Saint Peter's Mixtape

Ian closed our Lenten series on the body with a tender and powerful story of growing up queer and in the closet as a young person. He shares about navigating shame, desire and anger, hiding his true self and the way he showed up in the world. Listen to his story about being “re-membered” by God, learning to inhabit his body more fully and joyfully, and the practice of remembering his baptism first thing in the morning. 

In our continuing Lenten series on the body, "Jesus Re-Member Me," Aaron reflects on the moment in his childhood when his mind, emotions and body began to split apart and the journey of returning back to wholeness. Centering prayer was the spiritual practice that helped him reintegrate these different parts of himself and he invited us into a 7-minute centering prayer "sit" at the end which we encourage you to do at the end of his sharing. 

As a continuing part of our Lent series on the body, Kirstin reflects on how size is equated with goodness, morality, and competence in our society, and the false and relentless “hope” of diet culture, inviting us to respond to God's invitation to delight and goodness in our bodies in the here and now. 

As part of our Lent series on embodiment, "Jesus, Re-Member Me," Lisha shares her journey - "what happened to her" as she made her way from the dance world to motherhood - the limitations and failures of her body.  Considering her story one of the "quiet ones" - those that hide a brokenness we can't easily see or discern.  

She invites us to consider our own bodies hidden stories and invited us to, over the coming week, consider writing a love letter to our bodies. 

This Lent, we are focusing our spiritual practice on the body with our midweek series "Jesus, Re-Member Me: Lent and the Body." Christine kicked off our series by sharing the story of her body as it intersected with race, gender and spirituality: growing up as the child of Korean immigrants and aspiring to the ideal of white American beauty, the separation of body and spirit in the church, learning to shrink inward and become invisible, and the journey of moving from weakness to power. 

Practice: Spend some time journaling around these questions: 

1. Think back to your childhood. Where did you experience original goodness in your body?

2. As you reflect back on your story, where have you experienced this dis-membering?

3. Where have you experienced this re-membering? Where would you hope to?

On the final night of Epiphany Evenings: Watch For the Light, Lisha led us in an embodied examen prayer based on John 11:1-44, the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Where are the places in your life where you feel dead and that need to be brought back to life? Follow along with this examen and create space to sit with what is in the presence of God. 

Join Lisha as she leads this embodied meditation about cultivating awareness and knowing perception, listening to our body as a guide for discernment. This meditation was originally led on 2/17/22 at our Epiphany Evenings: Watch For The Light gathering on Zoom. 

The kind of love Jesus talks about in this week's gospel will likely not make it onto any Valentine's Day cards! It's a love that confounds the ways of this world, wider, longer, higher, deeper and stronger than death. Join Jimmy as he reads from Luke 6:27-38 and let God's Word sink into your heart and mind this week. 

In the first reading, listen for a word or phrase that resonates with you. In the second reading, ask God how this reading intersects with your life. In the third reading, respond to God's invitation to you in this word. 

Jesus gets to the heart of his teaching in the Beatitudes, repeating the refrain, "Blessed are you..." -- who are poor, hungry, weeping -- and promises them the kingdom. Join Yahaira as she reads this passage from Luke 6:17-27 and allow this word to sink into your heart. 

In the first reading, listen for a word or phrase that stands out to you. Don't overthink or analyze it but simply sit with it and savor it. In the second reading, reflect on, "Where does this word or phrase intersect with my life or the life of the world right now?" In the third reading, invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you and ask, "What is the invitation to me from God in this?" In the final reading, simply rest in the word that has been given you.

Music: Glimpse of Eternity by Meydän | https://linktr.ee/meydan

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This is a live recording of Lisha leading an embodied examen based on the story of Jesus healing the lame man at the pool of Bethsaida in John 5. We bring our minds, emotions, imaginations and bodies into this scene and open ourselves up to what God wants to illuminate and heal in us. 

This week, our gospel reading in Luke 5:1-11 focuses on how Peter's eyes were opened to who Jesus is in the miraculous catch of fish. Christine guides us through the four movements of this 20-minute lectio divina: to read, reflect, respond and rest. 

Music: Piano Moment by Zakhar Valhala on Pixabay

At our first Epiphany Evenings gathering, Lisha led us in an embodied meditation, encouraging us to "follow the star," the light of Christ, and to give our presence and attention to him in this season. This meditation is about 20 minutes long so find a quiet place to sit, get comfortable, and open your heart. 

At our first Epiphany Evenings on Thursday, Ian led us in an imaginative gospel contemplation of John 2:1-11. With each reading, he offers reflective questions to help us engage, starting with observation and moving us into using our imaginations to place ourselves in the story and encounter Jesus there. Sometimes repetition can be seen as undesirable, but repetition is a wonderful practice to keep the familiar from going in one ear and out the other, bringing the word in deeper and deeper. 

Music: Uplifting Dreams by Lesfm from Pixabay

This week, we get a front row seat to the start of Jesus's Spirit-filled ministry where he reads the scroll from the prophet Isaiah to announce good news to the poor and freedom for the captives. Join Marion, Corey and Karen as they read this story from Luke 4 as lectio divina. 

