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.

The Lake of Beer | St. Brigid (c. 451–525)

I would wish a great lake of ale for the King of Kings;

I would wish the family of heaven to be drinking it throughout life and time.

I would wish the men of Heaven in my own house;

I would wish vessels of peace to be given to them.

I would wish joy to be in their drinking;

I would wish Jesus to be here among them.

I would wish the three Marys of great name;

I would wish the people of heaven from every side.

I would wish to be a rent-payer to the Prince;

The way if I was in trouble He would give me a good blessing.

I would like the angels of Heaven to be among us.

I would like an abundance of peace.

I would like full vessels of charity.

I would like rich treasures of mercy.

I would like cheerfulness to preside over all.

I would like Jesus to be present.

I would like the three Marys of illustrious renown to be with us.

I would like the friends of Heaven to be gathered around us from all parts.

I would like myself to be a rent payer to the Lord;

That should I suffer distress, that he would bestow a good blessing upon me.

… I'd like the people of heaven to gather From all the parishes around,

I'd give a special welcome to the women,

The three Marys of great renown.

I'd sit with the men, the women of God

There by the lake of beer

We'd be drinking good health forever

And every drop would be a prayer.

Scripture Reading

At that time, Deborah the prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, served as judge over Israel. 5 She used to sit beneath the palm tree of Deborah, situated in the hill country of Ephraim between Ramah and Bethel, and the people would go up to her there to settle disputes.

—Judges 4:4-5

The Message

Conversation Series | Four Women

In 1966, Nina Simone released her song, Four Women. In the song, Nina Simone gives a snapshot of four different women whose stories speak to the black experience in America. This song inspired our new conversation series, Four Women, where we explore four different snapshots from the Tanakh, Old Testament. These four stories speak to the experience and fidelity of women to the liberation of God’s people.

Message | Seeing Beyond Deborah

This week Megan, Glenn, and Carl ask the question, How do we allow biblical narratives to help us see beyond them to realities these stories would not be able to see for themselves? Today Megan helps to expand our imaginations to see women in leadership by allowing the story of Deborah in the Bible lead her to the story of Jacinda Ardern.

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

1. It’s Christ’s table, and we are all guests, a good guest makes sure everyone present can stay at the table.

2. This is a place to process together. Questions of curiosity and process are encouraged, not questions to force agreement or coerce a specific answer.

3. Keep answers to 1-2 minutes so everyone has room to share.

4. 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

1. Controversy with civility

2. Own your intentions and your impact

3. Challenge by choice (allow ourselves to be challenged by what others share)

4. Respect

5. 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) What do I think?
What changes when we allow biblical narratives to help us see new stories that the Bible could not anticipate?

(Heart) What do I feel as I am reflecting?

What feelings emerged for you as Megan used Deborah’s story to lead her to Jacinda Ardern’s story

(Hands) What do I do to respond?

How does Jacinda Ardern’s story as seen in comparison to Deborah’s story lead you to respond? How does her story lead you to new action?

Examen

• Where did I hear echoes of biblical stories in new stories today?

• Where did you see resistance to new stories being told?

• How I can I allow echoes of the Bible help me hear new stories today?

Announcements 

• We have a Slow-Cooker Spirituality group that meets online at 9:30am PST every Thursday. This coming week’s reading will be 1 Samuel 25:1-42.

• 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?

• We will be hosting our next townhall meeting tomorrow night, Monday July 25, at 7PM Pacific Time. It will be an opportunity to continue dreaming about the future of FōS together.

• On Sunday, August 7, 2022 we will be meeting in person. More details to come.

• 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.