Name | The Violence of Waiting pt. 1

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Amen.

Conversation Series | The Violence of Waiting

Martin Luther King Jr was one of America's preeminent theologians. We often miss hearing MLK's deep drive towards justice amongst the many quotes popularized on social media posts. In this series, we will explore MLK's Letter from a Birmingham Jail together to listen for the prophetic echoes of Amos.

Message | Name

This week Glenn will lead us in exploring how Martin Luther King Jr names the injustice that he is asking his reader to confront. What does it look like to name the injustice as a first step?

Formational Learning:

As we explored the idea of naming injustice, what stood out to you?

Were there any points of curiosity, clarity, confusion, conviction, or conflict that emerged as you walked through these stories?

(Head)

What changes when the church intentionally listen to the marginalized to discover where "Justice and righteousness" do not flow?

(Heart)

How has systemic comfort closed your ears to injustice, what voices does your comfort make it hard to hear?

(Hands)

This week sit in and read MLK JR's letter from a Birmingham Jail. Maybe try using the SOAP reflection as a way of engaging the letter. Also, pledge to read a book from a marginalized community to hear how they name reality over the next four weeks. Reflect on how where you affected by the voices you read?

Recommendations for Canada:

• 21 things you didn’t know about the Indian act

• Policing black lives

Recommendations for the US:

• Strength to love By MLK

• After whiteness by Willie Jennings 

Announcements 

• We have a SOAP group that meets online at 9:30am PST every Thursday. Also, if you want to follow along with SOAP, you can find the daily reading plan, an explanation of SOAP, and a link to our Thursday Morning online group https://zoom.us/j/502434122

• Every week we try to get to know our community better, and others who are connected to FōS, through our Shared Story segment in our liturgy. If you have a creative gift or something that you found meaningful to you that you would like to share with the community, please send us an email at hello@fos.church

• We want to have another games night soon. What are does the last Friday of February, Feb. 26, work for everyone?

• Last, 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 he may send you;

may he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm;

may he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you;

may he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.*

*Claiborne, Shane. Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Forgiveness | The Art of Being Basic pt. 5

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Amen.

Conversation Series | The Art of Being Basic

Sometimes we just need to get back to the basics. In this series we are exploring some of the basic practices of community.

Message | Gratitude

This week Megan leads us through the community practice of forgiveness. Why does forgiveness matter in the life of the community?

Formational Learning:

As we explored the practice of forgiveness, what stood out to you?

Were there any points of curiosity, clarity, confusion, conviction, or conflict that emerged as you walked through these stories?

(Head)

Forgive and forget is a phrase that most of us have heard, but in the message we challenged this idea. Forgetting can be a way of avoiding the truth, and we need to face the truth to forgive. If this is true, what is the relationship between forgiveness and memory?

(Heart)

Whether you were the giver or receiver, how have you personally experienced the process of forgiveness?

(Hands)

Where or from whom does the church need to ask/seek forgiveness?

Announcements 

• We have a SOAP group that meets online at 9:30am PST every Thursday. Also, if you want to follow along with SOAP, you can find the daily reading plan, an explanation of SOAP, and a link to our Thursday Morning online group https://zoom.us/j/502434122

• Every week we try to get to know our community better, and others who are connected to FōS, through our Shared Story segment in our liturgy. If you have a creative gift or something that you found meaningful to you that you would like to share with the community, please send us an email at hello@fos.church

• Super Bowl Sunday | On Sunday February 7th @ 3:30pm we will log on Zoom to watch the Super Bowl together. Even if you are not the biggest football fan, Glenn’s commentary on the game will still be entertaining.

• Last, 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 he may send you;

may he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm;

may he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you;

may he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.*

*Claiborne, Shane. Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Gratitude | The Art of Being Basic pt. 4

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Amen.

Conversation Series | The Art of Being Basic

Sometimes we just need to get back to the basics. In this series we are exploring some of the basic practices of community.

Message | Gratitude

This week Sabeth leads us through the community practice of Gratitude. How do we learn to live a life of gratitude?

Formational Learning:

As we explored the practice of gratitude, what stood out to you?

Were there any points of curiosity, clarity, confusion, conviction, or conflict that emerged as you walked through these stories?

(Head)

The Apostle Paul, one of the earliest followers of Jesus, writes about giving thanks in all things, a theme we see throughout his letters. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul includes this phrase in a benediction list of encouragement towards social obligations in community based on faith in Christ:

Don’t repay evil for evil

Encourage the faint hearted

Be patient

Do good to one another

Pray without ceasing

Give thanks in all things

How would our engagement with families, churches, and communities be different if we considered a lifestyle of gratitude to be a social obligation rather than a feeling or an immediate emotional response?

