On Sunday, May 11, we will give thanks for the people in our lives who have mothered us. This can be a wonderful opportunity of celebration and love. It will also be an opportunity for us as faithful people to consider the mothering images of God in scripture. We’ll hear some of these images in worship, and then you are invited to stay after worship for a forum to consider the mothering images of God. From Isaiah, who prophesied before, during and after the Babylonian Exile of the Jewish people and the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem: “For a long time I [God] have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant.” (Isa. 42:14) “As a mother comforts her child, so will I [God] comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” (Isa. 66:13) And from New Testament, words of Jesus: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” (Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34) “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:8-10) Have you ever thought of God as a mother? The image of God as feminine and/or a mother have not been as prevalent as the image of male and/or father. Come to the forum on Sunday to learn more about the history behind this and how we can expand our imaginations to recapture a wider understanding of God and the mystery of the Divine. - Pastor Marietta Image Credit: Kelly Lattimore Icons, https://kellylatimoreicons.com/. Used with permission.
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A message from Pastor Marietta
Beloved of Spirit of Life, In the midst of this Holy Week, I am giving thanks to God that this is the fourth Easter I will celebrate with Spirit of Life. So much has changed and evolved over the past few years, and yet God’s loving presence and steady hand is clear and generous in the ministries and the people connected to Spirit of Life. This congregation continues to be a vital part of the Olalla and South Kitsap communities because, as one of our folks often says, God wants us here! God’s generosity has provided many ways in which to continue this ministry, from safety and security improvements, to people willing to step into leadership and servanthood roles, to financial gifts, to the abundance of new members. We’ve strengthened Spirit of Life structurally, adding new and more leadership in worship, music, Bible study, building and grounds and nursing, while continuing to celebrate teams that ensure LifeCare Food Bank, Mustard Seed Prayer group, and Lutheran World Relief efforts remain strong. All of this is central to how we follow God’s command to love our neighbors as ourselves and to care for those who are suffering. It is time in 2025 to turn our attention to Spirit of Life’s childcare ministry, Little Doves Children’s Learning Center. This ministry is vital to our neighbors, especially those with young children. For more than 30 years, Little Doves has provided a safe, Christ-centered environment for children. Little Doves is one of the ways that you, the people of Spirit of Life, have answered the call to care for the least of these. On a practical level, from a financial standpoint, Spirit of Life and Little Doves are completely interconnected. We rely on each other to ensure we are fiscally responsible and solvent and that we are using the generosity of God for the best and most faithful purposes. It is important to continue to shepherd the childcare ministry and this relationship between church and childcare center well. Spirit of Life’s executive team consists of President Bonnie Ruehs-Lutz, Vice President Pam Thiemann, Secretary Heather Schoone, and me. We have been working together for about the past eight months to identify and implement ways to operate and improve the childcare ministry and further integrate it with the church and its members. Little Doves now has two leaders, Director Maggie Miner and Program Supervisor Anastasia Money, who are working together to create a loving, safe atmosphere for children and staff. Little Doves is currently fully staffed and fully enrolled with 50 children. It is financially stable. Several congregation members are well connected to Little Doves. Alicia Wells and Becky and Norma Brown help to lead weekly chapel, providing music and fun for the children. And Drew Brown keeps our vacuums running - nearly a full time job! Louie Boe began as a classroom volunteer and has now become a substitute staff member. He is present at LD to cover a shift or two when regular staff are absent. Carol Colburn has been a consistent volunteer in classrooms for over a year. She is currently working weekly with our Pre-K upstairs classroom. Nate Schoone, who works in HR for a large local hospital system, is meeting with Anastasia and Maggie and the childcare staff to train them on leadership basics. He’s also working with the LD staff on communication and teamwork. Bonnie Ruehs-Lutz is a penpal for the Pre-K upstairs classroom, creating relationships with ten 4- and 5-year-olds. Heather Schoone has coordinated efforts to celebrate LD staff with notes from the congregation, birthday and work anniversary cards and treats, as well as volunteering at LD events. Pam Thiemann has also volunteered at events, and spent two days with Maggie and Anastasia learning more about their jobs. Church and childcare volunteers have worked together to host fun events like the Easter egg hunt, Fat Tuesday, graduation and Trunk or Treat. Building