Category Archives: Sermons

Ash Wednesday: A Reflection from Pastoral Care Intern Sara Brosnan

Ash Wednesday has always been one of my favorite moments in the liturgical year. Although my father found it morbid, I’ve always found the moment where ashes are applied to my head with the words “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return,” to be a beautiful and useful reminder of my own mortality and fallibility. But this year, Ash Wednesday is sitting a bit differently with me.  

In April of 2020, about a month into Covid 19 virus pandemic in the U.S., I received a call that my Dad, who had been battling stage 4 brain cancer, was not expected to last much longer. I quickly left work, and drove from Western MA to my parent’s home in Silver Spring, MD. The specter of death was everywhere on my drive. I arrived home and was able to spend time with my father before he died early the next morning. 

Given my own experience with death and the relentless death toll from Covid 19, likely to be over half a million by the time you read this, I don’t need a reminder of my own mortality this year, and I suspect none of you do either. I also suspect that there are many people who have never needed a reminder of the reality of death or of human fallibility. Whether it’s my LGBTQIA+ elders who lived through the early days of the HIV+/AIDS epidemic, or trans people, particularly trans women of color, who face horrific violence and even murder, or unarmed black men and women, from George Floyd to Sandra Bland, murdered by the police, there are many in our country and our world who are well aware of their own mortality and the ways in which societal injustice has hastened it.

What does Ash Wednesday mean in this context?  All three lectionary readings for today focus on the theme of repentance, or a returning to God. An alternative formulation when giving ashes is, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” What does repentance entail?  In the reading from Joel we are told to “Return to the Lord with all our heart” and to “sanctify a fast.” And while this is all well and good, I find myself wishing Joel had been a little more specific. 

Part of the true repentance is a recognition of the ways we have failed in the past and a commitment to do better in the future. An alternative first reading for Ash Wednesday is Isaiah 58: 1-12.  “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?“

 We return to the Gospel and to God through our actions on behalf of those marginalized. We return to the Gospel and to God when we work to lower disparities in death rates between people of color and white people, and between transgender people and cisgender people. And none of this is easy. We are human, profoundly fallible. But as artist, writer, and United Methodist Minister, Jan Richardson writes, “Do you not know what the Holy One can do with dust?” As we go forward into Lent, let us focus not only on our mortality and fallibility, but on allowing the transforming power of God in us and through us.

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Epiphany and Politics: A Reflection from Rev. Jennifer Sanders

Today is Epiphany. 

Today is the day that Christians celebrate the Wise Ones, foreign women or men, scholars and astrologers, who made their way from afar to worship a poor child living at the margins of a colonized world. 

A child who would grow up to model for us how to live – teaching, feeding, healing, and speaking truth to the power of empire. 

A child who would help us to understand that we would be known by our fruits – and that those fruits would be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, even and especially in the face of a harsh and dehumanizing world. 

A human Incarnation of the Divine who embodied both the prophetic and the pastoral- and called upon us all to do the same. 

And yet today was a day when human hubris spectacularly centered itself for its own vainglorious ends – narcissistic, corrupt human power stirred up and applied for nothing more than its own self-promotion and self-enrichment.

And in its midst we witnessed those who would mistake something rotting for something divine. “Jesus Saves” – indeed, but to invoke Jesus alongside the current president is an act of substantive idolatry. 

Instead, today, we as Christians are reminded that we are called to keep following the Star and the radical Christ who rested beneath it.  

It’s a path that demands we reject all exploitation, all ways of using people or the planet for the abuse of self-gratification.

It is not wrapped in any flag. It owes allegiance to no political party, no national boundary, and no measure of money or profit. 

It’s composed of radical commitment, radical compassion, radical wisdom, and radical justice so that we might together participate in the creation of a world where all life flourishes.   

We’re called to recognize and exult the sacred made manifest in the world today, all around us. 

We ought not seek that in the corridors of power, for the mighty will be cast down.

We find it instead in solidarity with the poor child living at the margins of a colonized world, who has come to transform the world and to teach us what heaven really means. 

Amen

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Weekly Update – March 28

“Prayer is a small fire lit to keep cold hands warm. Prayer is a practice that flourishes both with faith and doubt. Prayer is asking, and prayer is sitting. Prayer is the breath. Prayer is not an answer, always, because not all questions can be answered. Prayer can be a rhythm that helps us make sense in times of senselessness, not offering solutions but speaking to and from the mystery of humanity . . . Prayer is words and shape and art around desperation and delight and disappointment and desire.”    – Padraig O Tuama

Staying Connected in the COVID Era 
Our first online Evening Worship last night was a great joy!  There were 38 people there – and a few pets – which is a pretty regular sort of night for us. 

Together we worshiped God through prayer, song, fellowship, a little bit of preaching, and Communion. 

We’ll be working on any technological challenges from our end  – and I know that many of you are still trying to figure out things from your end. We’ll get there.

News Worth Celebrating 
As we mentioned in worship last night, it’s an utter delight to welcome Rev. Dollie Howell Pankey as Beloved’s Theomusicologist in Residence!

Rev. Pankey has been a familiar face at Beloved across the years, preaching and singing for us both in regular worship and at special events.  You may also have seen her singing and playing at Poor People’s Campaign events or providing leadership with Greater Birmingham Ministries and Faith in Action Alabama events. 

We were in the process of figuring out her role when COVID hit and mixed everybody’s routines and plans. But whether it’s online right now or in-person in the future, she will be joining in some times to share her musical gifts and her teaching and preaching insights. 

