Take 5 for Advocacy: Week of Nov. 2, 2020

Join 350Seattle at 4 p.m. today (Wednesday) at the Pioneer Square totem pole for a Democracy Defense organizing meeting (Facebook event here) to connect with community, discuss organizing plans, and start plugging people into roles for the work ahead. Participants will then march together to the main Protect the Results demonstration at 5 p.m. at Occidental Park. (Check out the Facebook event here.) If you can’t hit the streets or aren’t ready to do so yet, please join 350Seattle tonight at 7 p.m. for their General Meeting: register here. You’ll learn about what 350Seattle is doing, and how you can engage.

The Poor People's Campaign will share a Message to the Nation from its co-chairs, Rev. Dr. William Barber and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 10 a.m. PST to remind the people that the work of the people hasn't been about one election, but the work of changing the world: Organizing the poor, the homeless, the uninsured, the sick, the unorganized. This is a movement, not a moment. You can tune in for that message by clicking here.

Prayers of the People (from Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020)

Pastor Lauren shares here some of what we carried on our hearts October 25 in worship:

Holy God we seek a way through polarities and limitations of binary options. Make us seekers of the unwavering justice of God, our God who is always on the side of the vulnerable.

We are praying a swift recovery for those who are ill or injured, and we give thanks that those who have had medical procedures are back at home with family.

We are with every 581 + now orphaned child of God, forcibly separated from their families. We are with 81 thousand corona virus grief struck families who have lost loved ones.

We continue to be with between 220, 000- 300, 000 families who have lost their loved ones, and with so many more that are moving through positive virus diagnoses fall out & varying continual implications.

God give us strength for a long road ahead. God make us carriers of Your love through a long hard struggle ahead. Turn us out in creative new ways, make us your builders of better ways and better days. God we pray not to return to ‘normal’, but to live for a better normal.

We are with every person offering service to our country, in the spirit of creating peace, but suffering separation and loss.

God we pray You ease us to be tender with our broken hearts. Remind all that you are there. So that You might extend Your reach- through us. Bring us to be with separated families, in every way, and every circumstance. Embolden us to look at structures we did not mean to be part of creating, but now are responsible to dismantle.

Our holy God, we call upon your in-breaking reign to make us a force of your justice. To give Your support to others. Through our very own hands and feet.

God in your mercy, hear our prayers.

6 pm tonight- drop in for a short nourishing Lectio Divina practice

Tonight and each Wednesday eve come into the Keystone online space for a little reflection on scripture.  A small group meditates on the upcoming Sunday passage from 6-6:20 p.m. using a practice called Lectio Divina.  In listening together to the text, we find connections, and share the struggle.

We start with a couple minutes of quiet, so if you come in and it is silent, you are welcome, just join in & make yourself comfortable!

Tonight we will sit with one of the great prophets: Jeremiah 22: 13-16.  Rich’s sermon on Nov. 1 is based on this text, entitled: To Know God.” 

Join Pastor Lauren & Pastor Rich & a small group tonight as we share a few prayerful moments in reflection.

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

Jeremiah 22: 13-16

13 Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness,
 and his upper rooms by injustice;

who makes his neighbours work for nothing,
and does not give them their wages; 

14 who says, ‘I will build myself a spacious house
with large upper rooms’,

and who cuts out windows for it,
panelling it with cedar,
and painting it with vermilion. 

15 Are you a king
because you compete in cedar?

Did not your father eat and drink
and do justice and righteousness?

Then it was well with him. 
16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
then it was well.

Is not this to know me?
says the Lord.

Wednesday Nights at Keystone (Oct. 28, 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: 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.

Parables Study: Join the next Parables study on Nov. 11. The focus of the next study are chapter 2, on the Good Samaritan, and Chapter 3, The Kingdom of Heaven is Like Yeast. Come explore these ancient stories that share wisdom, with the help of Amy-Jill Levine’s book Short Stories by Jesus.

Storytelling: The next night of storytelling will be Nov. 18, continuing the theme of Transcendence.

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!). 

What Happens After Election Day? David Domke Lecture to Explore Possibilities

Green Team member Jim L. invites Keystone members and friends to come to a lecture by David Domke, professor and former chair of the Department of Communications at UW, on Friday, Nov. 6, at 5 p.m. called “Three days after ‘Election Day’: What happened? Where do we go from here?” Domke will look at some data, unpack the election crisis if it’s occurring, and talk about where we’re going from here. This event will be a little bit of lecture and a lot of Q and A. No registration needed but you will need the Zoom link. Contact Jim or Pastor Lauren or Pastor Yuki to get the link.