Awaken Community

The stage of the caterpillar is all about growth and mission. It is singleminded in its path. Similarly, Moses was on a mission to free the Israelites from slavery. In both there is a clear mission and vision and fruit as a result of their work and effort.  Each week, Micah has worked hard to boil down the phase to a single question. This week's question to consider: Can you trust what you've heard and receive the moment and season for what it is?

Over the course of the season of Lent we'll be looking at the process of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly alongside the story of Moses in the view of spiritual formation. This week, Micah leads us through the egg phase.  

For those that weren't able to make it to our Ash Wednesday gathering this year, we recorded the service so you can experience some of it with us. Micah mentions some paper we have for you to write down what God is inviting you to during this season. We will have the paper available this Sunday as well so you can participate. Our service included an original song by Jon Sunde as well as an original spontaneous composition by Aaron Fabbrini on pedal steel guitar and Dan Lawonn on cello. The poem read by Micah is Blessing the Dust by Jan Richardson. You can read it in full here.

In the last chapter of Galatians, Paul finishes his letter with a reminder and an encouragement. A reminder that you reap what you sow and an encouragement to not grow weary of doing good. And a musician from our community, Jon Sunde, is invited up to share his story of how he's learning to not grow weary of doing good.

In chapter five of Galatians, Paul gives an overview of three distinct ways of living: Nomism, Libertinism, and freedom in the Spirit. Micah continues with the question from last week and brings it back to our current situation and what it might mean for us today.

The fourth chapter of Galatians can be summed up in one question: "What happens when something that was good and bore fruit no longer serves you and no longer bears fruit?"  

Micah opened the gathering with a poem from Langston Hughes. It beautifully illustrates this section of Galatians where Paul writes "...in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."   I Dream a World By Langston Hughes   I dream a world where man No other man will scorn, Where love will bless the earth And peace its paths adorn I dream a world where all Will know sweet freedom's way, Where greed no longer saps the soul Nor avarice blights our day. A world I dream where black or white, Whatever race you be, Will share the bounties of the earth And every man is free, Where wretchedness will hang its head And joy, like a pearl, Attends the needs of all mankind- Of such I dream, my world!

Pastor Micah uncovers an interesting fact about the translation of Galatians 2:15-16. In a world of binary thinking, which can sometimes be helpful for survival, there are other times it can cut out the third option. "Is the answer A or B?" "Yes, and..."  

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul insists that adding anything to the gospel of Christ crucified and resurrected changes the very nature of the good news and then, Christ died for nothing. As we celebrate the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Micah reminds us that the work of justice related to race is not an addition to the gospel but is connected to the heart of the gospel.

We were privileged to have guest speaker Scott Austin with us this week. He spoke on the first five verses of Galatians, encouraging us to not skip over the preamble as we are often tempted to do. Even in the seeming niceties of Paul's letter to the Galatians there are important points to note.