic. All questions are good but they are not all useful for this specific time.
We commit to hold Brave Space with one another, meaning that we can disagree without being disagreeable, we must own our intentions and our impact, we allow ourselves to be challenged by what others share without the need to defend our own position, we show respect to one another, and never attack someone else.
(Opening Question)
What stood out to you from the liturgy? What is one point of curiosity or a question that emerged as we walked through the liturgy together?
(Head) What do I think?
Faith is often described as unchanging, but faithfulness in the beloved community is about learning to improvise together to maintain relationships and a commitment to inclusion. Does this type of faithfulness affect the way you define or name faithfulness? What changes when you name faithfulness as the improvisation of community?
(Heart) What do I feel as I am reflecting?
What feelings emerged for you as we discussed how the beloved community protects your space to find and discover your voice within the community? Does the offer to “protect your space” offer the possibility of something new, or does it cause anxious thoughts to rise?
(Hands) What do I do to respond?
How do we practice improvising faithfulness in our community?
Examen
The Examen is a daily practice of reflection and prayer that helps us introspectively look at ourselves. Spend a few moments at the end of your day prayerfully reflecting. Grab a pen and journal and write your response out.
For what moment today am I most grateful?
For what moment today am I least grateful?
When did I feel most alive today?
When did I feel life draining out of me today?
What was today’s high point?
What was today’s low point?
Announcements
Just a reminder that we are resuming our weekly gatherings for our Sunday Liturgy.
Our Slow-Cooker Spirituality devotions will take us through the New Testament over the next year, requiring us to read for five minutes five days a week. We encourage you to walk through the Head, Heart, and Hands questions daily as you read.
For week 23 we will be reading:
Romans 15
Romans 16
Ephesians 1
Ephesians 2
Ephesians 3
We have a Slow-Cooker Spirituality group that meets online at 7pm PST every Thursday. We will read the chapter of the day and reflect together using the Head, Heart, Hands questions to write down what emerges for you.
(Head) What do I think about what I read?
(Heart) What do I feel as I am reflecting?
(Hands) What do I do to respond?
Be sure to look out for the latest episode of our Continuing the Conversation Podcast. Find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify under FōS Church Continuing the Conversation, or on our website www.fos.church/continuing-the-conversation
One of the ways we invest in the future of FōS is through tithes and offering, generous giving. You can give online at www.fos.church/partner. Make sure to follow the instructions.
Our Benediction
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever they may send you;
may Christ guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm;
may Christ bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders they have shown you;
may Christ bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.*
Amen …
*Claiborne, Shane. Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.