Worship

4:30 on Sundays at Acme Scenic Arts, 941 West 7^th Street, St Paul

Sunday worship at Acme Scenic Arts

May 26

Music: Justin Rimbo

Provide Bread: Clarks

Serve Bread: Clarks

Keeper of the Keys: Peter C.

Other Stuff

THANK YOU!!! We kicked butt at our Kickstarter campaign and not only reached but SURPASSED our goal. Now, we get to make an album and gift the world with this great music. More about that here:http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1824965938/humble-walk-artist-compilation

THANK YOU!!! For an amazing year of Beer and Hymns. So much joy and community and healing in that room. We ended on amazing high. I hope you were able to experience it.

Friends, we are running away to our island camp. Come with us!! Take Friday off from work, load up the car and head north to Bay Lake Camp. June 21-23, 2013.

Cost for the whole weekend:

Tent: (Bring your own) $50 per tent.

Private room with bathroom: $150

Shared room with bathroom 3-5 people: $75

See Jodi to register. $25 due with registration.
We have a Leave No Humble Folk Behind policy. If you need help with registration $$, talk to Jodi.

Weight of the Word=small groups who gather to connect with one another and the Gospel text for the coming Sunday. You can show up at one that is already cooking OR form your own.

Weight of the Word-Chatterbox Pub. 8:45PM every other Tuesday. For more info: contact Jen jlh980@gmail.com

Future Things of Importance:

Hello, Summer Thursday, June 13, 2013

Wild Thursdays at Adam’s Park 6-7PM June 13-August 2, 2013

All ages family camp at Bay Lake Camp, June 21-23, 2013

Worship in the Park returns for the month of July (we gather around picnic tables and BBQ at Highland Park picnic area on Sundays at 4:30PM).
Open Eye Theater Show at Adam’s Park July 18, 2013 “Trucker’s Robot” 7PM at Adam’s Playground

Vibe Camp at Bay Lake for grades 3-6^th, July 15-19, 2013
Wild Week at Adam’s Park 3-5:30PM August 5-9, 2013

Goodbye, Summer Thursday, August 29, 2013

Acts 2:1-21

As written and preached by Amy Christine Hanson

Grace, Peace, and Mercy are yours from the Triune God. Amen

Today is the day in the church year that we call Pentecost. This festival occurs about fifty days after Easter and after the ascension of Jesus into heaven after his Resurrection. Pentecost is the pouring out of the Holy Spirit into the world. Up to this point, knowledge of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus was limited to a select few. In Pentecost, all of that is blown apart and the life and death of Jesus is for everyone. Pentecost is a sending out of God’s people into the world. It is the birth of the wildly diverse Body of Christ, the Church, on earth.

In today’s reading we hear that the disciples are gathered in Jerusalem. The eleven apostles who remained after Judas betrayed Jesus had just decided to elect Matthias to join their ranks and they were undoubtedly making a neat and orderly strategic plan for how to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. At this time there was much debate about who could be a part of this Jesus movement and who could not. It was no doubt pretty ugly at times. Peter remarks to the crowd, about 120 people, that the scriptures had been fulfilled and they were going go out into the countryside to bear witness to all that they had seen. They were in the city at the same time that a huge Jewish festival called the Festival of the Weeks was occurring, and were in a crowd of thousands… The Holy Spirit was about to show up and it’s not in her nature to adhere to the best-laid human plans.

Imagine for a second the situation that we hear about in today’s text. The disciples are all gathered in one place, probably a fenced courtyard of some type, because they were afraid of the crowds in the city. Crowds that were hostile towards them and what they believed. They were trying to keep some semblance of order, and out of nowhere, they hear a rush of violent wind, imagine a tornado or a particularly spectacular thunderstorm, and then tongues of fire. An inferno that engulfs each one of them. Then an uproar of speaking in other languages. Absolute chaos. And it gets worse.

The devout Jews who are in Jerusalem for this particular festival are drawn to the spectacle. They are astonished at the sights and sounds and in particular, that this strange group of people is speaking many languages. And the content of this speech is about what God is up to in the world. This violent in-breaking is the very spirit of God coming into the world and smashing apart every distinction of language and ethnicity and every possible flimsy construction we have for understanding who God is. The Holy Spirit is wild and unpredictable and dangerous. She brings together people who wouldn’t be associating with one another in a million years. She breaks down walls of misunderstanding and builds up something even stronger in their place. The onlookers think that this can’t possibly be for real, and try to explain it away saying, “They are drunk, not to mention probably crazy.”

