Mid-Week Pause Service 12-26-21

Mid-Week Service with Church Anew

Christmas Eve service here on Facebook

Bring your Hopes, Bring your Doubts, Feed your Soul.
Merry Christmas!

This Sunday, December 26, we will only be worshipping on YouTube.

Please see the video attached below, or check out our YouTube page!

Mid-Week Pause Service 12-22-21

ServiceIt is a 30-minute service with elements from the Sunday service and specific online components:

Bring your Hopes, Bring your Doubts, Feed your Soul.
Notes for Christmas Eve.  
Organ and Violin prelude will start at 8:45 pm
A Service of Lessons and Carols will start at 9:00 pm
I understand some of you may be uncomfortable attending in person. Know that the service will be live-streamed on Facebook beginning at 8:45 pm.
If there are any technical difficulties please know that we are also taping the service (it will be uploaded on Saturday).  

The Friday email will include the bulletin for the service.   Peace be with you,   Travis  

Prayer for the Day (from Howard Thurman)  
When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among others,
To make music in the heart.    

Find Judson on the internet through our link tree, linktr.ee/JudsonChurch  

Midweek Pause Service 12-15-21

Midweek Service

Bring your Hopes, Bring your Doubts, Feed your Soul.

What a year it has been. I am ending the year feeling a well of gratitude and thankfulness and positivity.  

What is the source of my feel-goodness? YOU!  

We are ending the year in a healthy position. Our engagements throughout the week are higher than pre-pandemic times. By engagements I mean: in-person worship + live streaming + online content + email + social media interactions. Our finances continue to remain strong. There is great energy in our focus groups. And we are rethinking spiritual formation for all ages.

As the year draws to a close I write to ask those of you who have yet to give to Judson Church to make a year-end gift, using this link. It is not the size of your donation that is important as much as the connection with this congregation. And for those who have already given to Judson Church, I ask you to join me, if you are able and give a year-end “over-and-beyond” gift.

You can make your gifts online, with a check (mailing to Judson Church, 4101 Harriet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409), by gifting stock or making a distribution from an IRA. Please contact the office (612-822-0649) for help or instructions.   Peace be with you,  

Travis  

Prayer for the Day (from John O’Donohue)  
Your soul knows the geography of your destiny.
Your soul alone has the map of your future,
therefore you can trust this indirect,
oblique side of yourself.
If you do, it will take you where you need to go,
but more importantly, it will teach you a kindness of rhythm in your journey  

Find Judson on the internet through our link tree, linktr.ee/JudsonChurch  

Here is our midweek online worship service: “Pause”. It is a 30-minute service with elements from the Sunday service and specific online components:

Midweek Pause Service 12-8-21

Midweek Service 12-8-21

Bring your Hopes, Bring your Doubts, Feed your Soul.

This Sunday (Joy Sunday) John the Baptist or (the Dipper) will invite all of us on a journey to joy: share your resources for the common good, be honest, and live lives of integrity.

As we contemplate how to be a “new kind of Christian and a new kind of church” how do we work this invitation to joy into our message? How do you receive this invitation?

Recall, the literal meaning of the word gospel is “good news.” Or recall that beautiful line from John’s gospel (good news), “your joy may be complete.” At the core of the Christian message is not judgement, phobias, and toxic attitudes, but JOY. So why do you reckon we don’t receive it as such?

Peace be with you,

Travis

Prayer for the Day (from Brother David Steindl-Rast)

May you grow still enough to hear the small noises earth makes in preparing for the long sleep of winter, so that you yourself may grow calm and grounded deep within.

May you grow still enough to hear the trickling of water seeping into the ground, so that your soul may be softened and healed, and guided in its flow.

May you grow still enough to hear the splintering of starlight in the winter sky and the roar at earth’s fiery core.

May you grow still enough to hear the stir of a single snowflake in the air, so that your inner silence may turn into hushed expectation.

Find Judson on the internet through our link tree, linktr.ee/JudsonChurch

Here is our midweek online worship service: “Pause”.

