"Faith of Many Colours: Powerful Faith" Wildwood Mennonite Church // June 20, 2021 Worship Leader: Teresa W // Music Leader: Brenda M // Sermon: Joe Heikman
Welcome to Wildwood! Welcome to worship with our Wildwood Mennonite Church community from wherever you find yourself today. Summer officially begins tomorrow (June 21). It is a time that inspires growth, colour, vibrancy, rest, vacation, and here, on the prairies, even more time spent outdoors. Our worship in this season is also a celebration of spiritual growth and diversity. "Faith of Many Colours" is a worship series inviting us to think about how faith and spirituality changes throughout our lives, depending on our stage of life, the groups we are part of, and even moment-to-moment. The wonder is that our God is big enough to meet all of those needs and expectations - and continues to invite us to a deeper and fuller understanding of ourselves and our world. Our focus today is “Red: Powerful Faith” where we might ask ourselves “How can I take control of my life?” with God included and “How am I going to use that power?”. Let us ponder that as we listen to our music for meditation from Sarita.
Music for Meditation // Mist // Performed by Sarita H
Call to Worship Leader: Our God, we gather to worship you, the One who creates all things. People: For the gift of creation, we give thanks. Leader: We gather to worship you, the One who brings salvation through Jesus Christ. People: For the gift of redemption, we give thanks. Leader: We gather to worship you, the One who sustains us by the Spirit. People: For the gift of your presence, we give thanks. Leader: We bring to you our offerings of thanks and praise for all your gifts. All: We worship you – our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.
Peace Candle On Wednesday this past week, our Canadian Senate approved the bill, Bill-C 15, to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). This is the bill that our church, along with many other faith-based organizations, voted to support by being a signatory on a petition to encourage the passing of this bill. This is good news on the eve of June 21 – National Indigenous Peoples Day. Prayer for National Indigenous Peoples Day Creator God, We look at your world and praise you for the diversity all around us. Thank you for the gift of relationships; our connection with people, animals and the land. Help us, Lord, to see differences and diversity as strengths. Help us to listen and understand; to meet one another with wonder and anticipation. Help us to love as you love, without expectation. Reveal to us your way of reconciliation and guide us into right relationships with all living things. Lead us to understand how Indigenous peoples have been and continue to be profoundly harmed by settler people and institutions. Lead us to repent when we as settlers deny Indigenous peoples respect, dignity and fullness of life. Help us to listen compassionately, to speak humbly and to act justly. Help us to seek the peace, justice and reconciliation you desire among all your children. Thank you for your mercy and grace. Amen. Prayer by Dianne Climenhage, MCC Maritimes Regional Representative
Sharing Time Not hearing from one another in person through the Sharing Time is a significant loss for many of us. Sharing items can be emailed to the church office or the pastors to be shared with the congregation. If you’re able, join us for our Sunday Morning Zoom gatherings, or check your email for the sharing items from last Sunday. Or maybe now would be a good time to pause your reading to call someone from church or elsewhere that you haven’t heard from this week.
Congregational Prayer Powerful and loving God, thank you for this time of worship where we gather to worship and share in our life as a community with those seeking to journey with Jesus. We praise you for the promise of being ever present, in our times of joy and excitement and in our times of uncertainty and insecurity. You are our source of strength and courage as we face all challenges that come our way. You are “for us” and with this knowledge we can enter that place of peace and courage to do what is right and use our power for good. May your power and hope flow through us so we can walk together with those who feel they have no voice or are discouraged or who wish to share their stories of healing and happiness. Today, God, we lift up to you all the sharing that was spoken…….
and those burdens or joys not spoken. We think and pray for our fathers and grandfathers, past and present, who helped to shape who we are today.
God, we need your love and hope in our lives. Instill in us a longing to grow to know you more and therefore, increase our understanding and loving ourselves more. With this peace and security of understanding, we can go forth in power and courage to do the good that is needed in the world around us.
We pray this is Jesus’ name, Amen.
Song // O Praise the Gracious Power // Voices Together #87
Children’s Story // Click here for video storytime with Jenny B! This week's story is A Brave Bear by Sean Taylor with illustrations by Emily Hughes.
Scripture // The Inclusive Bible Translation Ephesians 6:10-17 Finally, draw your strength from Christ and from the strength of that mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand firm against the tactics of the Devil. Our battle ultimately is not against human forces, but against the sovereignties and powers, the rulers of the world of darkness, and the evil spirits of the heavenly realms. You must put on the armor of God if you are to resist on the evil day and, having done everything you can, to hold your ground. Stand fast then, with truth as the belt around your waist, justice as your breastplate, and zeal to spread the Good News of peace as your footgear. In all circumstances, hold faith up before you as your shield; it will help you extinguish the fiery darts of the Evil One. Put on the helmet of salvation, and carry the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Always pray in the Spirit, with all your prayers and petitions. Pray constantly and attentively for all God’s holy people. Sermon // “Red Rising” // Joe Heikman (If you’d rather watch than read, click here for the video version on youtube)
One stone changed everything. One sling, one brave young man, one shot to bring down the giant.
