Another beautiful contemplative service with music in the style-of-Taize for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost from St Andrews Episcopal Church in Seattle. And as November 15th is the beginning of Celtic Advent it seems fitting that the final song “Deep Peace” is a beautiful Celtic Blessing.
Carrie Grace Littauer, prayer leader, with music by Kester Limner and Andy Myers.
Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-710-756 with additional notes below.
“The Kingdom of God” and “Nada Te Turbe” are songs from the Taize community – copyright and all rights reserved by GIA/Les Presses de Taizé.
“Step by Step ” – This song was written by the American folk musician Pete Seeger, and appears on the album “Songs of Struggle and Protest 1930-1950”, released in 1964. I believe it’s currently in the public domain, and if it isn’t, I think Pete would have wanted us to share it anyways.
“Kyrie for November 15, 2020” – Text and music by Kester Limner, shared under the Creative Commons License, Attribution (CC-BY).
“Deep Peace (Celtic Blessing) – Text: Celtic traditional, adapt. Ray Makeover
Text and music copyright 2009 Ray Makeover, Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.
by Tom Sine
We have just witnessed one of the most divisive elections in America’s history.
I am particularly concerned at how divisive this election has been for those of Christian faith. Now that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been elected as president and vice president, whatever our political views, we as Christians need to find ways to work together for changes that promote the common good.
I urge Christians from all traditions to reach out in a spirit of love to those who voted differently than you did. We all need to also pray that God will give President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris wisdom as they seek to lead this country for all Americans in these difficult times.
I also urge Christians, in all our communities, to start gathering with church members and neighbors, not to discuss political differences, but rather to start working together on how to reduce the increasing COVID contagion, illness and death of a projected December Pandemic Crisis!
All churches need to start planning with community leaders, before Thanksgiving, to consider important steps to reduce the threat of this new Pandemic Crisis:
- Consider a “virtual” celebration in your own family for both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year as in the example that AARP describes in my last post;
- Encourage your church and leaders in your community to contact the CDC and secure some of the resources they offer to communities to more effectively address some of the concerning challenges with COVID-19 coming our way this winter.
Since I wrote that post on a virtual Thanksgiving, Christine and I have decided to have a Zoom Thanksgiving to avoid gatherings in our home unless we are able to gather out of doors with masks. Christine and I are going to celebrate a Zoom Thanksgiving with her nephew and wife and their two preschoolers in Australia. We will not only plan to visit as we eat but will also plan some activities after the meal by way of Zoom. “As Thanksgiving approaches, this might be the first major holiday in which families hold a beloved traditional meal together via an online teleconference, rather than around the same table, which ups the stakes for hosts.”
There is a real danger that Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings in 2020 could become contagion sites for spreading the Coronavirus to our dearest family and friends. The reason for this warning is that we seem to have lost control of the vicious pandemic in the United States as we head into the holidays.
Waking up to a Pandemic Crisis as we race into the holiday season 2020!
As of November 5, more than 9.6 million people across every state, Washington DC and four territories have tested positive for the virus, more than 235,000 with the virus have died.
With coronavirus cases surging across the country, we’re solidly in the midst of a “third wave of COVID-19, which is shaping up to be the worst yet. Last week alone, the U.S. saw a staggering half a million new cases, and more than 20 states reported record daily levels. On Thursday, the daily caseload reportedly topped 115,000-116,707 new infections.”
Connecting Your Churches and Community to the CDC
Given the growing COVID-19 as race into the holiday season we urge you and leaders in your church or community organizations to contact the CDC and invite them to show your community to create a process to both:
- Identify the ways COVID-19 is projected to spread in your community
- Learn from connecting to leaders in the CDC how your community, can join communities all over the US, in developing practical ways to enable people to reduce exposure as well as secure help when they may need it.
Here are some practical instructions the CDC has posted to help communities anywhere in the United States to reduce the vulnerability of people where you live. Read what they offer. Then if you and others in your community feel these resources might be valuable for your community as we head into a very concerning winter, contact the CDC and they will explain how to secure their good help.
