Six New Things – Week of July 6, 2021
It’s a week of rescue and liberation; recalling elder’s voices; reinvigorating communal strength; revising our perspective; reality checks; rethinking our reliance on resuscitation; and reimagining rifts.
ONE
The Ministry Lab’s “July” installment of our Liberation – Summer Worship Series is [just about] ready! This worship service models engaging hybrid worship and is a gift to every congregation, with:
- preaching from Rev. Karen Larson (Zwingli UCC/Berne Church; West Concord, MN)
- Spoken Word from Joe Davis and The Poetic Diaspora
- Music from Brother Timothy and Robert Robinson
- and an embodied liturgy in collaboration with Story & Stretch’s Michel Gribble
Members: complete this four question Request Form for free access. (Not a member? This is a great excuse to become one!)
Find details about all three of our worship services here: don’t miss Rev. Tyler Sit’s Stay Awake sermon; Rev. Jia Starr Brown preaching “Believing Jesus”, is coming soon!
TWO
On October 18, 1972, Benjamin F. Chavis and nine others (the famous Wilmington Ten), were wrongly convicted of having incited race riots. Chavis spent four years in jail – and it was in the flames of that injustice that the classic Psalms from Prison (Pilgrim) were forged. They spoke to the issues of the African American struggle – and speak still, today – and they speak to all of us.
TWO
Building on the wisdom and courage of their predecessors, Jason Reynolds (Stamped) and Stacey Abrams have become powerful voices in the work of racial justice and equity. Hear Krista Tippet interview Reynolds for OnBeing’s podcast, “Imagination and Fortitude” and read Abrams’ new book Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America (Picador).
THREE
Encourage those who aren’t quite awake to the movement to open their eyes – for a new vision of God, reality, and their True Self – with Brian McLaren’s CAC podcast, Learning How to See.
Those who disengage for fear of conflict may find a new outlook with Eternal Heart: The Mystical Path to a Joyful Life (Broadleaf).
Once eyes are opened, double-down on joy by utilizing gifts for the Common Good: Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts (Upper Room).
FOUR
Keep eyes open with When Thoughts and Prayers Aren’t Enough: A Shooting Survivor’s Journey into the Realities of Gun Violence (InterVarsity).
FIVE
Reconsider your outlook on death and dying with The Lost Art of Dying: Reviving Forgotten Wisdom (Harper One).
SIX
And finally, reconsider your relationship with friction and renovation with Mission Rift: Leading through Church Conflict (Fortress) and How to Try: Design Thinking and Church Innovation (Church).