and grounds team volunteers have fixed many structural and maintenance issues associated with the childcare. And the people named here are just a few of the many folks who have worked with Little Doves over the 30 years. Many of you have shared stories of walking the school-age students to Mullenix Ridge, volunteering in classrooms, making lunches, painting classrooms and serving on the previous Board of Education. There is a rich history of connection between the church and childcare. In many ways, Little Doves today is operating as well as it can be, given the pressures of economics, culture, and life in general. Operating a childcare in 2025 is a complex and sensitive job that brings with it all the joys and difficulties of life. The Executive Team has come to understand that there is currently a disconnection between the childcare ministry and the members of the congregation when it comes to the operations and leadership. This is where I serve as a bridge between the two entities. I am involved in many aspects of this ministry. Each week on Thursdays I help to lead chapel for the children and staff. I meet weekly with childcare leaders and two other staff members, Finance Steward Kim Rohr and Administrative Assistant Michelle McMillan. I am often a go-to person for LD staff for everything from building issues to upset parents to questions about schedules to staff concerns to my office serving as a storage space for LD equipment. I try to be present to staff and children in classrooms periodically, especially if I see or am told that someone is struggling. In the staff handbook, I am included in the responsibility for the areas of tracking staff members’ working time; monitoring sick/paid leave, whether children can be pictured on social media; monitoring staff appearance when it comes to dress, tattoos and piercings; parent communication; and settling staff grievances. It is fair to estimate that, on average, 10-12 hours of my week is spent on Little Doves matters. This can be important work, especially in terms of safety and security. It is also a hindrance to the things that I am called to do as your pastor. It means that core pastoral work gets pushed to hours beyond a normal work week. This includes: spending time in prayer, studying scripture and theology, preparing sermons and Bible studies, making pastoral care visits, discerning where God is calling me and where God is calling Spirit of Life, attending meetings of Spirit of Life groups. A regular work week for me has often gone well beyond 50 hours over the past three and a half years. This has been fulfilling in some ways, as those core pastoral duties are where I feel God has called me and where I get deep joy. But it’s clear to me and those close to me, that this level of work is not sustainable. To help us understand how to navigate this challenge, we as an Executive Team engaged the services of a ministry coach provided by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The ELCA has provided us with six free sessions with Coach Janny Franken, who has expertise in children, youth and family ministry, as well as church operations. We have met multiple times with Janny as a committee. I also meet with her individually in my role as pastor. Janny has helped us to discern that the next step in stabilizing, growing and improving Little Doves is to establish a team that will serve in a leadership role for the childcare. If adopted, this team could consist of congregation members and LD family members. It would be much like the teams we have in place for the food bank, music, building and grounds, and nursing. Pam Thiemann and Heather Schoone have been working in recent weeks to craft ideas and language for this team. They have researched best practices through the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (the professional association we belong to as a church with a childcare), as well as reading through historical records of Spirit of Life, talking with congregation members and working with Coach Janny. We are currently thinking and talking about ways to shift to a new education team some of the LD leadership responsibilities that currently fall to me. This shift could give me more time for pastoral duties, as well as some time for rest. The Executive Committee shared our initial ideas with Spirit of Life Church Council at the April meeting. More details will be forthcoming at the May Council meeting, as well as at the May congregational meeting. There may be a need in the future to adjust our governing documents around this proposed change. If that is the case, we will follow the rules and requirements to do so properly. We give thanks for those of the congregation and Little Doves who have entered into this conversation, as well as all the people who have over the years dedicated time, attention, resources and faith to the establishment and ongoing operations of the childcare ministry. This has truly been a labor of love on behalf of God through the people of Spirit of Life. I encourage you as a member of this community to continue to pray for the children and staff and for each other as we move into the future together. January 27, 2025
