sustain:if:able kiwi

creationary: worship as a journey on Sunday October 17

A map from Cheryl Lawrie sparked my thinking as I engaged the lectionary texts for this week. She had made up maps, using a 1896 Scottish Geographical Magazine, which was then photoshopped to remove names.

Which sparked for me, because the Revised Common Lectionary Bible readings for this Sunday, October 17, involve journey and travel and movement – Psalm 121 is a pilgrimage psalm, Genesis 32:22-31 is the narrative of a faith encounter by a man on a journey. I am speaking to Uniting churches from the Yorke Peninsula over the weekend. They too are on a journey, inviting me to explore with them their mission future.

So the map is an apt metaphor for them and invites a conversation with the Biblical texts. Having an actual physical map would work as a gathering point. Shorn of detail, it is more likely to allow a focus on the Biblical text.

So for those interested, here’s a potential participative framework that includes thanksgiving, confession, hearing, prayers for others

Step 1– think about your journey as a church – choose together a starting point. Read to each other Psalm 121 and ask each other

• What can we be thankful for as we journey together
• What might we you need to confess

Step 2 – think about your journey as a church – draw your imaginary journey as a church in recent times. Read Genesis 32:22-31. As you do, ask each other

• What might we be “wrestling with”?
• What might God be asking us to change?

Step 3 – think about your future as a church. Read Luke 18:1-8 and ask each other

• What do we need to be asking God for?
• What images of God do we need to sustain us on the journey?

Step 4 – Come together as a whole gathering to share reflections. What has struck us as we have considered our journey in light of the Biblical texts?

Step 5 – Swap maps with another group. Hold their map and silently pray for each other and the shared mission as the people of God.

Note that each step could be written as a postcard (what you send when you’re on a journey!), to be given out one by one. Text and questions on one side, clear space on the other. When people feel they are done, they can summarise their “journey” on the card, give it to the curator, who will give them the next postcard for their journey!