On The Table

Hey folks,

This week is another "off week" for us - it's the 5th Sunday of the month, so we won't be gathering at Jammin' Java this weekend. (Actually, it could hardly be called an off week, filled as it was with cosmically wondrous MFA exhibitions, utter GRE dominations, and NEW BABY(!!!), among other tremendous events. But the fact remains: we aren't gathering for worship on Sunday.) And we don't have a service-worship project planned for this weekend either - though we did rake a few leaves earlier in the month.

So if you have any ideas for something fun and/or world-changing to do this weekend, please let us know.

There is a very cool conference called Mission Possible 2012 happening on Saturday. It's about getting young people excited about working on behalf of God's dream of social justice for all, so if you're a young person, or you work with young people, you might want to check it out.

You might also start getting excited about upcoming Sundays, including a RadioLab/Midrash service next Sunday (February 5th) examining "turn the other cheek", and an All-Ages service in two weeks, when we get to sit back and let the kids lead!

And that's about it for this week. God bless!

Peace,
Mike Croghan

Sheesh.The Season of Resolutions has barely begun to fade, and already Contrarian Ken Tennyson is pushing against the tide. Fortunately, it's a 'discussion format' this Sunday, so you can push right back if you'd like. Though if you're like me, you're nodding your head as you read his description, sure that he's on to something really wise here:

This week will be a discussion based service based on the pros/cons of quitting, how quitting and failure should (or should not) be related, and the deeply ingrained protestant ethic that I grew up in and will be sharing my perspective from. Discussion points will be prompted by a mash-up of some of my deeply ingrained protestant perceptions of quitting and failure juxtaposed against a short clip of “The Upside of Quitting” from Stephen Dubner’s Freakonomics podcast. It will be an epic show-down between stubborn tenacity and perseverance against all odds against a “pro quitting” perspective. How do we resolve the Biblical exhortations to put our shoulders to the plow versus a different spin seemingly offered by Jesus? Does our resolve in some areas of our life fall under steadfastness or self defeating stubbornness? Are we persevering or are we guilty of the “sunk cost” fallacy? Nothing ever comes easy right? How do we know if we are taking the easy road versus choosing to stop beating our head against the wall!If you have ever felt stuck, frustrated, or reflect back on “failures” in your life in ways that feel very self defeating, then this is a service for you!! Oh, and a little hint up front, there is NO easy way to resolve these tensions, but it should be fun unpacking them corporately! We will have plenty of time to share and reflect on what I hope will be a lively discussion!-Ken

Simmer on that, friend, and bring your good thoughts to Jammin' Java this Sunday morning at 10am. Or if you're feeling sleepy, just join us at Chipotle for Second Eucharist at about noon. We promise not to call you a 'quitter'.Cheers,Mike Stavlund

Hi church!

Well, depending on the particular stream of church tradition, this part of winter might be considered "nothing in particular", "ordinary time", or the Season of Epiphany.  I'm an Anglican, so I'm a fan of the third option.  Dig it: a whole season dedicated to the manifestation of God in Jesus.  (OK, real quickly:  the Incarnation, which we celebrate at Christmas, is about the coming of God-with-us in human form in the person of Jesus.  Epiphany is about us humans actually finding out about that and saying...huh...this Jesus guy...he could change everything!)

So it's fitting (IMHO) that in this season of Epiphany, on the Liturgy Team Sunday right before a certain national holiday, we will share a time of liturgical worship in honor of a man who "showed forth" the light and justice of Jesus in truly earth-shaking ways:  Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr..  Join us at 10am on Sunday at Jammin' Java, and feel free to take a peek at the Lectionary readings and start thinking about what insights you might bring to the Table.  See you then!

That's all I got.  May goodness be manifest in your life this season.

Peace,
Mike Croghan

Happy New Year!  Hope your year is off to a decent start as we look forward to lots more Common Table interactive interdependent inter-denominational goodness in 2012.

To start the year off, our own Karen Win will be joining forces with our Creative Team.  Cutting across the grain of so much New Year's resolutiony striving, Karen is challenging us to consider The Art of Doing Nothing.  Like the rest of us, she's more practitioner than expert, but it's been on her mind and heart for a good while and she's got good stuff to bring (and invite us into).

So join us if you can at 10am this Sunday at Jammin' Java. 

Mike Stavlund