Beloveds of Spirit of Life, Grace, mercy and peace to you from God the Creator, Amen. I write to you to address the controversy over the worship service that was held on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, to mark the inauguration of President Donald Trump. No doubt you have heard at least a little bit about a sermon preached by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington DC. If you can, I encourage you to watch the entire sermon here. Or the entire service: here. . Or read the bulletin for this service here. Better yet, do all three. Why am I asking this? Because one or two sentences in a meme or sound bite cannot encompass the meaning of an entire sermon, or an entire worship service. And it’s important to understand the context of anyone’s words. If you view the entire service, you will hear prayers for a breadth of people, including the new administration. You will hear American anthems. You will see a diversity of religious leaders. The service embodied the complexity and beauty of America. In the sermon, Bishop Budde preached from Matthew 7 in which Jesus compares a house built on sand to a house built on rock. When a storm came, Jesus says, the house on sand fell; the house on rock stood solid. In the sermon, Bishop Budde recalled the solid values upon which America was founded, and the diversity of its people. In the sermon, we heard calls for unity and were reminded that no one is perfect, nor is any country. We all need humility. President Trump was reminded that millions of people have put their trust in him, and he was asked to have mercy on oppressed and frightened people. He was invited to consider thoughtfully the actions he will take as the most powerful man in the world, especially when they affect powerless people. He was challenged by the gospel of Jesus Christ. It appeared that it was hard for him to hear these words. After the service, via his social media account, he criticized Bishop Budde and demanded an apology. It was painful to watch the reactions and misinformation and division that erupted over the week. It made me think and pray. Because I pray for President Trump. I have prayed for President Trump since 2016. I was living in rural Iowa at the time, where streams of politicians poured into the state to convince voters to support them in the state’s “first in the nation” caucus. It was clear to me early on that then-Candidate Trump would be the Republican nominee. I prayed then because I was afraid and confused and angry. And I realized as I prayed to express my big feelings, I was called by God to pray FOR Donald Trump. And then, I really had to pray about that. Why God? Why are you bringing this to me in this time of prayer? Because I just want to feel cynical and worried. And I want you, God, to do something about this. (For the record, prayer can be a pain in the rear.) I pray for President Trump because 1. All God’s children need prayer 2. All leaders entrusted with great power need prayer 3. To me, President Trump seems broken and fearful, and I want healing for him, and 4. Because I find President Trump’s actions and words offensive, and Jesus compels me to love those I perceive to be my enemies (Luke 6:27; Matthew 5:44). Loving someone I find unlovable is an opportunity for prayer. For what do I pray? I pray first and foremost to stop the danger and violence that is being enacted on vulnerable people right now: people who are LGBTQIA+; people who are undocumented; people living on the margins. I pray for safety and mercy and justice to stop these inhumane actions. I pray that the brokenness in President Trump be mended, that his fears and pain, which I believe come out sideways as cruelty and arrogance, be met with God’s love and mercy. I pray that he grows in self-compassion and empathy. I pray that his heart grows soft. I pray that he looks at the cross of Christ and finds God’s message that power is found in weakness and sacrifice. I pray that the people around him open their eyes and their hearts to be more thoughtful. I pray that he recognizes that he is in need - as we all are - of repentance. That we all need a Savior. I pray that the people who are inspired by him to act with violence and hate put down their weapons. And I pray that God continues to work on me, softening my heart and helping me to see him through the eyes of Jesus. Let’s recall the story in Mark 10, about the rich young man who comes to Jesus. “Good Teacher, (the rich, young man asked) what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him. Jesus saw into this man’s heart and loved him. Loved. Him. This interaction is all the more powerful because throughout the gospels, Jesus criticizes people with great material wealth, calls out powerful people who oppress the poor and attacks religious leaders who fail to care for orphans and widows. (For example, check out the story of Jesus cleansing the Temple that appears in all four gospels: Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19; John 2.) Jesus names the problems associated with wealth and power and invites people - as he did the rich, young man of Mark 10 - to transformation. Note the second part of Mark 10, verse 21, Jesus says: “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” Jesus does this lovingly, because Jesus did not come to dwell with us to leave us where we are. Jesus comes because the reign of God envisions better life for all people. Jesus comes because the values of the reign of God are abundance and health and joy and safety and mercy and justice and unity and wholeness for all people. Jesus comes not to rescue us from this world, but to demand that this world be better. That