“As some communities in the United States begin to plan and hold events and gatherings, the CDC offers the following considerations for enhancing protection of individuals and communities and preventing spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Event planners and officials can determine, in collaboration with state and local health officials, whether and how to implement these considerations, making adjustments to meet the unique needs and circumstances of the local community. Because COVID-19 virus circulation varies in communities, these considerations are meant to supplement—not replace—any state, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules, and regulations with which gatherings must comply. Organizers should continue to assess, based on current conditions, whether to postpone, cancel, or significantly reduce the number of attendees for gatherings.”
With coronavirus cases surging across the country, we are solidly in the “CBOs (community-based organizations) work at the local level to meet community needs. They include social service agencies, nonprofit organizations, and formal and informal community groups, like neighborhood groups or recreational or special-interest clubs. Depending on the nature of their work, a CBO’s stakeholders may include volunteers, members, clients, supporters, patrons, program participants, and event attendees.
These considerations are meant to supplement—not replace—any state, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules, and regulations with which organizations must comply. CBOs can determine, in collaboration with state and local health officials, whether and how to implement these considerations, making adjustments to meet the unique needs and circumstances of the local community. CBOs should continually assess, based on current conditions, how to modify their operations and programming to both advance their mission and protect their staff and stakeholders.
CBOs may also benefit from reviewing CDC’s COVID-19 information focused on workplaces, events and gatherings, food service providers, youth sports, youth and summer camps, childcare programs, and people at higher risk of severe illness.”
If you, your church, and community draw on the resources of the CDC, as we head into a more risky winter, we would welcome learning what resources you drew on and the difference it made in your own live and those in your community. Email me with your responses.
by guest writer Lucinda Smith
The air is colder, the clouds denser, the green leaves are subtly turning and the crisper, browner ones already lie crunchy beneath our feet. Autumn is slipping into winter, here in England. The seasons come and go, bringing a rhythm and a structure to the years – they tell of things past and those that are yet to come – sun and sand and dappled grass recede, exposing us once again to dark mornings and central heating, thick jumpers and hot chocolate.
Sometimes though, we find ourselves unexpectedly in a season of life that feels out of sync – as though the order has been reversed or harshly interrupted, without either our knowledge or permission. It jolts us and catches us unawares. This is where I find myself today. This is where many, across the world, find themselves, due to Covid-19. We have been thrown sideways, and are struggling to find our feet, again.
It’s always tempting to ask God, the ‘why?’ questions, but He seems seldom to answer those. When we find ourselves facing an unplanned turn of events, it’s better to ask the ‘what?’ or ‘how?’ questions. A new chapter, an enforced season of rest or of activity, a pandemic – what can this unforeseen situation teach me about who you are, Father God? How can I be more like Jesus in it?
Solomon, in the book of Ecclesiastes (3:1-8) writes these wonderful words:
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
Our lives as well as the world of nature, are marked by seasons and cycles – birth, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age and death. When we are old we become childlike again – from dust we came, and to dust, we shall return. As Solomon says, nothing lasts forever, nothing is set in stone. Let’s choose to yield to God’s presence and leading, as we navigate the known and unknown, with Him.
The Lord of winter and spring, summer and autumn wants to be sought and found, in the changing and varied seasons of our fragile humanity. He is not shocked or surprised by what we didn’t see coming. His promise to us is always, ‘I will be with you’. Really, what more could we ask for?
Bio for Lucinda Smith
Lucinda is married to Steve, a GP, and they live in Preston, Lancashire. She has four children, seven grandchildren and a lovely chocolate Labrador! The subject she is most passionate about is IDENTITY, and, in the days before Covid 19, she spoke regularly at women’s breakfasts and small conferences. She is currently in the process of writing a book, The Red Thread, based around the story of adopting their fourth child from China. In a former life, Lucinda and Steve were medical missionaries in Pakistan. She loves mentoring young women on their journeys with Jesus, walking, books, good films and cream teas!
Thanks to Photerrestrial @photerrestrial for making this photo available freely on Unsplash.com
By Lilly Lewin
I’ve actually seen several Christmas trees in windows as I’ve walked and prayed for our neighborhood since Halloween. I’m personally not ready to put up the tree (I just finally decorated for Fall and Thanksgiving!). But I am ready to start on the pilgrimage of Advent. I am ready to Lean towards the LIGHT! This weekend begins Celtic Advent. Celtic Christians start the Advent journey early beginning on November 15th and continuing on to the regular four weeks of traditional Advent in December. Celtic Christians use the 40 days before Christmas to prepare their hearts for the arrival of the LIGHT OF THE WORLD, just like the 40 days of Lent prepares us for Easter. With all that is going on right now in our world, I think we need more time to ponder the Light who is Jesus and we need more opportunities to bring LIGHT into our world.
