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Michelle L. Torigian

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Michelle L. Torigian

Tag Archives: Acts 2

A Liturgy for Pentecost

06 Thursday Jun 2019

Posted by mictori in Holidays, Liturgy, Pop

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Acts 2, Liturgy, Pentecost, Pentecost Sunday, progressive Christianity, worship

blond-hair-close-up-dark-1342650

INVITATION TO HOLY SPACE
Dream – God said.  It’s time for you to dream in ways you never have before.

It’s time for you to open up your soul to the expanding nature of my Spirit.
It’s time for you to share this joy with the people surrounding you
It’s time for you to look deeply within you
Around you
In front of you
For the ways in which I am talking.

Dream – God said.  In this space you will dream in ways you never have before.
It’s time for you to reconfigure the box you’ve put me in.
It’s time for you to knock down the barriers that you’ve placed between you and your neighbors.
It’s time for you to delight in the ways we are church
And the ways we connect with our friend, foe, and stranger.

Be amazed.
Be perplexed.
Get excited.

CALL TO WORSHIP (Based on Psalm 104)
One: God rides on the wings of the wind.
Many: And God makes the winds messengers.
One: God makes fire and flame ministers
Many: As we seek the delivery of God’s visions.
One: May God’s glory endure forever.
Many: May our songs be praise-filled to God, for I rejoice in the Spirit’s offerings.

INVOCATION
Holy Winds who supply our souls with hope, we enter Pentecost with spirits of anticipation.  As the rush of your gales infuse us with visions, may we continue to keep ourselves open to possibilities.  As the flames ignite our once-cold souls with warm dreams, may we keep ourselves focused on your presence in our lives.  Amen.

PRAYER OF RECONCILIATION
God of the Open Doors, we have tried to cram you into small boxes.  We have repeatedly told ourselves that your dreams won’t become a reality.  We have devoted our time to obstructing doors and locking windows when your Spirit tries to deliver its visions.  Clear doubt from our minds.  Call us from our locked rooms where we hide behind couches of fear and drapes of doubt.  May the hope and boldness of Pentecost become our new way of living.  Amen.

ASSURANCE OF GRACE
One: God’s Spirit ushers grace into our lives.   As the Spirit’s hope endures forever, may the fires of possibility ignite our souls.  The Spirit will transform our minds as she refills our spirits.  May we see new ways of living and loving as we dream the Spirit’s dream.  Amen!

Many: Amen!  Thanks be to God!

CALL TO OFFERING
One: The Spirit’s winds are always nudging us to new ways of giving.  How is God’s Spirit asking us to contribute to our community today?  As we reflect on our offerings of time and talent, we come together to offer God our praise through the giving of our treasures.

PRAYER OF DEDICATION
This is the time for us to dream together, Spirit of Visions.  This is the time for our joy of giving and our imaginations to run wild with hope.  With thanksgiving, we celebrate the gifts contributed today as we commit to dream with you, Holy Spirit.  Amen.

BENEDICTION
One: The Holy Winds of Imagination will lead from behind as we enter our Pentecost journey.  The Holy Christ will lead from ahead, beckoning us to live in love.  Our Holy God will lead from beside us, reminding us always we are never alone.  Get excited – friends!  For this is the time for us to dream in ways we never have before!  Amen!

Many: Amen!

A Pentecost Communion Liturgy on this site can be found here.

(c) Rev. Michelle L. Torigian.  Permission to use with attribution.

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Vaccinating the Body of Christ

12 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by mictori in Current Events, Life, Pop, Pop Culture, Religion

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1 Corinthians 12, Acts 2, anti-vaccination, Body of Christ, Disneyland measles, measles, measles outbreak 2015, pro-vaccination, progressive Christianity, vaccinating body of Christ, vaccination

By Photo Credit: James Gathany Content Providers(s): CDC [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Throughout my entire life, My mom would often speak of her childhood experience with measles and whooping cough.  These memories remain traumatic for her as she recalls how she almost died from measles, and as a kindergartner, missed three months of school in the process of recovering.  Both she and my grandma experienced pertussis, or whooping cough, during my mom’s youth.  The trials of coughing to the point of choking left a fearful memory with my mom, and she ensured we had the vaccines needed to avoid unnecessary childhood illnesses.

