Hello Brave Ones,
How goes it with your minds, hearts, bodies?
A deeply rooted idea in the Hebrew faith is called "tikkun olam" which translates literally to "repair of the world." It is the idea that we, as God's beloved children, are called to participate in the wholeness, wellbeing and ultimate salvation of our world. As we find ourselves living through this global pandemic that is clawing deep scars of death and destruction across our world, we are being called to tikkun olam - to help repair the earth. This includes, of course, earth's inhabitants who find themselves swept into the tidal wave of COVID-19's consequences, destruction and pain.
"In this crisis, God may well be calling us all to account, holding us responsible for the wellbeing of our world. It doesn’t mean God willed this crisis to happen — or any of the horrors and holocausts of history. It means that nothing happens apart from God, because God isn’t something that exists apart from the world: the world is a part of God, and God participates in each part of the world. God feels and suffers it all — with us. But God also calls to us to face the meaning of this punishing plague, to face the interdependence of us all — an interdependence that our civilization conceals from us, that this contagion reveals to us."
In our Studio of Love we often speak about the responsibility we carry to join with God in caring, loving, helping, repairing, and changing our world. We speak about and put into practice love of self, neighbor, earth and God. This week, we shift our attention slightly to begin to ask questions of how we can care for our earth & neighbors during and after this pandemic.
This Wednesday & Week
We welcome guest conversationalists from our annual sponsors, Range Solar & Wind, with owners Stacey & Mark to help us contemplate what repair of the earth can look like in these days and beyond.
We will gather virtually on Wednesday April 22nd.
6:15pm - Kids Korner
6:35pm - Wider Gathering
We are gathering via ZOOM which means you can join the "call" by telephone or by video conference. We hope you'll join us so we can see your face, and listen to your voice. We need now, more than ever, to hear from each other and grow in our Studio of Love, even if if looks different than we are used to. If you need help understanding how to connect, ask Pastor Libby for help! See the ZOOM invitation & instructions at the bottom of this email.
Join URL:
This Wednesday at 6:15pm we will begin with Kids Korner for all our precious kiddos.
At 6:35pm, in our larger community, we'll be welcoming guest conversationalists, Stacey & March from Range Solar & Wind to help us explore earth care and neighbor care during this strange time.
Pastor Libby is offering a this week as a means to simply being together without an agenda -- if you'd like the company, come hang out!
This Friday April 24th at 2:30pm.
Breath Prayer
The following breath prayer can be used to help you center in these strange times and to find the ways you want to join in the repair of God's world. It may help you to let go of attachments, compulsions and addictions and wake up to love. If God is difficult language for you, perhaps substitute, "from Love."Pray the words as many times as is helpful, and then settle in to listen to your breath as a means to listen to God's response back to you:
Inhale: The earth belongs to God
Exhale: and everything in it
Check-In
Mental1. To recharge, I can unplug
2. I can stimulate my thinking & critical responses with voices I trust
Emotional
1. It's okay to not not be okay
2. I have permission to feel big, contradicting emotions
Physical
1. I can listen to my body when I am feeling anxious, tired or scared and treat it with kindness
2. I can reach out to take care of someone I love and care about, and help them meet a direct need
Spiritual
1. I can ask someone I trust to pray with me
2. I can write down my thoughts, prayers and responses in a journal
If you are immunocompromised, or in need of physical support right now - please reach out to us -- the office number is listed in our signature and you can always find us on Facebook or email.
You are loved, dear hearts.
In the same way, let us love and serve each other so that those to whom love is a stranger might find in us, generous friends.
From the Studio of Love,
Pastor Libby & The Table Leadership Team
Venue: temporarily online.
on Wednesdays at 6:15pm MT
307.363.1490 | Casper, WY
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Resources:
Unlocking Us Podcast
One of our beloved patron saints of The Table, Brene Brown, has launched a fantastic podcast discussing many relevant questions, and emotionally healthy responses to our current times: