Rest is Resistance Week 3

Woodspell.apothecary post Sensory rest is silent walks. Soothing scents. Loose clothing. Cosy socks. Deep pleasure. Spiritual rest is meditation. Prayer. Energy healing. Full moon rituals. Creative rest is drawing. Pompom making. Cake decorating. Reading fantasy novels. Trying new recipe. Playful rest is anything fun and unproductive. Watching a romcom. Playing a board game. Doing a puzzle. Building a fort.

Week 3 What would it feel like to be consistently rested?” p. 56
Psalm 34:8-10
Ecclesiastes 4:6
Bounty

Call to Worship
(Breathe in) I am enough.
(Breathe out) I am enough now

Prayer of the Day
God
We are Divine
to Rest
is to Be Human,
Give us the chance
to Unfurl,
the stories that await
and uncover
if only we Rest
Play
and Dream ourselves
Out of
The Systems
of
Exhaustion
We pray.
Amen.

Call to Confession: God calls us to dream ourselves with God, so come, let us rest with the Divine.

Confession: God, we confess that we do not dream enough. We do not value our divine spark. We confess that we busy ourselves: with getting by, surviving, achieving, even outdoing one another. We confess to honor the Sabbath. Remind us that rest is holy and beautiful, and helps us reclaim our humanity we pray. Amen.

Suggested Rest Practices
Worship Outside/Lay on the Grass
Hand Out Journals for Folks to Write in:
Ask them to Ponder and either, Remind them this their time, give a long space, 15 or 20 minutes tell them they Write Nothing OR Write Where they are the most exhausted: physically, emotionally, mentally, in their soul or perhaps Write Down what kinds of rest are rejuvenating (use the examples above to help), or they can simply draw or Doodle, play restful background music, offer that they can move, walk, stretch during this time
Play-do/Clay to play with
Celebrate Communion (see notes)

Raising of Dorcas/Tabitha: Did She want to Get up?

If you appreciate my work, please support my D. Min in Creative Writing. I am in my final year and raising money here: https://gofund.me/391febb1

Notes

Suicide Prevention Chapter Indiana Shared, By Blessing Manifesting: Divine yourself what you need Today! What’s “one thing” on this list that would just make your “whole day” better! Make time for that thing today! (In a Rainbow Drink) In blue: A break. A nap. Sleep. Time to rest & Recharge. In Purple: Art. Reading. Writing. Time being Creative. In Pink: Quiet time. Meditation. Yoga. Getting Zen. In Orange: A book. A blanket. A cuddly Pet. In Yellow: Movement. Sweat. High Energy Music.

Week 3 Notes

“You’d don’t belong on the grind” p. 11

“We are divine. Our bodies are divine and a site of liberation. Wherever our bodies are, we can find, snatch, and center rest.” p. 26

“What stories are we holding deep inside that are untold and uncovered because we are too exhausted?” p. 26

Imagine a world without oppression.
Take more time here. Visualize softness.
Breathe deep
Envision a world of justice

Stay here. p. 11

“Resting is ancient, slow and connected work that will take hold of you in ways that may be surprising. Let deprogramming from grind culture surprise you. Let your entire being slowly begin to shift. Get lost in rest. Pull up the blankets, search for softness and be open to the ways rest will surprise and calm you.” p. 17

“We sleep and regenerate. Our cells begin a sacred rhythm of repair and release. And when we wake we are more whole, less inflamed, more aware. And, of course, we sleep, that we might dream.” All things promise to us in scripture. p. 153 of “This Here Flesh” by Cole Arthur Riley Sleep is a part of the Resurrection promise

“Can you imagine a few hours a day of not being connected to your phones or email inboxes. What feelings rise inside when you imagine it?…Would you have more time to daydream, rest, nap? Would you go to bed earlier?” p. 69

Do you remember daydreaming as a child? p. 95

“To hear the simple and bold proclamation ‘You are doing too much. You can rest. You can just be. You can be’ is revolutionary.” p. 96

“For many, rest is not a familiar proposition. It can be unsettling to experience the unknown ways rest can save you. We must continue to learn, trust and experiment. If we lose hope, we must take to our beds and dream ways to ind motivation again.” p. 97

“We taught you he capacity to dream?…When ddi your desire to daydream fade away?” p. 98 (some people think that ritual is the capacity to dream together

I’m reading a fascinating little book by Byung-Chul Han called *The Disappearance of Rituals.* In it, Han makes the provocative implication that ritual is actually a kind of “play.” With the disappearance of rituals (communal performances that cultivate recognition and stability), “The holy seriousness of play gives way to the profane seriousness of work.” Thus we become an atomized, isolated, and narcissistic society oriented toward industry instead of community. 

Han writes, “Rituals and ceremonies are the genuinely human acts which allow life to appear to be an enchanting, celebratory affair. Their disappearance desecrates and profanes, transforming life into mere survival. we might thus expect a re-enchantment of the world to create a healing power that could counteract collective narcissism.” 