When I speak with my mom regarding her previous health issues, she expresses the horror of her experiences with these extreme illnesses and the sadness surrounding the time and energy she lost while recovering.  By sharing her stories, my mom has been a great influence on me and, hopefully, others on the importance of vaccines to our population.  Likewise, as I place my mom’s experience in conversation with science, history and theological thought, I continue to strongly support the inoculation process.

Just as we thought that some of these illnesses were nearly eradicated in our first world culture, they seem to have been reappearing more frequently in our privileged communities.  Some have chosen not to vaccinate out of deep fear for their children’s health.  Some have decided not to vaccinate due to receiving misinformation.  Some believe that it is more dangerous to receive a vaccine rather than the risk of contracting the illness.

The conversations surrounding this are complicated and very passionate.  The people who have  experienced the struggles with preventable illnesses often stand firm on their pro-vaccination views. Likewise, those who focus their attention on the dangers of vaccines and the compassion in their hearts for their children both care fully about those closest to them.

In the past weeks, I’ve gotten into some thought-stretching interactions with friends regarding the vaccination debate.  Through discussions, I began to see a myriad of views present in vaccination conversations.  While I may be firmly pro-vaccination, I also must try to understand the other side of the argument even if I don’t agree with it.  So I’ve begun to ask myself “How can I be an advocate AND still refrain from shaming those who believe differently?”

By presenting my view on this, I hope to influence others to realize that they do not make decisions in isolation.

As I look at this issue through the lens of scriptures, I am reminded that we are all part of the same body of people, and many of our choices directly and indirectly impact others within our society. First Corinthians 12 reminds us that we are forever connected with all others.  When we are part of the Body of Christ, we are compelled to acknowledge our connection with every single other part of the body.  We are forced to see that when we choose to vaccinate or not to vaccinate, there is the possibility that both loved one and stranger will be impacted by our choices.

Being someone who does support vaccinations, I believe that when the vaccination option is not chosen it heightens the risk that it will negatively impact the entire body of people.  That being said, we are still part of the same body as those who choose not to vaccinate, so removing their humanity and vilifying them creates chaos in the body.  As we are in covenant with people with whom we disagree, we have a responsibility not to denigrate those who make different choices than ours.  How can we have conversations without shaming the other side?

I posted a pro-vaccination editorial cartoon that my friend Kevin Necessary drew for WCPO.com.  This drawing opened my eyes to another parallel conversation: peanut allergies.  While peanut allergies and vaccinations are two very different and separate issues as reminded to me by friends, they have one common connection: our choices on both of these issues ripple into the world and can have a very positive or negative impact.

When peanuts enter the Body of Christ (or the entirety of humanity) through someone who loves to eat peanuts, there is still a possibility that another member of the body will touch or consume a small portion of those nuts.  In doing so, the allergic individual has the possibility of getting very ill or dying.

If a member of the body of Christ is not vaccinated, there also is a possibility that measles, whooping cough or a number of other illnesses can come into the body.  We’ve seen it recently at Disneyland and through the spread of the highly-contagious measles.  Concerning both peanuts and vaccination issues, we have to work together to keep these lethal possibilities out of the Body of Christ.  Making decisions without thinking of how others will be impacted is neglecting our place in and the constant connection with the rest of the Body of Christ.

The image of this Body of Christ reminds me of conversations I had in college on the principle of utilitarianism which I believe has also influenced my stance on vaccinations.  After some online reading, I found this quote by Francis Hutcheson that expresses this concept of utilitarianism:

“In the same manner, the moral evil, or vice, is as the degree of misery, and number of sufferers; so that, that action is best, which procures the greatest happiness for the greatest numbers; and that, worst, which, in like manner, occasions, misery.”