Old reliable Peter, who is never at a loss for words, remarks, “they are not drunk, it is only 9:00 in the morning. No, all of this was foretold by the prophet Joel: God declares ‘I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams…and on and on…and then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The prophet Joel’s words galvanize the people to go out into all the lands and talk about Jesus Christ and that is how the church was born. Forever and ever. Amen. The End.

And that is how we understand Pentecost most of the time. This quaint little idea of The Birthday of the Church. Something that happened once, a very long time ago. We take the wildly unpredictable movement of the spirit and domesticate it into a neat and tidy little understanding of what it means to be church and do church.

I think it is worth exploring a different idea of what Pentecost is. Let’s consider that Pentecost is not a one-time event that happened a really long time ago. Maybe it is something that happens over and over again. The Holy Spirit is moving about right now, right here in this room. Breaking us open and forming and reforming us, the body of Christ, the church, every single day. In fact, the second that we think we have the spirit pinned down into a neat little box of our own understanding, it is blown apart and positively incinerated.

I think that we all sometimes operate under the mistaken assumption that when the Holy Spirit enters into our lives and starts remaking us, it is going to feel good. The Holy Spirit not only forms and reforms us as a church, it also forms and reforms us as individuals. I am not sure where we get the idea that the Holy Spirit is a gentle dove that is guiding our way, because the Holy Spirit that we hear about in today’s reading is downright terrifying. Flames and noise and confusion. But this Spirit…she speaks truth. The truth is often painful to hear and might not be what we want. Just as the Holy Spirit gathers together an improbable collection of people in today’s text to form the body of Christ, she continues to do so even today. What if Pentecost is less about the establishment of the institutional church and more about being broken open and baptized by a fire of truth over and over again?

In just a few minutes we are going to all get up and work on creating a visible representation of Pentecost. But before we go to it, I want to share a story with you about how I experienced the Holy Spirit this week. In the heartbreakingly truthful way that she often works upon us. I spent most of last Monday at the capital building as we awaited the results of the vote for marriage equality in our state. I was with friends, surrounded by at least a thousand of others chanting and singing. You could feel the spirit move as we implored our senators to “be on the right side of history” and “make the right choice” and generally we all got caught up in the joy and excitement. I went outside to get some fresh air and that is where the Holy Spirit really got me. In the midst of a sea of orange t-shirts and rainbow flags was a lone middle-aged man wearing a polo shirt and khakis sitting on the steps holding a pink “Vote No” sign. It was clear that he was fearful and uncomfortable. I really wanted to dislike this guy because he was invested in the idea that people like me and so many of those whom I love should not be allowed to marry. Instead of hatred, I only felt compassion. This man was trying to be faithful in the best way that he knew how, just as I was attempting to do the same thing. And believe me, I am not a good enough person to pull this off on my own. The Holy Spirit is behind this one. It would have felt good to be angry with this guy, even to hate him, and instead, my eyes met his and I felt my heart break. Even though I didn’t want to claim this guy as a fellow worker in the Kingdom of God, an integral part of the Body of Christ, he’s most certainly a part of it, and it’s not my job to decide whether he is in or out and not something I can do on my own. THIS is what the Holy Spirit will do to you.

This very Spirit is God coming into the world and smashing apart every human judgment and every disagreement and every possible flimsy construction we have for understanding who God is. The church that was created on Pentecost is not a building and not a denomination and not a place you go on Sundays, but a body of wildly diverse people who are continually being made and remade in the image of God. And we need each other. That is what we celebrate with Pentecost. Thanks be to God.

New songs for you to listen to and sing along with by fine, fine local singer/songwriters.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1824965938/humble-walk-artist-compilation

As of this morning, 84 people have pledged $5669. AMAZING.

We only need $2331. In the next 5 days. And then we begin to recording project. Yea!

The other thing is…it’s all or nothing. That’s the way Kickstarter works. So, if we don’t reach 8000 in the next 5 days…the credit cards are not charged and we get absolutely nothing.

Either way, we promise to stop talking about this in about…5 days. Until then–tell your friends and enemies.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1824965938/humble-walk-artist-compilation

Enter: a designated storm home.

In my day, each bus rider had to declare a storm home in town—which was usually a classmate or a relative. When a storm blew in during the school day and the buses were not able to run—everyone went to their storm home.

Lately, I have been thinking about Humble Walk as a sort of storm home for a variety of folks. Church workers and pastors who come limping in—looking for words of grace. Seminary students and leaders of congregations looking for a new way of thinking about church. People who have been deeply hurt by previous experiences in and around church—and have long written off being a part of a faith community.

