Messages from 2020
Can’t Unsee
Rev. Lee talks about a friend’s policy towards internet use with children: Before you click on something, think about whether you really want to watch, becauase once you see it, you can’t unsee it. She also talks about a reality show where drag performers put on shows in small communities to help let people know that there are all types of people in every community. She includes a parable from the bible wherein Jesus talks about men given land, but…
Christmas Eve
Rev. Lee brings us our annual Christmas Eve service, this year inspired by the movie Home Alone. Christmas Eve Maybe you’ve had the feeling this week that you were running out of time as you hit refresh on a package that youwere tracking for delivery, as you thought about all the things that needed to happen, I guess, before Christmas.Maybe that’s one of the things that has become clear to you, all of these preparations and plans for Christmas.Which ones…
Darkness Visible
Ken shares a story from Anne Lamott wherein she talks about calling around to different friends asking about what Advent means to them. She doesn’t have much luck until she reaches a Jesuit friend who has 35 years of sobriety. He shares a dramatic event which happened early in his own recovery wherein folks at a 12-step meeting showed compassion to a man in a terrible state. The patience they showed then, evoked the feeling of Advent for this friend.…
The Gift of Fear
Lay preacher, Kathleen Higgins shares her message, beginning about a close encounter with a rattlesnake. She mentions the Gavin deBecker book “The Gift of Fear” which focuses on figuring out what is real danger and what is dread. Dread is more about imagination. She also shares a story about her grandson experiencing seizures, and a story about attending a conference of gun violence survivors where a fire alarm went off and frightened many people in the audience. The Gift of…
Scary Stories
This week, Rev. Ken talks about how he is a fan of scary stories, even horror movies, even living as a person with an anxiety disorder. He shares how sometimes, experiencing fear as a story can help us realize why fear is an important part of life. He also talks about being a fan of Taylor Swift’s album, Folklore, especially a song which seems to approach fear from a child’s perspective. Scary Stories [00:00:01]Good morning, Wellspring’s. It’s good to be…
Making Friends With Fear
Lay preacher, Rodney Whittenberg, talks about feeling afraid often in life, but reminds us that fear is sometimes a useful emotion. Fear can help us make decisions in our own best interests. To illustrate, he shares a story of his father feeling afraid while driving, and also a story from a friend of his who happens to be an Army Ranger. What happens when we embrace the fear we feel, rather than trying to shove it aside? Making Friends With…
Wild and Precious Life
In our annual Thanksgiving service, we ask members of our congregation – from different decades of life – to answer the question from the Mary Oliver poem The Summer Day “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Wild and Precious Life START OF TRANSCRIPT[00:00:00]The following is a message from Wellspring’s congregation.[00:00:05]Hi, my name is Noah. I’m 16 years old and I am in 11th grade.[00:00:10]I’m going to read this off my computer because…
With, Not In
This week, Rev. Lee discusses the concept of living with our fear, but not in it. This past week, with the election and the rising Covid cases, has made us realize how fragile and vulnerable we still are. Rev. Lee also admits her fear of snakes and shares a story about a recent encounter with a snake on a hike. In the moment, she was able to be with her fear, and realize that not only was it a harmless…
When, Not If
Rev. Ken begins our new Message series “How to Be Afraid” with a late-recorded message about the election. He remembers a slogan “Pain is just weakness leaving the body,” while recounting a time when he himself got injured during a half marathon. He also talks about the use and abuse of fear. There are some who believe that fear is only weakness, but the denial of fear is sometimes why people stop listening not only to themselves, but to each…
Break Your Heart
In this week’s message, Rev. Lee talks about the upcoming election, and admits that she’d gone back and forth on what kind of message to deliver this week: one where she reassures us that everything will be okay, and one that warns us that it won’t be. She remembers words Rev. Ken said to her at her ordination: “Let your ministry break your heart,” and tells us that out broken hearts are good enough. She concludes with a story about…
Simply Sad
In this short introduction to our annual Remembrance Service, Rev. Ken assures us that it’s okay to not “cheer up” every time we feel sad. Sometimes, we can sit with sadness, especially in the wake of a loss. If we sit with grief and sadness, what we find at the root of it is love. Simply Sad NAMEDATEOctober 27, 2020DURATION14m 10sMy Audio.mp3START OF TRANSCRIPT[00:00:00]Good morning, Wellspring’s, it’s it’s good to be with you again, one of the many almost seemingly…
We Can Be the Space for This
In this week’s message, lay preacher Bev Fox shares the story of her brother who died after a years-long struggle with addiction. She tells us how the slow processing of his death led to her own struggles with mental health. A NOTE FROM OUR WORSHIP LEADER: “Before we move forward, I want to let you all know that in this morning’s message, our preacher Bev shares a personal story that might be difficult or triggering for some folks to hear,…