I love that Christine’s book Lean Towards the Light this Advent & Christmas starts this week too. Order it and join us on the journey this year!
Isaiah 9:2-7 The Message (MSG)
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light.
For those who lived in a land of deep shadows—
light! sunbursts of light!
You repopulated the nation,
you expanded its joy.
Oh, they’re so glad in your presence!
Festival joy!
The joy of a great celebration,
sharing rich gifts and warm greetings.
The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants—
all their whips and cudgels and curses—
Is gone, done away with, a deliverance
as surprising and sudden as Gideon’s old victory over Midian.
What do you notice about this passage? What does the Holy Spirit highlight for you?
How have you been walking in darkness this week? What things have caused you to live in the land of deep shadows? Talk to Jesus about this?
As an act of confession, write these things down on a piece of paper and then burn them in your fireplace, fire pit or in pyrex bowl outside. Let the LIGHT of JESUS shine in these dark places.
The LIGHT bursts into the darkness and it’s cause for great celebration!
Where have you experienced the small or big joys and celebrations this week? Maybe it was a change in weather or funny video someone sent you… it doesn’t have to be super spiritual to be a glimpse of God’s LIGHT! Create a THANK YOU/Gratitude window in your home with POST IT NOTES. Write down the things that are bringing you joy, the places you’ve seen or experienced LIGHT and other things your are grateful for and create a stained glass window with post it notes.
Create a Thank You Window
What could you do to experience more “festival joy” this week or the days ahead as Advent begins? Take some time to think, pray and plan with Jesus. You might plan something with your spouse, your roommates or your children.
The people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Matthew 4:16
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” JESUS
How do you need the LIGHT of JESUS to dawn in your life this week? Talk to Jesus about this.
CREATE YOUR OWN ADVENT WREATH OR CANDLE TRAY
starting Advent in Fall Colors
- Create an Advent wreath or candle tray. I’ve used all sorts of candles. The tray above has 7 candles for the 6 weeks before Christmas and a Candle to represent JESUS THE LIGHT. Light these each night starting with Celtic Advent on Sunday, Nov. 15th and then when the first week of Advent starts on Sunday, Nov. 30th, take away the two extras and you will have the 4 traditional candles and one representing JESUS THE LIGHT left on the tray.
Advent CANDLE tray
BRING LIGHT TO THE WORLD
Pray with a Map
- FIND A MAP OF THE WORLD and begin to Pray for Places to see and experience the LIGHT OF THE WORLD. You can print out a map you find on the internet, find one at a store, or even buy a shower curtain with the map of the world to use as a table cloth to remind you to pray for the LIGHT OF JESUS to shine in dark places. You can use tea light candles to add your map to highlight specific places you are praying for or you can use glow in the dark stars if you have younger kids or just want some fun! Print out a map, write down your prayers on the map, or draw on it with bright colors, bringing the LIGHT of JESUS to those countries you are praying for today. You can keep your map out throughout Advent adding candles and/or stars and praying for more places to celebrate and know the LIGHT and LOVE OF JESUS.
TASTE SOME SALT
SALT and LIGHT
3. TASTE SOME SALT and LIGHT ANOTHER CANDLE… Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world–like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all.
Matthew 5:1-15
Put out some salt, a box, a salt shaker, a small bowl of salt. Taste a bit each day to remind you to bring flavor of Jesus to your world. When you see a salt shaker, let it be a reminder to bring the FLAVOR OF JESUS to your family, friends, coworkers, housemates etc. As you taste the salt and/or see a SALT SHAKER/CONTAINER pray for someone you know who needs the love and LIGHT of Jesus this Advent.
PLAY SOME MUSIC
LIGHT a Candle and LISTEN
Play or LISTEN TO MUSIC. There are three songs below about salt and light. Take some time to listen to other music that brings you joy and helps you see the LIGHT. Create your own playlist of songs to help you experience more JOY and LIGHT in the days ahead.