We are somehow able to create space for hurting people—by the work of the Holy Spirit and by the grace of God and the love of Jesus Christ. And healing does happen. Maybe it happens by being a part of worship–voicing your own prayers during the service. Maybe healing comes with being a part of a tribe of people who love Jesus and live intentionally every single day. Maybe it’s being able to voice doubt within a communally written sermon. Maybe it’s gathering to sing hymns at the top of your lungs in a bar. Or being able to enter a gathering without having to pretend you are something you are not. As the pastor of this holy mess, I witness these healing moments every single week. I can’t imagine a better gig. Thank you for seeking shelter with us.

Worship 
4:30 on Sundays at Acme Scenic Arts, 941 West 7th Street, St Paul

Sunday worship at Acme Scenic Arts

May 19 Pentecost!!
Healthy Happy Hour at 4PM. Come on over and sit a spell.
We surround Joel and Julie as they prepare for their wedding and life together.
Music: Justin Rimbo
Provide Bread: Amy H.
Serve Bread: Amy H.
Keeper of the Keys: Amy H.

May 26 
Music: Justin Rimbo
Provide Bread: Clarks
Serve Bread: Clarks
Keeper of the Keys: Peter C.

Other Stuff

We launched a Kickstarter campaign to record our amazing artists-in-residence. More about that here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1824965938/humble-walk-artist-compilation

Beer and Hymns: Last Call. Monday, May 20 from 7-9PM at Shamrock’s Pub

Weight of the Word=small groups who gather to connect with one another and the Gospel text for the coming Sunday. You can show up at one that is already cooking OR form your own.

Weight of the Word-Chatterbox Pub. 8:45PM every other Tuesday. For more info: contact Jen jlh980@gmail.com

Future Things of Importance:

Hello, Summer Thursday, June 13, 2013
Wild Thursdays at Adam’s Park 6-7PM June 13-August 2, 2013
All ages family camp at Bay Lake Camp, June 21-23, 2013
Worship in the Park returns for the month of July (we gather around picnic tables and BBQ at Highland Park picnic area on Sundays at 4:30PM).
Open Eye Theater Show at Adam’s Park July 18, 2013 “Trucker’s Robot” 7PM at Adam’s Playground
Vibe Camp at Bay Lake for grades 3-6th, July 15-19, 2013
Wild Week at Adam’s Park 3-5:30PM August 5-9, 2013
Goodbye, Summer Thursday, August 29, 2013

Worship 
4:30 on Sundays at Acme Scenic Arts, 941 West 7th Street, St Paul

Sunday worship at Acme Scenic Arts

May 12
Music: Justin Rimbo
Text: Acts 16: 16-34
Provide Bread: Josh and Rachel
Serve Bread: Josh
Keeper of the Keys:

May 19
Music: Justin Rimbo
Provide Bread: Amy H.
Serve Bread: Amy H.
Keeper of the Keys: Amy H.

May 26
Music: Justin Rimbo
Provide Bread: Clarks
Serve Bread: Clarks
Keeper of the Keys: Peter C.

Other Stuff

We launched a Kickstarter campaign to record our amazing artists-in-residence. More about that here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1824965938/humble-walk-artist-compilation

Beer and Hymns: Last Call. Monday, May 20 from 7-9PM at Shamrock’s Pub

Weight of the Word=small groups who gather to connect with one another and the Gospel text for the coming Sunday. You can show up at one that is already cooking OR form your own.

Weight of the Word-Chatterbox Pub. 8:45PM every other Tuesday. For more info: contact Jen jlh980@gmail.com

Future Things of Importance:

Hello, Summer Thursday, June 13, 2013
Wild Thursdays at Adam’s Park 6-7PM June 13-August 2, 2013
All ages family camp at Bay Lake Camp, June 21-23, 2013
Worship in the Park returns for the month of July (we gather around picnic tables and BBQ at Highland Park picnic area on Sundays at 4:30PM).
Open Eye Theater Show at Adam’s Park July 18, 2013 “Trucker’s Robot” 7PM at Adam’s Playground
Vibe Camp at Bay Lake for grades 3-6th, July 15-19, 2013
Wild Week at Adam’s Park 3-5:30PM August 5-9, 2013
Goodbye, Summer Thursday, August 29, 2013

They occupy my thoughts quite a bit. (No, I am not pregnant). Mostly I think about all my beloved who want them and for all sorts of reasons…cannot. It sucks. I sit with more women than you can imagine whose stories around babies are mostly broken-hearted stories. What I have come to believe is that the world of reproduction is wildly unjust. Wildly.
First of all, if you are one of these women– I am so sorry. And there are so many of you carrying this silent grief. You are in my daily prayers–which seems like a lame offering most of the time. But, I offer it none-the-less.