I be better. That you be better. That our lives reflect these values. Jesus comes to demand that the values of the reign of God prevail because he looks at us, knows us, and loves us. Loves me. Loves you. Loves President Trump. Do you feel the tension? (If you don’t, not to worry, I am feeling enough tension for all of us.) This is the tension of being a Christian in 21st Century America. We are called to, and can and should, love people, and as a result, we can’t leave them where they are. We can’t remain ourselves where we are. When the rich young man in Mark 10 hears Jesus’ words about selling what he owns and giving the money to the poor, the gospel writer tells us this in Verse 22: "When (the young man) heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions." He went away grieving. Jesus’ words were tough for this young man to hear. They called into question his values and the life he had built. Did the young man go away to do what Jesus invited him to do? Or did he walk away from Jesus to return to his old life? We don’t know. What we do know is that this story invites us to think about our own lives, our own priorities, the idols we’ve built, and the loving way in which Jesus constantly calls us repent and reform and transform. President Donald Trump walked away from the National Cathedral last Tuesday doing his own kind of grieving. It came out sideways in name-calling, cruelty and anger. It inspired others in power to lash out, too. In the past this type of behavior has made me feel sick. (Yes, this is also while I have been praying for him. Did I mention tension?) I turned to Martin Luther’s teaching of the 8th commandment about not bearing false witness against our neighbor. Luther taught that not only should we not bear false witness (lie) about other people, but that we should put their intentions and actions in the best possible light. For me, this has meant trying to look beyond President Trump’s angry words and quick reactions, to glimpse the pain and fear and hurt below the surface. To see him through the eyes of Jesus. And so, I pray for President Trump. I pray that God continues to work on him, inviting him, transforming him, softening him. I pray that God continues to work on me, opening my eyes, softening my heart, inviting me to defend and help people in harm’s way. I pray that we all live out the values of the reign of God and in those actions, find the unity that we so badly need in this moment. Grace and peace to you, Pastor Marietta Spirit of Life's annual report for 2024 is available here.
The rain has begun to fall, and darkness descends earlier and earlier as we slip into winter rhythms here in the Pacific Northwest. I know this season gets some mixed reviews, but I'm here to advocate for cozying up to it and resting in the quiet if you can. Darkness is holy. God created in darkness. God embraced darkness, giving us the night that makes time for us to rest our bodies and minds from the bright busy world of the day. Throughout this season (what we as Christians call Advent) as we move toward Christmas, at Spirit of Life we will be celebrating darkness as we wait for God's Light to the World, Jesus, to be born. We will mine the depths of what it means to wait, to anticipate, to seek that glimmer of dawn that only appears if it's dark. We will sing the beautiful song, Holy Darkness, each week in worship. As you prepare for Christmas and all it may involve for you, I invite you to take some time each day to pause and breathe, to rest in the quiet, to gaze at cloudy skies and remember God's intentional, shadowy pause. And if you have some time, here are some great devotional recommendations for Advent: A free Advent devotional booklet from author Kate Bowler. This booklet comes in three versions: printable, interactive PDF; mobile (to be used on your smartphone). A free Advent printable devotional booklet from the bishops of four North American churches, including the ELCA A free Advent devotional from ELCA Young Adults Ministry. This devotional focuses on the plight of Palestinians living in the Middle East, with particular focus on Christian Palestinians in this time of war. There are printable materials, and also webinars and online events throughout Advent. A free Advent devotional from Lutheran Hour Ministries that is available in print or your can listen online. From the Bible Project, a free series of videos offering a background on the season of Advent as well as focus on the four Advent words: hope, joy, peace and love. There is a printable guide to go along with the videos. A few other notes about Advent with Spirit of LIfe. We will gather for soup and a simple worship service on Wednesday nights in Advent: Dec. 4, 11, and 18. This will be held in the sanctuary. You are invited to bring soup or bread or simply your appetite and your presence. This is a time to pause mid week in Advent and gather with your friends to embrace the spirit of Advent and Christmas. "A LIttle Christmas Spirit" movie featuring the kids of Spirit of Life and Little Doves Children's Learning Center will be shown in worship on Sunday, December 22. This will be followed by fellowship time with Christmas cookies. Christmas Eve service with Spirit of Life will be held on December 24 at 4 pm. Peace, Pastor Marietta *This message was shared with the Spirit of Life community on November 8, 2024, following the national election on November 5, 2024.
