“The Waters of Our Lives”
Rev. Alison Longstaff, Sept 28, 2014
Psalm 37:23-29, Luke 9: 1-6; AE 453:11
This morning we celebrated our travels and activities over the summer. I chose readings, prayers and hymns focused on water and travel, trust and community. Overall, the focus was a celebration of our accomplishments so far, as we gird our loins for the upcoming year. The readings reminded us to trust in the Lord’s
leading. To trust, and trust some more, and
keep on trusting. They also speak of how
we travel through life in community.
We need each other to get through. God works through us and we can be God's presence for each other sometimes, while God is also directly with each one of us.
Instead of a children's talk we celebrated a "water communion"---a lovely ritual brought to us from the Unitarian Universalist tradition. In it, we each came up and poured water into a common container, our baptismal font, naming the places we have been and what they meant to us. We had vessels of all shapes and sizes, and water from near and far pouring into our common bowl. It was beautiful to hear all the stories of where we have been and what we have celebrated. It makes a special space to hear and see each other, which helps us to feel more connected and know more of each others' lives.
Then we watched a slide show of all the various activities and events that we have been part of as church members this summer, including the many pictures of the renovations to our building. With a musical accompaniment, it celebrated all that we as a community are doing and how we are growing and loving each other along the way. In creating it, I worked with
the pictures I was able to find. Some events are better represented than others. Some pictures are not from this year. But overall, the presentation tried to capture the spirit of our group and of the many individuals who contribute to making BCNJ a vibrant spiritual community.
(Click on this link for the slide show)
Our Summer, 2014
This is BCNJs story for the summer. May we go forward from here, strengthened in courage and hope, continuing to grow in love and wisdom and service to our community.
The Readings
Psalm 37:23-29 (ESV)The steps of a person are established by the Lord, when we delight in His way;though we fall, we will not be cast headlong, for the Lord holds us up by our hands.I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, while the issue of the wrongdoers shall be cut off.The upright shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.
Instead of a children's talk we celebrated a "water communion"---a lovely ritual brought to us from the Unitarian Universalist tradition. In it, we each came up and poured water into a common container, our baptismal font, naming the places we have been and what they meant to us. We had vessels of all shapes and sizes, and water from near and far pouring into our common bowl. It was beautiful to hear all the stories of where we have been and what we have celebrated. It makes a special space to hear and see each other, which helps us to feel more connected and know more of each others' lives.
Then we watched a slide show of all the various activities and events that we have been part of as church members this summer, including the many pictures of the renovations to our building. With a musical accompaniment, it celebrated all that we as a community are doing and how we are growing and loving each other along the way. In creating it, I worked with
the pictures I was able to find. Some events are better represented than others. Some pictures are not from this year. But overall, the presentation tried to capture the spirit of our group and of the many individuals who contribute to making BCNJ a vibrant spiritual community.(Click on this link for the slide show)
Our Summer, 2014
This is BCNJs story for the summer. May we go forward from here, strengthened in courage and hope, continuing to grow in love and wisdom and service to our community.
The Readings
Psalm 37:23-29 (ESV)The steps of a person are established by the Lord, when we delight in His way;though we fall, we will not be cast headlong, for the Lord holds us up by our hands.I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, while the issue of the wrongdoers shall be cut off.The upright shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.
Luke 9
When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power
and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of
God and to heal the sick. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag,
no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you
leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town
and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” So they set out and went from village to village,
proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
The Apocalypse Explained 453:11 [Regarding portions of
Isaiah 33:15,17:] “to walk in honesty and to communicate justly,” means “to behave in all things according to loving-kindness, right-thinking and
deep perception.” “To walk” means to live,
“in honesty” is describing a person’s goodness, and “to communicate justly,” is
describing a person’s truthfulness or thinking. “The king in his beauty,” is describing each
of us as we progress in wisdom, for a “king” means true thinking springing from
compassion, and “beauty” means the consequent wisdom. The Divine truth in its most
beautiful form is such wisdom.
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