Allentown

some images from last night’s Advent gathering

re:forming in the storm

we gathered safely before the storm on October 28. Sandy began making herself known in the Lehigh Valley early in the evening. we put out a sign that said “please come in.”

we celebrated life and re-formation. fitting for our venue and the season: All Saints’ Eve, Dia Del Los Muertos, Reformation Day. Hosted by our friends at Allentown’s oldest Lutheran church.

there were old songs and new images, one of us sculpted, all of us were asked to trade our hard rocks in for lumps of clay. we were met with questions. sometimes simple things are the hardest to explain.

As you examine the rock in your hand, we invite you to consider:

How has your heart been cold, stubborn, or hard like stone lately?

Let your prayers examine your heart as you examine the character of this rock.

not far from where we gathered, not far at all, in fact, in a basement in a church manse, friends with nowhere else to go were bedding down. ~~some joined us~~ some are us.

God is the potter. we are the clay. so simple, and so not.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

As the offering is passed, we invite you to offer the rock in your hand as your own heart in offering to God. Then as the second plate passes, we invite you to take and piece of clay for further meditation.

…it is cold and difficult to shape. But give it time.

It is made to soften by the warm touch and effort of your hand. As you listen and sit, work with the clay. Let the clay be an expression of what you receive and meditate upon in this time. Shape it, pattern it, use it as a stress ball… however the spirit moves you.

Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. (Jeremiah 18:1-6)

Where am I hard and stubborn to your touch O God? Soften me with your presence.

Search me O God, with your tender touch and show me my weak spots?

Show me and be tender with me, bolster me with your love.

Where am I dry, brittle and need of your living water, O God? Pour your spirit on me and renew me to your touch.

Where have you made me strong and ready for this day? Prepare me.

there was more, of course. there always is. more than can be written about or filmed.

here’s how one was moved. another.

on October 29, we saw Sandy rip lives apart. God, help us in this hour. Bolster us with your love.

broken liturgy presents Re:form (October 28)

Say “I’m going” on facebook, or just come out on the 28th!

Reflections from Last Night

“There are few times in my week when I truly quiet my soul because in order to do so, my head, my hands, and my heart must also be still. My thoughts race a mile a minute and the only way to slow them down is not to stop them entirely, for the void will quickly fill itself with another quick paced idea, but to focus them in the stillness of a single word or phrase.

Last night at Broken Liturgy, we were invited to hear God as a whisper in the silence. John’s team moved us through several iterations of lyric-less but powerful musical movements, each ending with a refrain of 5 minutes of silence. As the music mixed various layers of white noise, piano, drum, base, and electric guitar, the screen visually refocused our thoughts to images of in between spaces in life each imprinted with the phrase “I AM HERE”; these were intended to remind us that God is speaking all the time and all around us if we just stop long enough to listen. In the sanctuary at St. Paul’s were three canvases representing the margin space in the pages of a book where reflections and notes often occur while reading. We were encouraged to write in this space the images and phrases we heard God speaking to us during this time of stillness stillness together.

We were a small crowd, 28 in all, but we were an eclectic mix of life paths. Homeless and pastors, Jewish and skeptics, all sitting together under one roof connecting silently with our Creator and hearing a voice of love in a whisper.”

– Jill

Downtown Allentown by Treymayne Tatem

photo by Treymayne Tatem.

Thank You!

Thank you, everyone who was with us tonight at the album release, and to everyone listening online, sharing with friends, and otherwise being a part of these gatherings. Pictures from the album release party will be up soon!