Epiphany #resistharm Worship Suggestions

Epiphany #resistharm worship suggestions

A person could ask, “why are you worrying about Epiphany resistance worship on Christmas Eve? Have you not known that January 1^st occurs on the first of January all year? And that Epiphany is always the 12^th Day of Christmas?" Rather than asking the question, a person could quietly proceed with doing their best and give thanks that Jesus continues to show up, on Christmas and every day.

What follows are very basic liturgy helps for those planning worship services around the themes of Epiphany and resisting the harm of the Traditional Plan - from one of your friends in the Great Plains Conference of the UMC.

Thinking about our gathered group

I am predicting that at our Omaha location our worshipping group will have quite a diversity of experience when it comes to advocacy and resistance in the UMC. Because the former Nebraska Conference endured two church trials twenty years ago, some of our folks will come with a great deal of resistance experience. Others who gather with us might be feeling very new, and perhaps will be unsure what to expect. Because of our location, we will likely be welcoming people from both the most populated areas of the state and some of our smaller towns; we may also find worshippers joining us from bordering states outside of our jurisdiction. For these reasons, at the Omaha site we hope to create a very simple flow of worship that mimics the order of worship one might find in a Sunday morning service. 

Theme

We are working from both the theme of resistance that is found in the baptismal vows, and the powerful Epiphany story of the wise ones who choose to travel home by another way.

Story-telling

This is still evolving at our sites, but I think worship participants will hear from at least one person who will help interpret the story of the wise ones choosing to travel home another way and at least one person sharing a personal story of hearing God’s call inviting them to journey towards a new way of understanding God’s will for an understanding of a diverse and inclusive embrace of all of God’s people.

Baptismal Vows

The Congregational Reaffirmation of the Baptismal Covenant found in the UMHymnal on pages 50-53 offers strong words of resistance, especially in the first two sections.

Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness,

reject the evil powers of this world,

and repent of your sin?

Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you

to resist evil, injustice and oppression

in whatever forms they present themselves?

An advantage of using this covenant from the hymnal is that draws attention to this tool of resistance. Hymnals are still fairly accessible to church members and therefore available for study by small groups and personal study. In particular, laity who feel isolated might be relieved to be reminded of this resource.

Liturgies/prayers other people wrote

I have not yet written “my own” prayers for the #resistharm Epiphany service. If and when I do, I’ll add them to this post. If someone I know writes something and gives me their permission, I will add their words.

For now, some suggestions of existing resources:

Ruth Duck, Bread for the Journey, Epiphany selections beginning on page 26

Ruth Duck, Flames of the Spirit, Epiphany selections beginning on page 25

Tirabassi and Tirabassi, Before the Amen, Epiphany section is Chapter 3

You are probably thinking, “Steph, are you just grabbing liturgy books off your shelves and reading the table of contents?” And I’m responding, “Yes. Yes I am. Our theme is universal, Epiphany prayers are universal, and we are called for such a time as this. So the story-tellers we recruit will help bring this all together.”

Other resources

In case you are trapped in a blizzard with your UMW library, I recommend The Call: Living Sacramentally, Walking Justly (McClain, Norberg, and Kruh, editors; many authors).

I strongly suggest downloading Songs for the Holy Other: Hymns Affirming the LGBTQIA2S+ Community from the Hymn Society. 

Link is here: https://thehymnsociety.org/resources/songs-for-the-holy-other/

This section may have other resources added after Christmas Eve crunch and aftermath have ended.  

Other rituals

Both Great Plains services will include the ritual of hospitality. I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but baked goods might be involved. I can not guarantee the gluten levels involved. We plan to have greeters at our outside doors, because a good number of worshippers might not have visited our worship spaces prior to these services. One location is fully equipped for slides, while the other site is more purposefully ancient modern; we will do our best to anticipate the needs of those attending so they can follow along with the order of worship.

Epiphany #resistharm Letter-writing Station tips

Hosting an Epiphany Letter-writing station in support on the #resistharm movement 

Why a letter-writing station? Writing a letter is one way to practice being an advocate, which is a form of resistance. While event planners may have significant experience with advocacy and resistance, it is likely that a number of people joining us for worship will be new to advocacy. Writing a letter is a familiar rhetorical form that allows for personal expression but also eases the stress some might feel in an in-person encounter or public speech. Be sure to remind people that writing a letter “counts,” their words and feelings matter, and we are thankful they have taken the time to express themselves.

In the Great Plains, we have asked people to write our Bishop to ask him to assist us in the quest to #resistharm. The Topeka worship service has a goal of gathering letters and delivering them after the service to the Conference office, which is also located in Topeka. The Omaha location for the Epiphany #resistharm worship service will gather letters and mail them to the office on the following Monday. Different writers will have different interpretations of what it means to resist harm; our goal is to help them express their thoughts and feelings in written form. 

Hot tips for letter-writing stations: Set up tables with chairs. Have ready in good quantity: pens and pencils that actually write; notecards and/or paper with envelopes; a list of possible general points to help writers focus their thoughts; post the name and address of who you are writing - no one likes a blank envelope - and a basket or box in which completed missives can be placed.

