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Worship as a Laboratory of Faith · Faith at Work

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: What if I told you that worship,
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  SPEAKER_00: what we're doing today,
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  SPEAKER_00: is a workshop,
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  SPEAKER_00: is a laboratory of faith.
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  SPEAKER_00: What we do with God shapes what we believe about God.
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  SPEAKER_00: And what we believe about God shapes what we do when we gather.
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  SPEAKER_00: I learned that when I went to seminary many,
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  SPEAKER_00: many years ago in Brenda Martin Hurst's class on worship.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry about this, Brenda.
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  SPEAKER_00: If you're watching, I don't remember much about the class today.
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  SPEAKER_00: except this.
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  She said that worship informs our theology about God and our
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  theology about God
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  SPEAKER_00: informs our worship.
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  SPEAKER_00: I have found that to be very,
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  very true as I have led congregations and participated in
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  congregations over the
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  SPEAKER_00: years.
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  SPEAKER_00: We read some scriptures today in Acts.
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  The scripture from Acts says that the church devoted themselves
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  each day to
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  SPEAKER_00: teaching,
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  SPEAKER_00: to table,
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  SPEAKER_00: to prayers.
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  And that rhythm of faith and life formed a people that at that
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  time looked like the
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  SPEAKER_00: risen Lord Jesus.
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  SPEAKER_00: N.T.
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  SPEAKER_00: Wright,
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  SPEAKER_00: who is one of my favorite theologians,
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  SPEAKER_00: often says this,
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  SPEAKER_00: that we become that which we worship.
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  SPEAKER_00: And if that is true,
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  SPEAKER_00: then our liturgy,
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  SPEAKER_00: in other words,
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  the things that we do and say and sing and pray in worship is
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  all spiritual
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  SPEAKER_00: formation.
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  SPEAKER_00: Our habits are
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  SPEAKER_00: Our faith habits train our hearts long before we notice them.
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  Anyone who has gone to church camp and sung church songs knows
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  that this is true
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  SPEAKER_00: foundational and formational in us as youths.
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  SPEAKER_00: We are the Church of the Brethren,
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  SPEAKER_00: and this series is all about letting our joys be known,
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  the things that make us uniquely brethren and highlighting
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  those and sharing those
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  SPEAKER_00: with one another,
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  SPEAKER_00: remembering those with one another,
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  SPEAKER_00: and then also sharing those out in the world.
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  SPEAKER_00: So here is the Brethren way, I think, in one image.
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  SPEAKER_00: Towel, table, table.
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  SPEAKER_00: Tank.
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  The towel of John 13,
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  the table of 1 Corinthians 11,
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  and the baptismal tank.
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  It probably wasn't a tank,
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  but it's a river,
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  and there's a tank back there.
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  SPEAKER_00: So, tank.
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  SPEAKER_00: of Acts chapter 2.
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  SPEAKER_00: Going under with Jesus and rising into new life.
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  We had a wonderful experience of community of faith last week
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  of baptizing four
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  SPEAKER_00: persons into our faith community.
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  Wonderful reminder and act of reaching back and also reaching
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  forward into who we
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  SPEAKER_00: are as the church of Jesus Christ.
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  And we were reminded last week that historically our people
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  said Scripture first.
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  SPEAKER_00: Not creeds, but the New Testament as our rule of faith.
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  And that commitment from early brethren and our continued
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  commitment to that has
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  SPEAKER_00: shaped a simple Jesus-centered worship.
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  SPEAKER_00: Baptism came by triune immersion like we did last week, right?
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  SPEAKER_00: Into the Father, into the Son, and into the Holy Spirit.
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  Our worship act revealed a Trinitarian theology of who God and
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  how God acts in our world.
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  SPEAKER_00: Three dunks as dunkers into one love.
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  SPEAKER_00: Another tenet or ordinance that we have is the love feast.
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  SPEAKER_00: Braves our beliefs into a single night.
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  SPEAKER_00: We wash feet because Jesus actually said,
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  you should do this as my disciples in remembrance of me from
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  now until I return.
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  We share a meal and the cup and remember and belong to this
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  faith community that we belong to.
