Reflection from our Co-Pastors Monday, Sept. 13, 2021
With the heart and mind of Christ, we transform the world
Vision Statement- Mary of Magdala, ECC
The first reading from yesterday’s Mass is rolling around in my head. It shows the Love that God gives to us, showers upon us, waits for us to open up so God can fill us even more. From Caryll Houselander yesterday, Cindy read:
“Christ must be born from every soul, formed in every life. If we had a picture
of Our Lady’s personality we might be dazzled into thinking that only one sort
of person could form Christ in himself,
and we should miss the meaning of our own being.”
This is the message of the Good News that can carry us forward in our hunger for God. It can give us what we seek. “Christ must be born…” be born, birthed. Christ is already conceived, a seed waiting within us to be brought forward, to be give expression by us every day.
“[Christ must be] formed in every life…” Formed, Houselander wrote, more action. God calls and we respond. We cry out and God responds. Every day this happens, from sun up to sun down and in our dreams and nightmares. God acts + we respond. We act + God responds. And we have our every day of a lifetime to born and form Christ.
Said in another way, Mary, the girl born to Anna, opened herself to the Holy Fullness so we could be full of Grace, so that we could be pregnant with Christ, so that we could give birth to Christ in our time and culture. As Meister Eckhart wrote: ‘We are all meant to be mothers to God. What good is it to me if this eternal birth of the divine Son takes place unceasingly, but does not take place within myself? And what good is it to me if Mary is full of grace if I am not also full of grace? What good is it to me for the Creator to give birth to [a]
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Son if I do not also give birth to [the] Son in my time and culture? This, then, is the Fullness of Time; When the Son of Man is begotten in us.’” Meister Eckhart (1260-1328).
And said in another way by Annie Dillard:
“Every day is a god, each day is a god, and holiness holds forth in time. I worship each god, I praise each day splintered down, splintered down and wrapped in time like a husk, a husk of many colors spreading, at dawn fast over the mountains split.
I wake in god. I wake in the arms holding my quilt, holding me as best they can inside my quilt.
Someone is kissing me – already. I wake, I cry “Oh,” I rise from my pillow. Why should I open my eyes?
I open my eyes. The god life runs from the water. His head fills the bay. He is Puget Sound, the Pacific; his breast rises from pastures, his fingers are firs; islands slide wet down his shoulders. Islands slip blue from his shoulders and glide over the water, the empty, lighted water like a stage.
Today’s god rises, his long eyes flecked in clouds. He flings his arms, spreading colors: he arches cupping sky in his belly; he vaults, vaulting and spread, holding all and spread on me like skin.
Under the quilt in my knees’ crook is a cat…” Holy the Firm
How do we see it, know it, spread it, this Christ today and tomorrow?
Note: Minor edits made to Meister Eckhart, but not Caryll Houselander, for inclusivity.
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Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay |
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Watch for the link published on Thursday and Friday to view the ordination and consecration LIVE - 3 p.m. Sunday, September 19th |
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A letter from our Bishop-Elect, Mother Kae Madden - sharing the rich traditions of the upcoming consecration
September 9, 2021
Dear Members of the ECC Rocky Mountain Region: Blessings and peace to each of you.
The cooler nights cue us that the seasons are changing. Time flies and our holy gathering for our Bishop Consecration is nearly upon us! As I pray with and into all the facets of the consecration celebration, I would like to give you a preview, so you may fully participate in, witness and bless with greater awareness these rich traditions.......to read more, click here.
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If you are interested in carpooling or need a ride to and from the consecration, email us at marymagdalafc@gmail.com. Please include both your name and phone number.
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We Do Need Your Participation |
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Become an Active Participant in
Defining our Future
Another two opportunities are available to work together with our 301 Faith Partners and truly become 'better together'. Please read and consider becoming part of these initiatives. We do need your participation in building our future church.
Contact us via email or phone (see at end of this e-bulletin)
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Outdoor Signage to Recognize Our Three Churches
A planning committee is being formed to recommend new outdoor signage to recognize all three churches. This will be a short-term project to be completed in about two months. First meeting will be on September 14th. Only one individual needed from Mary of Magdala.
For other volunteer opportunities, click here. All opportunities come with training and flexible scheduling.
Take a look!
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Vision Support and Education
With the creation of a vision, mission, a value statement and covenant for our 301 Faith Partnership, a small team is forming to support the distribution and education of materials to internal ministries and committees, as well as, outside groups. You will have the opportunity to get to know our partners, their work and provide them with the information they need to support the growth of our partnership. Only one individual needed from Mary of Magdala.
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Praying for peace, health and well-being through challenging times
+Linda Joyce - member
+ Joan Wershberger & Mary Etta Fothergill - friends of member Cathy Engel
+Abdel Illah - nephew of Mary Vogl, member
+Mickey Bogart - friend of Cathy Engel, member
+Dan Scace, and family -friends of Dick and Sandra Life, members, as he is being prepared for chemo.
