During this conversation, Wendy McCaig will share her experiences in bridging the gap between middle class white faith communities and lower income predominately African American communities using the principles and practices of Asset-Based Community Development. Through a combination of story and the sharing of ABCD practices, participants will learn how this strategy could help bridge the gap between church and community in a way that leads to healing on both sides of the divide.
Blog
Why is Richmond Still Segregated? (Feb. 2018)
Segregation isn’t an accident of history, or a matter of preference or choice. There are historical and policy decisions that shape Richmond’s sharply segregated housing and school patterns. Redlining and restrictive covenants established these barriers that persist to keep us separated to the modern day.
This presentation was shared by Heather Crislip, on Feb. 21, 2018. Tabernacle hosted a 5 month dialogue on Race during the winter and spring of that year. Heather is a beloved and active member of our faith community and serves as President/CEO of Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, Inc. (HOME). We’re incredibly proud of Heather and see God at work in innumerable ways as she uses her gifts to serve our community.
Listening to Black Voices: Black Voices in Fiction
We have been talking about the importance of de-centering our own stories and listening to the stories of others, especially those on the margins. We are sharing videos from different members and staff on what voices they are listening to that are shaping and reshaping their perspective.
In this first video, Associate Pastor Meg Lacy Vega shares some black voices in fiction that have impacted her recently. Have a voice you’d like to share with us? Email a video to meg@tbcrichmond.org or severns@tbcrichmond.org.
Sunday, May 31 | Pentecost Sunday
we’re glad you can join us for worship!
We would love for you to let us know you’re here. This worship guide is meant to be a companion to the Livestream service. You can join us live at 11am on Sunday morning, or watch the recorded service later, following along with the words to hymns, etc. in a separate window or on your phone, or print this guide out if you like!
We will partake in Communion at the end of today’s service. We encourage you to prepare your elements before the service begins at 11AM if you would like to participate.
CALL TO WORSHIP: “Pentecost” (Malcolm Guite, Sounding the Seasons, Seventy Sonnets for the Christian Year)
Today we feel the wind beneath our wings,
Today the hidden fountain flows and plays,
today the church draws breath at last and sings,
as every flame becomes a tongue of praise.
This is the feast of Fire, Air and Water,
poured out and breathed and kindled into Earth.
The Earth herself awakens to her maker,
translated out of death and into birth.
The right words come today in their right order
and every word spells freedom and release.
Today the gospel crosses every border,
all tongues are loosened by the Prince of Peace.
Today the lost are found in His translation
whose mother-tongue is love, in every nation.
HYMN #229: “Let Every Christian Pray”
V. 1 Let every Christian pray, this day and every day, come, Holy Spirit, come! Was not the church we love commissioned from above? Come, Holy Spirit, come!
V. 2 The Spirit brought to birth the Church of Christ on earth to seek and save the lost: God never has withdrawn, since that tremendous dawn, the gifts of Pentecost.
V.3 The Holy Spirit’s power can fit us for this hour: come, Holy Spirit, come! Instruct, inspire, unite and make us see the light: come, Holy Spirit, come!
SCRIPTURE READING: Acts 2
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by 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 forever. Amen.
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
praise Him all creatures here below,
praise Him above ye heavenly hosts,
praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
Whether you’ve been coming to Tabernacle for years, or just recently started worshiping with us online, we are glad you’re here, and invite you to participate in other opportunities for fellowship and discipleship as well! There are several groups meeting regularly that are open to newcomers, and our Community Ministry is actively serving neighbors on a weekly basis. The Soul Care Project is a digital series that that you can follow along with at your own pace. It offers a weekly theme promoting practices to help us care for our souls by connection with ourselves, God, and the world. We encourage you to the final installment of the podcast and interact with the resources available on our Facebook and Instagram feeds.
Soul Care Week Six: Encountering Silence
Join us for our final podcast of the Soul Care series, on the gift and challenge of silence prayer.
“God’s first language
is silence.
Everything else,
is a poor translation.”
-Fr. Thomas Keating
Pray as you go: Centering Prayer
Centering Prayer is a receptive method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God’s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself. This method of prayer is both a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. – Contemplative Outreach
A Guide to Centering Prayer from Gravity: A Center for Contemplative Activism
- Sit in an upright, attentive posture in a way that allows for an erect spine and open heart. Place hands in your lap.