David and Goliath. The ultimate underdog story. I don’t have to tell you this one. Two armies: the invading Philistines, so bold that they don’t even bother with a conventional attack. They just send out their biggest guy with a challenge, the contest of champions. Your guy wins, we go home. Our guy wins, you surrender without a fight. Pure intimidation.
And it was working - Israel’s confidence was fading. But then came David, the shepherd boy--more realistically in his late teens or early twenties.
He had the confidence that everyone else lacked. “God is with us, so what’s a giant compared to the power of God?” And David had the skills to back it up. He had fought off lions and bears as a shepherd, how is this threat any different? God saved me then, God will save me now.
So David rejected the armor of the king, and went out to face Goliath with only his shepherd’s staff and sling. And the confidence of God’s protection: “This battle belongs to YHWH.”
Taunts were shouted, the fateful stone was slung, and Goliath collapsed with a shuddering boom.
And that’s the sound of the People of God moving from Purple to Red.
This is the third part of our summer series, “Faith of Many Colours: the Spirituality of Spiral Dynamics.” Spiral Dynamics is a model of human development, how individuals, organizations and societies change and grow over time. Today, we’re talking about Red. The Warrior Space.
Purple says life is uncertain, and you have to please the people and the gods if you want to survive.
Red says, “No. I can do things. I make decisions, I take responsibility, I make things happen.”
In Ancient Israel, King David was the model of Red. He was a King. David knew who he was and he was confident in the God he served. He took action. He slew the giant, won the kingdom, got the girl(s).
The Red space on the Spiral Dynamics model is an ancient impulse, but it continues to resonate within our culture today.
Sometimes quite literally. I give you: Billie Eilish. And fair warning--you might want to have your hand on the volume controls for this one.
Billie Eilish: “You Should See Me In a Crown”
Bite my tongue, bide my time // Wearing a warning sign Wait 'til the world is mine // Visions I vandalize Cold in my kingdom size // Fell for these ocean eyes
You should see me in a crown // I'm gonna run this nothing town Watch me make 'em bow // One by one by one // One by one by You should see me in a crown // Your silence is my favorite sound Watch me make 'em bow // One by one by one // One by one by one
Count my cards, watch them fall // Blood on a marble wall I like the way they all // Scream Tell me which one is worse // Living or dying first Sleeping inside a hearse // I don't dream You say: Come over baby // I think you're pretty I'm okay, I'm not your baby // If you think I'm pretty
You should see me in a crown...
Can you feel that? Empowerment. Ego rising. Facing down the haters, pushing back those who want to take advantage of you, setting aside your own doubts, rising to the occasion.
One by one by one. (More on Billie Eilish in a minute.)
That’s Red. You can feel it. It seems like a good day to point out that the particular colours on the Spiral are not as meaningful as you might think. When the psychology professor Clare Graves was first thinking about this model back in the 1970s, he got feedback that his presentations were a bit dull. So he assigned a teaching assistant to add some colour to his overhead projector slides (remember those?). The TA picked some colours and eventually they became a shorthand way of talking about these complicated ideas. (And now you’ll even see that different groups of scholars use different colours sometimes.)
So anyway, don’t read too much into the colours themselves. They aren’t really intended to say much about the various spaces. And they certainly are not meant to line up with any brands, countries or political parties that share those colours!
That said… the colour Red does seem to fit neatly with the description of this space. Power, Passion, Anger. Hot rods, hot bods and Michael Jordan.
We see that Red all over the place in Western culture. One of the most compelling dramas of the past decade was Breaking Bad. We watched Walter White go from a meek high school teacher and family man with terminal cancer to a cold-blooded drug lord. And we cheered for him, because when he got cancer he did what you’re supposed to do: he fought this thing. And he went from being riddled with self-doubt to this incredible strength of a man with nothing to lose… That’s the journey from Purple to Red. “I’m not in danger. I am the danger!” Dramatic stuff.
And, yes. Red in our culture has a decidedly masculine tone in most expressions. But Red is marketed for everyone in different ways. Self-esteem, sexuality, passion for success in whatever field you choose, all the single ladies, put your hand up, who run the world? Girls.