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  When Paul corrected the Corinthians in the scripture that we
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  read here this
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  SPEAKER_00: morning,
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  SPEAKER_00: he wasn't being picky.
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  SPEAKER_00: He was being pastoral.
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  We need to remember that table worship that ignores the poor
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  tells a false story about God.
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  right theology and understanding of God's heart and love
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  demands a reconciling table.
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  SPEAKER_00: And that is what Paul was talking about in Corinthians.
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  SPEAKER_00: In Philippians, he says, rejoice.
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  SPEAKER_00: Why?
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  SPEAKER_00: Because the Lord is near.
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  SPEAKER_00: So we pray, we sing, we
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  SPEAKER_00: Breathe.
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  SPEAKER_00: Worship tutors our anxiety and grows our gentleness as a faith community.
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  SPEAKER_00: And our polity,
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  SPEAKER_00: the way we do things,
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  SPEAKER_00: the polis of who we are,
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  SPEAKER_00: our structures and such matches our worship.
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  SPEAKER_00: We practice congregational discernment together.
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  SPEAKER_00: Christ as the head.
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  SPEAKER_00: So the gathered body listens for the Spirit together.
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  SPEAKER_00: Why?
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  SPEAKER_00: Because we believe that the Spirit gifts the whole body,
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  not just singular individuals like the pastor or the priest or
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  the apostle.
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  SPEAKER_00: So our services make room for many voices, teaching.
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  Testimonies,
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  music,
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  prayer requests,
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  all shared as we gather as the worshiping community.
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  If you're new here,
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  that's why we do the different things that we do in our
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  worship.
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  Our calling as the Church of the Brethren includes something
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  that is unique,
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  SPEAKER_00: unfortunately,
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  SPEAKER_00: to our faith community.
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  SPEAKER_00: Love feast and communion.
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  SPEAKER_00: And I want to remind you,
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  SPEAKER_00: those that have been here for a long time and those of you that are new,
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  SPEAKER_00: we plan these not as extras,
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  SPEAKER_00: but as core formation.
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  SPEAKER_00: The love feast and communion that we have together,
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  SPEAKER_00: they preach with bread,
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  SPEAKER_00: with water,
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  SPEAKER_00: and with towels.
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  As you saw last week,
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  even how we receive members is a worship-shaped event.
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  SPEAKER_00: We welcome by confession of faith and by baptism,
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  SPEAKER_00: and belonging is celebrated as a gathered community,
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  SPEAKER_00: not as some little small thing that happens in secret somewhere else.
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  A lot of my formation has happened in a variety of places over
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  the years,
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  just as yours has.
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  SPEAKER_00: My particular experience,
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  a lot of my faith formation happened in Italy when I was a
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  missionary there for 10
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  SPEAKER_00: years.
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  SPEAKER_00: And what I found was church often happened at tables in homes.
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  SPEAKER_00: Espresso, pasta,
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  SPEAKER_00: Scripture and stories all braided together as a faith community.
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  SPEAKER_00: I learned that kitchens can be sanctuaries.
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  SPEAKER_00: And saints, they wear aprons.
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  As you heard again this morning,
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  I have a wedding venue and a sunflower patch that's 10 acres.
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  SPEAKER_00: But at weddings, I learn on the farm that tables are holy places.
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  SPEAKER_00: Hospitality is a holy event.
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  SPEAKER_00: And a set table where families gather and become one says you matter.
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  SPEAKER_00: And it's a reminder to me that that is true for the Lord's table as well.
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  SPEAKER_00: I was a GM at a Marriott, as I probably keep telling you.
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  SPEAKER_00: I apologize for that.
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  SPEAKER_00: But we trained.
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  SPEAKER_00: Marriott trained us to anticipate and then to fulfill.
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  SPEAKER_00: And I believe that that is good for worship, too.
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  SPEAKER_00: We prepare.
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  SPEAKER_00: We welcome.
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  SPEAKER_00: We notice one another as we are here.
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  SPEAKER_00: And we serve one another as we gather to worship.
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  SPEAKER_00: So, how does worship inform theology for us?
