What a powerful second day of #Homiletics2019! Blessed with beautiful weather, the participants of Festival of Homiletics 2019 were energized with spirited preaching from Rev. Dr. Barber, uplifted with music from the Fleshpots of Egypt during Rolf Jacobson’s workshop, Laughed and learned with Barbara Lundblad, were challenged to reimagine liturgy by Cláudio Carvalhaes, sang with the Fleshpots of Egypt at Beer and Hymns, and much more.
Here are some social media highlights from the day.
Hundreds gathered for worship in Central Lutheran Church’s beautiful sanctuary as Karoline Lewis introduced this year’s theme, inspired by Frank A. Thomas’ book How to Preach a Dangerous Sermon. Instead of playing it safe in the pulpit, what does it mean to be a voice for moral imagination in our world right now?
Attendees were welcomed into worship, chorusing how “We Gather Here on Sacred Ground,” specifically land taken from the Dakota people. Singing as one, the congregation of 1600 prayed “with open hearts, we yearn for right relationship…with open hands we aim to share the call” to serve as keepers and tread lightly on the Earth.
Centered for worship, the Service of Holy Communion continued with melodies and rhythms led by Mary Preus, Tom Witt, and their fellow musicians, with songs uplifting gratitude and a spirit of persistence echoed in the sermon by Barbara Lundblad. Her preaching focused on the Parable of the Persistent Widow in Luke 18, drawing together many examples of persistence in our world today: LGBTQ+ ministers, migrant mothers, suppressed voters, and the transgender women protesting persecution at Stonewall 50 years ago.
Rev. Lundblad reminded the audience, “The widow insisted on the goodness of the Torah without ever going to a ‘Festival of Homiletics,'” a reminder to humble all those gathered. Even without formal theological training, the widows and other persistent preachers-without-a-title in our lives share wisdom that must be heeded for what is is — true nudging of the Spirit.
Worship continued with music rising to the high-arched ceiling, peace passed between the pews, and Communion shared by hundreds, followed by a rousing sending into a week of learning and renewal. May we all be strengthened for the journey!
Following worship, our first lecture of the Festival of Homiletics 2019 was given by Rev. Dr. James Alexander Forbes, Jr. Beginning with clear purpose, Forbes announced his intention “to recruit each one of you to be part of God’s dream team.” He acknowledged the MVP of his own dream team, emerging from partnership with his wife, Betty Forbes – the two have been married 55 years. Together, the couple sang a song about being God’s beloved children together, and invited the audience to join in. After this introduction, Forbes dove into deep truths about persistence in the face of systemic racism, economic injustice, and violence in society.
In order to respond to such forces, Forbes called on the church to regain its prophetic impulse and let it loose.
Looking forward to a great week to come!
Check in here on our blog for sermon snippets and social media updates from each day of #Homiletics2019!
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In an effort to reduce paper waste, there are not print versions of the worship bulletins at the 2019 Festival of Homiletics.
All bulletin materials will be projected on screens in the worship areas, available to view on mobile devices via the Festival App, and accessible below for advance printing.
You can access all PDF bulletins from this shared Google folder.
Note: Wifi will be limited in worship venues, so we recommend downloading bulletins in advance.
Monday (5/13)
@ Central Lutheran Church:
Tuesday (5/14)
@ Central Lutheran:
@ Westminster Presbyterian:
Wednesday (5/15)
@ Central Lutheran:
@ Westminster Presbyterian:
Thursday (5/16)
@ Central Lutheran:
@ Westminster Presbyterian:
Friday (5/17)
@ Central Lutheran:
Thank you for assisting us in stewarding resources!
Offering from the Friday 11am Worship Service at Central Lutheran Church will go to the Downtown Congregations to End Homelessness shared project to provide Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA).
Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) is a program of the Downtown Congregations to End Homelessness (DCEH) to provide personal support and funds to stop folks from being evicted and cast into experiencing homelessness. The participants are connected with congregations, return volunteer hours and are supported in their journey. To date the program is 85% successful in helping people remain in stable housing. Last year over $250,000 was provided for this program by the inter-faith, downtown congregations.
Offering from the Beer & Hymns Singalong Tuesday 7:30- 11pm will go to Westminster Presbyterian Church’s chosen partner, 21st Century Academy.
21st Century Academy is an after-school college-prep project based in Liberty Community Church in north Minneapolis. Westminster is closely l inked to this organization. They’re doing great work!
If you’re in town early for the Festival, head over to Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church on May 12 at 7 p.m. for “Faith to Save the Planet: An Evening with Brian McLaren.” Free general admission tickets are at https://hennepinmclaren.eventbrite.com
This free evening event will inspire attendees to respond to climate change from a faith perspective. Heralded by the New York Times as “Provocative and powerful,” McLaren is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” on issues like climate change. He reminds us “Global warming is a matter of science, economics, and politics, but it is a spiritual, moral, religious issue – a matter of the head but also the heart, and we who are people of faith must acknowledge that we need to be part of the solution but too often many of us have been part of the problem. …We people of faith need to learn and passionately tell a new and healing story, a bigger, better, more gracious story.”
McLaren will moderate a panel of local leaders who are helping Minnesotans respond to the worldwide
challenge of climate change through science and faith. Panelists include:
This event also features several local environmental justice organizations for attendees to connect with in-person and a pop-up bookstore featuring works by Brian McLaren and other environmental justice and environmental theology materials.