If you are leading worship this Advent or leading a group online, join me for a workshop next Friday, Nov. 20th via Zoom at 2pm Central Time TITLE: FreerangeWorship Workshop: Creating and Experiencing Sacred Space Worship in Unfamiliar Times. We will experience online worship together and I’ll give you ideas for Advent, Christmas and Healing post-election. Message me for the details. And check out the Advent and Christmas Sacred Space Kits that are great for worship if you are able to meet in person and can be created in a COVID-safe way.
FreeRangeWorship Workshop
Also, check out Christine’s Advent Retreat that can be experienced on your own time. And mark your calendars and join us for BLUE CHRISTMAS on December 8th. It will be a multi-sensory gathering of friends from all over the world acknowledging the many emotions of the season, especially in 2020!
So many ways to help you experience more of the LIGHT of JESUS in this crazy time. Don’t try to do all of them. Pick one or two that will help you connect more with JESUS and others this season. Even just simply lighting a candle each morning with your coffee and asking Jesus to bring his light to your day is enough!
For those who lived in a land of deep shadows—
light! sunbursts of light!
by Lisa DeRosa
Tomorrow, November 13th is World Kindness Day. Especially this year, I appreciate that this celebration follows closely behind election day in the US, when we need this reminder the most.
Its purpose is clearly stated “to highlight good deeds in the community focusing on the positive power and the common thread of kindness which binds us.”
I appreciated reading the ideas that the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation gives for #MakeKindnessTheNorm. So practical, simple, and easy to do while distant socializing! Check out 35 more if you need ideas!
Yes! Magazine shares images in “Some Kind of Wonderful” as an artistic representation of kindness to neighbors during the pandemic.
One resource I found is Kindness Matters, which is “a campaign designed to improve the way all people interact with each other. It is in honor of 13 year old Peyton A. James, who took his life after years of being bullied.” Sadly, Peyton was not alone in his action of ending his life due to bullying… “Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC.” My heart aches for those who have lost loved ones due to the lack of kindness of other humans in all aspects of this broken world, including bullying, rudeness, hate crimes, racism, and the list goes on.
As believers, we are called to be kind! God is so kind to us!!! It is clear throughout the Bible that as people who love God, we are to love people and show kindness towards them, because God continually shows it to us.
- Blessed are those who have learned to shout praise to you. LORD, they live in the light of your kindness. Psalm 89:15 (NIV)
- The LORD appeared to us in the past. He said, “I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. I have kept on loving you with a kindness that never fails. Jeremiah 31:13 (NIV)
- All of that will happen because our God is tender and caring. His kindness will bring the rising sun to us from heaven. Luke 1:78 (NIV)
- Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32 (NIV)
- But he has given proof of what he is like. He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven. He gives you crops in their seasons. He provides you with plenty of food. He fills your hearts with joy.” Acts 14:17 (NIV)
- You are God’s chosen people. You are holy and dearly loved. So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes. Don’t be proud. Be gentle and patient. Colossians 3:12 (NIV)
- To godliness, add kindness for one another. And to kindness for one another, add love. 2 Peter 1:17 (NIV)
Reading those verses motivates me toward a posture of kindness. I know with my busy schedule, selfishness, and excuses, it’s so easy to miss out on opportunities to be kind! But when I slow down and stop to recognize the amazing kindness that God has for me and other humans He created, I want to share that with people! Everyone can use a kind word or act in their day!
These days, even the simple act of listening to someone can feel like a huge source of kindness. In our world where there is so much noise and everyone seems to be trying to talk over one another, listening is hard to come by. Maybe that can be the small, random act of kindness that you choose for today.
What are ways that you can make kindness the norm in your life? Challenge yourself to one random act of kindness that you want to do tomorrow. Or start today! Please share what you decide with us!
For more ideas and reading about World Kindness Day, check out these posts:
November 11th is an important day of remembrance. In the U.S., it is Veteran’s Day, honoring all military veterans who have been honorably discharged. In Australia and other Commonwealth countries, it is known as Remembrance Day and in some European countries, it is called Armistice Day marking the anniversary of the end of World War I.