Not self care, wellness https://youtu.be/zUe5EAJkYfA

“Our rest is centered on connecting and reclaiming our divinity, given to us by our birth.” p. 62

CORRECTION “The concept of filling up your cup first so you can have enough in it to put to others feels off balance. It reeks of language that is part of our daily mantra. Language like ‘I will sleep when I am dead,’ “rise and grind,’” and is geared to women p.62 esp. marginalized!!! 

“I propose that the cups all be broken into little pieces” Something about communion here p. 63 , Celebrate Communion, but Make it Extravagant, Talk about how Jesus Broke the Bread and Completely poured himself out so no one else would have to–no dinky cups, share with everyone–make it a feast, a picnic or just give everyone overflowing cups and bread

Resting can look like p. 85-86

  1. Closing your eyes for 10 minutes
  2. A longer shower is silence
  3. Meditating on the couch for 20 minutes
  4. Daydreaming by staring out the window
  5. Sipping warm tea before bed in the dark
  6. Slow dancing with yourself to slow music
  7. Experiencing a Sound bath or sound healing
  8. A Sun Salutation 
  9. A twenty-minute timed nap
  10. Praying
  11. Crafting a small alter in your home
  12. A long, warm bath
  13. Taking regular breaks from social media
  14. Not immediately responding to texts and emails
  15. Deep listening to a full music album 
  16. A meditative walk in nature
  17. Knitting, crocheting, sewing, quilting
  18. Playing a musical instrument 
  19. Deep eye contact
  20. Laughing intensely 

Week 3 Notes

Children are made of awe”  Let the Children Come, Faith of the Child, Blessed are the… Faith of the Mustard Seed

“Impoverished by the honor withheld from us in childhood, we become very willing participants in childhood, we become very willing participants in a kind of spiritual maturation that honors the profound and grave, even at the expense of the simple and the beautiful.P. P. 30-31

“seeing the veils of this world peeled back again and again, if only for a moment—is no small form of salvation” p. 31 I lift my eyes to the hills 

“too enamored with the mountaintops, we should ask ourselves whether their ephor comes from love or from the experience of supremacy.P. 32

“To encounter the holy in the ordinary is to find God in the liminal.” p. 33

Simply beauty + belonging

“If you want to know if your’ve forgotten how to marvel, try staring at something beautiful for five minutes and see where your mind goes.” p. 35

“Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8) p. 35 Revelation 21

Too busy, neglect babies, less perceptive to pain, we lose touch with other sensations—trauma p. 38-39

“Wonder, then, is a force of liberation. It makes sense of what our souls inherently know we were meant for” save and find hope in the mundane p. 40 favorite smell, sight, activity, hobby

Eli “I resented this for quite some time. That God would spend her time talking to people about which state to live in but would not rouse herself to tell me that she is real or that I am real. It weighs on you as a kind of injustice that God would call some so distinctly and precisely and leave the rest of us to replay our dreams five times a night just so we know which corner to hide in.” p. 43

“not all calls come from outside” p. 44

Ask young people what is true of them right now. There are parts we hide even from ourselves, and we sometimes believe lies we tell, and we sometimes embrace mirages to belong p. 45

“Any love we receive while earring the mask only affirms the belief that unmasked, we are indeed unlovable. Our shame is not resolved. It expands. p. 46

“the process of knowing the self should be relentless” p. 46 confession

“The mirage self has no concern for the sound of the genuine in you, for the body, for the mind…it wants you dead” p. 47 

“My journey to the truth of God cannot be parsed from my journey to the truth of who I am.” p. 48

“honor the sacred in our work without creating spiritual hierarchies…God is in the streets” p. 51

God in word on the page, first mathematician, first artist, washed filth from feet, “excellence may be a part of the calling, but work itself is a meeting place for the divine as we experience a God who labors alongside us.” p. 52 Jesus spits? Washing of Feet? 

Don’t forget this: Nothing is truly ever ordinary. I’m telling you, Protect the truest things about you and it will become easier to hear the truth everyplace else.” p. 55

“I cannot now name the the song, but when I hear the sound, I will recognize it.” p. 55

Fully Liturgy Resource

Seeds: 9-22 Narrative Lectionary Genesis 32: 22-30 Week 3

Genesis 32[9-13] 22-30Mark 14:32-36Psalm 24

More Info: https://katyandtheword.wordpress.com/2019/08/27/seeds-resource-page/

More Resources for this Week.

Bulletin

Concepts: 

After wrestling with God, Jacob won’t let him go; he clings to him, seeking God’s blessing (see image at https://suzannewoodsfisher.com/faith/jacobs-wrestling-match-genesis-3226/ and https://pastorross1.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/wrestling41.jpg

You cannot walk away from encountering God without being changed (our friend Rev. Elizabeth Vandegrift); after Jacob’s confession of who he is (heel-grabber), he has no more reported conflicts with others (husband Len Hedges-Goettl’s take). See *** below under exegesis.