- Gently close your eyes and bring to mind your sacred word, image or breath as your symbol to consent to the presence and action of God within you. Your sacred symbol is intended to be the same every time you pray. It helps to ground you in the present moment, allowing you to give your undivided loving, yielded attention to God. Choose a name for God or a characteristic for God like, Love, Peace, etc.
- Silently, with eyes closed, recall your sacred symbol to begin your prayer. As you notice your thoughts, gently return to your sacred word. Do this however many times you notice your thoughts.
- When your prayer period is over, transition slowly from your prayer practice to your active life.
It is recommended to pray in this fashion for a minimum of 20 minutes, two times a day. Start out slowly with initial prayer periods of five to ten minutes, working up to the desired length of time.
Resources
Books
Intimacy with God: An Introduction to Centering Prayer by Thomas Keating
Into the Silent Land Martin Laird: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation by Martin Laird
The Heart of Centering Prayer: Nondual Christianity in Theory and Practice by Cynthia Bourgeault
Breathing Underwater: Spirituality & the Twelve Steps by Richard Rohr
The Sacred Enneagram: Finding Your Unique Path to Spiritual Growth by Chris Heuertz
Websites
Resources from Cynthia Bourgeault
The Center for Action and Contemplation
Daily Meditations from Richard Rohr
Family Practice: Shadow Art
Indoor or Outdoor shadow activities work for all ages.
The key is to have a source of light, your body or a toy as the object to block it, and a surface for the shadow to fall upon.
This exercise will help you stay still for a while.
Trace a shadow of your hand, a toy, or have a family member trace a shadow of your face or body.
You are indeed created in the Image of God.
Just Be Still.
Sunday, May 24 | Ascension Sunday
we’re glad you can join us for worship!
This worship guide is meant to be a companion to the Livestream service. You can join us live at 11am on Sunday morning, or watch the recorded service later, following along with the words to hymns, etc. in a separate window or on your phone, or print this guide out if you like!
We will partake in Communion at the end of today’s service. We encourage you to prepare your elements before the service begins at 11AM if you would like to participate.
CALL TO WORSHIP: “Ascension Day” (Malcolm Guite, Sounding the Seasons, Seventy Sonnets for the Christian Year)
We saw his light break through the cloud of glory
whilst we were rooted still in time and place,
as earth became a part of heaven’s story
and heaven opened to his human face.
We saw him go and yet we were not parted,
He took us with Him to the heart of things.
The heart that broke for all the broken-hearted
is whole and heaven-centered now, and sings;
sings in the strength that rises out of weakness,
Sings through the clouds that veil him from our sight,
whilst we ourselves become his clouds of witness
and sing the waning darkness into light;
His light in us and ours in Him concealed,
which all creation waits to see revealed.
HYMN #215: “Rejoice, the Lord is King”
V. 1: Rejoice, the Lord is King:
your Lord and King adore!
Rejoice, give thanks and sing,
and triumph evermore:
lift up your heart, lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
V. 2: Jesus, the Savior, reigns,
the God of truth and love;
when He had purged our stains,
He took His seat above:
lift up your heart, lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
V. 3: His kingdom cannot fail,
He rules both earth and heaven;
the keys of death and hell
are to our Jesus given:
lift up your heart, lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, Rejoice!
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by 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 forever. Amen.
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 28:16-19
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
praise Him all creatures here below,
praise Him above ye heavenly hosts,
praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
Whether you’ve been coming to Tabernacle for years, or just recently started worshiping with us online, we are glad you’re here, and invite you to participate in other opportunities for fellowship and discipleship as well! There are several groups meeting regularly that are open to newcomers, and our Community Ministry is actively serving neighbors on a weekly basis. The Soul Care Project is a digital series that that you can follow along with at your own pace. It offers a weekly theme promoting practices to help us care for our souls by connection with ourselves, God, and the world. We encourage you to listen to this week’s podcast and interact with the resources available on our Facebook and Instagram feeds.
Soul Care Week Five: Getting Lost
Join us on the podcast this week as we talk about the spiritual practice of getting lost, learning to navigate the wilderness of place and soul.
The wilderness
holds answers
to more questions
than we have yet
learned to ask.
