by Stacey Hilliard | Feb 21, 2025 | Conversations
Know that exhaustion is normal. And to carry on, you must resist turning exhaustion into shame.
This post was originally shared in an email by the Reconciling Ministries Network (see HERE)
After an acute experience of stress, most of our bodies respond by feeling tired. But after prolonged periods of stress, we may experience “adrenal fatigue” – deep exhaustion and lethargy. We borrow against our future energy, and that depletes our future capacity.
Avoiding a fatigued spirit is a group project, not a solo endeavor. Shame will tell you that fatigue is abnormal and a sign that you don’t belong to the community of justice seekers. The Spirit of God will tell you, in contrast, that you were born a beacon of their love.
We can teach our spirits to regulate, and we can co-regulate in community. What a gift – that we retain the child-like ability to come back to ourselves in the presence of others who can bring us there.
Regulating our spirits doesn’t mean accepting increasing dehumanization or cruelty. It means shoring up our relationships and tools so that further cruelty doesn’t blow us off target.
The regime is testing our boundaries now to see who we think is disposable. All our disparate strands of suffering are bound up in one corded whip. So, when they call “red rover, red rover”: hold fast to your neighbor and get low to the earth. We will send no one over!
by Stacey Hilliard | Feb 2, 2025 | Sermons
Like with salt, Jesus tells those who came to hear him on the mountainside that they are the light of the world. Did he just bookend the creation story in Genesis 1 by creating light at the beginning and at the end? Hang on to your photons, and read or watch to learn more.
– Pastor Anne
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by Stacey Hilliard | Jan 26, 2025 | Sermons
Jesus told those assembled on a hillside that they were the salt of the earth but warned that salt could lose its flavor. Is it really about taste? To find the answer we need to look to the beginnings of civilization and then to God’s Covenant of Salt in the book of Numbers. Click one of the buttons below to watch or read more; and stay salty
– Pastor Anne
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After you’ve watched, be sure to subscribe to our channel!
by Stacey Hilliard | Jan 26, 2025 | News
The New England Conference of the United Methodist Church has planned an online prayer service for those looking for ways to show solidarity with our immigrant neighbors during this harrowing time. The service will be held on Thursday, January 30 at 7:00pm via Zoom. We will “pray for our immigrant neighbors, who are particularly vulnerable at this time. Following the prayer service we will share information on the current policy changes initiated by the Trump Administration and how they impact our neighbors and our ministry.” Leaders will also offer some best practices for how to be in ministry with those who are vulnerable, and take questions.
If you’d like to take part, see more details and register on the NEUMC website, HERE:
by Stacey Hilliard | Jan 13, 2025 | News
In this email, sent on Monday, January 13, 2025, Pastor David Arruda, Disaster Response Coordinator for the New England Annual Conference, shares a bit about emergency response efforts underway to help those displaced or otherwise affected by the wildfires in CA.
“In partnership with Methodist churches, UMCOR set up relief centers that provided evacuees shelter, food, and essential supplies. Volunteers, guided by compassion and solidarity, offered material aid, an empathetic ear, and comforting support to those burdened by loss…Congregations worked tirelessly to deliver donated items, prepare meals, and offer their buildings as temporary shelters, exemplifying the true spirit of Christian compassion.”
Read the full email HERE.
He also says, “for those of you who feel moved to support these vital efforts, donations to UMCOR’s U.S. Disaster Response and Recovery fund directly aid such ongoing projects. DONATE HERE..
