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Act! Be Church Now

Elizabeth Mae Magill

Join this newsletter to help your congregation be part of the resistance. You will get ideas for sermons, for actions, and for how to be church in a time such as this. Join to hear what other churches are doing. Join to focus on mission. Join to appreciate small church. Join to wrestle with poverty and wealth. Join to care for the those on the margins. It is time to Act! Be Church Now.

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Stained glass windows on black background and the words "The Kingdom of God is at Hand"
Featured Post

Act! Be Church Now. Ascension .... what?

Song: What if God was one of us? | Video Short: Liberation Theology | I've spent the last weekend learning about Restorative Circles. This is gatherings of people where we address an issue at hand by saying what we think and feel, and others listen and repeat back what they've heard. We are looking for the underlying need so that we can find different strategies to meet those needs. It is time consuming. It is exhausting. It is powerful. It gets at the issues that separate us in ways I have...

24 days ago • 3 min read
Scrabble tiles make the word Hope, and then overwritten "Is Resistance"

Theology of Hopelessness | Hope for the Future | Friends, I've spent the week learning about how to have a social justice approach to conflict mediation. My head is spinning! Last weekend I was at Episcopal Divinity School's Alum weekend. As one of the organizers it was exhausting, but the sharing and chance to recognize people lifted my heart. -Liz Hopeful Hopelessness? Episcopal Divinity School just finished our Alum weekend, focused on "passing the torch". Freedom fighters from the sixties...

about 11 hours ago • 3 min read
Blue water with brown curved dock that ends abruptly. The words Life Interrupted.

Song: Mercy Now | Poem: Looking Walking Being | Friends, Episcopal Divinity School celebrated Ruby Sales and the classes of 1965, 66, and 67 passing the torch of their ministries to the next generation. We heard Miguel de la Torre explore his theology of hopelessness. We visited with people we haven't seen in years. We ate good food, and saw the glorious renovations of the our old chapel. It was delightful and I'm exhausted! Liz Introduction to Act! Be Church Now Sometimes I think that life...

3 days ago • 2 min read
Green background with white chalk words "Just a Little Action" and a light bulb.

Song: The Next Right Thing | Smithsonian Article on Dr. King's (lack of popularity. | Friends, No more boot! I'm walking in a regular sneaker (with the back cut out) but can move to real shoes in the next few weeks. Just in time for the Episcopal Divinity School Alum gathering May 29 and 30. Whew. Keeping taking one more step. -Liz Introduction to Act! Be Church Now I live in an intentional community. We gathered as a small group, recruited more members, raised $17 million dollars, and built...

7 days ago • 3 min read
Stars against a black, purple, red background with the words In the Beginning in white

Song: All God's Creatures | Article on Nonbinary Identity Friends, My home church did exactly what I suggested for Memorial Day. It was a sermon on mercy, a(complicated) critique of war, and honoring of those that have died in a the most beautiful way. (Any critique of war that is not complicated is not useful, either.) It was moving and faithful. Walking gets easier and easier, but I get tired pretty easily. -Liz The Genesis of My Faith A neighbor, at his daughter's funeral, shared one of...

10 days ago • 4 min read
Many rows of white gravestones against green grass. The red words "War Kills Real People."

Veterans for Peace | Memorial Day | Song: Mothers Daughters Wives. Friends, I worked all last weekend and then had a very busy week at my day job, so I'll admit looking forward to Memorial Day weekend as mostly a time to unwind. Still I want to take the holiday seriously. My community will have a barbecue, and I will spend a lot of time quilting. -Liz Memorial Day War Kills. Memorial Day is the day we remember those who have been killed in war. The standard seems to be that conservatives...

14 days ago • 3 min read
Mosaic with Red and gold fire above people of many colors and the word Pentecost

Song: Catch the Break | The Tower of Babel | Pentecost | Friends, Wow! Visiting family Friday, Racial Justice training Saturday, workshop on in New Hampshire on Sunday. Lots of sleep into Monday. And then! Real shoes. Walking without crutches! Just a bit but it gives me hope that I'll be walking around at Alum Weekend in 10 days. -Liz Pentecost The holy spirit arrives at Pentecost, pulling us all together to create the church. It is easy to imagine that the arrival of the holy spirit reverses...

17 days ago • 3 min read
Large rock against blue sky, silhouette of people helping each other up the cliff.

Song from Judy Small | Propublica Article on cuts to SSI | Care for people with disabilities Friends, A quick trip to Vermont to visit family, leading racial justice training, a workshop in New Hampshire for a small church. My neighborhood is offering "Give Your Stuff Away Day" which has become a community wide event. So much to get done. Pause and enjoy your neighbors. -Liz Care for people with disabilities I'm pretty good at wishful thinking. When one of the wars of my young adulthood...

21 days ago • 3 min read
a paper swan transforms into a paper airplane and the words Formation for Liberation

Song: Redemption Tattoo | Red Letter Christians Blog | Friends, I spent time last week learning how Committees on Ministry can help candidates for ordination follow alternative paths to get the education they need. Changing with the times is hard work, and the road never seems quite as clear as we'd like. -Liz Sunday School? A significant role of the church is education. In Episcopal circles we call it formation to distinguish it from the simple passing on of knowledge. We call it "Sunday...

28 days ago • 3 min read
blue and grey blue question marks with the words "the Mystery of Faith"

Song: Let the Mystery Be | Article: Avoiding Resentment | Friends, I had stitches out of my foot on Monday. I'm much more mobile, although I still cannot carry anything from one spot to another. I've been able to get into the attic, where my rolling chair means I can do everything for quilting except ironing. And I last a little bit ironing while balancing on one leg! Who knew the skills I'd learn? -Liz An Unknown God These are the weeks I don't like being a lectionary preacher. Acts 17:22-31...

about 1 month ago • 4 min read