Timberline Old Town

TEXT: 1 Peter 4:8-11 Hebrews 13:1-3   TAKEAWAYS: 1 Good neighbors don't add sticks to the fire of hate.   2 Good neighbors are yolkfellows.   3 Good neighbors are watchmen.   4 Good neighbors are innkeepers.   BENEDICTION: We ask you, Master, be our helper and defender.  Rescue those of our number in distress; raise up the fallen ; assist the needy; heal the sick; turn back those of your people who stray; feed the hungry; release our captives; revive the weak; encourage those who lose heart. Let all the nations realize that you are the only God, that Jesus Christ is your Child, and that we are your people and the sheep of your pasture. Amen.

TEXT: Luke 18:1-14   TAKEAWAYS: 1 Now we see through a glass darkly; then, face to face. Now we know in part; then, fully, even as we are fully known.   2 Grit without humility can be annoying. Humility without grit can be despairing.   3 The prayer in there: Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.   BENEDICTION: We ask you, Master, be our helper and defender.  Rescue those of our number in distress; raise up the fallen ; assist the needy; heal the sick; turn back those of your people who stray; feed the hungry; release our captives; revive the weak; encourage those who lose heart. Let all the nations realize that you are the only God, that Jesus Christ is your Child, and that we are your people and the sheep of your pasture. Amen.

Each week, we take a moment to pause and enter a practice we call Recognition Of Souls. It is a time to remember and realize that we are not in the room alone. Furthermore, we've all ended up in the room in the middle of very different lives and stories. The miracle of congregation is that we're all in the room. The call of congregation is to worship. The act of congregation is to "rejoice with those who rejoice; Mourn with those who mourn." Sometimes we post the recording of Recognition Of Souls here. Enjoy.

 TAKEAWAYS: More fun. More time. More compassionate. More generous.  

We wanted our time together during the Advent season to be set apart. Instead of our normal rhythm of congregation, we put together an order of service that might serve as an interruption to how we normally gather. Perhaps it will wake us up to hear new things, or give us pause to consider something from a different perspective, or...who knows? Each week, the liturgy is lead and the homily are given by different folks - different voices making up the mass of humanity anticipating the arrival of the Christ Child.   Interruptions Of Wonder | 12.31.17 | Look   Opening Prayer Madisen Golden Recognition of Souls Chris Deigert Reading of Wonder Madisen Golden Homily - "Look" Chris Hess New Year Benediction Madisen Golden

We wanted our time together during the Advent season to be set apart. Instead of our normal rhythm of congregation, we put together an order of service that might serve as an interruption to how we normally gather. Perhaps it will wake us up to hear new things, or give us pause to consider something from a different perspective, or...who knows? Each week, the liturgy is lead and the homily are given by different folks - different voices making up the mass of humanity anticipating the arrival of the Christ Child.   Interruptions Of Wonder | 12.24.17 | Shepherds Welcome & Pause Chris Hess Opening Prayer & Recognition of Souls Chris Hess Reading of Wonder - "The Shepherd" by Frederick Buechner Chris Hess Homily - "Shepherds" Darren Fred Advent Benediction Chris Hess

We wanted our time together during the Advent season to be set apart. Instead of our normal rhythm of congregation, we put together an order of service that might serve as an interruption to how we normally gather. Perhaps it will wake us up to hear new things, or give us pause to consider something from a different perspective, or...who knows? Each week, the liturgy is lead and the homily are given by different folks - different voices making up the mass of humanity anticipating the arrival of the Christ Child.   Interruptions Of Wonder | 12.17.17 | The Magi Welcome & Pause  Darren Fred Opening Prayer Katrina Tomlin Recognition of Souls Maggie Shafer Reading of Wonder - "Wait" by Antoinette Portis Katrina Tomlin Homily - "Joseph" Chris Hess Advent Benediction Katrina Tomlin

