Posts Tagged: "COVID-19"

NWLife Weekly Conversation—Adrian and Amanda Duarte

Brian Dolleman - June 14, 2020 - Life With God, Uncategorized, Video

Here is our fourteenth NWLife video podcast featuring our weekly conversation.

Today’s theme: What it’s like for a biracial couple raising three black sons in America

Pastor Angela and I sit down with our friends Adrian and Amanda Duarte to hear their story. This amazing couple is raising three sons and a foster baby.

The video begins and ends with some words from one of our students, Kyle Wabusya (who has the most wonderful sense of humor). Pastor Kyle and our worship team also lead us in worship today.

I hope you’ll take 27 minutes and join us for some church today!

Zechariah 8

Boys and girls will fill the public parks, laughing and playing—a good city to grow up in.

Do the problems of rebuilding seem too much? Is anything too much for me? Not if I have my say.”

We’ve come through a hard time; the streets were dangerous; you could never let down your guard…

But things are changing.

Sowing and harvesting will resume, vines will grow grapes, gardens will flourish, dew and rain will make everything green.

My people will get everything they need—and more.

You’ve gotten a reputation as a bad-news people, but I’m coming to save you.

From now on, you’re the good-news people. Don’t be afraid.

Keep a firm grip on what I’m doing.

And now here’s what I want you to do: Tell the truth, the whole truth, when you speak.

Do the right thing by one another, both personally and in your courts.

Don’t cook up plans to take unfair advantage of others.

Don’t do or say what isn’t just.

I hate all that stuff. Keep your lives simple and honest.

NWLife Weekly Conversation—More Like Listening (on Race, Justice, & Equality)

Brian Dolleman - June 7, 2020 - Life With God, Uncategorized, Video

Here is our thirteenth NWLife video podcast featuring our weekly conversation.

Today’s theme: Listening and Learning about Race, Justice, and Equality

Pastor Andy begins with a cold open – no music, no bumper, no entertainment… just speaking the truth simply and plainly.

The invitation is to listen and learn, to pay attention, to open our hearts and minds, to grow and be transformed… to change.

All of today’s music is from the worship collective Common Hymnal. These songs are beautiful and heartbreaking.

At the end of the video, we share resources – including our new Race, Equality, and Justice page with 40 suggestions of books, movies, and social media voices to learn from. http://nwlife.church/justice/

I have personally read and listened to and watched and followed all of these resources (with one exception – The ABC’s of Diversity book). Maybe it’s a little unusual to have recommended films rated for a mature audience on a church website, but I can tell you every one of them have challenged me, educated me, caused empathy and compassion to rise in me, and have helped me to grow. I hope you’ll take a similar journey of growth.

Do you know what I want?

I want justice—oceans of it.

I want fairness—rivers of it.

That’s what I want. That’s all I want.

—Amos 5.24

NWLife Weekly Conversation—Louise Hoy’s Story

Brian Dolleman - May 31, 2020 - Life With God, Uncategorized, Video

Here is our twelfth NWLife video podcast featuring our weekly conversation.

Today’s theme: Survivor

Shari and I sit down with our friend Louise Hoy to hear about her devastating and incredible journey. She is a survivor, a woman of faith, and has great wisdom to share.

We also have a few of your #BringingMeJoy short videos included in today’s video podcast! And, the podcast closes with Pastor Kyle leading us in Hillsong’s “Cornerstone.”

“To all who mourn… he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. They will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.” —Isaiah 61.3

Frederick Buechner said, “The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn’t have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid. I am with you.”

NWLife Weekly—Worship And Communion

Brian Dolleman - May 24, 2020 - Life With God, Uncategorized, Video

Here is our eleventh NWLife video podcast featuring our weekly online service.

Today’s theme: Worship and communion.

Our band leads three songs today: Who You Say I Am by Hillsong, This Is Grace by Kyle Wheeler, and At Your Table by Kyle Wheeler.

It’s the first time we’ll be hearing Kyle’s new song This Is Grace with a full-band accompaniment and vocal harmonies… and all I can say is, it’s incredibly beautiful.

I spend a few minutes setting up communion by explaining some of Apostle Paul’s remarks in 1 Corinthians 11 about not receiving in an “unworthy manner.”

Please prepare in advance for viewing this 25 minute worship service by getting some bread and a cup with wine or grape juice.

Church, let’s receive the bread of life, God’s gift of life for us. And let’s receive the cup of the new covenant, declaring to us: ALL IS FORGIVEN.

I sometimes return to the aggressive rush and run others off the road

Brian Dolleman - May 19, 2020 - Life With God, Uncategorized

Thankful Notes (#274)

I appreciated our church’s weekly conversation video that was released yesterday—it featured three individuals who have an immediate family member living in their homes who is particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Their sharing was honest and gracious and shed light on why we are being so careful.

I read this poem called The Visit by Patricia Lunetta Gould yesterday. There is no set-up, no explanation of who Margaret is or what her relationship is to the author. It just begins…

The last time I saw Margaret, she had reached the skeletal stage.

I rubbed her feet that day, touching death. Feet bumped out with bunions, tipped with twisted toes and curling yellowed nails.

On her bedside stand, a scrap of paper—the name of one of those TV evangelists who beseech you to feel the healing power of Jesus through the screen—and don’t forget to send your generous love gifts.

As I drive home on a narrow curving road, someone tailgates, itching to go faster, not knowing he’s flesh and fragile.

Slowed by sadness and sick of pressure, I pull onto the gravel shoulder, let him shoot by… and on my right catch sight of a great blue heron standing tall and still in the aisle made by two rows of towering trees.

Like a priest in feathered robes, he bows his head three times before an altar of mountain bluffs. It’s dusk, and the moon, just rising, illuminates his wings as they open in benediction for evening flight. His parting call:

Stay awake. Holiness
may spread its wings for you
at any moment.

* * *

Her description of driving home on a narrow curving road—and someone tailgates, itching to go faster, not knowing he’s flesh and fragile… um, I mean, I just want to sit with that for a while.

I’ve been the tailgater in a hurry.

And I’ve been the one slowed by… Read More

NWLife Weekly Conversation—Jessica Klukas’ Story

Brian Dolleman - May 17, 2020 - Life With God, Uncategorized, Video

Here is our tenth NWLife video podcast featuring our weekly conversation.

Today’s theme: What You’ve Done To The Least Of These

Pastor Andy and Pastor Katie sit down with Jessica Klukas to hear her story. All three in today’s video podcast share something in common: someone in their immediate family, in their homes, is vulnerable to COVID-19 due to underlying health conditions.

We also have a few of your #BringingMeJoy short videos included in today’s video podcast! And, the podcast closes with Pastor Kyle leading us in one of his own original worship songs.

“Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?” And the King will say, “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” —Matthew 25.37-40

NWLife Weekly Conversation—Georgia Carlton’s Story

Brian Dolleman - May 10, 2020 - Life With God, Uncategorized, Video

Here is our ninth NWLife video podcast featuring our weekly conversation.

Today’s theme: Knowing God’s Love For us

Pastor Angela and I talk with Georgia Carlton as she shares her experience of growing up in church and struggling to believe God loves her. This conversation is real and raw and full of redemption. It is truly beautiful.

We also have a few of your #BringingMeJoy short videos included in today’s video podcast! And, the podcast closes with our worship team leading us in worship with Hillsong’s What a Beautiful Name.

God says ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love.’ This is a fundamental truth of your identity. This is who you are whether you feel it or not. You belong to God from eternity to eternity. Life is just a little opportunity for you during a few years to say, ‘I love you, too.’ —Henri Nouwen

<a href="http://www.vimeo.com/416490172">http://www.vimeo.com/416490172</a>… Read More

NWLife Weekly Conversation—Nick And Emily Schmal’s Story

Brian Dolleman - May 3, 2020 - Life With God, Uncategorized, Video

Here is our eighth NWLife video podcast featuring our weekly conversation.

Today’s theme: God’s Redeeming Work.

Pastor Angela is talking with Nick and Emily Schmal as they share their story of loss, heartbreak, and redemption. When I heard Nick talk about how God promises beauty for ashes, I cried. This conversation is so very encouraging—I hope you’ll take 25 minutes to listen in.

We also have a few of your #BringingMeJoy short videos included in today’s video podcast! And, the podcast closes with our band leading us in worship with Hillsong’s King of Kings.

Finally, a reminder of something I hope you all will… Read More

NWLife Weekly Conversation—Finding God in a Global Pandemic

Brian Dolleman - April 26, 2020 - Life With God, Uncategorized, Video

Here is our seventh NWLife video podcast featuring our weekly conversation.

Today’s theme: Finding God in a Global Pandemic.

Today, I’m sitting with Shari, Vinny, and Pastor Andy (all three of them are Enneagram 7′s – typically labeled “Enthusiasts” and I’m an Enneagram 5 – typically labeled “observer,” so watch how our conversation goes… LOL). That said, it’s a miracle we managed to get this video to be under 30 minutes in length.

We also have a very special water baptism in today’s video podcast!

Finally, I introduce something I hope you all will participate in—making and sharing little 30-second(ish) videos, a kind of show-and-tell, about what is bringing you joy right now. Shari gives us an example of what is bringing her joy (it’s not me). These videos can be… Read More

I told her to put on some good music and turn it up loud.

Brian Dolleman - April 14, 2020 - Life With God, Uncategorized

Thankful Notes (#240)

A young woman in our church has been volunteering quite a bit lately because the restaurant she works at is temporarily closed due to the pandemic. Today she arrived first thing in the morning and spent hours and hours into the afternoon organizing our Food Bank and putting together bags of groceries.

There’s a local writer who I enjoy following on Twitter… today she said:

“One thing you learn about in crisis is who cares about just themselves and who cares for others.

It’s interesting to see who leverages petty grievances to generate outrage, versus the holy multitude shopping for the elderly, sewing masks, operating food banks, working overtime, cooking free meals, volunteering for spiritual support, donating blood, working on start-up projects, coordinating shop local campaigns, feeding medical staff, funding grants, reducing rent, etc.

I’ve watched a church distributing Amazon Fresh donations to hundreds of low-income families this week. An unemployed friend donating food and PPE supplies to seniors. Meals delivered to a nurse. Lunch for a man with no family. Groceries sent to a home after a virus death.

Daily I’m amazed to see such acts of generosity and service, everywhere.”

I agree. Pressure reveals what’s really inside us.

And I am so thankful for those who are stepping up and offering themselves and their resources to make life a little better for others.

This past weekend, between the… Read More