When thinking about what’s best for the greater numbers of people, I reflect upon science and history and see that most vaccinations have been positive for the greater number of people.  Thus when we consider the happiness and health of the greater good, we are considering the Body of Christ.

Because of community immunity, or herd immunity, a certain percentage of people in a society need to be vaccinated in order for the larger community to have a strong level of protection .  When the vaccination levels falls below that designated percentage, the Body of Christ and our society becomes vulnerable to illnesses.  What we often forget is that those with no immune system rely on a system where enough of our society is vaccinated.  In reflecting on what’s best for us, we also need to remember those who are too young or have a weak immune system and can’t receive the vaccination.  Pooling our communal immunity together protects those who can not be given an inoculation.

I remember the story in Acts 2 on how the church came together, combining their resources to build the church and sacrificing to support one another.  In our time, vaccinations can be our way to live out our Acts 2 faith of combining our resources together to strengthen the Body of Christ.

No matter what our views on vaccination, we must continue to remember the constant connection between us and the rest of the Body of Christ.  Our decisions should not made in a bubble, and it’s important to weigh the cost of our decisions on how they will impact ourselves, our loved ones and the extended human race.

I highly doubt that I will change my views on vaccination.  But being a part of the Body of Christ continues to shape my heart, mind and soul to open myself to those with other viewpoints.  In doing so, this transformation has given me more compassion for those who are fearful of vaccinating and urged me to advocate for vaccinations to make sure the Body of Christ is as healthy as it can be.

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On Being an “Acts” Church

16 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by mictori in Church Life, Current Events, Life, Pop, Religion

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Acts 2, Anne Hutchinson, Arius, Augustine, Council of Nicea, diversity, Holy Spirit, languages, Pelagius, Pentecost, Progressive Christianty, Roger Williams, Salem Witch Trials, stained-glass, tower of Babel, Trinity, unity, varying beliefs

By GFreihalter (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

 

This sermon was delivered on June 15, 2014 at St. Paul United Church of Christ, Old Blue Rock Road, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Has there ever been a unified Christianity?  This was one of the questions I was to answer on my Church History midterm in seminary.  From the surface view it looks as if there is and always has been one unified Christian thought.

But then we see the workings of the early church as seen in Acts (which I will discuss more in a minute).  We see the way people were tossed aside as heretics throughout the centuries – like Arius and his followers at the council of Nicea.  Or how about Augustine and Pelagius or Augustine and the Manichaeans.  Or Luther and the Catholic church.

Even in the early days of this country, people were not unified in their Christian thinking.  Those who came to the Massachusetts area did so to escape religion persecution in their homeland, but then imposed their belief on others – leading to some ugly moments like the Salem Witch Trials.  When people didn’t follow their religious formula, they were banished to states like Rhode Island – like Anne Hutchinson or Roger Williams.  By the way, those back in Massachusetts who disagreed with Anne Hutchinson said some pretty mean things about her and gloated when she later miscarried and then was slaughtered.

It often feels like someone has to be right and someone wrong.  So, my question is this: whose version of Christianity is right and whose is wrong?  Could it be that, as long as we could love one another and treat one another with respect, that we could ALL be right and and ALL be wrong?

Sitting in adult Sunday school and other Christian education classes, two confirmation classes and various informal conversations with congregants of this church, I have seen the great span of your convictions and beliefs.  And it is truly refreshing to see how each of you are serious of your faith journeys even though they each seem so different.

God, the Christ and the Holy Spirit are in one way or form parts of your faiths.  You hold your beliefs with such sacredness, and yet, you see it from your own angles.  The church means different things to you.  Salvation takes different approaches.  All of these beliefs spread into other parts of your life and lead to different beliefs on politics, parenting, family structures and more.

And that’s how I see the early church, the Jesus Movement, in the book of Acts.

