Wednesday Nights at Keystone (Oct. 21, 2020)

Join us every Wednesday night for a short Lectio Divina practice, beginning at 6 p.m. and running until 6:20 p.m., using the scripture for the following Sunday as a meditative focus. After that practice the space opens up for our community nights, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The schedule for the next several weeks includes:

TONIGHT: Tonight we'll continue telling stories under the theme of "Transcendence." Tonight’s storyteller: John Preson.

Concerns of the World: A new focus for our Wednesday community gatherings is a night dedicated each month where we can come together to share our concerns about things that are going on the world. Come to vent, worry, and pray in community about the things that are happening around us all. The first night of this gathering will be Oct. 28. 

Green Team: The next Green Team meeting will be 6:30 p.m. Nov. 4, in the Keystone Zoom space. Focus: Jim Antel’s book Climate Church, Climate World, Chapters 5 and 6.

Our Wednesday night community space opens up at 6:20 p.m., after the weekly Lectio Divina practice, with the evening gathering officially starting at 6:30 p.m., in the same Zoom space we use on Sunday mornings and for our other gatherings (look for a Cheat Sheet with the info coming in your email every Wednesday night!). 

Take 5 for Advocacy: Week of Oct. 19, 2020

Image description: A logo that reads “Take 5 for Advocacy, “ featuring the words “Take 5” in red, with the 5 in a circle of lines that indicate a watch face, and the words “For Advocacy” in green. The words sit in front of a pattern that looks like a mosaic of stones, with a green cross surrounded by multicolored blocks.

A message from Keystone Advocacy leader Barbara Anderson:

Dear Keystone,

This past Thursday I attended the general meeting of the Coalition on Homelessness where Dow Constantine thanked everyone who helped pass the Health Through Housing Initiative. Thank you, Keystone, for sending a note to the KC Council.  Please send an email here send an email to your King County Councilmember to thank them for passing a regional response to homelessness! 

 As I mentioned on Sunday, people of faith can extend their opinions on Referendums, Propositions and Charter Amendments.  The Coalition had speakers come and talk about the following November ballot highlights:  I encourage all of us to look at these.  Our unhoused deserve clean sanitation, clean water, shelter and food!

We were joined by representatives from Yes on Seattle Proposition 1, Yes on King County Proposition 1, Yes on King County Charter Amendment 2 and Yes on Referendum 90campaigns. We have posted information and social media resources for all these important November ballot items on our website, click here to learn more.

 One other piece of information from the meeting that I thought was important is that many King County residents with very low or no income will soon have access to free annual transit passes under a new program being piloted by the county and Sound Transit. The subsidized annual passes — which can be used on several different transit services, including King County Metro's buses and Sounds Transit's Link light rail — will be available to King, Pierce and Snohomish county residents who can't afford the cost of public transportation and are enrolled in other state benefit programs. DSHS, Catholic Community Services, and the Public Health Dept. will be administering these passes.  If you know of anyone who could benefit from this, please let them know to call one of these agencies.  I do know that those on TANF, ABD, and SSI are eligible.

We pray that everyone has a home here and in our world. Amen.

TONIGHT: Keystone Tells Stories at 6:30 p.m.

Join us for Keystone's Wednesday Story Night! We are continuing to tell stories under the theme of "Transcendence." Tonight's storyteller is John Preston. 

AND: Join us tonight and every Wednesday night for a short Lectio Divina practice, beginning at 6 p.m. and running until 6:20 p.m. This week's text: Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17

The storytelling space opens up at 6 p.m., for Lectio Divina, which ends at 6:20 p.m. Storytelling will start at 6:30 p.m. Both are in the same Zoom space we use on Sunday mornings and for our other gatherings.

Celebrate Sophie Morse's ordination!

The Pacific Northwest Conference of the UCC and Suquamish Community Congregational UCC are celebrating the ordination of Sophie Morse, from 3-5 p.m. Sunday, November 8, 2020, via Zoom. Sophie served as a pastoral leader at Keystone several years ago.

This past February, Sophie was approved for ordination by the Westside Committee on Ministry for the Pacific Northwest Conference for the United Church of Christ. She will be ordained into a specialized ministry in Conflict Consulting for faith organizations, a culmination of much preparation, training, and discernment. As part of this call, Sophie will be in covenant with the Suquamish Church, the Pacific Northwest Conference, the Dispute Resolution Center of Kitsap County, and an independent Support & Accountability Board. She is excited to be able to branch out and serve her community in this way!

Donations during the service will be accepted to help support the scholarship fund for Members in Discernment (those studying to become ministers in the UCC). For those who want to take care of this ahead of time, here is the link. Choose “Other” under Conference Donations, fill in your amount, and write in “Sophie’s Ordination.” Or you can mail checks to: “PNCUCC” 325 North 125th Street, Seattle, WA, 98133 and note “Sophie’s Ordination” on the check.

To attend Sophie’s ordination, you must register by emailing Sophie at sfmor1@gmail.com. You will receive a link to attend the service.

Congratulations and many blessings on your ministry, Sophie!

Wednesday eve- come for Lectio Divina 6:00 pm tonight: reflection on a Psalm- come you who are weary!

Tonight and each Wednesday eve come into the Keystone online space for a little reflection on scripture.  We meditate on the upcoming Sunday passage from 6-6:20 p.m. using a practice called Lectio Divina, for a type of  centering prayer.  

Tonight we will sit with one of the lectionary texts: Psalm 90 below (Rich’s sermon text gets to go off lectionary this week.) Join Pastor Lauren as we share a few prayerful moments with this text, so that “the favor of our God may be upon us, and prosper the work of our hands!”

Look for the ‘cheat sheet’ in your email, or email Pastor Lauren: lauren.cannon@keystoneseattle.org for the Zoom link.

Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17

O God, you have been our dwelling-place
  in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth
and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting
you are God.
You turn us back to dust,
and say,
"Turn back,
you mortals."
For a thousand years
in your sight
are like yesterday
when it is past,
or like a watch
in the night.
You sweep them away;
they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed
in the morning;
in the morning it flourishes
and is renewed;
in the evening it fades
and withers.

Turn, O God!
How long?
Have compassion
on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning
with your steadfast love,
so that we may rejoice
and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days
as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years
as we have seen evil.
Let your work be manifest
to your servants,
and your glorious power
to their children.
Let the favor of the Sovereign
our God be upon us,
and prosper for us
the work of our hands--
O prosper the work of our hands!

~ ~ ~