(Heart)

What is killing gratitude in our hearts?

How can we transition to a posture of gratitude for the hard parts of daily communal life?

(Hands)

Who needs a practical (financial, relational, gratitude) gift which demonstrates gratefulness over charity?

Announcements 

• We have a SOAP group that meets online at 9:30am PST every Thursday. Also, if you want to follow along with SOAP, you can find the daily reading plan, an explanation of SOAP, and a link to our Thursday Morning online group https://zoom.us/j/502434122

• Every week we try to get to know our community better, and others who are connected to FōS, through our Shared Story segment in our liturgy. If you have a creative gift or something that you found meaningful to you that you would like to share with the community, please send us an email at hello@fos.church

• Last, 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 he may send you;

may he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm;

may he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you;

may he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.*

*Claiborne, Shane. Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Storytelling | The Art of Being Basic pt. 3

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Amen.

Conversation Series | The Art of Being Basic

Sometimes we just need to get back to the basics. In this series we are exploring some of the basic practices of community.

Message | Storytelling

This week Carl leads us through the community practice of storytelling. How do we learn to be better storytellers?

Formational Learning:

As we explored the practice of storytelling, what stood out to you?

Were there any points of curiosity, clarity, confusion, conviction, or conflict that emerged as you walked through these stories?

(Head)

What changes when the stories we tell are not about convincing people to agree with us and becomes about creating space for us to be mutually present?

When we come from within our Christian tradition, the idea of testifying is usually presented as a monologue to convince people with absolute points, such as the four spiritual laws. What changes when we have to listen first and learn how to follow Jesus in embodying their story within our own?

(Heart)

Can you think of a time when you were invited to be present or pressured into something?

What was the difference you noticed between the stories that invited versus stories that pressured?

(Hands)

Invitational storytelling requires that we become vulnerable to create spaces of hospitality. This week, Glenn will lead us in an exercise instead of a question.

Announcements 

• We have a SOAP group that meets online at 9:30am PST every Thursday. Also, if you want to follow along with SOAP, you can find the daily reading plan, an explanation of SOAP, and a link to our Thursday Morning online group https://zoom.us/j/502434122

• Every week we try to get to know our community better, and others who are connected to FōS, through our Shared Story segment in our liturgy. If you have a creative gift or something that you found meaningful to you that you would like to share with the community, please send us an email at hello@fos.church

• Last, 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 he may send you;

may he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm;

may he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you;

may he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.*

*Claiborne, Shane. Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Hospitality | The Art of Being Basic pt. 2

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Amen.

Conversation Series | The Art of Being Basic

Sometimes we just need to get back to the basics. In this series we are exploring some of the basic practices of community.

Message | Hospitality

This week Glenn leads us through the practice of Hospitality. What does it look like to be a community shaped by and through hospitality?

Formational Learning:

As we explored the practice of hospitality and the story of the Samaritan, what stood out to you?

Were there any points of curiosity, clarity, confusion, conviction, or conflict that emerged as you walked through these stories?

(Head)

Often when we read stories like this one about the benevolent Samaritan, we see ourselves as the Samaritan. We have been taught that it is better to give than to receive, but the kingdom of God seems to expand through the act of receiving. What changes when we see our role within the expanding kingdom as receiving hospitality, learning to be guests, which demands vulnerability and presence?

How does church change when we start from needing to receive hospitality from the Samaritan before “going and doing”?

(Heart)

Who do we have a hard time receiving hospitality from?

What risk is there in naming our Samaritans and recognizing we need them?

(Hands)

How do we create participatory space for the Samaritan? 

Announcements 

• We have a SOAP group that meets online at 9:30am PST every Thursday. Also, if you want to follow along with SOAP, you can find the daily reading plan, an explanation of SOAP, and a link to our Thursday Morning online group https://zoom.us/j/502434122

• Every week we try to get to know our community better, and others who are connected to FōS, through our Shared Story segment in our liturgy. If you have a creative gift or something that you found meaningful to you that you would like to share with the community, please send us an email at hello@fos.church

• Last, 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 he may send you;

may he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm;

may he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you;

may he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.*

*Claiborne, Shane. Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Advent | Peace | Hope | A Christmas Story pt. 3

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Amen.

Conversation Series | A Christmas Story

Christmas is a season full of stories. Some of these narratives are complementary, and others are contradictory. As a community, we want to pause and listen. What are these stories trying to tell us, sell us, or compile us to do?

Message | Advent | Peace | Hope

This week we explore the first two themes of Advent: Peace & Hope. Megan, Glenn, and Carl sit down for a table talk about how they have come to understand and what they are learning about the Advent season.

Formational Learning:

As we explored the themes of peace and hope through the lens of Advent, what stood out to you?

