My beloved Mt. Tam Church,
Good Friday—God’s Friday! We are invited to worship online with our Bishop, Minerva Carcaño, who is conducting a noon-time service for the entire Annual Conference through the Conference Facebook page. The link is below. The service will then be posted to the Annual Conference website Click here.
I will be online worshipping with you! Peace be with you on this most holy day.
Peace,
Pastor Kim
My beloved Mt. Tam Church,
Our Holy Week this year is unlike any other year, for as we shelter in place, we will walk with Jesus in this holy time online and at home. Maundy Thursday commemorates the last night of Jesus’ life, when he gathered with his disciples for a Passover Meal. We now call this the Last Supper and it is the model for the sacrament of communion. The word “Maundy” is derived from the Latin word for “command” and refers to Jesus’ commandment to the disciples to “Love one another as I have loved you.” How loving to join Jesus and the disciples around the world for this night!
You will find two resources for marking Maundy Thursday—the first is the order of worship below, a short prayer service to be held at the start of your evening meal at home. The second is a video of this prayer service that Lindy and I recorded at the parsonage earlier this week. It’s about 8 1/2 minutes—you are welcome to use it at your table as you celebrate the ritual or view it separately. The title is “comfort food,” so we encourage you to prepare some of your favorite comfort foods (you’ll see our favorites at the end of the video!) and take comfort in the prayers and in the presence of Jesus, as both host and guest of your holy meal. For our homes and hearts are sacred in God.
Peace,
Pastor Kim
“Comfort Food: A Feast of Love”*
A Maundy Thursday Service
April 9, 2020
To Use at Home During a Meal And as we worship together online through the Link provided at mtumc.org
Introduction:
When we “break bread” together as a church in worship, we remember that Jesus was always sharing a meal with others, inviting all to the table. On the last night of his life, as part of his ministry, his disciples and closest companions shared a special supper together. Only later did his followers recognize this as his “last supper” and then, create a similar gathering to become a sacrament, which we call communion. Though we cannot gather in our sanctuary at church during the shelter-in-place orders, we can gather via online services and in our own homes, around our own tables. So, for this very special Maundy Thursday, you are invited to prepare your favorite “comfort food,” and at one of your meals today, use this short service to worship for Maundy Thursday. There is also a video on the church website at mtumc.org of Pastor Kim sharing a meal from the parsonage. You can use the video to guide your table service or use the script below. Or use both!
Jesus used the parable of a great banquet to which all people are invited in order to talk about what the realm of God, the family of God, looks like. He said, “Go to the highways and back alleys and urge people to come in so that my house will be filled.” He often invited the most unlikely guests to his mealtimes, confounding the disciples. In this way, he was encouraging a deep love and connection beyond social norms. He knew that we humans need connection and inclusion. Jesus comforts us, saying “you have a place at the table.” So whether we live on our own or in a larger family configuration or have invited others to join us via Zoom or another online source, Jesus invites us to let all people know they are welcome in our hearts and in our churches–even if we can’t physically be with each other right now. So, eat, drink, enjoy your meal! And let us be together in spirit!
“COMFORT FOOD: A CELEBRATION FOR YOUR
AT-HOME MAUNDY THURSDAY MEAL
Special Song: You are invited to sing this doxology, which means “thanksgiving,” the traditional tune called “Old One Hundred.” You will recognize it as one of the two doxologies we most often sing in Sunday worship:
Be present at our table, Lord;
Be here and everywhere adored.
Your creatures bless and grant that we,
May feast in fellowship with Thee.
A Time to Include Others Who Are Not Physically Present:
We are not in an easy time. We are mostly confined to our homes and it might be difficult not to be near some of the people we love. We are worried or afraid. At this time, take a moment to say aloud the names of the people you wish were there next to you at your table today.
Take a moment of silence to allow people around the table to lift up names.
A Time of Prayer
Jesus is no longer physically on earth, yet every time we gather around a table and we call him to mind, he is present with us in Spirit. And so too, our loved ones are with us. Let this be a comfort to us. We also want to call to mind, the people we cannot name, whose names we do not know. But we know they need our prayers and God’s comfort. Let us pray for:
For those who have lost loved ones
For those who are sick and recovering
For those who are caring for loved ones who are sick at home
For those who are caring for persons in medical care
For those who are separated from loved ones
For those who are feeling alone and isolated
For those who are helping and are so very tired
For those who are struggling to find friends, food, and comfort
For those who are afraid
Who else shall we name at our tables?