Red moves us. It moves products. It gets promotions. It wins votes.
On the individual level, Red is the development of ego. That’s mine. I’ll do it myself. It’s a pretty distinct stage in a lot of children, (with the attached piles of anxiety and judgement for their parents…) In organizations, I think we know Red when we see it. Charisma. A clear vision. Fierce competition. Power politics.
At its best, Red is the Olympic Team: determination, focus and skill.
At its worst, Red is the Mafia: corruption, back-stabbing, a cult of personality, immaturity, anger and violence.
Now, I have to say, I really struggle with the Red space. I see a whole lot of negatives in Red, in organizations and in people.
The downside of Red is quite obvious: domination, violence and oppression. Self-centered ego. Cut-throat competition. Toxic masculinity. Pimps and gangs and dictators. Self-absorbed corporate CEOs and politicians who shall remain nameless.
I find myself reacting quite strongly against that kind of Red Power.
I don’t want to be like that! Red means anger and violence and abuse and exploitation. Power corrupts, we know that.
But today, I want to talk about the positive, healthy side of Red Power. The usual warnings about the dangers of self-centered power still apply. But Red also is a space of great potential for purpose and action. Red is the beating heart of the Spiral; without it, the other colours lack vitality and passion.
So today I want to look at some examples of the Red space at its best.
We heard some of Billie Eilish’s music earlier. Billie is 19 years old, and she became an internet sensation when she started uploading her self-produced music at the age of 15.
What is Red about Billie Eilish, and what makes her so appealing to so many young people is her confidence. She is determined to be her own person, to make music that she likes, to have her own look and style. Pop music, especially young female artists, are supposed to have a certain sound, and look a certain way, especially to be innocently seductive. Billie Eilish explicitly rejects all of that.
She’s the anti-pop-starlet. She wears what she wants, she has her own sound, she’s honest and dark and, real, in a way that connects with people. And yes, she’s a celebrity and there’s a certain amount of marketing in that teenage rebellion image as well.
But there’s also this: Billie Eilish - interview on the Ellen talk show
Billie talks about how she’s learned to cope with Tourette Syndrome, and how others make a big deal about it but to her “it’s just a bunch of tics.”
That’s what Red can do--take a challenge, be up front about it, and find ways to make it part of who you are. Whether the music and image of Billie Eilish appeal to you or not, that kind of humility mixed with confidence is worth pursuing.
Another powerful woman in the news this week is the outgoing Member of Parliament from Nunuvet, - Mumilaaq Qaqqaq - MOO-me-lack khah-khak
In her final speech to Parliament this week, Mumilaaq spoke about her personal experiences as an Inuk woman in the halls of power, and offered this challenge:
"Powerful speech delivered by NDP MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq | APTN News"
Every Inuk has survival mode. We have to. Not two generations ago survival mode meant endurance of extreme temperatures and finding food throughout the winter. Now, survival mode means being able to see that warmth in shelter and affordability in livelihood, but being denied it at the hands of the federal government.
The federal institution needs to change its own policies and procedures to reflect reality, instead of creating barriers for people like me. I shouldn’t be afraid of going into work, no one should be afraid of going into work. It is possible to create change. It can be started here in the House of Commons and reflected in Canada. There is the refusal and unwillingness for change, not inability to accomplish it…. But that’s exactly what the problem is. Inuit have been telling those with power and ability to make change to try and survive in their shoes for one day, one week, one month; they couldn’t. Maybe it is impossible for ministers to understand what we go through every day, but I am urging you—telling you—to listen, believe us and do something about it. When we tell you to act now, you need to act now... full transcript at macleans.ca
Whether you agree with her politics or not, this is a speech worth paying attention to. You can watch the whole ten minutes on youtube.
This is the strength of Red: clarity, purpose, and action. We make choices, all of us. The choices we make reveal our values and our character. I’m grateful to Mumilaaq Qaqqaq for calling us to action.
One more example. June is Pride month, and this weekend would normally be when our church walks in the parade to celebrate those among us from the LGBTQ2S community.
Pride is a very Red celebration: it’s about people knowing who they are, speaking out and standing up for their rights, and finding great joy in the diversity of our community.
That takes courage, strength and incredible grace.
This is Hannah Gadsby, a comedian from Tasmania in Australia. Some of you have seen her Netflix special from a couple of years ago, Nanette. We’re going to watch just a bit of it now, but really the whole thing is a masterpiece.
I’ll warn you, what we’re going to watch is intense. Red is a passionate, dangerous colour. Hannah Gadsby has lived that intensity. She calls herself a “not-normal” as a lesbian who is often mistaken for a man from a distance. And she has made a career out of turning that tension into comedy:
You can read the transcript of the pieces I chose for this sermon below...but you really should watch those clips instead: Or really, just go watch the whole show on Netflix. (Here’s the trailer) Even if you’ve seen it before.