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  Well,
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  I believe foot washing shapes a theology of humble equality
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  among us.
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  SPEAKER_00: The shared meal shapes a theology of reconciliation.
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  Baptism shapes a theology of dying and rising daily as brothers
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  and sisters.
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  SPEAKER_00: Anointing shapes a theology of God with us in weakness together.
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  SPEAKER_00: Congregational prayer shapes a theology of peace, hope, and healing.
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  SPEAKER_00: And how does theology inform worship?
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  SPEAKER_00: Well,
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  SPEAKER_00: because we center on Jesus,
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  our services elevate the New Testament scripture as a church of
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  the brethren.
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  SPEAKER_00: Because we believe in the body, well, we practice participation.
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  That's why I'm always asking you to be a worship leader or tell
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  a children's story
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  SPEAKER_00: or do other things in worship.
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  SPEAKER_00: Be a greeter, be an usher, get involved in ministry.
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  SPEAKER_00: Because we trust the Spirit, we make room for silence and surprise.
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  SPEAKER_00: Who remembers the balloons?
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  SPEAKER_00: Not many of you.
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  SPEAKER_00: I guess it wasn't much of a surprise.
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  SPEAKER_00: Oh, some of you, yeah.
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  SPEAKER_00: Because we hold to peace, we pray for enemies.
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  SPEAKER_00: and we seek reconciliation and repair.
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  SPEAKER_00: And because we value simplicity,
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  SPEAKER_00: we resist performance,
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  SPEAKER_00: which,
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  SPEAKER_00: as you might imagine,
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  SPEAKER_00: is a little bit difficult for me.
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  SPEAKER_00: But nonetheless, I work on it.
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  SPEAKER_00: This week, I wrote a substack piece called Towel Before Taser.
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  It names my personal grief for neighbors who are homeless and
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  mentally ill in D.C.
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  SPEAKER_00: and also in the valley.
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  SPEAKER_00: I realize capacity is thin and dignity is fleeting right now.
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  SPEAKER_00: But I believe Jesus is calling us to come nearer.
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  SPEAKER_00: I believe that worship must lead us to a witness.
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  SPEAKER_00: The towel means we serve first, not sweep away.
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  SPEAKER_00: The table reconciles us.
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  SPEAKER_00: The tank sends us to live out our baptisms in public.
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  SPEAKER_00: So,
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  SPEAKER_00: we carry the towel,
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  SPEAKER_00: the table,
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  SPEAKER_00: and the tank into our homes,
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  SPEAKER_00: into our streets,
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  SPEAKER_00: and into our workspaces.
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  SPEAKER_00: We show up.
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  SPEAKER_00: We learn names.
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  SPEAKER_00: And we make room.
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  SPEAKER_00: This is how our worship tells the truth about God's love where we live.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now, Paul warns that worship can lie.
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  SPEAKER_00: about God.
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  SPEAKER_00: If our table excludes,
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  SPEAKER_00: our songs boast,
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  SPEAKER_00: and our prayers ignore pain,
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  SPEAKER_00: our practices need repentance,
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  SPEAKER_00: not polishing.
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  SPEAKER_00: So, three practices for us this season.
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  SPEAKER_00: The towel.
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  SPEAKER_00: Serve in quiet ways that cost you something.
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  SPEAKER_00: Table, eat and reconcile especially with those who are unlike you.
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  And tank,
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  remember your baptismal vows and renew them in your daily
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  choices.
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  SPEAKER_00: And I'll just add a fourth, T for testimony.
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  Tell each other where Jesus met you because stories train
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  belief and form faith.
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  SPEAKER_00: Young and old, listen, you are not spectators.
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  SPEAKER_00: You are a royal priesthood, a holy nation.
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  SPEAKER_00: that is called to serve with your sleeves rolled up.
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  SPEAKER_00: So bring your gift.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Spirit will braid it in.
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  SPEAKER_00: Let's keep worship participatory and Christ-centered.
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  SPEAKER_00: Let's plan well and then hold plans lightly.
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  SPEAKER_00: Let's love be the loudest thing in the room.
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  SPEAKER_00: Amen.