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Reflection from our Co-Pastors
Tuesday, February 15, 2022
Lenten Lights
Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, full of chocolate, flowers, cards, and hearts! Our hearts are opened by love and how hungry for love we are! Our Sunday homilist, Peaches Gillette, focused on Light spreading the Love of God. Individually, we have made every effort to keep our lights burning: The world needs our light.
Our Lenten shared practice this year is an invitation to gather, to walk together and to join our Lights together. Strengthening and brightening our combined lights, raises up our community in ministry and lifts our world. We are all invited to share our Light on Fridays in Lent. The Holy Spirit who goes where She will, opens our hearts to give and receive the love that lies deep within us. Come…
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Lent 2022: Walking Together with Jesus into Easter - You are invited to share…
Lent is on the horizon; March 2 is Ash Wednesday and all of us are invited, together, to a Lenten Walk into Easter. If you are yearning for the community connection we’ve missed during the pandemic, these zoom opportunities may help. While we will be in church beginning Ash Wednesday, we are offering this on Zoom so anyone can participate and we can walk together.
It will work this way:
- a zoom site will be open every Friday from:
- 9 to 10 am; and
- 7 to 8 pm.
Each of 5 Friday’s will have a different approach to ‘walk with Jesus.’ You are invited to attend as many as you wish.
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In addition, there is the opportunity to “in-person prayer partners” with someone who is alone. If you are interested in being a prayer partner or having a prayer partner, please call MoM, 970-493-9536 or email, marymagdalafc@gmail.com.
Here are zoom opportunities:
1. Music, March 11, hosted by Bill Smith
2. Scripture Readings, March 18, hosted by Pastor Jane
3. Art/Icons, March 25, hosted by Mother Rosean
4. Continuing the Anti-Racism discussion, April 1,
hosted by Ruth Alexander and Gray LaFond
5. Open Prayer, April 8, hosted by Anne Beavan and Cathy Engel
Friday, March 11 - please join us for Music. Bring your instrument, your voice, and your ears to hear. Musicians “pray twice” with their music and we can pray twice with them. Bill Smith will host this ‘walk with Jesus” time.
Friday, March 18 - please join us for Scripture reading. There are so many layers to any scripture reading. We will let you know in advance which three we can use so you have time to feel it in your body like music and hear the Spirit. How exciting that the Spirit will speak through us with you. Pastor Jane will host this ‘walk with Jesus’ time.
Friday, March 25 please join us for a chance to bring a piece of art or an icon that is part of your spiritual journey, that moves you to a sacred heart space. Come even if you don’t have one; you might be inspired. Everyone will have a chance to talk about how it is relevant to them. We all benefit from hearing about what moves the Spirit within us. Pastor Rosean will host this ‘walk with Jesus’ time.
Friday, April 1 please join us for continuing our Black Lives Matter and Anti-Racism discussion. You are invited to share what you have been reading, hearing on podcasts, watching on Ted-Talks and YouTube, and how that makes us feel and if we have any action ideas. Morning host is Ruth Alexander. Evening host is Gray LaFond .
Friday, April 8 please join us for prayer. Whether spontaneous, formal or from your favorite source, we will share prayer and quiet. We have plenty of time to be sure we get a chance to pray with everyone’s prayer. Morning host is Anne Beavan. Evening host is Cathy Engel.
Also, all during Lent: we offer the opportunity for in-person prayer with another of us who is alone. How great to be person-to-person in prayer during this time. Please let us know if you want someone to pray with you or if you want to pray with someone. Days and times are up to you. If you are interested in prayer partners, please call MoM, 970-493-9536 or email marymagdalafc@gmail.com.
