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Greensky Hill Indian United Methodist Church

Greensky Hill Indian United Methodist Church, Charlevoix

A Wonder-Full Life: Looking In, 8/14/22

Greensky Hill continues, "A Wonder-Full Life: Looking at Money and Meaning," with week two: "Looking In," featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music and prayer with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Children's Time of Wonder" with pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on the First Nations Version of Matthew 6:19-24, and a video, "A Death to Awaken," by The Work of the People.

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio.

June 26 - August 28, 2022

The Right Tempo, 6/26/22

Preparing a Table, 7/3/2022

Greensky Hill begins the new worship series, "Busy: Reconnecting with an Unhurried God" with a service called, "The Right Tempo." We live in a clock-ticking, fast-faced world. Being “busy” has become a measure of worth in our society. We get big points for productivity, collecting accomplishments, having and being “more.” But our very souls are paying a high price. What does it cost our communities, our relationships, and our personal well-being to be so busy? Instead of thinking of spiritual discipline or mindfulness practice as giving up something, we are going to see it as making more room for God and moving in the direction of “self-care” so that we might have more spiritual and energetic reserves. To make more room, we are going to focus on de-cluttering and lightening up our lives. This week, we focus on finding the rhythms of life that feed us… finding just the “right tempo.” Greensky Hill Indian UMC, in collaboration with Worship Design Studio, invites you to a multicultural worship service in our 185-year-old hewn-log sanctuary in the woods near Susan Lake.

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

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Preparing a Table, 7/3/2022

Greensky Hill continues the summer worship series, "Busy: Reconnecting with an Unhurried God," with a service called, "Preparing a Table." The service includes songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music and prayer with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, Communion, "Hanging Out" with children's pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on Psalm 23, and a video by The Work of the People.

"All of us, at one time in our lives, have found ourselves in the position of feeling anxious about not having enough time for just being with each other. Then when we do, we wonder why it took us so long to carve out the time because we remember that connection can feed our souls. Our scripture today–the familiar Psalm 23–beckons us to green pastures and still waters and reminds us that God prepares a table for us and calls us to do the same. Have we been too busy to be really present to one another?"

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

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Tuning In, 7/10/22

Preparing a Table, 7/3/2022

Living Light, 7/17/22

Greensky Hill continues the summer worship series, "Busy: Reconnecting with an Unhurried God," with a service called, "Tuning In." The service includes songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music and prayer with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Hanging Out" with Grandpa Jonathan (children's pastor Sarah Sheaffer is away this week), a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on Luke 10:38-42, and a video, "I Rest in You," by The Work of the People.

"Haven’t we all been there? When the present moment offers up the unexpected opportunity and we weigh it against the to-do list and obligation wins. That’s what happens to Martha in our scripture today. Jesus is right there in front of Mary and Martha and yet the pressure seems too great for Martha to make a different choice–to take advantage of a moment that will never come again. It’s not that it is bad to work and certainly keeping our work obligations is important. But if it constantly comes at the cost of missing out of important being-in-the-present moments, perhaps it is time to reassess, to “tune in” to the bigger picture. No one, at the end of their life, would say, 'I should have spent more time at the office.'"

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192.

Living Light, 7/17/22

A Time for Every Matter, 7/24/22

Living Light, 7/17/22

Greensky Hill continues the summer worship series, "Busy: Reconnecting with an Unhurried God," with a service called, "Living Light." The service includes songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music and prayer with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Hanging Out" with children's pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on the First Nations Version of Luke 12:22-34, and a video, "It is Love that Matters," by The Work of the People.

"Perhaps you can’t relate. But as a society, Americans on average are now living in three times more home space than in the 1950’s. And no matter how much more space we live in, we tend to fill it up. In fact, we now have a 2.2 billion square foot personal storage industry. Cheap labor, 24/7 access to online ordering and an attitude that the resources will never run out have contributed to an insensitivity to the amount of stuff we have and the rate of speed we turn over the stuff we have. And besides the literal clutter we accumulate, our lives are weighed down with 'shoulds' and expectations that hold us captive to the frantic pace we live and mounting debt we accumulate. Let us come and find a less crowded way to live."

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

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A Time for Every Matter, 7/24/22

Greensky Hill continues the summer worship series, "Busy: Reconnecting with an Unhurried God," with a service called, "A Time for Every Matter." The service includes songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music and anti-racism prayer, "Hanging Out" with children's pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on Ecclesiastes 3:1-13, and a video, "Sabbath," by The Work of the People.

"Some people remember the rhythm of life when we lived closer to the land. Some people even remember the Farmer’s Almanac! We lived by the seasons, working the land longer hours in the seasons of more daylight, and then lying fallow, curling up cozy by the fire, in the seasons of short days and long nights. It wasn’t so long ago. And still there are those whose lives have stayed connected to nature and those who are choosing to intentionally live more seasonally. But in this industrial world, most of us have lost touch with the natural rhythms of creation–of which our bodies are a part. And we wonder why our well-being can’t be maintained in a constant state of high-level productivity and speed! Our scripture today reminds us that there is a time for every matter. The rhythms of busy and play, work and rest have become blurred as we have become out of touch with the natural ebbs and flows of time and energy in this beautifully-created world."

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

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Give it a Rest, 7/31/22

A Time for Every Matter, 7/24/22

Greensky Hill concludes the summer worship series, "Busy: Reconnecting with an Unhurried God," with a service called, "Give it a Rest." The service includes songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music and prayer with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Hanging Out" with children's pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on the First Nations Version of Mark 2:21-28, and a video, "There I AM," by The Work of the People.