#EastsideLIFELINE videos from last week
Rev. Jennifer is collaborating with four pastors from our neighboring churches on a weekly video reflection series.

Here are the videos from the past week –

Tuesday – Rev. Eva Melton, Firm Foundation  – https://www.facebook.com/beloveducc/posts/2875365905876438

Wednesday – Rev. Malinda Weaver, Avondale United Methodist – https://www.facebook.com/beloveducc/posts/2878139975599031

Thursday – Rev. Sally Allocca, East Lake United Methodist – https://www.facebook.com/beloveducc/posts/2880255278720834

Friday – Rev. Emily Freeman Penfield, Woodlawn United Methodist – https://www.facebook.com/beloveducc/posts/2882446258501736

Saturday –  Rev. Jennifer Sanders, Beloved Community Church, UCChttps://www.facebook.com/144209975658725/videos/657309078419564/

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Good Friday morning, friends

Beloved’s founding pastor, Rev. Angie Wright, often quoted medieval mystic Julian of Norwich’s enduring lines “All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”

Yesterday I came across this piece about Julian’s words written by Sister Therese Haydel of the Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery.

While some of the article’s theology and God imagery is a bit different from my own, I kept going back to this line – ‘No matter how big this crisis may seem to us, it is a very little thing in comparison to God’s love and grace.’

That is sure wisdom indeed.

Today will find most of us at home, trying to settle into unfamiliar routines and restrictions. Others among us must go out for work or other required tasks.

Some of us will feel determined and positive today.

Some of us will feel anxious, weary, or sad today.

And no small portion of us may feel all of those all at once.

Regardless of where you are, what you have to do, or how you feel today, remember this line – ‘No matter how big this crisis may seem to us, it is a very little thing in comparison to God’s love and grace.’

May you rest in that love and grace today and each day – and may you share that love and grace by whatever means your hands and heart have.

Amen

— Rev. Jennifer

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March 19 Update

We are working on all things technological (and low-tech too) right now to ensure that we have a range of meaningful ways to worship, fellowship, pray, and study together.

We will have church online on Sunday at 5 pm. It will be the first time, so it will not be perfect (even though our in-person worship is ALWAYS technically flawless 😁), but it will be us worshiping God together – and THAT, my friends, is indeed always a beautiful thing.

Our Congregational Care Ministry Team and our Prayer Group has also been working hard to ensure that everyone among us is cared for and prayed for. Members of Congregational Care and our Clergy Ministry Team will be checking in with you in the days ahead.

I have spoken with many of you over the past week and look forward to connecting with the rest of you soon.

Going forward, next week we will resume most of our regular schedule of activities via various online means – and there will be other things added as well, including Monday Evening Prayer, an online coffee hour (Bring Your Own Coffee) during the week, and the opportunity to sign up for individual conversations online with me.

We’ll be sending out a weekly email with information and links to the various services and other opportunities. Look for that on Monday mornings.

Additionally, I am collaborating with four of the pastors of our eastside church neighbors to create short devotional/reflection videos. Those will go out Tuesday-Saturday each week (my day is Saturday, but be sure to catch the other days too) on Beloved’s Facebook page. I’ll aim to send a link to the previous weeks videos in the Monday emails.

We will find ways to be together – just like always- except that of course nothing feels just like always right now. But God has been our help in ages past and God is with us and working through us all – even and especially now.

peace and blessings to you all,

Rev. Jennifer

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Online Bulletins from Sunday, March 15

At this time, all in-person gatherings at the Beloved building have been postponed until the COVID threat abates.

We are getting our systems in place to gather online regularly in different ways and will be regularly updating this part of our website with that information.

If the meantime, if you need a deep breath, take a look at the readings and prayer from our online bulletins from last Sunday.

Call to Worship(based on Psalm 95)

O come, let us sing to our GOD; 
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
          Let us come into God’s presence with thanksgiving, 
          singing joyful songs of praise!

Our God is great, Sovereign above all powers and principalities.
          The sea, the depths of the earth, the heights of the mountains, 
          indeed all of creation were made by God and belong to God.

O come, let us worship and bow down, 
let us kneel before the HOLY ONE, our Maker!
         Yes! God is our God, and we are God’s people:
         O that today we would listen for the Lord’s voice!

Let us not harden our hearts, as they did in the wilderness, 
         When our ancestors tested our Liberator,
         requiring proof of God’s faithfulness,
         even though they had witnessed miracles!

For forty years God contended with that generation and said,
“They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they do not regard my
ways.”
         Today, Holy One, we have learned from their struggles.
         Today, we re-dedicate our hearts to you
         and strain our ears to hear your voice.
         Speak now, Still-Speaking God, for your people are listening!


Psalm of the Day – Psalm 95

Come, sing with joy to God, 
shout to our savior, our rock. 
Enter God’s presence with praise,
enter with shouting and song. 
A great God is the Lord, 
over the gods like a king. 
God cradles the depths of the earth, 
holds fast the mountain peaks.
God shaped the ocean and owns it, 
formed the earth by hand. 
Come, bow down and worship,
kneel to the Lord our maker. 
This is our god, our shepherd, 
we are the flock led with care. 
Listen today to God’s voice:
“Harden no heart as at Meribah, 
on that day in the desert at Massah.
There your people tried me, 
though they had seen my work. 
“Forty years with that lot!
I said: They are perverse, 
they do not accept my ways. 
So I swore in my anger:
They shall not enter my rest.”