Dear Beloveds of Spirit of Life, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. - John 14:27 Jesus spoke these words to his followers as he was preparing them for the tragedy and trauma of his crucifixion. We read them aloud during our election prayer vigil on Sunday, and they are more powerful today than ever. The peace of Christ which passes all understanding be with you all as we process individually and collectively the results of the national election on Tuesday. No matter how we feel about the election’s outcome, it seems most of us have reacted deeply. This has been one of the most difficult and contentious seasons in our life as a modern country. And as we move through the coming weeks and months toward what will likely be great change, I invite you to remember our fall worship series, I’ve Been Meaning to Ask. The questions of this series opened us to ourselves, to God and to each other. We asked: Where does it hurt? What do you need? Where are you from? And where do we go from here? In Conversation Church you were vulnerable in your sharing and learned that we have more in common than we think, and that we are more alike than we realize. Lean into the community building spirit of this faith community. Lean into your own longing to be part of something beyond yourself. Lean into the Holy Spirit that calls us over and over to God and to each other. We have been divided. We have been fragmented. Some people have been targeted. There are people among us and around us who fear for their safety, their relationships and their lives. If you feel called to do so, pay particular attention to them in this fragile moment. Beloveds, we are called to follow the way of Christ and draw toward Christ in the waters of baptism and the abundance of the communion table. Get curious. Lead with compassion and empathy. Practice humility and gentleness. God bless all of us as we walk this path into God’s future together. Peace, Pastor Marietta  By Karen Whistler On Friday, Pastor Marietta shared a helpful resource (click here) for supporting kids through the tension and stress they may be absorbing from the election. It included a book list and I instantly felt a strong connection This was just what I needed. We have been struggling as a family to explain the current political reality to our kids. Tuesday night we watched the election coverage and our daughter got out her Kamala Harris book and was waving it in the air to show her vote . We tried to keep things at the highest, most kid-appropriate level. As a family we talk a lot about kindness. So we mostly focused on the tone of each candidate in our discussions and used this as an opportunity to talk about how US government works in general. On Wednesday, as a family we had conversations around the outcome of the election. It was not easy. From the perspective of kindheartedness, we struggled to understand why the candidate that we observed as someone who focused often on kindness and lifting people up lost to the candidate who we observed as saying unkind things and sometimes putting people down. All people are imperfect, but from the perspective of kindheartedness this was our focus. When Pastor Marietta sent the list, I found myself diving full energy into getting these books ... some way to channel my own tension into ‘something’ as a coping strategy. I went through the list and checked to see which books are available in the Kitsap Library system. Then I put ones they have on hold. Turns out you can have 40 active holds, and check out 100 books. Go Library! I soon realized that I was hoarding all these great resources and wanted to find a way to share the collection. My neighborhood and our church immediately came to mind. Lightbulb! Kindness Book Corner was born. The shift to focus on kindness and compassion in my own heart was a helpful one for me. I spent some time reading each book, absorbing the message and taking in beautiful illustrations. Something shifted in me. I can be the kindness I want to see in the world. I can breathe right here and simply be. Grounding to my current place and moment. It is helpful for me to live from this place instead of over-indexing on the larger scale and ambiguous future. This past Sunday I had about half the library books and another dozen or so books we own. I will bring the full set for the next Sunday or two. We will make sure they are available before and after church. You can take one for the week if you’d like, just write down the book title and your name on the provided sheet. I invite everyone to slowly spend time in a book or two as a mindfulness moment. Some of these books are breathtakingly gorgeous. I am the Lord your God who brought you out the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me - Exodus 20:1-3
This is the ancient and timeless promise that God makes. In our story from scripture it is to the people of Israel - the ancestors of our modern faith. And these words speak across time and space to us today. For we are people who live under the specter of captivity too. And the gods of modern life are plentiful. Trauma of yesterday and today can trap us in mistrust and cynicism. Judging and being judged produces anxiety, no matter what side of that equation we experience. We are captive to financial situations, family dynamics, the demands of our jobs, the falsehoods of social media. Our gods become busyness, striving, and keeping up with what we think is the “good life.” How can we rest? How can we become a people of God’s enough? Our stewardship series this fall began on October 13 and has been focusing on the promises that God made to the ancient Israelites - promises of food and resources and rest and freedom. We have heard the stories of God’s provision. We have considered how they speak into our own lives. This stewardship season, I invite you to pray over how God’s provision for you might flow into the community of Spirit of Life. This faith community means so much to so many. What does it mean to you? And how can you invest the enough that God provides for you - in time, talent and tithe - in Spirit of Life? As we move toward the end of our stewardship season in mid-November, you will receive in the mail a letter and some forms asking for your response on how you will share your gifts with Spirit of Life in 2025. We will receive these forms from you during worship on Consecration Sunday, November 17. If you have questions or would like more conversation about stewardship season, these biblical stories, the inner-workings of Spirit of Life, please let me know. I would love to chat with you. Reach out to [email protected] or call the church office 360 876 5094. Peace Pastor Marietta Conversation Church will kick off our fall worship series, I've Been Meaning to Ask ... This special worship event on Sunday, September 8, will give everyone the chance to dive into scripture about God's love for us and God's call that we befriend each other (John 15:9-17), and then put that love into practice. Below is the detailed plan for the service. If you have questions, or want to help out that day, please email Pastor Marietta at [email protected] or call her, 360 876 5094.