We wanted our time together during the Advent season to be set apart. Instead of our normal rhythm of congregation, we put together an order of service that might serve as an interruption to how we normally gather. Perhaps it will wake us up to hear new things, or give us pause to consider something from a different perspective, or...who knows? Each week, the liturgy is lead and the homily are given by different folks - different voices making up the mass of humanity anticipating the arrival of the Christ Child.   Interruptions Of Wonder | 12.10.17 | Joseph  Welcome & Pause  Chris Hess Opening Prayer Darren Fred Recognition of Souls Ben Jewell Reading of Wonder - Excerpt from "Traveling Mercies" by Anne Lamott Darren Fred Homily - "Joseph" Steve Griffin Advent Benediction Darren Fred

We wanted our time together during the Advent season to be set apart. Instead of our normal rhythm of congregation, we put together an order of service that might serve as an interruption to how we normally gather. Perhaps it will wake us up to hear new things, or give us pause to consider something from a different perspective, or...who knows? Each week, the liturgy is lead and the homily are given by different folks - different voices making up the mass of humanity anticipating the arrival of the Christ Child.   Interruptions Of Wonder | 12.3.17 | Mary Welcome  Opening Prayer Dick Foth   Recognition of Souls Chris Hess Reading of Wonder - Excerpt from "Godric" by Frederick Buechner Dick Foth   Homily - "Mary" Mackenzie Matthews Advent Benediction Dick Foth

During the Advent season, we are using Pauses for Advent: Words Of Wonder by Trevor Hudson as a guide.  Each entry in the guide - beginning November 27 - follows the rhythm of Pause-Meditate-Practice.  On this particular Sunday, we took time to try and catch the rhythm as a congregation.   PAUSE Mark 1:1-3   MEDITATE Darren's homily   PRACTICE Find a place that is abandoned. Look at it for awhile. Pray. Reach out to a person that is in the wilderness. Write a note. Share a coffee. Make a call. Sit on some grass. Ask some questions and take some notes. What do I want right now? Why do I want that? Who am I? Who am I not? When you are waiting somewhere sometime soon - and you will wait - look around, see people, and pray. Listen to Oprah’s Supersoul conversations podcast with Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor: “My Stroke of Insight”   BENEDICTION Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am. Be still and know.  Be still. Be.  

TEXT: Luke 17:5-6 ; 11-19   TAKEAWAYS: 1 Read Psalm 1 in the morning. Write “meditate day & night” on a 3x5 card. Stick it in your pocket. When you take the card out of your pocket, think about that phrase.   2 Ask God and yourself who you need to apologize to. Write that name on a 3x5 card and put it in your pocket. Apologize. Shred the card.   3 Write a note on a 3x5 card to someone you haven’t seen for a month. Put it in an envelope. Address the envelope. Mail it.   4 Write “Nicely Done” on a 3x5 card. Sign your name. Leave it under a paperclip on a report from a kid, or on a keyboard, or under the plate at a restaurant. Or just look at it before you go to bed.   BENEDICTION May the Lord bless you and keep you, May He make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the eyes of your heart be open to all the blessings which surround you; may this awareness produce a harvest of generosity in your spirit. May thankfulness rise up within you, not just during this short season, but day after day, fr

Every year, we take 5 weeks to go through our Coat Of Arms. It's always about identity. This time, we're looking at it through the lens of access.   TEXT: Matthew 13:10-15   TAKEAWAYS: What do you do? [job] What do you do when you do what you do? [vocation, inclination] Why do you do what you do when you're doing what you do? [motivation]  BENEDICTION: God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it, Trusting that You will make all things right, If I surrender to Your will, So that I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.

Every year, we take 5 weeks to go through our Coat Of Arms. It's always about identity. This time, we're looking at it through the lens of access.   TEXT: Genesis 11:4 Genesis 28:10-17 John 1:43-51   TAKEAWAYS: Where will you be at this time tomorrow? What are the gaps that need to be filled? What are the spaces you wish you could climb out of? If you could put a ladder in those spaces, what do you wish would climb down into them? When we are in spaces we wish we could climb out of, pray for the Kingdom to climb down.   BENEDICTION: I slow myself down for a moment, and try to realise that God is present. To me. Here and now. He is present in what I do, in the people that I meet, and the situations I find myself in daily. How can I make this reality real for myself?   I remind myself that I am in the presence of the Lord. I will take refuge in His loving heart. He is my strength in times of weakness. He is my comforter in times of sorrow.

