Operation Nightwatch provides shelter, meals, housing, food, and advocacy for Seattle’s homeless populations. More than that, though, Operation Nightwatch is committed to the spiritual care of people who are living on the street.

Pastor Rick Reynolds will offer a sermon called “Lessons from the Street” at our 10 AM worship this Sunday – Transfiguration Sunday.

Transfiguration is not only about Jesus shining with glory. It is a story of how God’s glory cannot be contained, and how those in God’s presence are forever changed. To be present with people living on the street is to be changed forever. To live on the street is to be changed. God is found in Pioneer Square, in Belltown, and in the alleys and covered spaces around our businesses. God is found in the lives of the 8,000 homeless people in Seattle.

Come and do more than remember Jesus’ Transfiguration. Come this Sunday to be transfigured – to be come something new – by the stories of God living in and on our streets.

Why “The Well?”
Wells are deep places. They are watering holes. They are places where Jesus met and shared conversation with people. We hope to offer a place where people can explore the world, ideas, and faith more deeply. We hope to extend living water in a parched and thirsty world. We hope that The Well becomes a place where the community gathers to share ideas, life, and laughter.

What is “The Well?”
Generally speaking, The Well will be a gathering on Thursday nights. It kicks off on Thursday, March 1 with a series of 4 Bible studies led by Wes Howard-Brook and Sue Ferguson Johnson. However, conversation facilitators will be coming from all over the world, so we will shift our schedule according to topic, presenter, and format. Sometimes gatherings will be small (5-12 people). Sometimes they will be much larger (120 people). All the time, the public is invited to come and engage the topics fully and freely.

Schedule for “The Well.”
March 1, 8, 15, 22 – 7-9 PM. Wes Howard-Brook and Sue Ferguson Johnson. Topic: “Coming Out of Empire, Moving into Christ”
March 1: “It was necessary to go through Samaria” (John 4)
March 8: “All I know, is I was blind and now I see” (John 9)
March 15: “Come out!” (John 11)
March 22: “I have given you an example” (John 13-17)
Wes Howard-Brook has an article today in the Tikkun Daily that discusses his own Jewish-Christian experience.

May 12 – 3:30 PM and 7:30 PM. Grammy winning Singer/Songwritier Carrie Newcomer.Topic: Afternoon conversation on the sacred and the ordinary
7:30 PM Concert. $10 donation suggested.

May 26-27. John Dominic Crossan. Watch for more details!

‘A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.’

Eliot wrote this poem during a time of deep personal and spiritual struggle. His marriage, which had been difficult for a number of years, was coming to a close. His newly forming faith demanded that he leave behind parts of himself to which he had grown accustomed. Everything was changing. New life was born out of a series of deaths. The poem concludes:

All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.

The story of the Magi, which culminates in the Adoration of the Magi on January 6 – Epiphany – is a story about uncertainty, journey, death, and birth. Many of us look back to the story of the Magi believing it to be part of our spiritual history, but, a more mature faith looks to the story as something much more meaningful. It is about us searching for God. We struggle. We search. We come to what feels like unsatisfactory endings to our travels only to be led down yet more paths to unknown destinations. We go through periods of deep uncertainty. Like the Magi, we little understand the culture or the ways of Jesus and his family. Like the Magi, we are distanced from them by space. Unlike the Magi, we are also distanced by two millennia; time is its own ocean we must cross to meet the Christ-child. Like the Magi, we must die to our gods in order to enter into the presence of the God of the Most High.

Epiphany is our celebration of the gift of ourselves to God. We bring all that we have – our best, our most precious selves and we kneel in awe and wonder at the miracle of the Divine One right here among us. Epiphany is for all who struggle and weep, for all who wrestle with God, for all who question whether we will find God at all. Epiphany is our way of experiencing together, if only for one day, a reality that is both in and outside of our world. God is here. In the humble places. In our fear. In our dreams. In the dirt, slime, and muck of the world. God is here. Despite our doubts. Despite our wars. Despite our greed. Despite our proclivity to wound one another. God is here. God knows the pain of birth, life, and death. God knows all that we experience because God experiences it with us. Birth and death. So close together. As we start our new year together, I wish you healing deaths and vibrant life. I hope that we, like the Magi, learn to die that we might live. I hope that we, Queen Anne UMC, can hear the beauty and the calling of the words of TS Eliot, whose own journey to the manger led him to realize:

I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.

Queen Anne UMC screened the movie Miss Representation that evening. Following its premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, the documentary feature film Miss Representation explores how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America.

Were you there? Find yourself in the crowd — here are pictures from the event!

Click any photo to see a larger version.

(PS: Thank you especially to Video Isle, which provided popcorn, oil, and bags for this community event. That’s a good neighbor!)

Each service is different, but each sings with joy about what happens when the Divine breaks into the brokenness of our world.

To mark Advent, Queen Anne has made some changes to our space and in how we mark time. We join with other Christians in decorating our space predominantly in blue (alternately, purple). Our Advent wreath is up and we are marking the weeks before Christmas by lighting candles to light our way to the birth of the Christ-child.

Even though some greens have made it to the exterior of the building, on December 10, you are invited to the “hanging of the greens” inside of the sanctuary. Breakfast begins at 9:00 AM with decorating and blessing of the space following the meal.

On December 16, we will decorate Christmas cookies and sing carols. Join us at 6:30 PM.

On Christmas Eve at 10:30 PM, we pray to and sing for the birth of the Christ-child. The service will include Holy Communion and candle lighting.

On Christmas Day, we will celebrate the birth of Emmanuel God with Us – God’s Holy Word come into flesh – with more Christmas carols, readings from poetry as well as scripture, and a little hot chocolate! Worship is at 10:00 AM. We would love to see you.

