Hi everyone,
I'd love to learn from you about what topics are interesting to you and your friends, neighbors, coworkers, classmates and anyone else in your life. Would you please take the time to fill out this survey? You are welcome to share it with others, the more responses, the more we learn! The survey typically takes 5-7 minutes. I'll be sure to share some of the learnings in the Fall. We are getting a great response rate and want to make sure the your voice is heard as well.
Please click this link and feel free to have other people in your life fill it out too. This survey is for members, non-members, regular attendees and people who have never come.
Here’s a prayer that was written by Ann Mayer for this past Sunday.
“Holy God, we know that nothing can separate us from your love; whether we are celebrating or grieving, healthy or sick, free or imprisoned, we know your love is always present. We are thankful for this.
This week as we celebrate independence & freedom, we also remember that freedom in our context has historically only meant freedom for those who are white; now it seems that it only means freedom for those who are white and male and Christian. Show us the ways we can work toward freedom from oppression for all of your children. Teach us to challenge systems meant to benefit those in power. Teach us to love as you love.
Deliver us from meager sentimental patriotism. Teach us not to idly squander our freedom in vain with self-centered pursuits. Give us hearts that seek to serve others, not to deny freedom to others;
We want to ask you to remedy the problems in the world; We want to ask you to heal the sick and feed the hungry and fix climate change – but we know that’s our job. Teach us the ways we can make a difference in the lives of others.
Holy God, many of us are grieving the decisions made by the top court of our country in the last couple weeks. They have limited women’s rights, chipped away at the separation of church and state, limited the ability to keep people safe from gun violence, and made it more difficult for us to work toward a more healthy planet. The country we celebrate this week is supposed to be a positive model for the world, yet now we are moving backwards on that path. We lament and grieve these losses.
Even as we grieve, open our hearts so we may be generous, and teach us the ways we can serve others rather than ourselves. Comfort us when we are overwhelmed and teach us your ways of love.
Fill our lives with the abundance of your Spirit, so that we may be your fruitful disciples. May the fruits of our lives be food for the hungry.
In Jesus Name, Amen.”