A Breathing Prayer:
I invite you to take a deep breath on behalf of all those we do not know and cannot call by name. As we do so, we know that God knows who needs our prayers and the Spirit, Breath of God, is blowing from within us outward as a Spirit of Compassion and Presence.
Pause to take a couple of deep and audible breaths.
A Table and Meal Blessing:
Blessings at the table are part of our faith heritage. Indeed, Jesus adapted his Jewish ritual blessing spoken before and after meals. He asked us to remember him whenever we break bread and raise a cup in thanksgiving. This is why we call our communion prayers the “Great Thanksgiving.” In this feast of love and comfort, we can call to mind things for which we are deeply grateful. I invite you to speak aloud a couple of things that you are grateful for in this moment.
Pause to name things and people for which you are thankful.
Now, let us bless the food before us. Please raise a plate of “something” on your table, or a glass of whatever you are drinking, and let us bless it in this way:
(One person can be the ‘leader’ and name each line of blessing and others can respond with the same line. If you are eating with yourself, please pray the prayer out loud with yourself.)
Holy Comforter
We gather in your name…
invited by Jesus…
bound together with your Spirit…
in union with each other…
Feed our bodies and our spirits…
with your comforting presence…
so that we might be your comfort to others…
Bless this food…
and break open our hearts…
Bless this drink…
and pour out your love…
Amen…
Blessing and Benediction:
As you pass and fill your plates, getting ready to continue to eat your comfort food, you are invited to imagine what extravagant love looks like as you reach across the social distance to loved ones, to friends, and even acquaintances or strangers. Let us remember the love that Jesus had for every person at the Last Supper, even Judas who was to betray him. Let us strive to be that kind of love in our homes and in the world. May the grace of God, the love of Christ and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you this evening and always! Amen.
Special Song:
We thank Thee, Lord for this our food;
For life and health and all that’s good.
By thine own hand, we all are fed;
Give us each day our daily bread!
*With gratitude, adapted with permission from Dr. Marcia McFee’s series, “Heart of the Matter,” as found on her website, worshipdesignstudio.com.
My beloved Mt. Tam Church,
It’s been a tough week for me. Maybe it has for you as well. We are all facing the big picture of the COVID-19 virus pandemic and the impact of sequestering in place. Each one of us has our personal challenges and difficulties as well. For me, this week, it was having the back window of my Mini convertible shattered and my purse stolen from my car. It’s embarrassing to even admit my purse was there. I’m a very cautious person and never place my purse in the trunk of my car. Well, almost never, but I did and there it goes! Now, I’m in that place where many of us have been— cancelling credit cards, replacing lost items, trying to even recall what was in my purse. For me, the hardest part is the thought of the irreplaceable items: such as the small bus token that my small nephew gave me over 50 years ago that I have carried every day, the special mirror a friend had found for me, and the photos of both my friends and parents that were tucked into my wallet. In addition to that, getting the Mini fixed! I kept saying to God, “I didn’t need this right now!” So far he/she hasn’t answered back, at least not directly. So, I’ll wait for a response. We are all waiting— waiting for life to return, for “the world to restart,” for good news, and for hope.
And even though God may not be answering my direct complaint right now, I know I am surrounded by love and grace. Grace from the most unusual of places, such as the staff person at the Mini dealership, when I called him to talk about repairing the damage to the car (the whole convertible top has to be replaced). He told me the facts about the replacement, then switched his tone and finished the conversation with, “…and if there is anything else I can do for you, like bring you something at home, let me know.”
Such as the Love from neighbors who are gathering outside (while still socially distancing themselves, of course) at 5 PM on Sundays for an informal gathering which has also become a lovely cocktail hour. Such as the joy of having our daughter at home in which without her technical skills, patience, and help I could not have gotten through these past two weeks without. Lastly, such as the hope in the shape of lengthening days, freshness of the rain, and the promise of Easter.
And of course, poetry! Mary Oliver’s “Wild Geese,” which I have shared before, has become my prayer mantra this week. You’ll find it below. For me, there is something comforting about these words: “Meanwhile, the world goes on….” Maybe those are God’s answers to me. To remind me to lift up my head. To take a closer look around at the wonders and miracles about me, while even in the toughest of weeks, and give thanks.
Peace,
Pastor Kim
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile, the world goes on.