Song of Invitation "Give Me Your Hand"   Mvmnt 1: Recognition Text 1 Corinthians 1:18,26-31 Song "Oh Lord, You're Beautiful" Prayer Recognition Of Souls   Mvmnt 2: Affirmation Text  Luke 19:1-10 Song "You Found Me" Prompts for contemplation: Ask the Father to bring to your mind one person in your life who has administered the healing touch of Jesus to you.If a person comes to mind, practice gratitude. Now ask the Father to bring to your mind one person in your life who needs that same healing touch. Think how you might return the favor.   Mvmnt 3: Invitation Text 2 Samuel 9:1-11 Reprise Song Of Invitation "Give Me Your Hand" Benediction Take, O Lord and receive my entire liberty,  my memory, my understanding and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess, thou hast given me: I surrender it all to Thee to be disposed according to Thy will. Give me only Thy love and Thy grace; with these I will be rich enough and will desire nothing more. Amen.  

Every year, we take 5 weeks to go through our Coat Of Arms. It's always about identity. This time, we're looking at it through the lens of access. TEXT: Luke 1:13-17 TAKEAWAYS: What is your full name? What does it mean? Did anyone ever give you a nickname? What is the name you want God to call you? Draw the Crown. Under the crown, write the name. BENEDICTION: To say that I am made in the image of God is to say that love is the reason for my existence, for God is Love. Love is my true identity. Selflessness is my true self. Love is my true character. Love is my name. Amen.

On Nov. 10 & 11, we're hosting a workshop called Exploring The Enneagram. The Enneagram is something a lot of folks are into and a lot of folks have questions about right now. Leading up to the workshop, we're having quick conversations with a few of our friends to hear about their Enneagram experience, and why this workshop might be beneficial for us to attend. 

Every year, we take 5 weeks to go through our Coat Of Arms. It's always about identity. This time, we're looking at it through the lens of access.   TEXT: Matthew 19:13-15 TAKEAWAYS: Where do you come from? Draw an image or place a photo in one quadrant of your coat of arms that represents where you come from. Share that in your small group this week. Ask someone you don't know very well where they were born. Listen to the interview with Rupi Kaur at npr.org Check out Dick & Ruth Foth at known.fm In small group time and/or personal time, read 1 Corinthians 1:26-31  

Tempus Per Annum means "Time Throughout The Year". In the liturgical church calendar, it is known as Ordinary Time - the long stretch between Easter and Advent. This is sometimes a grind and sometimes exhilarating and always Holy. We want to settle in and recognize this time of between. TEXT: Luke 13:1-9 TAKEAWAYS: Take an inventory with these questions in mind: What do I need to add? What do I need to subtract? Talk to two people about that inventory. Give those two people permission to ask you about it.  Ask someone who loves you, "Who do you think I was meant to be and what do you think I was meant to do?" Pray for the Spirit Of Truth to tell you the truth. For one week, carve out a half hour per day for still movement.

Tempus Per Annum means "Time Throughout The Year". In the liturgical church calendar, it is known as Ordinary Time - the long stretch between Easter and Advent. This is sometimes a grind and sometimes exhilarating and always Holy. We want to settle in and recognize this time of between. TEXT: Phillipians 4:4-9 TAKEAWAYS: Start a conversation with someone in your orbit who you don’t know and think you don’t want to know. It doesn’t have to be heavy right off. Ask good questions. Re-engage with someone you used to love and with whom you used to agree, but now maybe you don’t. Again, it doesn’t have to start off heavy. Ask good questions. Listen to or read someone with whom you disagree. Do so with an open heart. Before doing any of this, pray the Jesus prayer:  Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Next time you are angry and your fingers are on the keyboard or the words are heading for your mouth, stop. You can stop, stop, stop. For a girl can someday be a lady, and a boy can someday be a ma

Tempus Per Annum means "Time Throughout The Year". In the liturgical church calendar, it is known as Ordinary Time - the long stretch between Easter and Advent. This is sometimes a grind and sometimes exhilarating and always Holy. We want to settle in and recognize this time of between. TEXT: John 14:15-23 TAKEAWAYS: A place where everybody or at least some of em know your name A place full of grace.  And truth. A place with good welcomes and good farewells A place where you can be real, and they won't run away