Hymn of the Day

  1. O God, our help in ages past,
    Our hope for years to come,
    Our shelter from the stormy blast,
    And our eternal home.
  2. Under the shadow of Thy throne
    Thy saints have dwelt secure;
    Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
    And our defense is sure.
  3. Before the hills in order stood,
    Or earth received her frame,
    From everlasting Thou art God,
    To endless years the same.
  4. A thousand ages in Thy sight
    Are like an evening gone;
    Short as the watch that ends the night
    Before the rising sun.
  5. O God, our help in ages past,
    Our hope for years to come,
    Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
    And our eternal home.

A Reading from the Hebrew Bible  Exodus 17:1-7
From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The LORD said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”


Prayer of Blessing

God of grace and truth, 
we come to your house today to worship you.
We bring all of ourselves to you,
all of the good, the bad, and the ugly.
We entrust our hidden, fearful, and fragile selves
to your transforming power and gentle, loving care.
Blessing, glory, and honor are yours alone.
Thank you for the many ways your Spirit breaks into our lives
and into this troubled world.
We offer this prayer in the name of the One
whose name is above every name,
Jesus the Christ.     Amen.


A‌ ‌Moment‌ ‌of‌ ‌Personal‌ ‌Reflection‌ ‌ –Let us invite some silence in this space this morning – and into our noisy lives. Let us sit this morning for a minute with the heaviness on our hearts and with our hope, with our need for forgiveness and our need to forgive, with an awareness of our blessings and gratitude for them, and with a generosity of spirit toward others:


A‌ ‌Contemporary‌ ‌Reading‌ When the thirst of life parches your soul, desperation sets in. It sets in hard, And you don’t remember who God is or what God has done. That’s just the truth. Desperation makes you believe you’re going to die; it makes you test the limits of faith, and of ethics. It makes you blame the “Moses” in your life, the one who gave you the word of your deliverance from bondage. It makes the past struggles seem not so bad. Church becomes a wilderness. Relationships become wastelands. It all gets big. It’s never just about you anymore when you’re desperate. It’s everything. It’s everyone. It’s the equivalent of “your children and your livestock.” When your throat, your life, is parched, you want to stone the messengers. You argue and you test. You bargain and you beg. It’s hard to trust who God is or what God has done. That’s just the truth. And still, God provides: even when you’re moaning and complaining; even when you’re parched and pleading; even when your faithis a faint whisper from the past. God still provides. Disappointed in our desperation, maybe. Wishing we would remember the miraculous escapes we’ve had. But providing nonetheless. That’s just the truth.Look up; there’s a rock gushing with refreshment for you somewhere in your life.Your past only sounds good because you can’t see the future. There is a rock gushing somewhere in your life. That’s just the truth. Look for it. – Valerie Bridgeman Davis, Africana Worship Book: Year A


The‌ ‌New Testament ‌Reading‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Day‌ John 4:5-42 So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.)

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.”

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.”

Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” They left the city and were on their way to him. Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”

So the disciples said to one another, “Surely no one has brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.”


A‌ ‌Moment‌ ‌of‌ ‌Pastoral‌ ‌Reflection‌ ‌


A‌ ‌Moment‌ ‌of‌ ‌Communal‌ ‌Reflection‌ ‌‌and Prayer – are‌ ‌there‌ ‌prayers‌ ‌we‌ ‌need‌ ‌to‌ ‌offer‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌world‌ ‌today?‌ ‌ ‌Let us end each one by affirming “This is our prayer.”


Holy‌ ‌Communion‌ ‌ ‌

This‌ ‌is‌ ‌God’s‌ ‌table.‌ ‌All‌ ‌are‌ ‌invited‌ ‌here‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌in‌ ‌communion‌ ‌with‌ ‌God‌ ‌and‌ ‌with‌ ‌one‌ ‌another.‌ ‌ ‌

 ‌
The‌ ‌table‌ ‌of‌ ‌bread‌ ‌is‌ ‌now‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌made‌ ‌ready.‌
It‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌table‌ ‌of‌ ‌company‌ ‌with‌ ‌Jesus,‌ ‌ ‌
and‌ ‌all‌ ‌who‌ ‌love‌ ‌him.‌ ‌
It‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌table‌ ‌of‌ ‌sharing‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌poor‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌world,‌ ‌ ‌
with‌ ‌whom‌ ‌Jesus‌ ‌identified‌ ‌himself.‌ ‌ ‌
It‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌table‌ ‌of‌ ‌communion‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌earth,‌ ‌ ‌
in‌ ‌which‌ ‌Christ‌ ‌became‌ ‌incarnate.‌ ‌
So‌ ‌come‌ ‌to‌ ‌this‌ ‌table,‌ ‌ ‌
you‌ ‌who‌ ‌have‌ ‌much‌ ‌faith‌ ‌
and‌ ‌you‌ ‌who‌ ‌would‌ ‌like‌ ‌to‌ ‌have‌ ‌more;‌ ‌
you‌ ‌who‌ ‌have‌ ‌been‌ ‌here‌ ‌often‌ ‌
and‌ ‌you‌ ‌who‌ ‌have‌ ‌not‌ ‌been‌ ‌for‌ ‌a‌ ‌long‌ ‌time;‌ ‌
you‌ ‌who‌ ‌have‌ ‌tried‌ ‌to‌ ‌follow‌ ‌Jesus,‌ ‌ ‌
and‌ ‌you‌ ‌who‌ ‌have‌ ‌failed;‌ ‌ ‌
come.‌ ‌ ‌
It‌ ‌is‌ ‌Christ‌ ‌who‌ ‌invites‌ ‌us‌ ‌to‌ ‌meet‌ ‌him‌ ‌here.‌ ‌ ‌