We also have babies growing in our community. Last Sunday, we gathered around a family to offer a blessing and our prayers for a safe delivery. (And to acknowledge both the fear and the joy at this pending transition). Of course, when we are expecting a small human at Humble Walk–we gather and rejoice in this new life. Yes, we are aware of all those who only know grief around conception. We stand with you. And we rejoice over this growing family. My friend, Glenn, says that Christian community is where joy is multiplied and grief is divided. I agree.

Which means, we celebrate and bless and pray for all those who are about to give birth.

And, we surround and bless and pray for all those who experience a miscarriage or infertility. This one is trickier, of course. Because not everyone wants a public acknowledgement of their pain. But what if they do? Then we do it.

Guess what? Mother’s Day is nearly here. And that day tends to bring about a fresh layer of torment to everyone. Does ANYone enjoy this day? If you do, good on ya. The pressure is ridiculous–on kids to do it right, on dads to help them, on mom’s to react well and enjoy the foot bath massage thingy.* And it’s just a well of sadness sort of day for so many people. Sometimes, well meaning church people make it worse. Handing out flowers to moms or to all the females. Having moms stand. (Both of these practices are horrifying and awkward. DON’T DO THEM).

Church leaders, read through these before you make your decisions on how to handle the day. If you are going to include prayers for moms (which is not a bad idea…this mom can use all the prayers you can muster…), consider the rest of the litany in this blog post which recognizes a wide spectrum of mothering: messymiddle.

 
This is also helpful in general:  http://www.theage.com.au/comment/a-few-things-you-shouldnt-say-to-a-childless-woman-20130503-2iyj5.html

*If you are considering purchasing a foot spa thingy for someone you love or admire, maybe you shouldn’t. Yesterday, I saw an entire row of foot spa thingys at Valu Thrift. They looked brand new, friends.

Worship
4:30 on Sundays at Acme Scenic Arts, 941 West 7th Street, St Paul

Sunday worship at Acme Scenic Arts
May 5
Music: Justin Rimbo
Provide Bread: Katie
Serve Bread: Katie
Keeper of the Keys: Brie

May 12
Music: Justin Rimbo
Provide Bread:
Serve Bread:
Keep of the Keys:

May 19
Music: Justin Rimbo
Provide Bread: Amy H.
Serve Bread:
Keep of the Keys: Amy H.

May 26
Music: Justin Rimbo
Provide Bread: Clarks
Serve Bread: Clarks
Keep of the Keys: Peter C.

Other Stuff

We launched a Kickstarter campaign to record our amazing artists-in-residence. More about that here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1824965938/humble-walk-artist-compilation

Ghost Light: Austan’s Movie Premiere Monday, May 6 at 9:15PM Riverview Theater in Minneapolis.

Beer and Hymns: Last Call. Monday, May 20 from 7-9PM at Shamrock’s Pub

Weight of the Word=small groups who gather to connect with one another and the Gospel text for the coming Sunday. You can show up at one that is already cooking OR form your own.

Weight of the Word-Chatterbox Pub. 8:45PM every other Tuesday. For more info: contact Jen jlh980@gmail.com

Future Things of Importance:
Hello, Summer Thursday, June 13, 2013
Wild Thursdays at Adam’s Park 6-7PM June 13-August 15, 2013
All ages family camp at Bay Lake Camp, June 21-23, 2013
Worship in the Park returns for the month of July (we gather around picnic tables and BBQ at Highland Park picnic area on Sundays at 4:30PM).
Vibe Camp at Bay Lake for grades 3-6th, July 15-19, 2013
Goodbye, Summer Thursday, August 22, 2013

ANYway. This community was the first to pray for Humble Walk. Right from the beginning. They were the first to support us financially. Their quilters send us quilts to give away. Their knitters and crocheters send hats and scarfs and prayer shawls. They follow us on fb and our website and encourage, encourage, encourage. So, when a gift arrived last week–a portion of their lenten offering–it about knocked me over with their faith in us to respond to God’s call to do what we do.

Also, if you are spending the summer at the lake…and that lake is near Zion of Amor…go and meet them. (And marvel that they drink coffee out of real mugs) (REAL MUGS, people). Thank you, Zion.