In the first reading, listen for a word or phrase that stands out to you. Don't overthink or analyze it but simply sit with it and savor it. In the second reading, reflect on, "Where does this word or phrase intersect with my life or the life of the world right now?" In the third reading, invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you and ask, "What is the invitation to me from God in this?" In the final reading, simply rest in the word that has been given you.

Music: Auckland by VYEN

This week, our Epiphany Bible Reading Schedule includes the story of the wedding at Cana, and how the glory of Jesus was revealed at a party! Join the Epperson family as they read this story together. 

In the first reading, listen for a word or phrase that stands out to you. Don't overthink or analyze it but simply sit with it and savor it. In the second reading, reflect on, "Where does this word or phrase intersect with my life or the life of the world right now?" In the third reading, invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you and ask, "What is the invitation to me from God in this?" In the final reading, simply rest in the word that has been given you.

Music: www.bensound.com

In this first week of January, we move from Christmastide into the season of Epiphany, which is all about the manifestation of Christ to the world. During Epiphany, our prayer is, "Lord, I want to see." The gospel stories every Sunday are all about seeing who Jesus is in his identity as the Son of God. This week, our Epiphany Bible Reading Schedule includes both the lectionary readings for Sunday and for the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6. 

Every Monday during Epiphany, we'll be uploading an episode of that Sunday's gospel reading, read four times as lectio divina ("sacred reading"). In the first reading, listen for a word or phrase that stands out to you. Don't overthink or analyze it but simply sit with it and savor it. In the second reading, reflect on, "Where does this word or phrase intersect with my life or the life of the world right now?" In the third reading, invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you and ask, "What is the invitation to me from God in this?" In the final reading, simply rest in the word that has been given you. 

This week is about the baptism of Jesus in Luke 3:15-17, 21-22. Join the Lees (Christine, Jimmy, Martha and Sofia) as they read this passage together. 

Music: Piano Moment by Zakhar Valhala on Pixabay

Lisha reads Drew Jackson's poem "As Children Do" based on Luke 2:41-52, the story of 12-year old Jesus in the temple as his parents searched frantically for him. 

Drew Jackson reads two of his poems "We Gon' Be Alright" and "Gray Heads" about Simeon (Luke 2:25-35) and Anna (Luke 2:36-38).

In the first reading, just be present to the words, paying attention to your emotions, body, etc. Listen again and allow yourself to identity with either Simeon or Anna. In the final reading, reflect on one of these questions. 1) For those who named Simeon: What sort of consolation are you waiting for right now? Take time to name it before God. 2) For those who named Anna: What tears is your soul crying during this season? Take time to give voice to your tears before God.

Drew Jackson reads our second poem for Advent from his book "God Speaks Through Wombs: Poems on God's Unexpected Coming." This poem, Leap! centers on Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. 

Listen to the poem three times. In the first listening, simply be present to the words without analyzing or striving. Just receive it. In the second, pay attention to what rises in you, what you feel in your emotions, your body, etc. In the third, reflect on these questions: What is leaping within you right now that God is inviting you to pay attention to? What dream has God placed within you are you longing to see born? 

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” (Luke 1:39-45)

Drew Jackson reads "Treasures" based on Luke 2:17-19 from his book God Speaks Through Wombs: Poem's On God's Unexpected Coming: 

So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.

Listen to the poem three times. In the first listening, simply be present to the words without analyzing or striving. Just receive it. In the second, pay attention to what rises in you, what you feel in your emotions, your body, etc. In the third, reflect on this question: What word has God spoken to you or over you that God is inviting you to treasure/guard/hold onto in this season?

At Night Prayers, Lisha led us in meditation that helped to ground our bodies in stillness, openness and intention. 

This week, Aaron and Lisha led us in a beautiful, expanded and adapted version of Night Prayers, drawn from the Book of Common Prayer as well as the New Zealand Prayer Book. The NZ Prayer book reflects the culture and language of the Maori with a deep consciousness of our connection to creation and God as the Creator Spirit. Pray with Lisha as she leads in the NZ version of Lord's Prayer. 

This week, we focus on Sabbath, rest as an integral part of the rhythm of our lives as we continue praying for "those who work or watch or weep." Ian shared about the invitation and challenges to Sabbath, and the gift that it is from us to God. You can pray Compline along him on pg. 127 of the Book of Common Prayer. 

This week, we're circling back to the theme of "keeping watch." Aaron taught us the prayer of examen, a daily practice that helps us become aware of God's fingerprints in our busy and distracted lives. You can pray Compline along with him on pg. 127 in the Book of Common Prayer. 

In this week's Night Prayers, Kirstin shares about the practice of lament, where we bring the pain over what feels most unjust in our lives and world into God's presence. You can pray along with her on pg. 127 of the Book of Common Prayer or go to www.bcponline.org for The Order of Compline. 

Music: Longer Way To Go by Miguel Johnson | https://soundcloud.com/migueljohnsonmjmusic

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This week, we focus on "keep watch with those who work" as Ian guides us through reflection on the light and darkness of work and how our prayer and work transform each other in light of God's coming kingdom. You can pray Compline along with him on pg. 127 of the Book of Common Prayer. 

Music: www.bensound.com

This fall, we are experimenting with ways we can stay connected to God and to each other in this (still) uncertain season at St. Peter's Chelsea. Check out this brief intro from Christine about what Saint Peter's Mixtape is all about. 

Music: www.bensound.com