I wrote this prayer several years ago for Memorial Day, another U.S. holiday which honors those who have died in military service, but I feel that the prayer is also very appropriate for today as it reflects our deep desire for healing and for peace.
Prayer for Remembrance/Veteran’s Day
God we remember and we grieve,
For those who have died fighting in wars in all places and all times.
For young lives cut short before their time.
For the atrocities they experienced and perpetrated.
God we remember and we grieve,
For those who were injured.
For veterans maimed, disfigured and homeless.
For sufferers of post traumatic stress syndrome.
God we remember and we grieve,
For civilian victims of war.
For refugees who have lost families and homes
For those who were raped and tortured.
God we remember and we grieve,
May they turn our thoughts to peace and not to war.
May they turn our actions to reconciliation and not to violence.
May they encourage us to restore not to destroy.
God we remember and we grieve,
May your peaceable kingdom come,
And your will for good be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Amen
Scripture
You may also want to pray through these Bible verses for veterans that you know and for their families from CrossWalk.com
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9
The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. – Psalm 29:11
We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you. – Psalm 33:20-22
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. – Psalm 91:1-3
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.– John 14:27“
Resources and Support for Veterans
Here are a few resources that I found that could be useful for veterans in need.
- Paralyzed Veterans of America
- Counseling and Assistance Programs by Military One Source
- Soldier’s Angels
- US Department of Veteran Affairs – Employment Toolkit
Photo above: Veterans who served on the battleship Missouri attending anniversary of the end of WWII by U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 1st Class William R. Goodwin. (RELEASED) – Source, Public Domain
by guest writer Lucinda Smith
Our heads are often full of voices – voices that pull us in opposing directions. There are so many words and not enough spaces in between. These words vie for our attention and the voices seem to demand some sort of action. At least, that is how it has felt for me these past few weeks.
Sometimes, there are emotions, strong and deep, that are attached to the words and this complicates things. Some of these, I know from experience, will subside, but others feel like I will break and tear apart under their weight.
Jesus says, in John 10:4 his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
As followers of Jesus, he is our good shepherd and we are his sheep. We have chosen to follow him because we have seen and found, in him, the way to life and peace and purpose. But the ‘following after him’ can get so complicated – others are journeying with us and the path gets crowded and confusing. It’s not as simple as we had thought it would be, or perhaps, as we had been told it would be.
I am 60 years old, and have learned a few things. I have discerned that there is only one voice that I must heed. Only one voice that speaks truth. Only one of the many, is distinguished and marked by love. Only some of the myriad of words that swirl around my head, competing for my attention, only some, will bring me life. I have learned this, but am also still learning this.
Jesus says that he is the Way, the Truth, the Life. What He says is not only true, it is THE TRUTH. This must mean that his words are superior to any other words that I may be tempted to listen to. Even when they don’t feel like THE TRUTH, they are THE TRUTH, and I can choose to believe them, or not. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. They have learned to discern truth from lies.
In this same passage, Jesus says this about his sheep ‘they will never follow a stranger; in fact they will run away from him because they do not recognise a stranger’s voice’. He is so confident, isn’t he? So confident that the sheep will only listen to his voice.
Which brings me back to me, and the cacophony of sound that has filled my head just recently… ‘Jesus, I choose your voice only. I choose to focus so hard on your words that those of the stranger will drop away, as yours come into focus. Your words will never tear me down, they will not suck life out of me, they do not insult me or belittle me or cause me to consider myself to be either “too much, or not enough”. Your voice brings me comfort and is sweet and is often whispered – it reminds me of who I am and whose I am, and that is enough. You have said that I will not recognise the voice of the stranger, and therefore I choose to give it no space, no value, no power…’
————-
Bio for Lucinda Smith
Lucinda is married to Steve, a GP, and they live in Preston, Lancashire. She has four children, seven grandchildren and a lovely chocolate Labrador! The subject she is most passionate about is IDENTITY, and, in the days before Covid 19, she spoke regularly at women’s breakfasts and small conferences. She is currently in the process of writing a book, The Red Thread, based around the story of adopting their fourth child from China. In a former life, Lucinda and Steve were medical missionaries in Pakistan. She loves mentoring young women on their journeys with Jesus, walking, books, good films and cream teas!
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