It is a 30 minute service with elements from the Sunday service and specific online components:

Midweek Pause Service 12-1-21

Service

Bring your Hopes, Bring your Doubts, Feed your Soul.

Yesterday was #GivingTuesday, a day to give to your favorite non-profits and charities. I am sure your inbox and social media feeds were filled with requests for donations. I gave to six organizations yesterday; giving is fun!

Here is the Norvell’s rationale for giving. We want to give to as many organizations as we can, but we make giving to Judson Church our primary gift. I know many of you too follow this same philosophy. We give out of gratitude for the presence of this congregation in our lives. We give because of the work Judson Church is engaged in the community and the world. We give because it is part of our spiritual practice.

If you have never made a financial gift/donation to Judson Church I encourage you to do so. Now is the perfect time to make an end of the year donation or make a first time gift. You can make a donation here. Your generous giving makes the ministry and work of Judson Church possible.

A note to those who have never given before or may be in a financial position where you are not able to give at a level you desire. When I first started giving to organizations I would fill out the envelope and place a one dollar bill in it. That’s right $1. A friend taught me this practice. On the one hand, it starts a journey and deeper relationship with the organization. On the other hand, this records you as a “giver of record” in the organization. When the organization applies for grants or seeks partnerships the more “givers or record” they have the greater their chances. Do not neglect small gifts, they transform lives!

Peace be with you,

Travis

Prayer for the Day (from Rev. Traci Blackmon)

A love note to you…

It’s ok to grieve your losses unapologetically.

It’s ok not to be strong when your heart is shattered.

It’s ok for things not to be good right now.

Actually, it’s more than ok.

It’s human.

We don’t need more super heroes.

God is enough.

We need more healthy humans.

Find Judson on the internet through our link tree, linktr.ee/JudsonChurch

Here is our midweek online worship service: “Pause”.

It is a 30 minute service with elements from the Sunday service and specific online components:

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Midweek Pause Service – November 24, 2021

Bring your Hopes, Bring your Doubts, Feed your Soul.

Midweek Service – November 24, 2021

I want to wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving. If you are searching for a vaccine appointment, please note that the vaccination center at the MSP airport has numerous slots available. I received my booster shot yesterday (they only offer Johnson &Johnson vaccines at this time). I was in and out in under an hour (parking is validated). Go here to make an appointment.

If you find yourself in an uncomfortable conversation with a relative or friend during Thanksgiving, try to refocus the conversation on topics you agree on. For instance, when I am in the presence of one family member (who thinks I am tool of the devil because of my theology) rather than talk about church and politics, I try and focus on birding and mystery novels. This tactic, usually, gets us through a mealtime gathering.

Godspeed,

Travis

Request from the Racial Justice Team

Here’s your final call to be a part of the Alliance’s THRIVE project survey assessing racial attitudes. What the Alliance learns from this survey will inform our work going forward addressing racial equity and justice in our organization and with our congregational partners.

The survey is in two parts — and each part takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. 

Link to Alliance survey: https://assessment.rjuc.org/s3/c16448e11d78

If you received an invitation by email, please click that link instead.

If you have already completed the survey, thank you! We ask those who have not yet completed the survey to do so before Nov. 30, when the survey closes.

Prayer for the Day (from Meister Eckhart)

If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is Thank You that will be enough.

Find Judson on the internet through our link tree, linktr.ee/JudsonChurch

Midweek Pause Service – November 17, 2021

Bring your Hopes, Bring your Doubts, Feed your Soul.

Midweek Pause Service – November 17, 2021

Request from the Racial Justice Team The Racial Justice Team would like to know how Judson compares to other churches on racial issues. The Alliance of Baptists, last summer, invited Judson Church to participate in a survey (which came out in October) about our racial attitudes but we did not get the minimum number of participants required to generate a report.  We would be grateful if you would please take this online survey as soon as possible.  Link to the survey: https://assessment.rjuc.org/s3/c16448e11d78   Thank you!!!!  