Night is a vulnerable time/space https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/worship/lectionary-calendar/eighth-sunday-after-pentecost4 Also Brueggemann below* under exegesis

What it means to wrestle with God See**Children’s sermon link below 

Wrestling is a sign of intimacy; you can’t wrestle with someone you are far away from (Image of this saying at https://i.pinimg.com/736x/cb/b6/2c/cbb62c35b45738be1c8235302b1072d9–perfect-guy-wrestling.jpg

Images

https://www.creationswap.com/media/12018/wrestling-with-god

Sculptures by Nathan Rapoport at

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ACYBGNQeGXiGSA-3pv_RZtVDudQrQtFB8w:1568163897181&q=Jacob+Wrestling+with+the+Angel,%22+Nathan+Rapoport&tbm=isch&source=univ&sxsrf=ACYBGNQeGXiGSA-3pv_RZtVDudQrQtFB8w:1568163897181&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjO1KngycfkAhUEtlkKHS14Cp0QsAR6BAgJEAE&biw=1821&bih=810#imgrc=haSJyS7LRSBmhM: This sculptor has done many versions of Jacob and the angel/God; would be interesting to look into why; see links from Wikipedia for more about him

Gaugin https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/4940/vision-sermon-jacob-wrestling-angel

Children’s sermon**

 http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2016/09/year-c-proper-24-29th-sunday-in.html

Liturgical resources

https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/worship/lectionary-calendar/eighth-sunday-after-pentecost4

Opening Prayer       

Original resource by Barb Hedges-Goettl; please give credit if using/adapting.

O God, you continue to reveal yourself to us.

You continue to make and keep promises to us.

You continue to graciously give to us, even when we deserve nothing.

Draw us to yourself. Touch and change us. Amen

Call to Worship

Original resource by Barb Hedges-Goettl; please give credit if using/adapting. 

One: God, like Jacob, we wrestle. 

Many: Like Jacob, we confess who we are.

Like Jacob, we do not let you go.

Like Jacob, we seek your blessing. 

ALL: Hear and answer us, O Lord, we pray. Amen. 

RITE of CONFESSION

Original resource by Barb Hedges-Goettl; please give credit if using/adapting.

*Call to Confession                                                                                                        Sometimes we think that no one would love us if they knew all about us.                                       But God knows all about us and continues to love us.                                                                                 Let us confess our continuing need for God’ 

*Prayer of Confession 

O God, we have things we would like to keep private—if not secret.                                              We have done—and not done–things that keep us awake at night.                                                    We don’t always treat others as your children.                                                                                    We don’t always honor ourselves as made in your image.                                                      We don’t always trust your grace and love. Forgive us.                                                                             Remake us in your image.                                 (Silent Confession)

*Assurance of Pardon (Romans 8:28-29, New Living Bible) Pastor Len

Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Thanks be to God for the Good News:  In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

Hymns

BOW – The United Methodist Book of Worship
CLUW – Come, Let Us Worship (Korean)
MVPC – Mil Voces Para Celebrar (Spanish)
SOZ – Songs of Zion
TFWS – The Faith We Sing
UMH – The United Methodist Hymnal
URW – Upper Room Worshipbook
WSM  – Worship & Song, Music Edition
WSW  – Worship & Song, Worship Resources Edition
SoG  – Songs of Grace

 

Genesis 32:22–31 UMH MVPC CLUW TFWS SOZ URW WSM WSW SoG
Be Thou My Vision 451 240 180
Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown 386 148
Faith Is Patience in the Night 2211
God Be with You till We Meet Again (God Be With You) 672 347 37
God Be with You till We Meet Again (Randolph) 673
God of Many Names 105
How Can We Name a Love 111
I’ll Praise My Maker While I’ve Breath 60 123
O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go 480 255 322
Oh, I Know the Lord’s Laid His Hands on Me 2139
Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God 405 201 136
Source and Sovereign, Rock and Cloud 113
Sweet Hour of Prayer 496 248 330
The God of Abraham Praise 116 28
There Are Some Things I May Not Know 2147

Lutheran:

Blessed be the God of Israel   ELW 250
Onward, Christian soldiers   H82 562, UMH 575

Also

Fight the Good Fight (PCUSA blue #307)

Exegetical resources

***NL on Jacob having to name himself in a move that is both confession and a death leading to new life; http://www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?m=4377&post=1597

How Jacob was changed http://www.verityfellowship.org/blogarchive/2017/6/12/the-dependent-prayer-of-jacob-jacob-part-1

NL on the whole Jacob cycle (I don’t agree that the passage is about persistence; that’s as though it’s a version of let’s make a deal—see alternatives above) https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2555

Another resource covering the whole Jacob cycle. Contains images, references to other books/resources, discussion/further questions, etc. https://www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20071015JJ.shtml

Buechner: https://www.frederickbuechner.com/blog/2016/10/10/weekly-sermon-illustration-jacobs-w

More compete Buechner on whole Jacob cycle http://day1.org/6297-the_magnificent_defeat

Interview of Brueggemann by Bill Moyer-video of part of interview; more in writing *https://billmoyers.com/content/god-wrestling/

Further resources: https://preachingandworship.org/search/Genesis%2032%3A22-30