I told… a story about the time this young man had almost beaten me up because he thought… I mean, he thought I was cracking on to his girlfriend. Actually, that bit was true, got that right, but…. there was a twist. It happened late at night, it was at the bus stop. The pub had closed, it was the last bus home, and I was waiting at the bus stop. And I was talking to a girl, and… you know, you could say flirting. I don’t know. And… out of nowhere, he just comes up and starts shoving me, going, “F__ off, you f__ing f___t!” And he goes, “Keep away from my girlfriend, you f__ing freak!” And she’s just stepped in, going, “Whoa, stop it! It’s a girl!” And he’s gone, “Oh, sorry.” He said, “Oh, I’m so sorry. I don’t hit women,” he said. What a guy! “I don’t hit women.” How about you don’t hit anyone? Good rule of thumb. And he goes, “Sorry, I got confused. I thought you were a f__ing f___t… trying to crack on to my girlfriend.”
Now I understand I have a responsibility to help lead people out of ignorance at every opportunity I can, but I left him there, people. Safety first…
(30 minutes later in the show) Do you remember that story about that young man who almost beat me up? It was a very funny story. It was very funny, I made a lot of people laugh about his ignorance, and the reason I could do that is because I’m very good at this job. I actually am pretty good at controlling the tension. And I know how to balance that to get the laugh at the right place. But in order to balance the tension in the room with that story, I couldn’t tell that story as it actually happened. Because I couldn’t tell the part of the story where that man realized his mistake. And he came back. And he said, “Oh, no, I get it. You’re a lady f____t. I’m allowed to beat the s___ out of you,” and he did! He beat the s___ out of me and nobody stopped him.
And I didn’t… report that to the police, and I did not take myself to hospital, and I should have. And you know why I didn’t? It’s because I thought that was all I was worth. And that is what happens when you soak one child in shame and give permission to another to hate. And that was not homophobia, pure and simple, people. That was gendered. If I’d been feminine, that would not have happened. I am incorrectly female. I am incorrect, and that is a punishable offense. And this tension, it’s yours. I am not helping you anymore. You need to learn what this feels like because this… this tension is what not-normals carry inside of them all of the time because it is dangerous to be different! ...
I don’t tell you this… so you think of me as a victim. I am not a victim. I tell you this because my story has value. My story has value. I tell you this ’cause I want you to know, I need you to know, what I know. To be rendered powerless does not destroy your humanity. Your resilience is your humanity. The only people who lose their humanity are those who believe they have the right to render another human being powerless. They are the weak. To yield and not break, that is incredible strength. “You destroy the woman, you destroy the past she represents” [quote from Picasso]. I will not allow my story… to be destroyed. What I would have done to have heard a story like mine. Not for blame. Not for reputation, not for money, not for power. But to feel less alone. To feel connected. I want my story… heard.
I hope you can feel that. The whole show is called Nanette and you can find it on Netflix. It’s hilarious, and full of pain, and anger, and hope and grace.
Red is an intensely personal space. And when we can get it out of defensive mode, no easy task, if we ever dare to do the work as Hannah Gadsby has done, the power of connection is amazing as well.
Self-acceptance, integrity, self-worth.
We read earlier from the book of Ephesians:
Ephesians 6:10-17 (Inclusive Bible translation) Finally, draw your strength from Christ and from the strength of that mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand firm against the tactics of the Devil. Our battle ultimately is not against human forces, but against the sovereignties and powers, the rulers of the world of darkness, and the evil spirits of the heavenly realms. You must put on the armor of God if you are to resist on the evil day and, having done everything you can, to hold your ground. Stand fast then, with truth as the belt around your waist, justice as your breastplate, and zeal to spread the Good News of peace as your footgear. In all circumstances, hold faith up before you as your shield; it will help you extinguish the fiery darts of the Evil One. Put on the helmet of salvation, and carry the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Always pray in the Spirit, with all your prayers and petitions. Pray constantly and attentively for all God’s holy people.
When I was taught about the Armor of God as a kid, I learned that it was about character. Integrity. Having the conviction of knowing the right things to do, and looking to God for the courage and strength to follow through.
And that’s true. The power of the Red space, the difference between self-reliant and self-centered, comes down to the character of the person holding the power. Character matters, and it doesn’t just happen, character is built up over time, as the warrior gains armor through training, discipline, and skill. And I was reminded this week that this armor is also about identity. Each piece of armor is also a statement about who I am in the eyes of God, a choice to see myself through those eyes.