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One last word: We may get so wrapped up in our duties that we don’t recognize Christ journeying with us. We may be so lost in our thoughts that we forget to look. We may go in one direction and after journeying together with Christ, we turn and go another way or do something very different. We may be so into our own individual growth or group that we forget that Christ is Universal. Lent is a chance for us to journey together with Christ. | |  |
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Easter is a time to disavow the power of death. Maybe this year the thought of death is more present. When we are indeed the Body of Christ, then we carry the torch, we carry the Light so brightly that those who meet us say: Look how they pray, Look how they help each other, Look how they serve their neighbor (Nouwen).
Gratitude for a journey that refocuses us, as much as we desire.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
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This Week at Mary of Magdala | |
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Last week of our Stewardship Campaign
Time Talent and Treasure
Thank you to all who have sent in their pledge and offers to volunteer in the ministries at Mary of Magdala.
There is still time to send in your pledge and volunteer information.
Please complete the pledge form and return it this week (prior to our budget meeting.) For volunteering please let us know your interest by emailing us at marymagdalafc@gmail.com.
In Christ’s love and mission,
Your Leadership Council
For the full Stewardship letter, click here.
For the Financial Pledge form to print, click here.
Here is the e-version (MSWord) to fill out and send via email
For detailed list of volunteer opportunities, click here.
For information on ways to contribute one-time or recurring, click here.
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Last Tuesday, Miguel De La Torre and Amanda Henderson provided us with a truly prophetic look at the tangled history of White Christianity and White Superiority in this country. Dr. De La Torre asked us if we are willing to lay down our lives in order to follow the Jesus of the oppressed, the marginalized, the poor, the orphan and the widow; and both he and Rev. Henderson assured us that while the work of dismantling white superiority will be difficult, we must not be afraid.
Join us tonight (2/15) on Zoom at 7:00 PM for a follow-up discussion of this event, led by WWP Board Members Connie Shelley and Mary Ann Bayer.
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Missed the event? Want to listen again or share it with a friend? The video recording is now available on WWP YouTube page | | |
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Spanish Class Begins February 17
Our ongoing Spanish class series for 301 Faith Partners will reconvene weekly on Thursdays at 1:30 on February 17 in the Sun Room. Margaret Wick will teach the class which focuses at a beginning student level. She will be assisted some weeks by Deacon Katie Kline, and also some friends whose 1st language is Spanish.
If we are not able to meet in person in the Sun Room for any session due to covid conditions, we will meet on Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent to all who express interest in the class. Watch the E-news for updates. To sign up for the class (and to receive your Zoom link if needed), email Linn Zink, lczink@gmail.com
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Join the Habitat Build Day at the Harmony Cottages on Saturday, February 19t 7:45 AM - 3:45 PM, | |
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You are invited to join with us Saturday 2/19 for a Habitat Build Day at the Harmony Cottages development at Taft Hill & Harmony Road.
The 301 Faith Partners will work with other local churches. A free lunch from Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church will be provided! Absolutely no experience is necessary, and all tools and guidance are always provided by Habitat’s helpful, patient on-site staff.
You will learn a lot, and you will go home tired but happy at having helped a family along the road to self-sufficiency and home ownership. There are a few openings available. Email Gray at gray.currier@gmail.com or call/text him at (970) 962-4057.
With your help, Habitat Builds!
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Sunday Feb 20 - 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time
At 5:00 p.m. Only on Zoom. "What Choices do we make consistent with our faith/loving our enemies?". Presider is Father Michael Nicosia.
The Reverend Joan Crawford is our guest homilist. She is a Spiritual Director, Deacon, Benedictine Oblate and a member of the ECC. Her ministry includes workshops to promote interracial healing and dialogue.
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Praying for peace, health and well-being through challenging times
+Paul Wagner, brother of Co-Pastor Rev.Jane and her Aunt Gloria Farrell and family.
+Joel, friend of Brad Rouse
+Dave Burgoon of TLC
+Dave Skinner- friend of Sharon Friedman
+Linda Browell - member
+Gale -beginning chemo. Uncle of Gaston Lopez, member
+Harry, 11 year canine companion to Gray La Fond.