Lately I feel like I’ve been drawn to reading the book of Acts.  Acts was written by the writers of Luke, so it’s basically Luke volume two as the two books together are known in the theological community as Luke-Acts.  It reflected a time when the disciples were trying to figure it all out after the earthly ministry of Jesus.  The Holy Spirit helped to give them the strength and courage they needed to be the leaders they needed to be in the early church.  But there were differences in the early believers.  There were the Jewish believers who thought that their traditions and law were necessary in this new figuration of faith – and this included dietary laws and necessary circumcision on the males.  But then the Gentiles came in – and the Gentiles did not have this same faith background or the same traditions.  So dietary laws and circumcision were not on their radars as they embraced this new faith.  There were challenges in reconciling these major differences.

And yet, even in their difficulties to reconcile the differences, they journeyed together in this Jesus Movement.

The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary on the book of Acts states:

“Acts was written to consolidate disparate (or dissimilar) faith communions.  Luke’s irenic spirit (a spirit that reconciles different beliefs in peace) is no doubt an idealized feature of his theological vision.  At the same time, his ecumenicity (or yearning for unity) is never divorced from the hard pragmatics of the first church’s mission of the world.  A religious movement that lacks solidarity within its diverse membership will be ineffective in advancing its claim.”

Languages and traditions are the differences in Acts 2.  Remember the story of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11)?  As they tried to build a tower as high as heaven, God scattered them with a variety of languages.  Acts 2 is what I believe is the other bookend of that story.  They have different languages, different experiences and different ways of acting out their faith, and here the Holy Spirit comes along and helps them understand one another even with their differing words and traditions.  The Holy Spirit opens them up to comprehend what others are saying and how they express themselves.

And that’s what we need for the Holy Spirit to do with us and with our society today.

Is it bad that we think or believe differently than one another?  Our society makes us feel like we should live in an “us versus them” world.  There are two primary political parties – both who rarely want to talk with one another, a situation that is becoming toxic for our country. It’s becoming dangerous because people see that sentiment of leadership not working together, and those in our country on every level feel like they don’t need to as well.  People of various Christian traditions won’t often dialogue with people who profess a different set of beliefs because they feel they hold the only “truth.”  We feel that there needs to be a winner and a loser in each situation.  But what if we don’t need a winner and loser?  What if God is so much bigger than this – that God can hold paradoxes?  What if both sides could be right – as long as both sides are loving to God, neighbor and self?  Could we live in that wilderness space of grayness and  uncertainty?  Might we ask how God is working with us in that space of ambiguity?

Here’s the one thing we rarely speak of in our churches or from our pulpits: no two people think or believe alike.  We go about our days believing every Christian has or should have a clone belief structure.  We don’t validate is that there is a diversity of Christian beliefs.  Each person is influenced by life experience in such unique ways that they experience the Divine – the Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit in their own context.

Chances are, the person sitting next to you will have a belief or two different than you.  Frankly, I don’t think Christianity and the Church acknowledges or encourages this enough.  Maybe people don’t think anyone will accept them for naming an unconventional belief.  So we keep quiet about this instead of being our authentic selves.

It’s what I like to call the Stained-Glass Elephant in the Sanctuary.  I’ll explain that a little further.  It’s an elephant in the room – something we don’t talk about.  And congregations are like a stained glass window.  Each person within the congregation is a different sliver of tinted glass.  When the light of Christ shines through the multi-color window, a beautiful array of color falls upon the carpet and pews of the sanctuary… and in our communities.

If all the colors in the window were alike, the beauty would not be so great.

So let’s embrace the idea of an Acts church, a stained glass church – a church filled with a variety of beliefs and traditions, a church that has members who speak a variety of unique perspectives, a church that pulls the Holy Spirit into its life process so that we can understand one another for where we are at.  In being this Acts church, we will embrace the differences between us and come together in sharing the good news of God’s love and grace with everyone around us.  Amen.

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“Women’s History Month and God’s Call”

11 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by mictori in Pop

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

1 Timothy 2, Acts 2, Antoinette Brown, Female Clergy, Feminism, Gender and Religion, Gloria Steinem, Kathrine Switzer, Mary Magdalene, Women's History Month

“Women’s History Month and God’s Call” – An article I wrote for the Huffington Post Religion Page – March 13, 2013Image

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