Were there any points of curiosity, clarity, confusion, conviction, or conflict that emerged as you walked through these stories?

(Head)

What are the ways that Advent or the birth of Jesus help you reimagine peace and hope?

(Heart)

What does peace and hope look like for you in this season?

How are peace and hope related to ideas of justice?

(Hands)

As we reimagine peace and hope together in light of Advent, how do we engage in the work of peace and hope?

Announcements 

• We have a SOAP group that meets online at 9:30am PST every Thursday. Also, if you want to follow along with SOAP, you can find the daily reading plan, an explanation of SOAP, and a link to our Thursday Morning online group https://zoom.us/j/502434122

• You can also follow SOAP daily on Instagram stories.

• Every week we try to get to know our community better, and others who are connected to FōS, through our Shared Story segment in our liturgy. If you have a creative gift or something that you found meaningful to you that you would like to share with the community, please send us an email at hello@fos.church

• We will be hosting a Movie Night on Friday, December 18th, at 7pm PST. You can vote for and suggest a movie in the FōS Facebook Messenger Chat. Or if you don't have access to that, you can shoot us a message at hello@fos.church

• Last, 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 he may send you;

may he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm;

may he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you;

may he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.*

*Claiborne, Shane. Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Radical Hospitality | A Christmas Story pt. 2

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Amen.

The Shared Story 

Community Question | What is your favorite funky or odd Christmas tradition that you have experienced?

Retooning the Nativity | A video from Igniter Media

Conversation Series | A Christmas Story

Christmas is a season full of stories. Some of these narratives are complementary, and others are contradictory. As a community, we want to pause and listen. What are these stories trying to tell us, sell us, or compile us to do?

Message | Radical Hospitality

This week Megan helps us to reimagine the Nativity story. What if we have heard the wrong story? What if the way we have heard the story has given us the wrong picture of God and humanity?

Formational Learning:

As we reimagined the nativity, the story of Jesus' birth, what stood out to you?

Were there any points of curiosity, clarity, confusion, conviction, or conflict that emerged as you walked through these stories?

(Head)

How do the two images 1) The God who is rejected by inn owners and born in an isolated environment, and 2) God born in a welcoming home, surrounded by generous hosts, change how we hear and read the story? How do the different stories affect how we view God and the world?

(Heart)

What one of the two images have you related to in the past? And what image helps create the best possible future? Why?

(Hands)

How do we reimagine our idea of hospitality as a community, and how can we engage in radical hospitality amid a pandemic?

Announcements 

• We have a SOAP group that meets online at 9:30am PST every Thursday. Also, if you want to follow along with SOAP, you can find the daily reading plan, an explanation of SOAP, and a link to our Thursday Morning online group https://zoom.us/j/502434122

• You can also follow SOAP daily on Instagram stories.

• Every week we try to get to know our community better, and others who are connected to FōS, through our Shared Story segment in our liturgy. If you have a creative gift or something that you found meaningful to you that you would like to share with the community, please send us an email at hello@fos.church

• We will be hosting a Movie Night on Friday, December 18th, at 7pm PST. You can vote for and suggest a movie in the FōS Facebook Messenger Chat. Or if you don't have access to that, you can shoot us a message at hello@fos.church

• Last, 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 he may send you;

may he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm;

may he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you;

may he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.*

*Claiborne, Shane. Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

It's More Fun with Your Hands Up | A Christmas Story pt. 1

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Amen.

Conversation Series | A Christmas Story

Christmas is a season full of stories. Some of these narratives are complementary, and others are contradictory. As a community, we want to pause and listen. What are these stories trying to tell us, sell us, or compile us to do?

Message | It’s More Fun with Your Hands Up

This week Glenn opens our new conversation series, A Christmas Story, An Exploration of Christmas Narratives. Explores the idea of Advent and waiting for Jesus by looking at what that idea possibly meant to the early Church and what it could mean for us today.

Formational Learning:

As we explored the idea of Advent, waiting for Jesus to come, what stood out to you?

Were there any points of curiosity, clarity, confusion, or conflict that emerged as you walked through these stories?

(Head)

What changes when the phrase “are you ready to meet Jesus” is framed by growing in love for those at the party rather than a prayer or preparation for death?

(Heart)

How have you experienced conversations around the second Advent (the second coming of Jesus)?

How was the second Advent framed in these conversations, with fear or love? Does the second Advent inspire a party or a purge?

(Hands)

Advent is the season of awaiting the arrival of Jesus. What are some meaningful ways that we can wait in this season?

Announcements

• We have a SOAP group that meets online at 9:30am PST every Thursday. Also if you want to follow along with SOAP you can find the daily reading plan, an explanation of SOAP, and a link to our Thursday Morning online group https://zoom.us/j/502434122

• You can also follow SOAP daily on Instagram stories.

