MidWeek Pause Service 2-16-22

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

Pause Worship Video is posted below.

Order

Welcome-Travis

Guided Meditation

Song -O Lord Hear Our Prayer

Service

The Northern Vicar (pastoral notes from the intersection of Northern Exposure and The Vicar of Dibley)

A couple of stories this week caught my attention. Recently, a Catholic priest in Michigan was informed by the Vatican that his baptism and ordination –
and all the baptisms, weddings, and Eucharistic offerings he performed as a priest – were invalid because the Archbishop who baptized the priest when
he was an infant said “We baptize you in the name of…” rather than “I baptize you in the name of…”

The other story was in the Sunday New York Times. Actor Christopher Walken was asked to describe the perfect Sunday morning,
“The New York Sunday Times with a cup of coffee, in front of the fireplace. That is beautiful.”

Those two stories illustrate the difficulty ahead of us. Even if people put the paper down and consider being part of a faith community
they think we are more worried about whether a priest used the first person plural 30 years ago rather than the issues of the day: loneliness,
despair, racism, the environment, peace, & etc It’s enough to make you wonder if Metro Transit is still hiring bus drivers!

But this week at Judson Church I heard people struggling and wrestling with the meaning of what does it mean to be anti-racist;
I heard people trying to find ways to offer youth more leadership within the community; I heard everyone in staff reviews sharing ways
to make Judson a more thriving community; I read drafts of letters about Judson being their “home” and had numerous conversations on the phone,
email and texts about the importance of hospitality. There were no grammar debates, instead, there were conversations and hopes about a way
of life that just might make somebody want to put down the paper on a Sunday morning…

Peace,

Travis

On Sunday we will center on Jesus’ teaching from the Sermon on the Plain, Luke 6:27-38. In this ‘sermon’ Jesus instructs us to pray for our enemies,
poet Joy Harjo reveals why that just may be a life-changing practice.

Poem for the Day “This Morning I Pray for My Enemies” by Joy Harjo

And whom do I call my enemy?
I turn in the direction of the sun and keep walking.
The heart is the smaller cousin of the sun.
It hears the gnashing even as it hears the blessing.
An enemy who gets in, risks the danger of becoming a friend.

Ponderings from the Pews – a Judson Second Hour experience, February 20th –
Sip a little coffee, devour a delicious donut, and warm your hearts with stories.

Several Judson family members will share their ponderings, musings, and stories during a
second-hour gathering in Judson’s sanctuary following Sunday’s worship service.
Masks are required and social distancing is strongly urged.

Please join us for this special time!

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

The February Messenger, Tree of Life, and Calendar can be found by clicking here

Mid-Week Pause Service 1/26/22

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This week’s Pause Worship Video is posted below.

Order Welcome-Travis Centering Prayer – Carolyn Prayer-Travis Closing Song – The Lord Bless You and Keep You  

As a reminder, this coming Sunday, January 30th, worship will be online only. Virtual zoom coffee hour 10:00 am.

Service 1/26/22

Bring your Hopes, Bring your Doubts, Feed your Soul.
First things first: Big News (drum roll) The Judson Council approved the COVID Response Task Force’s plan to resume in-person worship on February 13th (with masks and social distancing required). The vote was passed by e-mail vote of Council members on January 26, 2022.

In other news, I had a wonderful phone conversation today with Carl Appelquist! He sounded great. He wanted me to tell you hello, give you his love, to tell you he is becoming a believer more each day (which we both agreed is saying something), and that he is praying for Judson Church. He feels that Judson is not just going to make it, but that Judson is going to thrive!  

It has been a full week of meetings and such at the Church: Outreach and Engagement, Racial Justice Team, Environmental/Climate Justice Team, Spiritual Voyageurs, and the delivery of household goods to the Afghanistan refugee family; it’s only Wednesday!  

Maybe you have heard about the free placement of Judson Church in the past couple of weeks on MPR. I started tweeting every morning to Cathy Wurzer bike commuting updates…and she reads them! She pronounces my last name wrong, but I don’t care because she pronounces Judson Church’s name right! How much longer will this last? I don’t know, but until it stops…  

Lastly, over the weekend Lori and I saw Come From Away the Broadway musical about the 38 planes that were grounded on 9/11 in the small town of Gander Newfoundland, Canada. I pretty much cried through the entire performance. It was a classic story of hospitality: open yourself up to strangers and your world will change exponentially. The play left me more hopeful about the future, and I’ll take all the hope I can get right now! (The musical is also streaming on Apple TV).  