Meanwhile, the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile, the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting- over and over announcing your place in the family of things.
SERVING WHILE SHELTERING
There are still ways to serve even while sheltering in place! For people who are not high-risk for the virus and feel like they can serve, please note that there are many organizations that need help right now. Each Faith Matters, we will highlight some opportunities to serve. Right now, the SF-Marin Food Bank needs volunteers. They are located at 2550 Kerner Blvd, San Rafael; 415-282-1900, info@sfmfoodbank.org.
Blood donations are desperately needed by the Red Cross, 712-5th Avenue, San Rafael. 415-721-2365 is the number to call to secure a safe appointment for donating blood.
Please also consider an additional gift to the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund of Mt. Tam Church. Pastor Kim has had several contacts with local residents who need financial help with rent, food and making connections with services. Through the generosity of our members, in April we will pay the rent of a Mill Valley senior who was close to homelessness and help several southern Marin residents with groceries. You can donate through the website; indicate your gift is for the pastor’s discretionary fund.
WE ARE NOT CLOSED—WE’RE JUST NOT IN BUILDINGS! Please watch the Faith Matters for online opportunities for fellowship, learning and service. With the shelter-in-place order extended through April 30th, we will be adding Zoom-based coffee hour and Bible study soon. Worship will continue to be online: Sunday mornings will be live-streamed from the sanctuary at 10:30. Godly Play for children is available through Zoom. Contact Tricia Wiig to be included in that Zoom invitation if you are not already receiving it. For Holy Week, a Good Friday meditation service and a Maundy Thursday observance are being developed. More information by this Friday’s Faith Matters.
My beloved Mt. Tam Church,
“For such a time as this…” These words from the Book of Esther come to mind as we move through this uncharted territory of the COVOID-19 pandemic and what is asked of us right now. We’ve never had to do this—no wonder we are uncertain, bewildered, or frightened! After a full week, I feel like I’m getting my feet back on the ground just a bit. Last week was all about getting a worship service online; you know how this Luddite pastor has been reluctant to do so. And now, there’s no choice! I’m grateful beyond words to Tricia Wiig, Jeff Brown, Liz Westsmith, and others who did the heavy lifting to get us ready. We did okay… and each Sunday will help us grow in confidence and faith. Thank you for your understanding, encouragement, support, and patience. Thank God for a congregation that is able to be nimble and grace-filled, “in such a time as this.”
And with this time, we have changes in the immediate life of our congregation:
–We are pausing. The Church Council and Vision 2020 Capital Campaign Team have made the decision to put the Vision 2020 campaign on pause for right now. With the downturn of the market and everything up in the air, it’s not a good time to move forward. We had a final meeting last week to set up the structure of the campaign, so when the times are better, we are ready to move forward for our great project of the revitalization of Fellowship Hall.
–We are praying! We need to change the ways we“do church,” from going online to worship and using Zoom for meetings to the ways we donate, give, and budget. Please continue to provide your gift through the website’s DONATE page and button (easy and secured). You can also join Lindy and me by putting your gift on auto-pay. This way makes it so much simpler OR you can send a check to the church office. I go into the office regularly to gather mail, check the property, etc. With the shelter-in-place order, the regular renters are not in the buildings so our rental income for April and even May, may not be coming in. We have to be prepared for a reduction in rental income, making congregational regular giving even more critical. Consider going online to donate!
–We are protecting. Many of you have been asking me how you can help others through the church. We are regularly checking in with our elderly and vulnerable-at-home members and as needs arise, will seek that help. Like you, we are deeply concerned by the economically vulnerable people who have lost their jobs for the time being and may have trouble getting food or paying April’s rent. The way we usually route such giving is through the pastor’s discretionary fund, which allows me the freedom to help people in need quickly, on a case-by-case request. If you wish to donate to the pastor’s discretionary fund for the purpose of helping people who need financial assistance, please do so through the website or by check, which should be noted as “pastor’s discretionary fund.” I anticipate a greater demand for these funds in the weeks to come.
I know you join me in earnest and constant prayer in this remarkable time. We are pausing so much of our lives as we move through staying home and practicing all the precautions so we may protect others, as well as ourselves from the coronavirus. I don’t know about you, but this has been a time of both great upheaval that has brought certain opportunities—the upheaval of going online for worship brought to me the joy of connecting in new ways; the turmoil of the times “out there” has brought to me a greater sense of sanctity in our home; the uncertainty of what’s next has brought me closer to the God who is never uncertain and is always there. God is always “what’s next!” Thanks be to God!