This is King David, the Warrior after God’s own heart. He was full of faults, he was well aware of those, but he kept coming back to the confidence that God loved him, that he was fearfully and wonderfully made.
This armor of God is that kind of awareness of God’s love. I am held together by the truth of who I am. Confident in God’s approval, grounded in shalom. Choosing to trust. Crowned by redemption. Filled with the Spirit, tuned in to the voice of God, the voice that calls everything into being, names us Good. Beloved.
That’s a whole lot of religious jargon. But this is a metaphor of the Warrior who knows who they are, who is defended and protected by the deep awareness of God’s love.
As this same book of Ephesians called us to last week:
The power of that love is ours. That is who I am. You should see me in crown.
So, Red Faith builds character and follows the call to action. And it is grounded in the love of God, the divinity within and among us.
If we can tap into that deep strength, standing alone and together, watch out world!
More power to ya. Song of Response // O God, Our Refuge // Voices Together #434
Communion // Eileen Klaassen Jesus shared meals in all kinds of homes. In the home of Zaccheus, a collaborator and a crook, the home of Simon, a pharisee, where he defended a woman who caused the scene at a dinner party home, of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus - his friends where he could laugh and relax.
We remember when we used to share this meal in our church - a building, a space set apart as sacred. But this is where it all began, in ordinary houses, in upstairs rooms and wayside inns and around kitchen tables. In all spaces where people live surrounded by the ordinary clutter of living. Come living Jesus. Be our host here at your table – your table where all are welcome.
One: Lift up your hearts. All: We lift them to God. One: Let us give thanks to the Source of Life. All: We bring our thankful praise.
Prayer: We praise and thank you, Eternal One, Love that will not be narrowed down, for you created the earth in its grandeur, its colourful variety, its detail, its delicate balance. And you created us to tend and to protect and delight in it. And when we forgot our beginnings, neglected our purpose, abandoned our passion, and lost our way, you sent prophets to call us back and laws to illumine our path. And finally, you came yourself to show us how to live and to demonstrate the magnitude of your love for us - Love that will not be contained, love that will not give up on us, love that is willing to sacrifice and will journey into the darkest places, even the grave, to find us.
And so we lift our voices to join with nature's song and the great chorus of witnesses on earth and in heaven:
Holy, holy, holy, Love that knows no bounds, heaven on earth are full with your glory, Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is the one who has risen, Hosanna in the highest! Let’s hear again the story of Jesus’ last supper with the disciples the night before he died (Matthew 26:26-28, NRSV): 26 While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
And so we pray, Come Holy Spirit, pour out your blessing on our food and drink, and on us, your gathered people. We don’t need a communion table, a chalice, or the communion linens. It is your presence that makes these ordinary things holy. Amen.
Therefore, let us pray with confidence as Jesus, our Liberator, has taught us: Our Father-Mother who art in heaven hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Here is bread, broken as the body of Christ was broken, broken as the heart of God was broken, broken as the seal of the tomb was broken, broken and yet whole again as we break bread and eat together.
Here is wine, a cup that brings us together even in our social distancing; a cup for forgiveness and blessing. We lift our cups and drink together.
Now we are going to share the bread and the wine together. And if you have something to eat and drink at home, please eat and drink it now as we hear our next song.
Hymn: “Take, O Take Me as I Am” (Sung by the Grosse Pointe Memorial Church (Michigan) Virtual Choir with James Biery, organist. Words and music by John L. Bell, copyright © 1995 Iona Community, admin. GIA Publications, Inc.) Let’s pray: Thank you, God, for the grace that makes a space for us at your table. Thank you for the closeness we experience through technology and through sharing together. Thank you for your spirit of pride and protest, and your work in us as you open your table for each and every one of us to come as we are. May we continue our lives, having been nourished and strengthened, filled with your uncontainable love that spills over to bless the world. Amen. Adapted slightly from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK7fWK33PvY
Offering Prayer Even if we cannot donate in person, there are ways to still support the church and the programs that our church supports with monetary gifts. Contact the church and Sarah will guide you through the process if you need assistance. Let’s give thanks:
Generous God, we are a blessed people. Help us to give generously from our abundance and talents with willing and compassionate hearts so that your hope will spread to those who need it most. Amen.
Sending Song // Gravity of Love // Voices Together #494
Benediction For this time of worship we give you thanks, O God. Your presence has been felt and we ask that you go with us in the week ahead. Perhaps our question now is not so much “How can I take control of my life?” but “How can God and I take control of my life?”. May we go from here empowered to do your will “on earth as it is in heaven”. Amen.