Even hotter tip: I'll be suggesting that all authors write their name legibly above or below their signature, list their home church, make sure retired pastors list that fact and throw in one or two of the towns they served; and include their mailing or email address just in case the recipient wants to write back. 

A bit more related to expression-inclusivity: If you've got a scrap-booker in your life, you might see if they have a decorative rubber stamp of a "stamp" or other appropriate envelope decor. I am guessing 24% of attendees would be more enthusiastic about writing a note if they knew there would be some color/design work involved. For a similar reason, a person might want to include some pieces of plain paper and crayons or markers in case participants who don't yet write, like to doodle, or need extra space would like to express themselves with personal artwork. 

The following excerpt from the Great Plains UMCNext newsletter gives some background on the context and suggested content for letters written in our Conference; we would strongly suggest planners in other locations consider their own context when inviting letters. 

On Monday November 11, Bishop Saenz issued a letter to the Great Plains conference regarding LGBTQ ordination, same-gender weddings, and the implementation of the Traditional Plan beginning January 1. He wrote about the process of charges, complaints, and trials to provide clarity and information. He does see the process of complaints and charges as divisive, having adverse impacts, and drawing us away from the mission. Even so, he writes that he is bound by the discipline and will “respond to all complaints that are submitted” according to the church processes he vowed to follow in his consecration.

We respect his episcopal authority. We empathize with the difficulty of guiding and pastoring the entirety of the Great Plains, the whole divided, beautiful, painful, transformative, and tense bunch of us. We also disagree with his decision to process complaints submitted around LGBTQ ordination and same-gender weddings. He asks all sides to have patience. He asks for folks to prayerfully consider before filing any charges and for folks to “wait with hope until after General Conference to celebrate same-gender marriages.” In twenty years, 5 months may feel like nothing. But we know it won’t really be 5 months. Most GC 2020 legislation submitted involves another called GC in the following years. Which General Conference are our LGBTQ siblings supposed to wait for to get married in the church that baptized them? Which General Conference is our LGBTQ siblings called into ministry supposed to wait for to have the permission to exist authentically? To quote the Rev. Dr. King, who knew the pain of the word ‘wait,’ “we must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.”

We ask you to write letters respectfully disagreeing with Bishop Saenz’s decision. We believe the least harmful path and most fruitful use of time is not having trials and not receiving complaints centered on same-sex weddings and the sexual orientation of clergy. We have included a sample letter and writing guide for your use. While making the ask, the most important thing you can do in this letter is tell your story. Give the Bishop your voice to hold in his heart and mind. We know he cares deeply about the Great Plains, and we want the Bishop to hear your stories.

Mermaid Sunday

It began last summer with a question about unicorns and has continued into 2019 with Mermaid Sunday.

The request came mid-summer of 2018, and was not as off the wall as one might think, given that the summer schedule already included a Unicorn Sunday and Superhero Sunday. Perhaps it was the warmth of the season, but I found myself distressed – what if someone thought it was a good idea to show up in church wearing a coconut shell bra? I called a friend that had already been briefed on my Summer Road Trip plan and asked – what do I do? We talked it out. I was short a themed worship service for August, a rough month for transitions in that tradition might hold that summer does not end until the sun sets on Labor Day Monday and yet our present reality is that school is back in session by the second week of the month. The idea of something aquatic was attractive, perhaps we could move from a Mermaid theme to a Beach theme? I have as many issues with loose sand as I do loose glitter, so we moved on. What about Aloha? A word that means hello and goodbye? More on that later. 

I’ll move the narrative to late fall. I was discussing winter worship themes with our music staff, and my mermaid advocate reflected that it might be nice to have a warm and fun Sunday in February. We looked at the calendar, and the 3^rd Sunday looked like a plausible option; a week after our church’s traditional Valentine luncheon, and also the Sunday before General Conference – a good time to spread some joy in the life of the congregation.

Our focus scripture, “I will teach you to fish for people,” came from the previous week’s lectionary (Luke 5:1-11). Who better than a mermaid to know what it’s like to call forth people? For hymns we chose “Jesus Calls Us,” “Two Fisherman,” and “Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore.” For kids time, I was prepared to either discuss mermaids or to hand out seashells, depending on the age of the people who decided to join me. I draped a blue length of fabric on the altar with a prop net, found a few votives that seemed reminiscent of sea glass, added a lantern to evoke the notion of a lighthouse, and piled up some royal blue tulle I bought at the church yard sale to look like waves. 

A note about content - I led with references to both the original Little Mermaid, written by Hans Christian Anderson, and Disney's 1989 movie of the same name. A wise friend pointed out to me during my preparation stage that while I, the daughter of Danish immigrant, might assume that this fairy tale might be people's primary reference point... others might be most familiar with the more recent movie which works from the original story as source material but "fixes" a number of the darker aspects. The original is easily found at your local library or online as a download; I'd encourage anyone planning a mermaid event to read the entirety of the original, perhaps with a hot beverage and snack. The part of the original I found most encouraging comes at the end, when the little mermaid finds immortality not because of the actions of her father or a prince, but because she is scooped up, named and claimed by the Spirits of the Air who assure her they have always known her and appreciate her acts of kindness. I don't want to spoil it for you; I do encourage you to read the story for yourself and ponder how the tale interacts with the Christian notion of God's call upon our lives. 