*This is the only time during this series we will hold this type of worship service. The other four Sundays (Sept 15, 22, 29 and Oct. 6) will be Spirit of Life's regular worship service format.* CONVERSATION CHURCH GATHERING (Chairs will be arranged in a larger outer circle and a smaller inner circle. People will be encouraged to sit across from each other. As people enter and find their seats, make sure each participant has the printed scripture and a pen, and that two prayer cards (either index cards or Post-it notes) are placed under each chair. Welcome participants to the space, Invite people to introduce themselves to the person sitting directly across from them. Invite them to share their names, how long they’ve been involved at church, and what super power they would choose for themselves.) CALL TO WORSHIP To begin this hour of worship together, we will start with a kinesthetic call to worship. I invite you to close your eyes. Take a deep breath in, and release it. First, I invite you to pay attention to touch. What do you feel? Feel your feet on the ground. Feel the earth supporting you. Thank it for holding you up. Feel the softness of the clothes on your body. Thank them for protecting you from the elements. Feel the chair behind your back. Thank it for providing you a place to belong. Now I invite you to transition to sound. What do you hear? Listen for the sound of the breeze. Listen for the sound of the wind in the trees. Listen for the sound of your heartbeat. Listen for the sound of the rustles that come with community. Let all of these sounds remind you that God is in this space, and that we are not alone. Now I invite you to open your eyes. What do you see? Look around this space. Notice who is here. Pay attention to the elements that make this space unique—Communion, a candle, the blue sky above us. Make eye contact with a neighbor. Now breathe in and breathe out. Repeat after me: This space is holy. This space is special. God is here. We are open to possibility. MUSIC Help Us Accept Each Other PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION Jesus, you asked questions as much as you answered them. You never shied away from conversation. You were always sparking curiosity, opening people’s minds, and engaging in the art of connection with everyone around you. As we come to your Word and as we approach one another today, give us the same curiosity, openness, and connection. We are here. We are listening. Amen. SCRIPTURE Invite participants to grab their printed scripture and pen, as they will be prompted to doodle and annotate the text as it’s read aloud three times. Three different worship leaders read the scripture aloud. A reading from John, the 15th chapter, verses 9 through 17. 9 “As the Father loved me, I too have loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 I have said these things to you so that my joy will be in you and your joy will be complete. 12 This is my commandment: love each other just as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than to give up one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I don’t call you servants any longer, because servants don’t know what their master is doing. Instead, I call you friends, because everything I heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you could go and produce fruit and so that your fruit could last. As a result, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. 17 I give you these commandments so that you can love each other.” First read-through: As you hear God’s Word, underline the words or phrases that stand out to you. Second read-through: This time, circle the words or phrases that stand out to you. You might find yourself circling new words, or some of the same words from our first reading. Final read-through say: This time, doodle around the edges of the scripture or write questions and phrases in the margins. Make notes. CONVERSATION AND CONNECTION Having heard and meditated upon scripture, we are now going to engage in a time of conversation and connection. Instead of a formal sermon, we'll spend the next 30 minutes getting to know one another better, proclaiming the good news of the gospel through conversation and listening. Our hope is that by the end of the service, you will have gained a new friend, learned something new about someone, or found a new connection. We will guide you through the process, so simply follow along, and remain open. We invite you to engage in conversation with the person sitting directly across from you. Throughout our time, we will shift the inner and outer circles around, allowing you to meet different people. You can take your scripture passage paper with you when you move. Conversation round 1 (6 mins) Participants will