Loving‌ ‌God,‌ ‌ ‌
through‌ ‌your‌ ‌goodness‌ ‌
we‌ ‌have‌ ‌this‌ ‌bread‌ ‌and‌ ‌juice‌ ‌to‌ ‌offer,‌ ‌ ‌
which‌ ‌has‌ ‌come‌ ‌forth‌ ‌from‌ ‌the‌ ‌earth‌ ‌
and‌ ‌human‌ ‌hands‌ ‌have‌ ‌made.‌ ‌ ‌
May‌ ‌we‌ ‌know‌ ‌your‌ ‌presence‌ ‌ ‌
in‌ ‌the‌ ‌sharing,‌ ‌ ‌
so‌ ‌that‌ ‌we‌ ‌may‌ ‌know‌ ‌your‌ ‌touch‌ ‌
and‌ ‌presence‌ ‌in‌ ‌all‌ ‌things.‌ ‌ ‌
We‌ ‌celebrate‌ ‌the‌ ‌life‌ ‌that‌ ‌Jesus‌ ‌has‌ ‌shared‌ ‌
among‌ ‌his‌ ‌community‌ ‌through‌ ‌the‌ ‌centuries,‌ ‌ ‌
and‌ ‌shares‌ ‌with‌ ‌us‌ ‌now.‌ ‌ ‌
Made‌ ‌one‌ ‌in‌ ‌Christ‌ ‌
and‌ ‌one‌ ‌with‌ ‌each‌ ‌other,‌ ‌ ‌
we‌ ‌offer‌ ‌these‌ ‌gifts‌ ‌and‌ ‌with‌ ‌them‌ ‌ourselves,‌ ‌ ‌
a‌ ‌single,‌ ‌living‌ ‌act‌ ‌of‌ ‌praise.‌ ‌ ‌
Amen.‌ ‌

This‌ ‌is‌ ‌God’s‌ ‌table,‌ ‌not‌ ‌our‌ ‌table‌ ‌-‌ ‌and‌ ‌at‌ ‌it‌ ‌all‌ ‌are‌ ‌welcome.‌ ‌There‌ ‌are‌ ‌no‌ ‌restrictions‌ ‌on‌ ‌grace‌ ‌incarnate.‌


Prayer after Communion
Gracious‌ ‌and‌ ‌loving‌ ‌God‌ ‌-‌ ‌we‌ ‌give‌ ‌thanks‌ ‌for‌ ‌this‌ ‌moment,‌ ‌praying‌ ‌for‌ ‌those‌ ‌gathered‌ ‌here‌ ‌and‌ ‌for‌ ‌all‌ ‌those‌ ‌beyond‌ ‌these‌ ‌walls‌ ‌-‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌very‌ ‌ends‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Earth.‌

We‌ ‌give‌ ‌thanks‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌cloud‌ ‌of‌ ‌witnesses‌ ‌watching‌ ‌over‌ ‌us‌ ‌and‌ ‌inspiring‌ ‌us,‌ ‌the strength of our ancestors, that‌ ‌we‌ ‌might‌ ‌persist‌ ‌always‌ ‌in‌ ‌spirit‌ ‌and‌ ‌in‌ ‌truth.‌ ‌

May‌ ‌we bear‌ ‌witness‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌transformation‌ ‌of‌ ‌ourselves,‌ ‌our‌ ‌communities,‌ ‌and‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌vastness‌ ‌of‌ ‌Creation‌ ‌and‌ ‌its‌ ‌people.‌ ‌In‌ ‌the‌ ‌name‌ ‌of‌ ‌all‌ ‌that‌ ‌is‌ ‌holy,‌ ‌Amen.‌

Friends,‌ ‌because‌ ‌true‌ ‌communion‌ ‌in‌ ‌Christ‌ ‌is‌ ‌not‌ ‌limited‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌walls‌ ‌of‌ ‌a‌ ‌building,‌ ‌we‌ ‌now‌ ‌carry‌ ‌this‌ ‌means‌ ‌of‌ ‌grace‌ ‌out‌ ‌into‌ ‌the‌ ‌time‌ ‌and‌ ‌space‌ ‌of‌ ‌our‌ ‌daily‌ ‌lives.‌ ‌This‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌work‌ ‌of‌ ‌God’s‌ ‌church‌ ‌and‌ ‌its‌ ‌people.‌ ‌Thanks‌ ‌be‌ ‌to‌ ‌God.‌ ‌Amen.‌ ‌

 ‌Benediction‌ ‌ ‌

Thirsting for Grace: Service Prayers for the Third Sunday of Lent, was written by the Rev. Dr. Renee C. Jackson,  Minister for Ministerial Formation, UCC.

Copyright 2020 Justice and Local Church Ministries, Faith  INFO Ministry Team, United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH  44115-1100.

Communion Liturgy from‌ ‌Common‌ ‌Prayer:‌ ‌A‌ ‌Liturgy‌ ‌for‌ ‌Ordinary‌ ‌Radicals‌ ‌

Evening Worship: Third Sunday in Lent

OPENING MUSIC                                   

GREETING                                                                       

OPENING HYMN – Woke Up This Morning 

Woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus
Woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus
Woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus
Hallelu
hallelu
Hallelujah.

