Affirmation of Baptism for Epiphany

I ask you to acknowledge the gift of faith in Christ Jesus, reject sin, and confess the faith of the church.

Do you say no to external spiritual forces that defy God and attempt to disrupt the presence of love in the world?

Response: I forcefully say no to them.

Do you say no to lies that are told about God, including ones that perpetuate fear, scarcity, and control?

Response: I forcefully say no to them.

Do you say no to sin, that is, actions that cause you feel far from God and God’s love?

Response: I forcefully say no to it.

Do you believe in God, the ground and source of your being?

I believe in the eternal love that is God, creating, redeeming, and healing.

God’s grace is greater than anything that opposes it.

Neither the will of the flesh, the twists of the mind, or the efforts of evil

can bring lasting destruction where God is working for good.

Eternal love, which is God’s ultimate manifestation, bears all things.

All time exists within this love.

Do you believe in Jesus the Christ, God enfleshed and the pioneer of our faith?

I believe in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, Emmanuel, and fellow child of God.

Emmanuel, God with us, walked as Jesus in a certain place and a certain time.
Emmanuel, God with us, still comes in unexpected ways, through ordinary and extraordinary means.

Emmanuel, God with us, anchors us, and our hope, within God’s eternity.

Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?

I believe in the Holy Spirit, holy breath, holy mystery.

The Holy Spirit has brought us here.

Beyond our understanding, but with our trust, the Spirit gives us faith.

Our lives are our response to all we have been given,

The sum of which is greater than we know.

We are grateful. Amen.

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Worship resources posted here are written by the Reverend Julia Seymour. They are available for use, in full or part, but only with attribution and permission. Use without both attribution and permission is stealing.

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When the Body of Christ is Fat

Bitmoji Julia enjoys tea Within a very short amount of time, two people whom I love were called "fat ass". One of these slurs occurred in the church building and the other occurred in the same building and within the context of worship. Both incidents were the result of a person with already impaired judgment lashing out at the person who was in front of them, perceiving them to be unhelpful or denying aid or service. Regardless of the "why", the reality is that the name was uncalled for, hurtful, and aimed to be a deep cut. The reality is that a person who is under the influence of legal or illegal substances and often displays impaired judgment can still tell that body shaming- comments about shape, appearance, or size- is a way to lash out at someone who is frustrating you. That means those words and that way of using them are deeply rooted in our culture. An additional truth is that when we, as a congregation, attempted to console and listen to those who h...

God on the Go Kits

Like many congregations, we have lots of members who travel during the summertime. They may spend three months fishing or camping or traveling or hiking or playing. Given Alaska's long daylight hours, making it back into town on Sunday morning or even Sunday night doesn't always happen. One could rail against that or one can ask for guidance in the Spirit for how to keep community and communion alive in these months of family and personal sabbath in the woods and wilderness. (Still, if you're in town, come on down!) Inspired by Take Out Church, I made "God on the Go" kits for the faithful Alaskan family with kids. The kits and all their contents fit into the 64 ounce Ziplock containers with the lid snapping snugly. This should keep things watertight and just-right-sized for throwing in a duffle bag, backpack or suitcase. Or pushing under the seat of the camper. Or having at the foot of a sleeping bag. I have included below the list of items inside and the...

God's Punctuation

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28 Never place a period where God places a comma. - Gracie Allen Some of you may be familiar with the comedy duo of George Burns and Gracie Allen, who were active together in show business in the middle of the 20th century. George played the straight man to Gracie's comic timing. They were also married and had children. They were deeply in love. When Gracie was dying and George was deeply grieved, she wrote him a final love letter. One sentence that George shared from this letter was this, "George, never place a period where God places a comma." This was Gracie's way of reminding George that his life wasn't ending. There was a pause, but there would be more the sentence God was writing as the life of George Burns. That sentence, which may have been a proverb before Gracie wrote it, has taken on a life of its own. The United Ch...

Faith, Grace, and Hope

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