Looking for us?
We are on the corner of Garfield and 5th Ave W on Queen Anne.

Queen Anne UMC will be screening the movie Miss Representation on November 18 at 7 PM in the sanctuary.

Following its premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, the documentary feature film Miss Representation (a Girls’ Club Entertainment production) is being widely screened during the summer and fall at schools, universities, corporations, government, institutions, community organizations and film festivals, including at Queen Anne UMC.

Written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Miss Representation exposes how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America. The film challenges the media’s limited and often disparaging portrayals of women and girls, which make it difficult for women to achieve leadership positions and for the average woman to feel powerful herself.

Miss Representation includes stories from teenage girls and provocative interviews with politicians, journalists, entertainers, activists and academics like Condoleezza Rice, Lisa Ling, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, Rosario Dawson, Jackson Katz, Jean Kilbourne, and Gloria Steinem. The film offers startling facts and statistics that will leave audiences shaken and armed with a new perspective.

So, mark your calendars and be present for the film on November 18 at Queen Anne UMC. A conversation about gender and media will follow the screening.

For more information, call the church office at 206-282-4307 or email the church at office@qaumc.org.

Update:

The sanctuary was packed to brimming with people who came to dialogue about women, media, and our culture. Thank you to everyone who volunteered to make this happen! Thank you especially to Video Isle, which provided popcorn, oil, and bags for this community event. That’s a good neighbor!

Queen Anne UMC is joining this effort by assembling health kits from now until Advent. Each kit may seem like a small contribution, but band aids, towels, and tooth paste dramatically increase the quality of life after a disaster. You can help by bringing the items used in kits. You can help by coming on Sundays to help assemble kits. You can help by donating to QAUMC for “health kits” and we will use your donation to help purchase items for the kits or to pay shipping costs.

Information about relief kits can be found at www.umcor.org. If you would like to help QA UMC in our efforts to contribute to UMCOR’s work, please call us (206) 282-4307 or email us office@qaumc.org.

Health Kits
Value: $ 12.00
1 hand towel
15” x 25” to 17”x 27” kitchen, cleaning and microfiber towels not acceptable
1 washcloth 1 comb
comb needs to be sturdy and at least 8” long no pocket combs or picks please rattail combs and combs without handles are acceptable
1 metal nail file or clipper
no emery boards or toenail clippers please
1 bath size soap
3 oz. and larger sizes only all brands are acceptable do not remove from original packaging
1 toothbrush
adult size only do not remove from original packaging
6 adhesive bandages
3⁄4” to 1 “ size common household band aids
1 plastic bag
one gallon size sealable bags only
$1.00 to purchase toothpaste

Assembly Directions Set the $1.00 for toothpaste aside to be included in a separate envelope. Lay out the hand towel flat on a table. Lay the washcloth flat in the center of the hand towel. Place all remaining items on top of the wash cloth. Fold over the sides of the hand towel to cover all of the items. Fold over one end of the hand towel so that it covers all of the items. Grasp the bundle of items tightly and roll over the remainder of the hand towel tightly. Place the tightly rolled bundle in the plastic bag. Remove as much air as possible and seal the bag.

Important Notes ‐ All items must be new. ‐ Do not wash any of the items as they will be considered used. ‐ Please remove all packaging. ‐ All emergency kits are carefully planned to make them usable in the greatest number of situations. Since strict
rules often govern product entry into international countries, it is important that kits contain only the requested
items – nothing more. ‐ DO NOT include any personal notes, money or additional material in the kits. These things must be painstakingly
removed and will delay the shipment.

UMCOR is now purchasing toothpaste in bulk to be added to health kits before shipping to ensure that the product does not expire before they are sent. Do not put single dollar bills in each kit. Collect all monies for toothpaste and shipping, place it in a separate envelope and send along with the kit donations.
Packing Kits  Box Weight. Each packed box cannot exceed 66 pounds.

Shipping Kits
1. Complete 2 packing lists-one for your records and one to put on the shipping box. 2. Paste the shipping label / packing list on the outside of each box you send. The shipping list helps the depot to quickly
process kits. 3. Processing & Shipping Costs: Please enclose an envelope containing at least $1 for each kit you send. This donation
enables kits to be sent to areas in need.

This is Georgie. Animals enrich our lives.

Bring your people-friendly dogs, hamsters, birds, and other animals to QAUMC. During the course of the service, animals will be brought forward to be sprinkled with holy water and receive a blessing. You are also invited to bring seeds, potted plants, or other parts of God’s wonderful natural creation for blessings. Remember that Saint Francis is the patron saint of animals and the environment. Plants, rocks, water ways, wild animals, and the land itself are part of this holy celebration.

I connected with this zebra in Kenya. Our eyes locked for a long time.

To allow for a full celebration of God’s creation, I have made it a tradition, in whatever church I serve, to set aside the whole month of October to do blessings. This practice began as a way to bless the relationships between home-bound people and their animal companions. I quickly learned, however, that people wanted in-home blessings for their elderly pets, their anti-social cats, and their gardens. Once I offered to make home visits, I was invited to all kinds of places. I’ve blessed animals in shelters. I’ve taken trips to the zoo with families to bless animals that were particularly special for that family. I’ve blessed wild birds – even an eagle’s nest. I’ve blessed Puget Sound itself. If you would like me to come bless your garden, your pets, wild animals, seeds you intend to plant in a garden, or a special piece of God’s creation, please call QAUMC at 206-282-4307.

Remember to come to worship on October 2 to celebrate God’s wonders in creation and to honor Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226). More importantly, come to honor the ways in which God’s grace, glory, and beauty are manifest in all of creation.

St. Francis preaching to the birds.

*(Please bring dogs on leashes and other animals in appropriate carriers.)