• Every week we try to get to know our community better, and others who are connected to FōS, through our Shared Story segment in our liturgy. If you have creative gift, or something that you found meaningful to you that you would like to share with the community please send us a email hello@fos.church

• We will be hosting a Movie Night on Friday December 18th at 7pm PST. You can vote for and suggest a movie in the FōS Facebook Messenger Chat. Or if you don't have access to that, you can shoot us a message at hello@fos.church

• Last, one of the ways we invest into the future of FōS is through tithes and offering, generous giving. You are able to 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 he may send you;

may he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm;

may he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you;

may he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.*

*Claiborne, Shane. Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

FōS at the Movies | Black Mirror: USS Callister

Sometimes it is good to pause our normal rhythms to allow things to decompress a bit. So this Sunday we are going to the movies, not really, but you get the point.

Stories are at the center of how we engage in cultural dialogues at FōS. Rob Bell is one of this generation’s greatest storytellers. His new tour film “An Introduction to Joy” just released a couple weeks ago, and we thought it would be a great break in-between conversation series. After we will spend some time responding to the movie together.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Amen.

Movie | Black Mirror: USS Callister

Formational Learning:

As we explored the story of the USS Callister, what stood out to you?

Were there any points of curiosity, clarity, confusion, or conflict that emerged as you walked through these stories?

1. Let the story be told. What is the show Black Mirror trying to say in this this film through the stories he told? Listen to the story before you agree/disagree with the point of the story.

2. Invite the story to speak to you. What stood out or spoke to you? It could be about you, others, your life with/without God, your relationships, your goals.

3. Embracing our human condition. What does this film say about what it means to be human? About character? About values?

4. Your take home. How will I live better and become a better follower of Jesus because of these reflections?

Announcements

• We have a SOAP group that meets online at 9:30am PST every Thursday. Also if you want to follow along with SOAP you can find the daily reading plan, an explanation of SOAP, and a link to our Thursday Morning online group https://zoom.us/j/502434122

• You can also follow SOAP daily on Instagram stories.

• Every week we try to get to know our community better, and others who are connected to FōS, through our Shared Story segment in our liturgy. If you have creative gift, or something that you found meaningful to you that you would like to share with the community please send us a email hello@fos.church

• We will be hosting a Zoom Games Night in the near future, possibly November 27th. Let us know if you have any game suggestion. hello@fos.church

• Last, one of the ways we invest into the future of FōS is through tithes and offering, generous giving. You are able to 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 he may send you;

may he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm;

may he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you;

may he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.*

*Claiborne, Shane. Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Saul and the Medium from Endor | Sordid Tales of Faith

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Amen.

Shared Story

Ready When You Are | A Poem by D Fretter

Message | Saul and the Medium from Endor

This week Carl Amouzou leads us in a conversation about how we handle stories that push us out of our comfort zones and worldview. The story of Saul of using a medium to summon Samuel to speak to him is one such story in the Bible.

Formational Learning:

As we explored the story of Samuel speaking from beyond the grave, what stood out to you?

Were there any points of curiosity, clarity, confusion, or conflict that emerged as you walked through these stories?

(Head)

Three different ways were listed for how to possibly understand the story of Saul and the Endorian Medium. Which one do you resonate with more, why? If none, what is your interpretation of the story? How do you hear it?

What is your favorite Sordid Tale from the Bible? Why?

(Heart)

I think we all have a visceral or emotional response when we hear stories beyond our worldview. Did the story of Samuel speaking from beyond the grave push any emotional buttons for you? If so, why? If no, why?

(Hands)

It’s hard to draw an application point from stories like the one we read today, but I think they can be very expansive for us if we pay attention to how we respond to the story. How can we intentionally be more aware of how we listen and respond to the stories we hear, both in the Bible and other places in our lives?

Announcements

• We have a SOAP group that meets online at 9:30am PST every Thursday. Also if you want to follow along with SOAP you can find the daily reading plan, an explanation of SOAP, and a link to our Thursday Morning online group https://zoom.us/j/502434122

• You can also follow SOAP daily on Instagram stories.

• Every week we try to get to know our community better, and others who are connected to FōS, through our Shared Story segment in our liturgy. If you have creative gift, or something that you found meaningful to you that you would like to share with the community please send us a email hello@fos.church

• We will be hosting a Zoom Games Night in the near future, possibly November 27th. Let us know if you have any game suggestion. hello@fos.church

• Last, one of the ways we invest into the future of FōS is through tithes and offering, generous giving. You are able to 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 he may send you;

may he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm;

may he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you;

may he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.*

*Claiborne, Shane. Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.