Dysfunctional Narratives & Others Reasons to Disrupt the Storyteller | Bedtime Stories, Towards a More Generous & Generative Story pt. 4
Zoom Link for The Sunday Liturgy | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89752784023
The Call to Worship
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father in heaven, let Your name remain holy.
Bring about Your kingdom.
Manifest Your will here on earth, as it is manifest in heaven.
Give us each day that day’s bread—no more, no less—
And forgive us our debts as we forgive those who owe us something.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Brave Space by Micky Scott Bey Jones
Together we will create brave space
Because there is no such thing as a “safe space”
We exist in the real world
We all carry scars and we have all caused wounds.
In this space
We seek to turn down the volume of the outside world,
We amplify voices that fight to be heard elsewhere,
We call each other to more truth and love
We have the right to start somewhere and continue to grow.
We have the responsibility to examine what we think we know.
We will not be perfect.
This space will not be perfect.
It will not always be what we wish it to be
But
It will be our brave space together,
And, we will work on it side by side.
Scripture Reading
The Message
Conversation Series | Bedtime Stories, Towards a More Generous & Generative Story
Like any inherited tradition, Bedtime Stories become predictable as repetition lulls us to sleep. This series invites the Fos community into the gift of poetics. In this conversation series, we will spend a few weeks naming and exploring troubling passages within scripture to show how we have attempted to construct a better way forward.
What is Poetics?
Glenn's Definition for Poetics is that poetics is the gift of breathing new life into inherited traditions by creating space for the community's experience to reread the tradition in response to where they see new life emerging. To accept poetics as a gift, the community must be willing to wrestle with the tension of sitting in the tradition while adapting it so that it never separates the community from the other.
Message | Dysfunctional Narratives & Others Reasons to Disrupt the Storyteller
This week we will finish off our Bedtime Stories conversation with a Roundtable talk exploring a passage of scripture that has been used to oppress and suppress half the body of Christ for far too long.
The Eucharist Litany (portions of this litany were written by Naomi Lippett)
Reader: This is Christ's table
The table of communion and relationship, where through the work of Christ and the power the Holy Spirit as we feast together on this single loaf and single cup, we are brought into union with the Triune God.
All: This is Christ's table
Reader: The table of shared human life, where no one is excluded and no one unwelcome, where unity is found in difference, where the other is embraced and seen.
All: This is Christ's table
Reader: The table of mystery, where this food nourishes more than just our physical hunger.
All: This is Christ's table
Reader: The table of thanksgiving and joy, where we lift up our lives in response to God's outrageous goodness.
All: This is Christ's table
Reader: 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.
Remembering, therefore, this command of the Saviour, and all that came to pass, we pray:
All: Come Holy Spirit and transform these gifts into the means of grace that we need in this moment.
Reader: The gifts of god for the people of God.
Run to Christ's table.
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.
Brave Space Ideals for the Conversation
Controversy with civility
Own your intentions and your impact
Challenge by choice (allow ourselves to be challenged by what others share)
Respect
No Attacks
(Opening Question)
What stood out to you from the liturgy? Were there any points of curiosity, clarity, confusion, conviction, or conflict that emerged as we walked through the liturgy together?
(Head)
In the gospels, Jesus says, "every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." If we take this Jesus' words seriously, what do we do with passages in the Bible that have been shown to bear bad fruit?
(Heart)
What has your relationship been to 1 Timothy 2:9-15? How have you seen this passage used within the Church?
How does the idea of changing your relationship with dysfunctional passages resonate with you, the positives and the negatives?
(Hands)
How do we create space as a community to listen to the actual effect of passages like 1 Timothy 2:9-15 and then work together towards liberation and justice?
Examen
When did you intentionally stop and listen with empathy to someone's story today?
When did you find yourself feeling defensive and unable to listen to someone else's story today, and why?
When did someone stop and listen with empathy to your story today? How did that make you feel?
Announcements
We have a Slow-Cooker Spirituality group that meets online at 9:30am PST every Thursday. This coming week’s reading will be Romans 16:1-16.
Using the Head, Heart, Hands questions, spend some time reflecting on the passage and writing 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?
FōS Townhall Meeting | This Monday evening at 7pm Pacific Time. We will be talking about the future of FōS and how to move forward as community. Monday March 28, 2022 at 7pm PST.
The return of the FōS Games Night!!!!! Sunday April 3rd, 2022, we will be pausing for a games night as we create space to transition into our next conversation. No guarantees, but we could possibly see the return of the current Battle eMCee champ, Megan “The Lyrical Miracle” Kirk.
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.*
*Claiborne, Shane. Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.