Last Night at BSM

July 6, 2015

Last night, Rev. Andy Greenhow preached from Mark 6:1-13. He showed that the call to us as a church is to be the people in all the towns that extended hospitality to the disciples as they passed on through. The church is to be the place where there is an appetite and a willingness to hear what the word of God is going to be and to hear it even if it comes from the outside. This is over and against the idea of driving out ‘outside agitators’ or worshiping a certain way simply because it has always been done that way. It’s about taking the risk to let the disciples into town to see what they have to tell us. If you would like to hear it, click here.

Sarah and Malchijah led us in a wonderful time of worship. We sang some great songs like Bruce Springsteen’s Keep Your Eyes on the Prize, Ben Harper’s Better Way and I Shall Not Walk Alone, Michael Kiwanuka’s I’m Getting Ready, Precious Lord Take My Hand, and We’ve Come This Far By Faith.

We heartily welcomed our first Youth Initiative participants from Camp Donegal from Airville, PA, and Colts Neck Reformed Church from Colts Neck, NJ.

For our offering our community offered these, our psalms of the street, to God:

More honest and truly caring continued communication with *****, *****, and ***** while keeping true to myself… and God…

 

Dear god – please help me relax into the situations around me – Bring you Peace into the Chatter and Chaos that surrounds me. Amen – *****

 

I’m considering what is next for me as a minister. This is exciting and scary.

 

Relationship with my parents as I am differentiating from their views of gospel and wanting independence and grace.

 

I feel angry, rejected, and unable to move on today. I need prayer and grace and healing.

 

More American and world history taught at all levels of our educational system – the truth!? The truth will set you free.

 

Pray for ***** – that she continues to be led by your light!

 

Helping me over the grief of losing my grandmother.

 

Please let my Dad learn what You are trying to teach him with as little suffering as possible. Please, please help me stay grounded and take care of myself.

 

I’m unsure about my future. I would like direction.

 

Prayers to help me listen. Prayers to strengthen my relationships and develop new ones.

 

I pray for ***** and her health problems, for clarity and healing.

I pray for strength and motivation for myself, to keep improving.

I give thanks for my family and friends and their support and

I pray for love and understanding in the world.

 

Father, God,

Thank you for time off, vacation, Sabbath. We need time to relax and recover from our work, even when it is your work, God. I pray for those who do not have the luxury of “time off” or family to share it with.

Amen.

 

Lord,

Please lavish ***** in your perfect love and peace. Be with the ***** family. Hold all oppressed people in your just, comforting hands. Give hope to the Palestinians and the land that provides for the Tent of Nations. Teach me to love.

Amen

 

Dear God,

Please take care of my son, and be with him as he struggles with the challenges of early adulthood. He is struggling so. Thank you for all you have given me, help me to be a good steward of your gifts.

Amen.

 

Dear Lord,

Help me to find my commitment again. Grant me the strength to follow through on my promises and not get pulled down by meaningless pleasures.

Amen

 

For God to rouse me from my sloth. To show me where my/His hospitality is most needed.

Thank you, Andy for this discomfort in facing my own past and ancestry in racism. I am grateful for this real and guiding message. Awesome! *****

 

I pray that I may not be so lonely.

 

For the passing of a kind man, *****.

For the children of Amigos de Jesus.

For the Adults of Philadelphia.

For Hospitality.

For Peace.

Every Sunday after worship, we also have community engagement groups. These groups are a great way to get to know people, maybe learn something about yourselves, one another, and/or God, and get to know a few more peoples’ names. Last night, we had two groups: Fundamentalism, led by Robert Arrington, our Seminary Field Education Student, which concluded its three week discussion of fundamentalism, and New and Nearly New, led by David Norse, which toured BSM’s building and had a conversation about who we are, how we got started, and where we are going.

Broad Street Ministry is a broad-minded faith community committed to extending radical hospitality and creating a spiritual home for all, especially those who feel like they don’t belong anywhere else. For more information click here.