Prayer for the Day (from Meister Eckhart) Then consider this: you cannot find God in any particular way, since God isn’t bound to this way or that. So don’t desire the way, but rather the One who is the way, and when you do this you’ll find that every way leads to God because every way is God. But you will only come to know this if you truly abandon yourself.  

Find Judson on the internet through our link tree, linktr.ee/JudsonChurch   Our midweek “Pause” worship service:

Midweek Pause Service – November 10, 2021

Bring your Hopes, Bring your Doubts, Feed your Soul.

Midweek Service – November 10, 2021

This Sunday Judson welcomes, as our guest preacher, Dr. Trish Zimmerman, Associate Professor of Practice in Religion at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. Dr. Zimmerman received her MA and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Divinity School and BA from Gustavus Adolphus College, including work at the University of Heidelberg. Her research and teaching focus on the history of Christianity with particular emphasis on the diversities of Christian thought and practice; feminist theology; theology of food; and comparative mysticism. She co-teaches in the Great Conversation Program. Her current research project focuses on a mysticism of place, with deep attention to the prairie. Preaching and teaching regularly in various denominational churches, she is an advocate for the public understanding, discussion, and debate of all things religious.

A note from Travis: One of the ways I “bother” my two children at St. Olaf is to watch an online chapel service, take a screenshot of the congregation, then text the picture to my kids inquiring why I don’t see them in the picture. On one of these occasions, I listened, serendipitously, to an amazing sermon delivered by Dr. Zimmerman. After that, I knew we had to invite her to Judson! Please note, I will be in Sioux Falls, SD this weekend (leaving Saturday, returning Sunday evening).

Find Judson on the internet through our link tree, linktr.ee/JudsonChurch

Midweek Pause Service – November 3, 2021

Bring your Hopes, Bring your Doubts, Feed your Soul.

Midweek Service for 11-3-21

This Sunday Judson welcomes the Rev. Dr. Molly T. Marshall as our guest preacher. Dr. Marshall is currently the interim President at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. Her topic will be “Benedictine Spirituality: Learning from the Saints.” Clear your calendar and make room for this Sunday! (Also, being the end of Daylight Saving Time…you’ll have an extra hour of sleep, an additional cup of coffee, and time still to plant your garlic).  

On November 6th, Jerry Larsen turns 99 years old. Help him celebrate this milestone by sending him a birthday card.. His mailing address is: Jerry Larsen Valley Ridge Presbyterian Home 1921 W. Burnsville Pkwy Apt 256 Burnsville, MN 55337-4459  

Find Judson on the internet through our link tree, linktr.ee/JudsonChurch   Our midweek “Pause” worship service:

Midweek Service October 17, 2021

Service

Check out last Sunday’s worship service here!

Find Judson on the internet through our link tree, linktr.ee/JudsonChurch

Worship this Sunday – 9:30 am.

Remembrance of All Souls: Saturday, October 30, Judson Playground, any time between 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Bring flowers, weather-appropriate photos, or mementos. Write the names of your loved ones on the ribbon (provided) to tie on the fence. Names will be read hourly. (Pick up your flowers and offerings after 4:00 on Saturday; all left behind will be disposed of on Sunday afternoon.) Volunteers needed. Contact Pam Joern pamelajoern@comcast.net, 612-920-8368 or Dreya Layman dreyalayman@gmail.com, 612-423-5128.

All Saints Day – Sunday, October 31st. A Day of Remembrance.

“People often say that when a loved one dies, we just need to forget and move on. However, the true way to heal is to remember. Keep their memories alive! They were a part of you and your life. They existed! Continue to speak their name.” Anonymous

Help us create a day of remembrance by providing the name(s) of your departed loved one(s). A list will be compiled and read as part of our worship experience on October 31, 2021. There will be an opportunity to contribute names to the list on the table in the back of the sanctuary, or you can submit those names to Eileen in the church office by the end of the day, Monday, October 25th (info@judsonchurch.org). If folks have problems pronouncing the name, we would appreciate a pronunciation guide with the name.