Pastor Kim
My beloved, sheltering-at-home Mt. Tam Church,
Although we are all at home, we are at home together. We are not alone! The God who is always with us resides in our homes and hearts. Through the internet, telephone and social media, we are connected, as families and as a church family. For the Sundays of the Shelter-In-Place time, we will have Godly Play and Sunday worship online. All in person church classes, gatherings and meetings are cancelled; some will be available online or through Zoom. Thank God for grace, for this is new to us and we are on a quick learning curve to adapt this new way of being. Each week may bring improvements and additions; this week, we begin simply with the following two links for Godly Play and worship. The Godly Play lesson will last for about 20 minutes; the worship service follows ten minutes later. Below the worship link is a “bulletin” for the 30 minute online service. Please note: we are using Facebook to livestream and record the worship in real time. Afterwards, the recording will be placed on our website within a day or two. By grace we are saved and by grace, we travel “at home…and together!”
Peace,
Pastor Kim
Submit a Prayer Request:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScFXRasFpZnttWECsQqb6gOUwp-F0EWW2EJ8HaaIHHG0HNXPA/viewform?usp=sf_lin
For this Sunday, March 22:
10 a.m.: CHURCH FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES! Tricia Wiig will lead Godly Play Sunday School for children and their families through Zoom. Register in advance:
https://us04web.zoom.us/meeting/register/vpwsdeypqzwtpqFgiQjmwPvZMSGWlWpsUQ. Please arrive 5-10 minutes early so we can start promptly at 10.
10:30 a.m.: CHURCH FOR ALL AGES! Pastor Kim will offer an abbreviated celebration of worship with prayers, live music, scripture and the message. Click on the link below to be taken to the church’s Facebook page. This works whether or not you are on Facebook yourself (if a box pops up asking you to login or create an account, click on “Not Now”): https://www.facebook.com/Mt-Tamalpais-United-Methodist-Church-250943698280064/
THE FAMILY OF GOD GATHERS FOR WORSHIP
MARCH 22, 2020
MOUNT TAMALPAIS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Welcome to Worship: Pastor Kim
The Opening Prayer: Gracious and loving God, we gather to worship you today in new ways yet with the same spirit of trust that we hold in your care. As we worship online, help us to feel the presence of the Spirit in our own home and hearts. Unite us by that spirit that as we pray, read your word, hear the message and offer our gifts, we may know our oneness with you and each other. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
The Reading from Scripture: Psalm 27: 1, 3-5
The Lord is my light and my salvation. Should I fear anyone?
The Lord is a fortress protecting my life. Should I be frightened of anything?
If an army camps against me, my heart won’t be afraid.
If war comes up against me, I will continue to trust in this:
I have asked one thing from the Lord—it’s all I seek: to live in the Lord’s house all the days of my life, seeing the Lord’s beauty and constantly adoring God’s temple.
Because God is sheltering me in his own dwelling during troubling times;
Therefore I sing praise to our God!
The Message: “‘Oh, The Times, They Are A’Changin’!” Pastor Kim
A Time of Community Prayer: Pastor Kim will lead this prayer, offering a guided prayer with times of silence for your own personal prayers.
Sharing the Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, now and ever. Amen.
The Offering of our Gifts to God: If you wish to make your financial offering this morning, please visit https://mtumc.org/donate/.
Thanks be to God for the generosity of God’s people!
Blessing and Benediction
Our social distancing is an illusion.
We are one. There is no distance. No gap.
Isolated in your apartment, you belong.
You breathe and it fills my lungs.
You weep and my heart is broken.
We are one body in many places.
In this time of separation we open our hearts,
we allow ourselves to flow out from our bodies
in Spirit to one another, to the strangers
who are part of us. Like the Italians
singing from their balconies with neighbors,
we are all notes of the same song.
Love flows where germs cannot. Meditate
on our amazing unity. Extend your spirit
to include all it includes: the whole world.
Breathe in this breath (so threatened!), a gift.
Breathe out this breath (so released!), a gift.
Let compassion for all beings flow with it,
in and out, refreshing your whole body,
the Body of Christ, the whole human family,
the whole Creation. Let love be our body.
Let your love take flesh. Make calls.
Write letters. And when you come back out
don’t stop being one another’s body. It’s your life.
(Steve Garnaas-Holmes)
