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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
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*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 On Sunday, July 28, 2024, we begin four weeks talking about what it means when Jesus says he is the bread of life. The main scripture associated with this term is John 6, the text from which we will read for all of these Sundays.
John is an interesting gospel - unlike the other three, Mark, Matthew and Luke, which share a lot of the same material. John is poetic, drawing on rich metaphors and images. Where the other gospels are filled with parables, John is theological, liturgical, and complex in its language about The Divine. John opens up the story of Jesus in a particular way, giving us yet another entrance point into relationship with God. BACKGROUND of JOHN: John was likely the last gospel written, and the unnamed author was aware that the other three gospels, Mark, Matthew and Luke, were available to people. John is written to a community of Jewish people who were following Christ, but who were also part of an intra-religious struggle (not unlike the conflicts that we in American Christianity have (i.e. Evangelical Lutheran Church in American v. Missouri and Wisconsin synod Lutherans). The destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in about 70 CE. the Jewish community was scattered and thrown into some chaos. The community that John was written for was in exile, a community that needed encouragement about the identity, divinity and purpose of Jesus. They needed theological language and reassurance that their beliefs were valid and could be trusted. It’s possible that it was written in the city of Ephesus, which had a large Jewish community and also a large community of Jews who were following Jesus. Or it could have been Antioch or Alexandria or Palestine. John is known as the gospel of signs. At the end of the gospel of John we read: Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31) John’s gospel is focused on establishing Jesus’ high Christology. With that focus, John establishes a sort of pattern throughout the first two-thirds of the book. Jesus does a miracle, or sign, and then offers a teaching about it. Seven Signs in John Changing water into wine 2:1–11 Healing the official’s son 4:46–54 Healing the invalid 5:1–15 Feeding the multitude 6:5–13 Walking on the water 6:16–21 Healing the man born blind 9:1–7 Raising Lazarus 11:1–44 What are the similarities between these signs? Abundance Life Inclusion Bodily needs met Connection On Sunday, July 28, we will read about one of these signs, the feeding of 5000 people. What follows in John 6, is 49 verses of teaching and interpretation of what it means when Jesus says, I am the bread of life. From John 6: After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd kept following him because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place, so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.” Another cool aspect of John's gospel are the “I AM” sayings. You may remember that in Exodus 3 Moses encounters the burning bush and God says: “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” God said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Moses argues with God about being sent to lead the Israelites. Moses is afraid. But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’ I AM Sayings in John I am the bread of life: (John 6:35) (spoken in the midst of feeding people) I am the light of the world: (John 8:12, 9:5) Jesus says this statement right before healing a man born blind, and his words and actions echo Genesis 1:3. I am the gate for the sheep: (John 10:7, 9) Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved". I am the good shepherd: (John 10:11, 14) This statement from John 10 connects Jesus to God and offers comfort. Jesus says, "my sheep listen to my voice, I know them, and they follow me". I am the resurrection and the life: (John 11:25) Jesus says, "Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on) Me, although he may die, yet he shall live". (said while raising Lazarus from the dead) I am the way the truth and the life: (John 14:6) (part of Farewell Discourse - the other major section in John - a long speech by Jesus) I am the true vine: (John 15:1) (also said during the Farewell Discourse) More to Come on Sunday! Peace Pastor Marietta Chapel for Little Doves students has been rocking out lately with some new music. Here are the videos with the motions too. The Good Song (based on Psalm 34:10) Trust in the Lord (based on Proverbs 3:5-6) Be Strong and Courageous (based on Joshua 1:9) Spirit of Life donated 140 hygiene kits to the people of Mission Creek Correctional Center for Women near Belfair. They were distributed on Feb 8, 2024. Dozens of thank you notes were collected and recently shared with us. Some are pictured below, other hand written notes are posted on the bulletin board in the church entryway. Check them out when you have some time, and remember to pray for people who are incarcerated.     Welcome to Lent 2024 with Spirit of Life. This year, we will follow Jesus, as he is up to a lot in the stories from the gospels of Mark and John. After his baptism in the Jordan River, he comes up to hear God's loving words. He makes it clear that following him means taking up a cross. He says that the temple will be raised up in three days.
In the spirit of what Jesus is up to, we're adopting a new take on Lent. Instead of giving up something you love (such as chocolate or sugar or carbs), consider “getting up to something” for the sake of The Good. What is The Good? Well, that's something we can consider together, but for the purposes of opening that conversation, let's say it's something that makes the world a better place, creating life and abundance for ourselves and others, injects a little more joy into our every day lives. Being “up to something” doesn’t have to be anything big, or life-changing, or unnecessarily piled onto an already-busy schedule. Finding “practices” that elevate our spirit can sometimes simply be a more intentional minute of reflection about something that shows up already in our lives. One way to enter into this Lenten practice is a daily journal. You can download a copy of the Daily Journal here. The journal is a fillable PDF, so you can simply store it on your computer and fill it out each day. It can also be printed. And printed copies are available at church. Another great way to enter into Lent is our UP playlist. It's available through Spotify. Click here to access it. This playlist incorporate the songs we sing in worship each week, along with some old favorites and honest, heart-breaking songs by Joy Oladokun, who sings beautifully about real life and her encounters with the Divine. |
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