– Nancy Newhall
Pray as you go: The Welcoming Prayer
Sink into this three part prayer that helps us welcome uncomfortable feelings and experiences and find God in the midst of one.
First, feel and sink into what you are experiencing this moment in your body.
Next, “welcome” what you are experiencing this moment in your body as an opportunity to consent to the Divine Indwelling.
Finally, Let go by saying “I let go of my desire for security, affection, control and embrace this moment as it is.”
“Start practicing the Welcoming Prayer with the little things in life — small, everyday frustrations like sitting in traffic or waiting in line at the grocery store. Practicing with the small things prepares us for the bigger upsets.”
Learn more about The Welcoming Prayer at ContemplativeOutreach.org.
FAMILY PRACTICE: COLORING PAGE
Grab some crayons,
markers,
or colored pencils
and retreat into your
spiritual,
emotional,
psychological
cave as a family
and color a picture
of a Wild Cactus
together.
Summer Discipleship
An update on what Spiritual Formation opportunities will look like this summer for adults, youth, and children.
Meg Discipleship Update May from Sterling W. Severns on Vimeo.
You can find more information about what worship will look like in this next phase in Sterling’s video here. Join us this Sunday, May 17, at 2PM for a Town Hall Meeting, in which Pastor Sterling and Pastor Meg will address questions about these plans.
Sunday, May 17 | Sixth Sunday of Easter
we’re glad you can join us for worship!
This worship guide is meant to be a companion to the Livestream service. You can join us live at 11am on Sunday morning, or watch the recorded service later, following along with the words to hymns, etc. in a separate window or on your phone, or print this guide out if you like!
We will partake in Communion each Sunday during this Easter Season. We encourage you to prepare your elements before the service begins at 11AM if you would like to participate.
PRELUDE: Judy Fiske
CHORAL CALL TO WORSHIP: “He Is Alive”
CALL TO WORSHIP: 1 Chronicles 16:31-34
Let the heavens be glad,
and let the earth rejoice,
and let them say about the nations,
“The Lord is King!”
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.
HYMN #208: “He Is Lord”
He is Lord, He is Lord,
He is risen from the dead and He is Lord!
Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Gospel Lesson: John 21:1-17
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by 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 forever. Amen.
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
praise Him all creatures here below,
praise Him above ye heavenly hosts,
praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
SOLO: “Feed My Lambs” (Sleeth), Brynne Severns
BREAD FOR THE JOURNEY: Kate Marshall
Whether you’ve been coming to Tabernacle for years, or just recently started worshiping with us online, we are glad you’re here, and invite you to participate in other opportunities for fellowship and discipleship as well! There are several groups meeting regularly that are open to newcomers, and our Community Ministry is actively serving neighbors on a weekly basis. The Soul Care Project is a digital series that that you can follow along with at your own pace. It offers a weekly theme promoting practices to help us care for our souls by connection with ourselves, God, and the world. We encourage you to listen to this week’s podcast and interact with the resources available on our Facebook and Instagram feeds.
Soul Care Week Four: Nourishing Creativity
Join us on the podcast this week as we talk about creativity as a spiritual practice!
When you were a child, you knew yourself to be co-creator of the universe.
But little by little you forgot who you were.
-Mirabai Starr,
Wild Mercy
Pray as you go: Put Two Things Together
The practice of creativity is more broad than we give it credit for. Chase Jarvis, the author of Creative Calling defines creativity as “the act of combining or arranging two or more unlikely things in new or useful ways.”
This week, get creative in some small way--through your work, your parenting, your cooking, or the aesthetic of your space, by putting two or more unlikely things together.
Consider this your prayer.
God created us in God’s image, and we were made to be co-creators with God. When we tap into our creative spark, we tap into the Spirit of God within us.
Family Practice: COLLage
This cut-and-glue craft activity for families helps build creativity, improve motor skills, and create memorable pieces of art.
Supplies:
scissors (child safety if you have young ones)
colored paper with predetermined shapes
magazine clippings or photos
glue
drawing paper
cloth, wood, stickers, or any other items you have around
Gather your supplies and invite everyone to spend time together at the table. Open with a prayer, thanking God for creating the world, and for inviting us to create, too. You can make a family collage together, or each make your own collage. When you are finished, ask each member of the family to share about what they created.