Sunday, September 17
- 9:30am NSMC Hybrid Worship (contact Anne for details on how to join Zoom)
- Beginning of the 4-year Narrative Lectionary
- Theme for fall series: Who is God; Who are We
- Scripture: Genesis 18:1-15
- Speaker: Shane
- Theme: Sarah and Hagar
Tuesday, September 19
- 6:00pm ARCC (Action/Reflection Creation Care) meeting (contact Anne for details on how to join Zoom)
- Please note the earlier time and see the announcement below for more information.
Thursday, September 21
- 7:00pm Zoom Bible Study with Shane (contact Anne for details on how to join Zoom)
- Join us for a study of the gospel of John
Sunday, September 24
- 9:30am CCMC Hybrid Worship (contact Anne for details on how to join Zoom)
- Scripture: Genesis 32
- Theme: Jacob Wrestles with God
On Tuesday, September 19, the ARCC (Action/Reflection Creation Care) meeting will be at 6:00pm instead of the usual 7:00pm because of the content of the meeting. We will be watching and listening to a live webcast from Anabaptist World entitled So We and Our Children May Live: Following Jesus in Confronting the Climate Crisis, led by Sarah Augustine. Sarah, a Pueblo (Tewa) woman, lives with her family in White Swan, Washington. She is the Executive Director of the Dispute Resolution Center of Yakima and Kittitas Counties, and is a member of Seattle Mennonite Church.
To join the live webcast, please use this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QdCot9L3xQ
Everyone is welcome to join us in watching.
–from the Supportive Communities Network
Please consider sharing your support for Liz Ullery Swenson (she/her), a queer pastor who will be ordained in Pacific Northwest District Church of the Brethren on October 15! You are also invited to attend the service (info at bottom).
Both on account of the beautiful, creative lgbtqia-centric ministry Liz does with WildWood Gathering (an SCN member) and mindful of the abusive, homophobic backlash she’s received from parts of the denomination, we thought it would be meaningful for Liz and her community to receive messages of support from lgbtqia-affirming Mennonites and Brethren.
You are encouraged to send notes of support and celebration to Glenn Brumbaugh at vicarglenn@gmail.com or Olympic View Community Church, 425 NE 95th St, Seattle, WA. Glenn will collect all the messages together and gift them to Liz at her ordination service.
Liz has shared that she holds this to be a truly collective celebration, in recognition of many who have worked so hard to make a queer ordination possible. And, gaining rights to ecclesial rites, like ordination, always brings into relief the many kindred whose gifts have been rejected by the church because they are gay, lesbian, bi, trans, nonbinary, queer, women, people of color, or otherwise marginalized. We hold this anger and grief, alongside this beauty and joy.
In a time of transition, ordained and board-certified chaplain, Ruth Johnston, found herself seeking God’s guidance for a new calling. Through the recommendations of her spiritual director, Ruth learned to lean on her passions to discover where God was leading her next. Read more here: mennoniteusa.org/gods-guidance-spiritual-direction
Kevin Chupp, pastor at Mennonite Church of Normal (Illinois) in Central District Conference and a graduate of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, uses his experience with clerical garb to explain why the church’s openness in theology and dress drew him to the Mennonite tradition. Read his experience here: mennoniteusa.org/openness-pulpit
–from Creation Justice Ministries 52 Ways to Care for Creation
Natural Protected Areas
Learn about the state parks, city parks, and/or national parks closest to you. Is there a protected beach? A marine sanctuary? A protected forest?
–from Creation Justice Tips | United Methodist Church
Look for Bees and Butterflies
Does the church have a pollinator garden? Check on it regularly as an “I-spy” adventure or an art activity. Do the children see the bees and butterflies? The array of bright colors? Talk about the importance of even a tiny insect for creating food and delight. Talk about how the church is committed to taking care of God’s creatures. Share the books, The Thing About Bees: A Love Letter or Honey Bee.
Sustainable Church Events
As the church plans mission trips, field trips, or retreats, think through the opportunities to practice sustainability, including asking everyone to bring refillable water bottles, providing ways for the group to minimize or compost food waste and reduce the use of paper products, and choosing a closer location and a method of transport that will reduce emissions. Encourage participants to be mindful of their impact.
–from the Sierra Club
100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet
- Ask your town/city council to provide financial incentives to upgrade homes to make them more wildfire resilient, more energy efficient, and to add rooftop solar, i.e. low permit fees, rebates, zero interest loans, etc.
- Ask your town/city council to have a Climate Action Plan and to determine its baseline energy usage and GHG Emissions.
–from Ecocation
50 Ways to Save the Planet
- Don’t litter roads and highways.
- Use scrap paper for informal notes to yourself and others.