A Call to Worship: The First New Blue Pigment Discovered in the Last 200 Years

There are many around the world suffering from senseless violence. Here in Portland, Oregon we have lost people needlessly as well. I wrote this call to worship last week, after 3 men were stabbed for rising to the defense of 2 teenage girls on a train who were being verbally assaulted. Thanks to Cedar Mill Bible Church for giving me the opportunity to deliver this call today:

We are not innocent

we are not guilty

what we are

is Sad

(have you heard of the discovery of a new shade of blue?)

we are sad for the city, we are sad for the children

we are sad for two teenage girls on a train

just kids

and we all lost something when hate screamed and then

tore red holes in the world

we are sad that we needed the helpers and heroes

and the temptation is to huddle in the upper room

to say, “Now what Lord?

Now what?

Now what?

This is a new shade of blue.”

When Christ looked at His city, He cried too.

How did the disciples know it was time?

to leave the room and enter the streets?

no speech, no word, no voice was heard

and yet love breathed courage and called them,

Knock on a door

Console

because this is not political

You Know

You Know what is critical here,

a sorrow shared

a universal tongue

a hand outstretched

a hand taken

lives given for one another

we ask God, “How will you heal?

What will you do?”

And He answers, “That, my child, is why I made you.”

—Michelle Winter, 2017

A Call to Worship

I had the joy of writing the Call to Worship for our Women's Ministries Kick Off event in October. It is written as a Spoken Word Poem meant to be a true call to worship--an oral summons to turn our faces and lift our eyes--rather than a reading.

Pause

Turn and Come

Turn away from what ails

Frightens

Worries

Brings you low

Turn your hearts to God and Know

That He is Here

And He is Good

Believe

Be loved Beloved

Come.

Come in,

You’re invited

Yes, you hear the drum

That’s our God calling you

Come

Leave it all behind

You are mine, Our God calls us

out of the night

Into the light

He gathers us

And says it is good

In the desert there was one bush that burned

But that was enough to make Moses turn

He turned aside and worshiped God

Now what if you

Who are Called out of the dark

What if you took up that spark

What if you let God’s breath warm

Transform you into a fire storm

Each of you burning bright

together

Each one conquering the night

together

Each one carrying the light

together

You keep the doors closed on your dark places

Those deep spaces

When was the last time you opened those doors and looked

really looked into the deep

You’d be surprised at what you see.

Arise

Because even in those places God’s put an ember

Arise woman remember

That you were not made for the dark, you were made for the light

You were not made to be alone

But to stand side by side

To sympathize

You were not made to be ignored, not made to be bored

Arise woman

You were made to inspire

To rise higher

You were made to be fire

Arise woman you are mine says the Lord

You were made to be light

Arise woman

IGNITE