I’m walking and talking with my mind stayed on Jesus
I’m walking and talking with my mind stayed on Jesus
I’m walking and talking with my mind stayed on Jesus
Hallelu
hallelu
Hallelujah.

I woke up singing with my mind stayed on Jesus
I woke up singing with my mind stayed on Jesus
I woke up singing with my mind stayed on Jesus
Hallelu
hallelu
Hallelujah.

I’m freeing myself with my mind stayed on Jesus
I’m freeing myself with my mind stayed on Jesus
I’m freeing myself with my mind stayed on Jesus
Hallelu
hallelu
Hallelujah.

Woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus
Woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus
Woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus
Hallelu
hallelu
Hallelujah.

OPENING PRAYER

COMMUNITY BUILDING       

Activities and News in the Community

Peace and Greetings – please give your name, your maternal grandmother’s name, and where she was from. This is a manner of introduction favored by the late writer and organizer Dr. Vincent Harding

Prayers of the People—
We pray our joy and thanksgiving
We  pray our concerns and our sorrows
We pray for the world and its people.

Speaker – This is my prayer.     Response – This is our prayer.

SCRIPTURE         *Psalm 95

*Translation by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy

Come, sing with joy to God,  shout to our savior, our rock. 
Enter God’s presence with praise,  enter with shouting and song. 
A great God is the Lord, over the gods like a king.
God cradles the depths of the earth,
holds fast the mountain peaks.
God shaped the ocean and owns it, formed the earth by hand. 
Come, bow down and worship, kneel to the Lord our maker. 
This is our god, our shepherd, we are the flock led with care. 
Listen today to God’s voice: “Harden no heart as at Meribah, 
on that day in the desert at Massah.
There your people tried me, though they had seen my work. 
“Forty years with that lot! I said: They are perverse
        they do not accept my ways. 
So I swore in my anger: They shall not enter my rest.”  May we be blessed by the reading of this word. Amen.

OFFERING – please put your offerings in the donation box before or after the service or make them online http://www.belovedcommunitychurch.org/give-gladly/

[note: I’m not sure why that dialogue box immediately below came up and I’m equally baffled as to why I can’t delete it – click the link just above to give your offerings and then scroll on down.
– Rev. Jennifer]

MESSAGE                                  Rev. Jennifer Sanders, Pastor

Holy‌ ‌Communion‌ ‌ ‌(with individually packaged elements)

This‌ ‌is‌ ‌God’s‌ ‌table.‌ ‌All‌ ‌are‌ ‌invited‌ ‌here‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌in‌ ‌communion‌ ‌with‌ ‌God‌ ‌and‌ ‌with‌ ‌one‌ ‌another.‌ ‌ ‌

The‌ ‌table‌ ‌of‌ ‌bread‌ ‌is‌ ‌now‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌made‌ ‌ready.‌ ‌It‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌table‌ ‌of‌ ‌company‌ ‌with‌ ‌Jesus,‌ ‌ ‌and‌ ‌all‌ ‌who‌ ‌love‌ ‌him.‌ ‌
It‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌table‌ ‌of‌ ‌sharing‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌poor‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌world,‌ ‌ ‌
with‌ ‌whom‌ ‌Jesus‌ ‌identified‌ ‌himself.‌ ‌ ‌
It‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌table‌ ‌of‌ ‌communion‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌earth,‌ ‌ ‌
in‌ ‌which‌ ‌Christ‌ ‌became‌ ‌incarnate.‌ ‌
So‌ ‌come‌ ‌to‌ ‌this‌ ‌table,‌ ‌ ‌
you‌ ‌who‌ ‌have‌ ‌much‌ ‌faith‌ ‌
and‌ ‌you‌ ‌who‌ ‌would‌ ‌like‌ ‌to‌ ‌have‌ ‌more;‌ ‌
you‌ ‌who‌ ‌have‌ ‌been‌ ‌here‌ ‌often‌ ‌
and‌ ‌you‌ ‌who‌ ‌have‌ ‌not‌ ‌been‌ ‌for‌ ‌a‌ ‌long‌ ‌time;‌ ‌
you‌ ‌who‌ ‌have‌ ‌tried‌ ‌to‌ ‌follow‌ ‌Jesus,‌ ‌ ‌
and‌ ‌you‌ ‌who‌ ‌have‌ ‌failed;‌ ‌ ‌
come.‌ ‌ ‌
It‌ ‌is‌ ‌Christ‌ ‌who‌ ‌invites‌ ‌us‌ ‌to‌ ‌meet‌ ‌him‌ ‌here.‌ ‌ ‌

