musings.from.the.porch

Have your attention? So, help me think about the text ( Matthew 5:27-32) that we have to work with for November 18. I thought I’d record my thoughts here as I develop them and prepare to facilitate the conversation. I have posted my homily thoughts below Continue Reading »

One of the goals of The Porch is to build community: community with God, community with each other, community outside ourselves. Community involves all of us serving together, contributing, leading, pitching in. Part of this involves helping the Saturday night gatherings to come together. If we all do a little, then no one has to do a lot and we can keep going. There are lots of things - what can you do?

We agreed that we would have a sign up sheet where you can indicate what you will do on a given Saturday. You can also sign up on the Porch Events page (click the Porch Events button above) - just submit a comment saying what you want to do.

A joint service on Sunday morning with the WCUMC Sunday Morning service

The traditional Christmas eve service

Setup: TBD

Dinner: TBD

Talk Facilitator: Jason Baxter

Topic: Matthew 5:43-48

Worship: Guido

Takedown: TBD 

We will join with the The August family for a Nicaragua Night to support the community development and mission work in Nicaragua

Setup: TBD

Dinner: TBD

Talk Facilitator: Ralph Rohwer

Topic: Matthew 5:33-37

Worship: Guido

Takedown: TBD 

Setup: TBD

Dinner: TBD

Talk Facilitator: Sara Crinnion

Topic: Matthew 5:38-42

Worship: Guido

Takedown: TBD 

Setup:

Dinner:

Talk Facilitator: Jim Trott

Topic: Matthew 5:27-32

Worship: Guido

Takedown: TBD 

One thing (of many) that is so good about the Porch (Sat eve) so far:  allowing time for reflection and contemplation.  We experienced it on the 4th as we had time to pray and –if desired–light candles at the arches.  Last night, on the 11th, we were encouraged again to reflect as Ralph led us through a time of examination about where anger and judgement had gotten the upper hand in our relationships and thus swaggered its way between ourselves and our Lord.  And again in the extended time of worship, which for many, I believe, was a healing time of refreshment.  We added the prayer bench, also, so that the act of kneeling before our Great God echoes the humbling of our hearts before Him.

I just wanted to highlight these things because I think this is such an important ingredient of worship and we often just don’t make time for it.  Simply put:  I love these things being part of our time together!  My soul is thirsty for them!  And I am looking forward to other creative ways the Lord will lead us to practice contemplation and reflection as part of worship.