Hit Me Baby One More Time | Oh Baby! God's Happy Lil' Surprises pt. 2
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.
A Prayer of Process (adapted from bell hooks)
Dominator culture has tried to keep us all afraid,
It has tried to make us choose safety instead of risk,
It has tried to make us choose sameness instead of diversity.
Moving through that fear,
finding out what connects us,
revelling in our differences;
this is the process that brings us closer,
the process that gives us a world of shared values,
the process of meaningful community.
Amen.
Scripture
Isaiah 7:1-16, Matthew 1:18-25
The Message
Conversation Series | Oh Baby! God's Happy Lil' Surprises
All birth is generative. It speaks to the possibility that yet exists in this world. As we move into the Advent season, we wanted to explore various birth narratives from within the biblical text read in light of Jesus’ birth in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. What possibilities do these stories still hold for us today?
Message | Hit Me Baby One More Time
This week, Glenn leads us in a conversation about Immanuel. Even when some passages seem simple when you read them, there can be a much deeper meaning upon reflecting on them. So we make an effort to keep reflecting, trying to find not just a literal sense of the scriptures but a profound and deeper message that can be overlooked at first sight.
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? What is one point of curiosity or a question that emerged as we walked through the liturgy together?
(Head) What do I think?
What is at risk when we let our experience name god? What do we gain?
(Heart) What do I feel as I am reflecting?
When have you allowed experience to shape your view of God? What was it like?
(Hands) What do I do to respond?
Rereading the text can be overwhelming at times. Learning to see something new can upset what we have been taught to see. How can we hold space to intentionally create room to reread the text in light of our own experience of community, compassion, and acts of mercy?
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.
Where did I embody mercy/compassion today?
Where did I receive mercy/compassion today?
How did it affect that moment?
Announcements
We have a Slow-Cooker Spirituality group that meets online at 9:30am PST every Thursday. This coming week’s reading will be Genesis 2:4-7, John 1:1-14, John 20:19-23 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?
A reminder that we will resume our monthly Mental Health Check-in on Wednesday January 4th at 7pm (pacific time). The holiday season can be hectic, this will be an opportunity to just talk, and to explore wholeness and grounding together.
Thank you to everyone who came out to the FōS Very Merry Christmas Party! Thank you to Lu and Kurt for being such wonderful hosts. Thank you Jerry for helping us all sing Christmas carols and exercise our beautiful voices. And Thank you to Megan for planning this wonderful event for our community.
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.