Where I wound up goes like this: we believe in a God whose nets are big enough for all of us. The fisherman who answered the call took an incredible risk; and our lives since then have included stories of others who have taken great risks. Examples of risk in our own church include managing a 100+ plot community garden, filling and delivering backpacks to the neighborhood elementary school, hosting 50+ children at our kids day out and preschool, and planning goofy theme Sundays that entice visitors to come see what will happen next. In the midst of the struggle, we believe that God is with us and that we are called to reach out to one another in community - so that together we might share the faith stores that have saving power and remember God's call and claim on our lives. 

SA

Sabbath Artist 

ps We had a grand time at our "mermaid party" between services. Stations included creating sugary edible clams and oysters; paper mermaid tails; clothespin magnet mermaid clips; and rubber stamped bookmarks and notecards. Sunday School attendance set a winter record in spite of cold and snow; 31 adults and kids joined us for the craft stations and mermaid treats. 

Sometimes the bag of tulle is really a bag of someone's costume and you try it on. 

"after photo" - altar for Mermaid Sunday.

Anchored in Faith: Preparing for General Conference

Anchored in Faith, Steve Raglin Design

We’ve known for almost three years that at some point in the years ahead there would be a historically significant meeting of the UMC governing body. In time, facts appeared: specific dates in late February 2019 and a specific location in St Louis MO. Specific legislation, some of it ruled out of order, some of it revised.  Specific opinions have been written, spoken, consolidated and guessed at.

My concern has been manifold; I come to this meeting knowing I will be present physically, spiritually and emotionally as a reserve delegate from the Great Plains UMC. I come knowing that I will be returning to the parish I serve in Lincoln, Nebraska. And I am aware that anyone with an interest in the content of this meeting does so with an amalgam of roles and relationships. I think about the candidates for ministry that I mentor, the cluster of churches I lead, friends and family for whom the matter of welcome in the church is both deeply personal and hurtful, and I wonder how I will explain what happened at this meeting that has not yet happened. 

In the midst of this time of both waiting and revelation, I have been waiting for a revelation of a different sort. I have been searching for images, words and systems to help me see the way through a smothering quantity of emotions, facts, projected outcomes and opinions.

Last fall a word came to me, “anchor.” The anchor I saw with my mind’s eye had settled onto the bottom of a body of water. As the boat above it moved in the water, and as the water itself moved, the anchor also moved, tracing imperfect swirls and arcs in the silt on which it rested. I found this image of movement helpful. I found hope in the notion that a working tool could still have play in its being while remaining functional. I wondered about the mission of the Church and what it is that anchors us as a people, and I wondered how the movement of the waters around us might help us draw an arc that would be freeing rather than constricting.

Shortly after the image of the anchor came to me, I found myself reflecting on baptism. It was fall, and I was finalizing worship themes for the months from Advent through Lent. Our theme for that unofficial quarter was “Journey,” reflecting on the many thresholds and journeys that are found in the scriptures of those seasons. I’ve long cherished the creativity of the Wise Ones, who after being warned in a dream take the creative risk to return home by another way. One of the next scriptures we read is the story of another creative risk – the risk we take in baptism when we recognize and accept God’s claim on our lives as God’s children. Named and Claimed – pleasant to say, soothing and calming at times. But also a commitment on our part to listen for our name, to listen for God’s claim on our lives and then to act in concert with the accompanying vision of community and justice.

I’ve been collecting anchors since fall - charms, goofy sweaters, rubber stamps with various depictions of anchors. I’ve been collecting water and baptism images – shells, blue scarves, an aquamarine pendant. I’ve also been collecting faith stories of people who have heard God’s call on their lives and who have chosen to anchor their communities in faith, who have learned to help those who feel lost by calling out their name, whose lives are focused on claiming and naming God’s love for all people. It is in these stories that I found my quiet center, the space were I remember God's love abides now and always. 

I am unclear what the specific outcomes of General Conference will be. I am very clear that as people of faith we are anchored in the knowledge that we will be at our best when we are anchored in our faith as expressed by the baptismal claim on our lives. Named and claimed. Claimed for ministry in all the world, named as children of God, loved as we are.

SA

Sabbath Artist

PS I’ve been learning about anchors, and am happy to admit I am not an expert at all on this topic. Here’s one of my favorite lines from an article about anchors I read recently. “The earliest anchors were probably rocks.”  

This makes me giggle every time. I feel like I am at the rock stage of learning how to be anchored in faith, and I love the image of the person tossing the rock off the boat because it’s the best thing they’ve got. We are the best thing we’ve got for ministry. I’m thinking we don’t wait to be transformed into an anchor, we just take our rocky self and do our best.