+Yvonne Keefe - member
+Michael Juranek - friend of David and Mary Lou Devlin
+Everly Parks - friend to Lynne and Jim Barnes, members.
+Miles - friend of David and Mary Lou Devlin
+ Mary Etta Fothergill - friend of member Cathy Engel
+Jerry Padilla, father and Ryan Cordova nephew of Lisa Jones - member
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+Rosemary - Fr Michael's mother
+Mike Gudim
+Suzanne King - member
+Joanne Gallagher - member
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A blessed and peaceful repose of souls for those who've passed and comfort for the friends and families.
+Kathie Reiten, mother of Pastor Rick.
+Mary Lynn Eyestone, sister of Joan Chapman Smith, member
+Jerry Foxhoven, uncle of Bill Smith, member
+Craig Starbird, brother-in-law of Mary Lyons, member
+Fr. Denny Dempsey - and in gratitude for his spiritual presence in my life - Gaston Lopez
+Leo Six – Father of Michael Six, member
+Dolores Orsi - mother of member
Jared Orsi
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Please send prayer requests to marymagdalafc@gmail.com. Prayers will be listed for one month unless requested for longer. Prayers for the repose of souls will be listed for six months unless requested for a longer time. | |
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On Sunday, February 13, Tom Moos, Chair of our Social Justice Ministry presented the below reflection.
Last week, the World Wisdoms Project hosted a webinar about Christian ideologies that have influenced a mindset of white superiority. One speaker, Rev, Amanda Henderson, discussed the 15th century Papal Bulls, collectively called the Doctrine of Discovery, which gave European monarchs a moral basis for seizing indigenous lands, justified colonization and the African slave trade, and established patterns of oppression that continue to afflict and dehumanize people of color. The Doctrine of Discovery is a blatant example of the Church, more political than prophetic, backing the power structures of the time with a dysfunctional theology violating the essence of Jesus’ teaching and ignoring core Biblical directives to care for the poor, welcome immigrants, and advocate for the powerless.
Tenets of the Doctrine are imprinted in our nation’s founding documents which (still) label Indigenous people as “savages” and slaves as only 3/5
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human. As recently as 2005, the Supreme Court applied the Doctrine of Discovery to support a ruling against the Oneida Indian Nation that the repurchase of traditional land did not restore tribal sovereignty (in this case, non-taxable status) to the land. Though many churches and organizations have repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery, Rome has never formally renounced or apologized for it.
My high school Spanish teacher once assigned us a debate on Westward expansion. Half the class was to argue in support, the other half opposed. I don’t remember details of the debate except that the proponents essentially argued “might makes right” and on the opposing side, we were ill-prepared to reject the idea. Apparently, notions of moral superiority of the strong and powerful were ingrained in our young psyches just as today such notions fuel systemic racism, often in subtle ways.
We must ask:
- Locally, who are the powerful?
- How is power used against the weak?
- Who in our communities is “falling through the cracks”?
- How do we bear the cross of Christ to “Go Make a Difference” for the poor, the immigrant, and the oppressed?
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Past Recordings, Bulletins, and Announcements
For all bulletins, reflections, Sunday recordings during, visit our webpage. Please contact us with questions, concerns and ideas for better connection with and for the community - marymagdalafc@gmail.com. And feel free to call the office at 970 493-9536.
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Our Vision – ‘Our guiding Light’
Weaving a tapestry of love, hope and justice for the world.
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The 301 Faith Partners--Mary of Magdala, Trinity Lutheran, St Paul's Episcopal --have a Vision, Mission and Values statement that guides our relationships, interactions, and shared projects and ministries.
Read about our Mission, Core Values and Covenant here.
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Newsletters of Trinity Lutheran Church and the St. Paul's Episcopal
What are our partners in ministry up to? Click here for the Trinity Lutheran Church monthly newsletter, "Tidings". And here is St Paul's weekly bulletin.
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