+Carol Lake, friend of Co-Pastor Jane
+Courtney Shook - daughter of Tom and Jean Christen, member
+Dorothea Grimm - Mother of Rosanna Bateman, member
+Mary Detweiller - member
+Jerry Padilla, father and Ryan Cordova nephew of Lisa Jones - member
+Jim Carroll - husband of Dori Carroll, member
+Aidan - grandson of Mother Kae.
+Lauren Roob - friend of Rosanna Bateman
+Liz and Ken Zornes and family, whose daughter is struggling with addiction - friends of Sandra and Dick Life
+Michael Keefe, son of member Yvonne Keefe
+Ruth Parker, sister of Dori Carroll
+Joanne Gallagher - member, and for her sister, Dr. Barbara Immroth
+Dona Bosse - member
+Rosemary - Fr Michael' mother
+Dani - niece of the Cloyds - members
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+Jim and Lucille Bowen friends of Suzanne King, member
+Sharon and Leo Six – parents of Michael Six, member
+Mike Gudim
+Suzanne King - member
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A blessed and peaceful repose of souls for those who've passed and comfort for the families.
Dr. Barbara Immroth - sister of member Joanne Gallagher
Marie F. Bauer - friend of Joanne Gallagher
Dolores Orsi - mother of member Jared Orsi
Herman Phillip - friend of Brad Rouse
Michael Binet -Godson of member Joanne Gallagher
Bernice Wagner - sister of member
Fr. Jim DeMuth
Aaron - Son of Morris & Francis Burns,
past members
Adrian - Son of Joe & Ann - friends of
members Cindy and David Cloyd
Mary Crosby - member
Clint Wisdom - brother-in-law of member Joan Chapman-Smith
Leon - father of Mother Cynthia
Joan Kneeland - sister-in-law of member Bill Kneeland
Rita Ortiz, friend of Deacon Rosean
Margie Weitz - member
Chris Bachman, friend of member Lisa Jones
David Heyman -member
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In gratitude for all who pray for and with our community. |
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Recording for Sunday - Sept 12 2021
The (voice) recordings of the readings and the homily given by Dcn Rosean Amaral is available here. And here is the service document to view or print to assist in prayer.
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Sunday, we celebrated the birth of Mary, the mother of Jesus. We know very little about her life before the angel Gabriel’s visit at the Annunciation. However, Mary and Joseph’s travels to Bethlehem for the census and to Egypt to escape persecution make the Holy Family relatable characters for the homeless and for immigrants.
Earlier this year, Tiffany Brown and her children moved into a renovated home in the historic Black neighborhood of West Louisville, Kentucky. A single mother of three, Brown spent most of her adult life in public housing. Her first shot at home ownership came courtesy of a new project by the Louisville chapter of Black Lives Matter to help provide permanent housing to transient families and low-income single-mother households like hers.
She had recently relocated to Section 8 housing because of involuntary displacement in her previous location, the result of ongoing practices of segregation and unequal access to housing based on race. The BLM project means Brown and her children not only
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have access to affordable housing, but now can finally own their home—at no initial cost to them. Her only financial obligations will be to pay the taxes and utilities on the home. She has no mortgage. BLM Louisville holds the deeds to five other vacant houses that have either been gifted to the group or were purchased with $50,000 donated by the community to help house low-income families. They neither sought nor accepted government financial assistance. The homes they purchased have ranged from $5,000 to $10,000. One of the five houses BLM owns will serve as emergency housing for families that have been evicted or displaced and have nowhere else to go. The vacant homes are all fixer-uppers and the prospective homeowners are encouraged to contribute labor towards the renovation and remodeling work.
BLM Louisville doesn’t have a formal application process for these houses and won't discriminate against people who have criminal records. Chanelle Helm, the lead organizer, explains, "Those are exactly the people that we need to get in the homes. The reason why they committed whatever crime, is because of a lack of something, lack of necessities, a lack of bare essentials, a lack of dignity, especially.“ For Tiffany Brown, who works and goes to school, the house is an opportunity to put down roots.
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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.
Newsletters of Trinity Lutheran Church and the St. Paul's Episcopal
What are our partners in ministry up to? Go here for the Trinity Lutheran Church monthly newsletter, "Tidings". And here is St Paul's weekly bulletin
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Who Are the 301 Faith Partners? |
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The 301 Faith Partners have a Vision,
Mission and Values statement that guides our relationships, interactions, and shared projects and ministries.
Our Vision – ‘Our guiding Light’
Weaving a tapestry of love, hope and justice for the world.
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Read the Vision, Mission, Core Values and Covenant here.
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