Lastly,    

Peace,   Travis  

Prayer-Poem for the Day “Holy Saturday,” by Caryll Houselander.  

All around the church,
there are ruins. Ruins of the home,
ruins of the heart,
ruins of the dreams of men.
And everywhere
there are those
who propose to build
a new world
on the foundation
of ruins.    

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

Mid-week Pause Service 1-12-2022

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Service

Bring your Hopes, Bring your Doubts, Feed your Soul.
Today was the first day I had been back in the church since Christmas Eve. To my eyes, it appears like the church looks were frozen in time on Christmas Eve. The sanctuary still has greenery, candles, flowers, and even a hint of expectation. My desk has extra Christmas cards, a copy of Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien, and my hymnal is still opened to O Come, All Ye Faithful.  

I think it is fitting that the church is still “frozen” at Christmas. The message of the night and of this season is Immanuel: God is with us.   We all pray this moment will pass sooner rather than later. We all pray we can be back together. We all pray our kids and seniors will make it through this time whole and undamaged.  

God is with us during this time.
God will continue to be present and active in our lives.
God will continue to need people like you and me and practice compassion, extend hospitality, and to check in on one another.
Peace be with you,   Travis

p.s. if you hear Cathy Wurzer on MPR in the mornings between 7:45-8:00 give bike and sidewalk conditions from someone named Travis who goes by the Twitter handle: pedalingpastor…that’s me.  

Prayer for the Day (posted by the parsoncarson)  

“The Reverse Prayer of St. Francis”  

Lord, make me a channel of disturbance.
Where there is apathy, let me provoke;
Where there is compliance, let me bring questioning;
Where there is silence, may I be a voice.
Where there is too much comfort and too little action, grant disruption;
Where there are doors closed and hearts locked, Grant the willingness to listen.
When laws dictate and pain is overlooked…
When tradition speaks louder than need…
Grant that I may seek rather to do justice than to talk about it;
Disturb us, O Lord.
To be with, as well as for, the alienated;
To love the unlovable as well as the lovely;
Lord, make me a channel of disturbance.    

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

As a reminder, this coming Sunday, January 16th, worship will be online only. Virtual zoom coffee hour 10:00 am.

Midweek Service October 27, 2021

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Our midweek “Pause” worship service:

Election Information Session – Wednesday, October 27, 5:30 pm A 15 to 20-minute presentation on items that appear on the Minneapolis City Election Ballot on November 2nd by a representative of the Minneapolis City Clerk’s Office. This is a non-partisan presentation and no candidates for office will be presenting. One hour is allotted for questions and answers following the presentation. Masks are required.  

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  

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  

Wednesday Connections – October 6, 2021

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Friend,    

OPEN STREETS LYNDALE – October 10th This Sunday we will have a tent at Open Streets Lyndale at 4200 Lyndale Ave South from 11-4. What to expect: All Day: Pet and Bike Blessings, sharing about the goings-on of Judson Church and from 1-2 a special performance by The Masked Accordion Band led by Dee Langley (a 6-10 member accordion band). We have people for each shift, but we need you to swing by, interact, bring your pet or your bike for a blessing, and offer support, encouragement, laughter, and general tomfoolery. Also, does anyone have a spin wheel (mini wheel of fortune kind of thing?) we can borrow for this event?  

2. 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.  

3. Worship this Sunday – 9:30 am.
‌4. Karla McGray’s Book Launch. Below is a link to the full program. It was an amazing event.

Karla book launch

Messenger, Tree of Life, and Happenings at church.

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Greetings Friend,

Enjoy reading The Messenger and praying for the names included on the Tree of Life

The Messenger, September 2021 (newsletter)

Tree of Life, September 2021 (joys and concerns)

Calendar of Happenings at Judson, September 2021

Messenger, Tree of Life, Calendar of Happenings

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Greetings Friend,

Enjoy reading The Messenger and praying for the names included on the Tree of Life

The Messenger, August 2021 (newsletter)

Tree of Life, August 2021 (joys and concerns)

Calendar of Happenings at Judson, August 2021

Please let the office know if you want to continue receiving the Messenger by email or would you prefer a printed copy. Please email info@judsonchurch.org or call the office at 612-822-0649 and leave a message. Thank you.

Judson Strategy Final Report

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Here is the final report from Marketing/Communication Strategy Team

Report