Loving‌ ‌God,‌ ‌ ‌
through‌ ‌your‌ ‌goodness‌ ‌
we‌ ‌have‌ ‌this‌ ‌bread‌ ‌and‌ ‌juice‌ ‌to‌ ‌offer,‌ ‌ ‌
which‌ ‌has‌ ‌come‌ ‌forth‌ ‌from‌ ‌the‌ ‌earth‌ ‌
and‌ ‌human‌ ‌hands‌ ‌have‌ ‌made.‌ ‌ ‌
May‌ ‌we‌ ‌know‌ ‌your‌ ‌presence‌ ‌ ‌
in‌ ‌the‌ ‌sharing,‌ ‌ ‌
so‌ ‌that‌ ‌we‌ ‌may‌ ‌know‌ ‌your‌ ‌touch‌ ‌
and‌ ‌presence‌ ‌in‌ ‌all‌ ‌things.‌ ‌ ‌
We‌ ‌celebrate‌ ‌the‌ ‌life‌ ‌that‌ ‌Jesus‌ ‌has‌ ‌shared‌ ‌
among‌ ‌his‌ ‌community‌ ‌through‌ ‌the‌ ‌centuries,‌ ‌ ‌
and‌ ‌shares‌ ‌with‌ ‌us‌ ‌now.‌ ‌ ‌
Made‌ ‌one‌ ‌in‌ ‌Christ‌ ‌
and‌ ‌one‌ ‌with‌ ‌each‌ ‌other,‌ ‌ ‌
we‌ ‌offer‌ ‌these‌ ‌gifts‌ ‌and‌ ‌with‌ ‌them‌ ‌ourselves,‌ ‌ ‌
a‌ ‌single,‌ ‌living‌ ‌act‌ ‌of‌ ‌praise.‌ ‌ ‌
Amen.‌ ‌

*Communion Litany from‌ ‌Common‌ ‌Prayer:‌ ‌A‌ ‌Liturgy‌ ‌for‌ ‌Ordinary‌ ‌Radicals‌ ‌

Prayer after Communion
Gracious‌ ‌and‌ ‌loving‌ ‌God‌ ‌-‌ ‌we‌ ‌give‌ ‌thanks‌ ‌for‌ ‌this‌ ‌moment,‌ ‌praying‌ ‌for‌ ‌those‌ ‌gathered‌ ‌here‌ ‌and‌ ‌for‌ ‌all‌ ‌those‌ ‌beyond‌ ‌these‌ ‌walls‌ ‌-‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌very‌ ‌ends‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Earth.‌

‌We‌ ‌give‌ ‌thanks‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌cloud‌ ‌of‌ ‌witnesses‌ ‌watching‌ ‌over‌ ‌us‌ ‌and‌ ‌inspiring‌ ‌us,‌ ‌the strength of our ancestors, that‌ ‌we‌ ‌might‌ ‌persist‌ ‌always‌ ‌in‌ ‌spirit‌ ‌and‌ ‌in‌ ‌truth.‌ ‌

May‌ ‌we bear‌ ‌witness‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌transformation‌ ‌of‌ ‌ourselves,‌ ‌our‌ ‌communities,‌ ‌and‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌vastness‌ ‌of‌ ‌Creation‌ ‌and‌ ‌its‌ ‌people.‌ ‌In‌ ‌the‌ ‌name‌ ‌of‌ ‌all‌ ‌that‌ ‌is‌ ‌holy,‌ ‌Amen.‌

Friends,‌ ‌because‌ ‌true‌ ‌communion‌ ‌in‌ ‌Christ‌ ‌is‌ ‌not‌ ‌limited‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌walls‌ ‌of‌ ‌a‌ ‌building,‌ ‌we‌ ‌now‌ ‌carry‌ ‌this‌ ‌means‌ ‌of‌ ‌grace‌ ‌out‌ ‌into‌ ‌the‌ ‌time‌ ‌and‌ ‌space‌ ‌of‌ ‌our‌ ‌daily‌ ‌lives.‌ ‌This‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌work‌ ‌of‌ ‌God’s‌ ‌church‌ ‌and‌ ‌its‌ ‌people.‌ ‌Thanks‌ ‌be‌ ‌to‌ ‌God.‌ ‌Amen.‌ ‌ ‌

ANTHEM                                     Quincy Palmer 

CLOSING HYMN – O God Our Help in Ages Past 

  1. O God, our help in ages past,
    Our hope for years to come,
    Our shelter from the stormy blast,
    And our eternal home.
  2. Under the shadow of Thy throne
    Thy saints have dwelt secure;
    Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
    And our defense is sure.
  3. Before the hills in order stood,
    Or earth received her frame,
    From everlasting Thou art God,
    To endless years the same.
  4. A thousand ages in Thy sight
    Are like an evening gone;
    Short as the watch that ends the night
    Before the rising sun.
  5. O God, our help in ages past,
    Our hope for years to come,
    Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
    And our eternal home.

BENEDICTION

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Sunday, March 15 and the Days Ahead

Friends, this is a difficult time for many reasons. Across our many differences, we share in some basic needs. 

We need safety. 

We need community. 

We need to talk to God and listen to what God might say to us.  

We need to take care of one another. 

In this moment, those needs are in great tension with one another. 

Our ad hoc Community Health Ministry Team and I have paid close attention to the latest information and recommendations coming directly from the Mayor’s Office, the Jefferson County Department of Public Health, the United Church of Christ, and reputable media organizations, as well as decisions by faith communities locally and nationally.  

I have prayerfully heard your concerns and your hopes about what we as a church will do. 

There are many different opinions and few easy decisions. 

Given all of these considerations, here’s where we are: at this time, Beloved plans to hold modified in-person 10 am Morning Prayer and Communion (with individually-packaged communion wafers & juice) and 5 pm Evening Worship services on Sunday, March 15. 

Both will take place downstairs in the Community Room, which will have been arranged to provide for the recommended social distancing – and we will observe careful non-contact protocols both with one another and with worship materials. We have cleaning supplies and will be using them throughout the day to ensure that everything remains sanitized. 

Let me know if you are coming and I will email you a bulletin that you can pull up on your phone or tablet. That will also allow me to contact you directly if something changes in this rapidly evolving context.

