Worship 'Round the Table: Go before the Lord to prepare God's ways

On Sunday, July 3, Annie explained the Biblical passage we’d be discussing:

"Go before the Lord to prepare God's ways." -- Luke 1:76

She then provided context for the verse and then asked us to break into groups and discuss two questions.

QUESTION #1: What is the prophetic message for FCMF?

People discussed times they had experienced a prophetic moment in their lives, as well as what we as a faith community might consider our prophetic message. We learned a lot about what each of us believed in and we also discovered that we often feel alone until we hear others sharing words and feelings that are just like ours. Then we know we are not alone.

Group 1

• “When I heard Bernie Sanders speak about wealth inequality, I felt that finally someone was saying the words I had always heard in my own head, expressing the feeling I’ve always had. It was wonderful!”
•  “I’ve heard these messages most of my life. The messages have come through other people. I believe the most knowledgeable people are those surviving and thriving in a world that is not made for them – people who are re-entering society, such as the homeless, returning military vets, and minorities.”
• “I feel that we need to continue our work with FFH and the Homeless Coalition.”
• “I believe that we need to do this more  -- communicate our perspective about homelessness and the disenfranchised with the rest of the community.”
• “I often see us attacking City Council for not doing more about homelessness. But why aren’t we going after the large churches in Fort Collins who have plenty of money to donate, but rarely participate in FFH or Habitat for Humanity projects?”
• “My prophetic moment came when I was riding a bike at the health club while watching a show about a mother in Nigeria who walked 18 miles to go to a clinic for her baby, but was told it was not malnourished enough for treatment. Unfortunately as the mother walked home, her baby died. I decided then and there that I did not want to live in a work where mothers buried their babies. I was going to do something about it. And that’s when I met someone who told me about a clinic in Nigeria. I eventually ended up going to Nigeria and working there!”

Group 2

• “We need to welcome the homeless into our congregation.”
• “Faith is not abstract, it is hands-on action.”
• “Services need to benefit the less fortunate.”
• “Inspire the entire community to participate.”
• “Let’s provide hope to everyone; don’t exclude anyone.”
• “We are all one people.”
• “When we have an opportunity to volunteer to give, let’s do it.”

Group 3

• “We’ve heard the message about the homeless and it has struck a chord with several people who have made tangible decisions to help.”
• “We’re an open, inclusive community, in a country that is very exclusive. We are an example for the Mennonite Community as well as for Fort Collins. We want to move past gender issues for the betterment of humanity.”
• “We are out-of-the-box radicals in an exclusive culture and world. We  bring the radical message of hope and love. We are pacifists with a firm stance about gun control – we want to turn guns into plowshares. And, we believe it is irrational to always view the world with suspicion.”

QUESTION #2:  Where do we see God moving around our “edges?”

This is where we started talking about actions we could take, services we could provide, or programs that needed to be implemented on the county, state, or national level.

Group 1

• “We need to get more churches involved in providing space (property) for affordable housing development.”
• “Other cities have successfully developed Tiny House communities for the homeless. Why can’t we do that in Fort Collins?”
• “The most important thing is to provide housing first, even if it’s only transitional.”
• “Affordable housing saves communities lots of money. For example, the Red Tail Ponds development just saved the city $300,000 --  the cost of police and emergency room services when dealing with people on the streets.”

Group 2

• “The ‘fringes’ are about what God wants us to do (not what we want to do). It’s about reaching out to others. It’s about living the way Jesus lived.”
• “The greater community needs to remember that everyone has needs and desires.”
• “Any small action we make is a drop in the pond that ripples outward to affect others.”
• “God sometimes makes us WAIT. Transitional times can be uncomfortable because you don’t know what is coming.”

Group 3

• “We need Healthcare for All. Everyone is impacted by the lack of affordable, accessible healthcare, so what can we do to support Healthcare for All? How do we work to make Healthcare for All a reality while working within the boundaries of today’s belief systems and business environment? “
• “Major shifts in consciousness take time. There are cycles and stages that every new idea which challenges the status quo goes through. We need to take a long view.”
• “We are all unique and together our unique backgrounds, ideas, and actions create a healthy community.”
• “We support organizations and causes. But ultimately, the community takes over. We cannot do everything alone. Just look at 10 Thousand Villages and FFH.”