This summer we welcome our neighbors to come and share about their lives, work, passions, spirituality and give us sense of how we can serve “our neighbors as ourselves,” following what Jesus called the second greatest commandment (Leviticus 19:17-18, Matthew 22:35-40, Mark 12:28-31, Luke 10:25-28). See speakers list below.
Raise your hand if you know what a parable is! For anyone needing a refresher, a parable is a sacred story-within-The-Story. Parables were tales that Jesus told to illustrate his message for whoever would listen. Sometimes the parables had clear, stated explanations, sometimes they were real head-scratchers, sometimes they were ridiculous, and sometimes they made people angry (some of them still make people angry!). These were stories of familiar characters to Jesus’ audience: an impulsive, adult son itching to get started in life, an estate manager tasked with stewardship of the landlord’s property, day-laborers on a farm, shepherds, widows, you-name-it. The point was that listeners could (and still can) identify with any character in the parable and in so doing, gain important wisdom, make meaning of their own experiences, and learn more about God and God’s kin-dom.
This Sunday, we welcome members of our United Parish Mental Health Group: Julie A., Barbara F., Carolyn M., Peter R., and Jenny R., who will be sharing their own “Mental Health Parables”, or anecdotes in which they’ve experienced being neighborly with someone who has a mental health condition or received neighborly support themselves.
Come and join us as we live into our call as neighbors, learn more about our co-citizens of the kin-dom of God, our community, and one another.
In faith,
Amy
Image: variation of “The Scream”- painting by Edvard Munch, an artist who lived with mental illness.
Summer Worship Series: Who is Our Neighbor?
July 23 — United Parish Mental Health Group
July 30 — Reverend Carrington Moore, Executive Director, common cathedral
August 6 — Reverend Erik Hoeke, visiting pastor
August 13 — Raana Mumtaz and Faiza Khan, Brookline Muslim Friends
August 20 — Matthew Kossack, Executive Director, Artbarn Community Theater
August 27 — Aba Taylor, Executive Director, Brookline Community Foundation
September 3 — Arlene Hill, Brookline Housing resident