We recommend that the elders in our community, those who care for elders or other vulnerable populations, those with compromised immune systems, and anyone who has recently been or currently feels sick stay at home – and I am working to ensure that everyone who needs to hear that message does so.

Magic City Spiritual Community also plans to hold in-person worship this week at 1:30 pm in the Community Room. 

Aside from worship events by these two communities, the Beloved building will be closed to individuals and groups. All gatherings, both internal and external, are postponed until the threat from COVID-19 has abated. 

We have not yet made a decision about worship in future weeks, but will continue to keep you posted. 

We had already planned to begin a weekly 7 pm Monday Evening Prayer Zoom call on Monday, March 16 as a part of our Lenten observances. That will go on as scheduled, so keep an eye out for an invitation. 

We are also actively working on other online worship, fellowship, and study opportunities. You will be hearing more about those in the days ahead. 

No matter what, I and other members of the Clergy Ministry Team and Congregational Care Ministry Team will be checking in with you regularly in the days ahead – and please check in with one another.

Together — all of us — will create new space for meaningful engagement, even when that engagement happens by computer or by phone. 

We live in uncertain times, but we are faithful people. God is with us, even in the bleakest moments. And we go forward together in blessing, even when we are afraid. 

Remember that prayer can be a radical act in a time such as this.

Be kind to yourself and to others.


I’ll see some of you in worship and keep all of you in prayer.

peace and blessings, 

Rev. Jennifer Sanders 

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Our COVID-19 Policy

Beloved Community Church,UCC Community Health COVID-19 Policy – March 2020 

The diversity central to life at Beloved Community Church, UCC means that a fair number of people in our active congregation are physically, emotionally, or economically vulnerable (or some combination of the three).

We host two other congregations who meet weekly on Sundays in our building. We also engage with and host a range of community partners who represent especially vulnerable groups of people.

For this reason, we seek to be proactive and adaptive around the ongoing spread of COVID-19 – and to establish a policy that, with revisions as appropriate, will be helpful going forward should other mass health concerns arise.

This policy was drafted by Coordinating Pastor  Rev. Jennifer Sanders (03/07/20), reviewed and discussed by Beloved’s ad hoc Community Health Ministry Team (03/08/20), and submitted to the congregation. 

It is envisioned as a series of cumulative proactive steps and calm and sensible responses to rapidly evolving situations in which there is both perception of threat and actual threat of serious illness or death. 

Stage 0 – no active threat in the region

  • Provide access to hand sanitizer and restrooms with hand soap. 
  • Maintain basic hygiene and order of the premises and ask those using the facility to do the same. 
  • Encourage people who are not feeling well to refrain from participation in group activities. 
  • Advocate for just and equitable access to healthcare for all people, as well as environmental policies that protect the well-being of ecosystems. 
  • Pray for the health and well-being of all who are sick, including but not limited to those in the active congregation. Pray for those whose livelihood and financial stability is affected by illness or societal change.
  • Provide pastoral and congregational care as appropriate and able for those in the congregation and wider Beloved community who need support during their own illness or the illness of a family member.
  • Ensure that individuals can safeguard their own health, well-being, and bodily integrity by waving, fist-bumping, elbow-bumping, or abstaining from physical gestures or touch without stigma during community greeting times. 

Stage 1  – no confirmed cases in Alabama, but active cases of highly contagious  infectious disease in region

  • Continue with measures from Stage 0.
  • Pack away toys normally provided for the free play of small children & request that parents bring their own silent activities for children during worship or meetings.
  • Provide Holy Communion in sealed individual servings (will begin 03/15/20).
  • Offer snacks in sealed individual serving sizes (will begin no later than 03/15/20).
  • Provide hygiene kits (with hand sanitizer, soap, water bottle, etc) to our homeless members and friends (Congregational Care to begin working on this on  3/8/20).
  • Encourage non-participation in group gatherings if a runny nose or cough is present .
  • Lovingly recommend all persons follow non-contact greeting protocols during community greeting times (will begin 03/08/20).
  • Provide disinfectant supplies in each bathroom and common area. 
  • Participate in local grassroots organizing, denominational resources, and government information and initiatives around disease prevention and mitigation. An especially  useful resource – https://transformativespaces.org/2020/03/04/demands-from-grassroots-organizers-concerning-covid-19/
  • Assess capacity of Congregational Care Ministry Team to provide assistance to low-resource members on an as needed basis – and develop plans for response based on that capacity. 
  • Notify coordinators of outside meetings at the church of these policies and procedures and make plans for follow-up should stage change.
  • Request that financially stable people who support the church financially enroll in online giving to ensure that basic necessary bills can be covered even if in-person attendance is not possible. 
  • Request that those involved with the congregations of Beloved, Firm Foundation, or Magic City Spiritual Community notify their pastors if they or their family members are diagnosed or quarantined through COVID-19 exposure.
  • Offer educational tools to the congregation to help ensure that people have good information, including –