begin their first round of conversation with the person sitting directly across from them (they introduced themselves at the beginning of the service). Prompt 1: What or who feels most like home to you? Why? Conversation round 2 (6 mins) Invite the inner circle to stand and move two chairs to their right to find a new conversation partner. When they sit, prompt them to introduce themselves and share their favorite road trip snack. Prompt 2: What is something you have learned about yourself in the past year? Conversation round 3 (6 mins) Invite the outer circle to stand and move three chairs to their left to find a new conversation partner. When they sit, prompt them to introduce themselves and share if they are a morning person or a night owl. Prompt 3: Share a key moment in your faith journey. How did that moment shape what you believe today? Conversation round 4 (6 mins) Invite the inner circle to stand and move two seats to their right to find a new conversation partner. When they sit, prompt them to introduce themselves and share their favorite summer activity. Prompt 4: Share a memory related to food—a family recipe, a baking ritual, or a time of breaking bread with loved ones. REFLECTION AND PRAYER WALL (Invite participants to reflect and pray. Play the song, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, while people reflect. ) We invite you into a time of prayer and reflection. Reach under your chair and grab the index cards and a pen. As music plays, write a response to the following prompts on your prayer cards: Prayer card 1—What made you feel connected in your conversation? Prayer card 2—What is something you learned about yourself or a partner? Once you have written your responses, please come add your prayer cards to our prayer wall. WELCOME NEW MEMBERS MUSIC A Covenant of Grace SENDING Family of faith, as you leave this place, may God grant you the curiosity to counter assumptions, the vulnerability to befriend, the bravery to speak your truth, the wisdom to listen, the strength to ask for help, the resiliency to chose love, even when it’s hard, And the awareness of the Holy Spirit always beside you. In the name of the Great Connector—Love itself, Go in peace. Love each other. Thanks be to God  Did you know that more than 30 people have become members of Spirit of Life in the past three years? What a gift that God has called these folks into this community! What a gift that we have come through the Covid-19 pandemic and emerged as a community in Christ that continues to be a place of invitation and openness.
Now as we continue on the path that God has set for us, how can we all get to know God and each other better? How can we become a community that prioritizes belonging and celebrates the diversity and quality of people God has gathered? These are the questions we are asking ourselves in this season. - Church leadership is currently reading the book Belonging, by Lutheran scholar Karoline Lewis. - New efforts are underway to support and encourage the Little Doves Children's Learning Center staff, so they too grow in their sense of belonging and connection. - As a whole community, we'll be part of this series, I've Been Meaning to Ask, by implementing curiosity, courage and connection to listen to each other, create space for compassionate dialogue, and dream about what belonging looks like at Spirit of Life. We begin on Sunday, September 8, with a special worship service, Conversation Church. (More on that in the next blog entry.) This one-time worship event will offer a chance for you all to get to know each other better through scripture, fellowship and conversation. We will focus on John 15:9-17 to lead our conversation that day. To be followed by ice cream sundaes! The following four Sundays we will return to our regular worship format, and consider these questions: September 15: I've been meaning to ask, where are you from? (Scripture: Genesis 2:4b-15 and John 1:35-51.) September 22: I've been meaning to ask, where does it hurt? (Scripture: 1 Samuel 1:1-18 and Mark 5:21-43.) September 29: I've been meaning to ask, what do you need? (Scripture: Job 2:11-13 and 2 Timothy 4:9-18) October 6: I've been meaning to ask, where do we go from here? (Scripture: Ruth 1:1-22 and Acts 10) May this series help us to behold each other as images of the divine. May it help us strengthen our capacity for empathy and compassion. May it remind us of the power of asking unassuming questions. May it show us that courage is rooted in the heart. Through vulnerability and authenticity, may our courageous conversations lead us to glimpse hope, joy, and beauty—and to become the community God created us to be. In Peace, Pastor Marietta |
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