PARABLE OF THE LIFE-SAVING STATION

YOUR CHURCH NAME

Parable of the Life-Saving Stations

WHAT SHORE ARE YOU ON?

Getting to know the Congregation gathered

here today

WHO’S DROWNING IN YOUR COMMUNITY?

TWO STORIES OF EFFORTS AT LIFE-SAVING

KOINONIA

Building Community that Includes All at the Margins

KOINONIA

Koinonia is a transliterated form of the Greek word, κοινωνία

It means communion, joint participation; the share which one has in anything, participation, a gift jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, etc.

SEEING ABUNDANCE IN THE MARGINS

Luke 9:10-17

10 On their return the apostles told Jesus all they had done. He took them with him and withdrew privately to a city called Bethsaida. 11When the crowds found out about it, they followed him; and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured.

12 The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, ‘Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place.’ 13But he said to them, ‘You give them something to eat.’

They said, ‘We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.’ 14For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, ‘Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.’ 15They did so and made them all sit down.

16And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.  

 “Look how the disciples try to solve the problem of scarcity. When the issue of what to do with the hungry crowd first comes up, they want to disperse the crowd, break it up into isolated individuals and send them out into the marketplace…assuming the problem of the hungry crowd could be solved by private means…Jesus countered, ‘You give them something to eat.’… He asks them, ‘What do you have? Go round and see.”… The disciples came up with five loaves of bread and two fish – surely a textbook example of scarcity. But now the ‘miracle’ begins. Jesus… takes the faceless crowd and divides it into small groups. The anonymity of the throng begins to dissolve. People begin to recognize and acknowledge friends. Community starts to happen. Then Jesus does another simple thing …. Does he bemoan the supply problem? No, he gives thanks for what there is. He knows that abundance is always present if we can act in community.”

Parker J. Palmer, “Scarcity, Abundance and the Gift of Community”

POPE

SEEING THOSE IN THE MARGINS

What do we see in our community?

Where is hidden abundance?

SEEING THOSE IN THE MARGINS

Go on Pilgrimages of

PAIN and HOPE

HEARING TRUTH IN THE MARGINS

Acts 2: 5-13

5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?

9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’

12All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ 13But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’

HEARING TRUTH IN THE MARGINS

The First Miracle of the Holy Spirit was a Miracle of Hearing

How would your church be different if we saw this was our first spiritual practice?

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS

What are your personal current practices of seeing and hearing?

Who/what does your congregation see and hear?

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS

Who is not seen or heard (and possibly drowning)?

What are some practices you could implement?

SHARING OUR PRACTICES

PRACTICES FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY

Go Where People Are to Listen

PRACTICES FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY

Be abundantly clear about who is welcome

and express it everywhere

We love SINGLE people, DIVORCED people, WIDOWED and MARRIED people.

We love GAY people and we love STRAIGHT people.

We love OLD people, YOUNG people, middle-aged people and CRYING babies.

We love THIS PLACE and we love SHARING it with others.

We love people who have not been to church in AGES and those who never miss a SUNDAY.

We love people who are in RECOVERY and those who are still ADDICTED.

We love people who are filled with FAITH and those who are wrestling with DOUBT.

We love people who could USE A PRAYER right now and those who PRAY OFTEN.

We love WASHINGTONIANS, SUBURBANITES and TOURISTS who stay in nearby hotels.

You’re already in the building. Why not come back and see who we really are?

Sundays at 11:00am YOU are welcome here.

SERIOUSLY.

Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church I www.mvpumc.org

PRACTICES FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY

Involve a wide range of people in leadership and

especially worship leadership where people are visible

PRACTICES FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY

Put as much emphasis on coffee & conversation

as toiletries & towels

PRACTICES FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY

Preach & Pray people into building community

PRACTICES FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY

Ask questions about your practices

PRACTICES FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY

Do NOT just proclaim “come as you are” but model it

Think about your ushers when it comes to how they dress, and act…

PRACTICES FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY

Be Authentic, Vulnerable, and Trustworthy

PRACTICES FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY

Decide what you ask of visitors and what do you not ask. And train your leaders!

DON’T ASK What do you do? Where do you live? Other sensitive topics IE Do you have any kids?

PRACTICES FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY

Decide what you ask of visitors and what do you not ask. And train your leaders!

DO ASK Where are you from? What brings you here? Favorite Music? Favorite Foods? Etc. Something you love to do?

PRACTICES FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY

Value and Live Mutuality

PRACTICES FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY

Set expectations and practices around money

and housing

PRACTICES FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY

Set Expectations for Yourself and Follow

Through

CLOSING QUESTIONS

What do you imagine is God's dream for your community?  

What’s one practice you could implement/ one change that you can make?

Life Saving Stations:Not Just a Parable