Stage 2 – confirmed cases in Alabama

  • Continue with measures from Stages 0 & 1.
  • Cease serving food for consumption at the church, other than the individually packaged Communion elements during scheduled worship.
  • Community Hour conversations and Ministry Team meetings continue. 
  • People may bring their own drinks or snacks to consume in the building. Distribution of non-perishables through Brown Box and to homeless neighbors continues.
  • Rather than passing the offering baskets, one basket will be placed at the back of the room by the sound board and one in the front on or by the altar. People will be invited to place their offerings in the basket as they arrive or leave. Offering counters will have use of disposable gloves to wear while counting the offering and preparing the deposit. 
  • In place of the visitor information clipboards, visitor information will be entered directly into Breeze. 
  • Instead of passing the microphone during prayer time, the pastor (at the mic) will repeat the prayers spoken by each person to ensure that everyone can hear.
  • Any planned off-site official activities are postponed (except for Brown Box pick-up and Family Promise – we will follow their protocols for these matters).
  • Ensure that all groups meeting in the building at Beloved (including the other 2 churches) are adhering to these protocols and notifying Rev. Jennifer if there are confirmed cases among their congregants/participants.
  • Meeting coordinators for each gathering (Beloved or community) will be instructed to use provided disinfectant supplies in each bathroom and common area to wipe down around faucet handles and doorknobs after each meeting/worship service – or to designate a trusted participant to handle those tasks. 
  • Increase frequency of routine disinfecting of common areas. 
  • Disposable gloves will be made available in the bathrooms and common areas.
  • Ensure that pastors of all 3 congregations are in communication about COVID-19 related topics, including sharing news of confirmed cases in the congregation or the congregation’s extended community. 

Stage 3 – widespread cases in Alabama and/or confirmed cases among people connected to Beloved, Firm Foundation, or Magic City Spiritual Community who have NOT been present at the church since the beginning of local outbreak – in the absence of directives from external agencies (denominational or governmental)

  • Continue with measures from prior stages with the following revisions: 
  • All scheduled activities other than weekly Morning Prayer and Communion and Evening Worship postponed. Musicians and security guards have the option of opting out of participation in Evening Worship, though they will not be paid if they are not present. 
  • Postponing of outside meetings at the church, other than Sunday worship by Firm Foundation and Magic City Spiritual Community.
  • Congregational Care Ministry Team adopts a non-contact protocol for support provided for anyone within the congregation. 
  • Hymn lyrics will be placed in the bulletin. 
  • Continue already-planned Monday Evening Prayer Zoom call worship opportunity (already scheduled to begin as an additional Lenten worship opportunity on 3/16/20).
  • Children’s activities restricted to reading or other activities that do not involve sharing of art or other supplies.

Stage 4 – formal call for restriction on activities or quarantine by denominational or governmental officials – or confirmed cases by people actively involved in congregational life at Beloved, Firm Foundation, or Magic City Spiritual Community

  • Continue with measures from prior stages with the following revisions: 
  • Cancellation of all activities in the Beloved building (activities in the Brown Memorial Building are subject at all times to the policies of The Abbey and the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama).
  • Expand opportunities for digital worship, study, and social connection through Zoom and other online media. 

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February 3pm Discussion Series

With our congregational Annual Meeting coming up this month, we’re creating some time for discussion at 3 pm on Sundays before the Community Hour begins at 4 pm. Here’s the schedule:

Feb 2: What are you seeking here? What do you need from church?

Feb  9: What are your spiritual gifts? How do you offer them into the world? How do you engage them at church?

Feb 16: What does Covenant Participation in the church mean?  (with the opportunity to join Beloved before the Annual Meeting that night)

Feb 23: How do we continue the work of being a really good small church?

Liberation Theology Study Group resumes at 3 pm in March, reading  I Bring the Voices of My People: A Womanist Vision for Racial Reconciliation by Chanequa Walker-Barnes

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Advent and Christmas

December offers plenty of new opportunities for Worship, Fellowship, and the work of Justice and Mercy:

Advent Concert Series during the 5 pm Evening Worship Service
December 1 – Christ Will Enter In
December 8 – Joint UCC Advent Service – it’s our turn to host!
December 15 – Perfect Praise 
December 22 – The Murray Family 

The 10 am Morning Prayer and Communion service continues each Sunday downstairs in the Community Room with a special Advent Liturgy.

Christmas Eve with Saint Junia (at Beloved)
4 pm – Food and Fellowship 
5 pm – Worship with Carols, Candlelight, and Holy Communion

Christmas Day with East Lake UMC (at East Lake)
10 am – Informal Christmas Morning worship service, followed by brunch

December 29 – 5th Sunday Potluck after Evening Worship — and 5th Sunday Waffles after Morning Prayer and Communion! 

Other December Activities 

Sunday 4 pm Community Hour – Food and Fellowship, along with: 
December 1 – Immigrant Justice Work Group
December 8 – Fellowship time with First Congregational, Pilgrim, & Covenant
December 15 – Congregational Care Work Group (*note change of date)
December 22 – 4th Sunday Praise Singers rehearsal

Bible Study – Continuing the series The Light of the World: A Beginners Guide to Advent by Amy-Jill Levine on December 4, 11, & 18 at 6 pm. 

Prayer Group – prayers for the people of the church and of the world – Thursdays afternoons at 4 pm. If you have particular needs for prayer, congregational outreach, or pastoral care, please let us know!

Brown Box – December 9 at 10 am: pick-up, December 14 at 9:30 am: distribution. Contribute for Christmas hams for our Brown Box recipients here

Write for Rights – December 16, 5-7 pm in the Community Room – learn more on the Facebook event or from Amnesty International.

Family Promise – December 29-January 1 – in partnership with Baptist Church of the Covenant – volunteer to stay overnight or provide meals for families in transition.

Liberation Theology Study Group resumes in on Sundays in January at 3 pm with Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of this World for Crucifixion and Empire by Rita Nakashima Brock & Rebecca Ann Parker. 

We hope to see you in December at Beloved!

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