"As we come to the last Sunday of our series, 'Busy: Reconnecting with an Unhurried God,' we remember that Jesus was a marked man because the power system was so threatened by his teaching that the last should be first, and that the allegiance of the people should lie with the Creator, rather than the self-proclaimed god, 'Caesar.' Jesus had been turning things upside down even in his own tradition, teaching new interpretations of Hebrew law and practices. He had shifted the thinking about what was truly important. People, not profit. Healing, not rule-keeping. Connecting, not appearances. To the status quo, he says, 'give it a rest…. give them a rest.' Today we ask ourselves, who is suffering because we’ve clung so tightly to the profitable bottom line? What status quo of our day needs to 'give it a rest?'"

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

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A Wonder-Full Life: Looking Back, 8/7/22

Greensky Hill begins a new four-week worship series, "A Wonder-Full Life: Looking at Money and Meaning," with week one: "Looking Back." The service opens with the Drum Voices of Greensky Hill and includes songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music and prayer with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Children's Time of Wonder" with pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on the First Nations Version of Matthew 22:15:22, a video, "Come and Take and Eat," by The Work of the People, and communion. The series draws from the classic film, "It's a Wonderful Life," and the book, "Integrating Money and Meaning: Practices for a Heart-Centered Life" by Maggie Kulyk with Liz McGeachy.

"The relationship of money practices to faith was as complex in Jesus’ day as it is in ours. This week we look back at a moment when Jesus was pushed to offer his money advice. We will also look back at the origins of our own relationship to money as a first step to claiming a life that is rich in wonder, love and grace. The saying goes that the things we are most afraid of are death and taxes. There may be some truth to this. And there may be a lot in common between our fear of death and fear of money. Both of these things are what we call “underlying” fears, meaning that while we may admit we have these fears, we sure don’t talk about them openly very often. And so, in this worship series, we will light a special candle each week, asking God to illumine the shadowy corners of our lives where unspoken yet powerful fears reside."

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

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A Wonder-Full Life: Looking In, 8/14/22

A Wonder-Full Life: Looking Back, 8/7/22

"This week our scripture speaks of 'storing up treasures in heaven.' We will see that the treasures Jesus speaks of are the riches that come with the outpouring of relationship, love, grace, and hospitality. These things are 'uncorruptible' rather than the accumulation of things that can become false gods. How we 'spend' our treasures of time, energy, and money indicates what we love, what we value, how we want to impact the world. This week we are invited to become more courageous, intentional, and visionary about how we serve the world through what we spend."

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

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A Wonder-Full Life: Looking Out, 8/21/22

A Wonder-Full Life: Looking Back, 8/7/22

A Wonder-Full Life: Looking with Gratitude, 8/28/22

Coming Soon

Greensky Hill continues, "A Wonder-Full Life" with week three: "Looking Out," featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music and prayer with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Children's Time of Wonder" with pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on the First Nations Version of 1 Timothy 6:17-19, and a video by The Work of the People.

"To be part of the early Christian movement was to be counter-cultural–concerned with a more equitable distribution of resources and care of those who needed help the most. But this did not mean that those who had money could not help the movement. Benefactors were essential to the spread of Christianity and support of teachers and apostles. This week, we will explore how money, when coupled with alignment of values and vision for a more just world, could result in the kind of generosity that gives life not only to the movement, but to the giver."

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

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A Wonder-Full Life: Looking with Gratitude, 8/28/22

Coming Soon

Greensky Hill concludes, "A Wonder-Full Life" with week four: "Looking with Gratitude," featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music and prayer with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Children's Time of Wonder" with pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on the First Nations Version of Acts 4:32-35, and a video by The Work of the People.

"In this final week of our series, we look with an attitude of gratitude at the ways our practices of dealing with money can be transformed because we have brought the subject out of the shadows and into the light. In doing so, we have opened ourselves to a greater sense of community, just as the early Christians did when they worked together to support one another. Our scriptures help us today to affirm that the more we cultivate relationship in our lives, the more we increase our chances that in every moment we will be loved and supported and will have the opportunity to return the same hospitality. This 'investment' of ourselves in beloved community increases our constant and enduring hope and gratitude."

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

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April 24 - June 25, 2022

Heart of the Matter: With Glad Hearts, 4/24/22

Heart of the Matter: Straight from the Heart, 5/1/22

Greensky Hill begins the new worship series, "Heart of the Matter," with a Second Sunday of Easter service called, "With Glad Hearts." The service includes songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Break Bread" with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by Rev. Jonathan Mays based on Acts 2:24-28 & John 20:19-22, and "Community," a video by The Work of the People.

"Easter is not just a day. It is a whole season of time when we remember that Jesus’ Spirit lives on in each one of us. So over the next few weeks, we are following our ancestor’s traditions. We are creating a 'temple' of worship in our hearts whether we can be physically together or not. By sharing in words and music and breathing and eating together, we will stay connected. The earliest Christians worshiped in their homes before they had churches, and so will we, even now as we are able to meet again in our sanctuary. Because at the 'heart of the matter,' we are connected through the Spirit that makes us one in love."

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

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Heart of the Matter: Straight from the Heart, 5/1/22

Greensky Hill continues its worship series, "Heart of the Matter," with a Third Sunday of Easter service called, "Straight from the Heart." The service includes songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Break Bread" with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on Luke 24:13-35, and a video, "Hospitality," by The Work of the People.

"Table ministry was a primary way that Jesus shared a depth of love unseen in his time. He ate and spent time with those considered unworthy of his attention. Even in his post-resurrection appearances, it was in the breaking of bread that he was 'recognized' – perhaps because so many times in his ministry, it was at tables that he invited people to open up and share 'straight from the heart.'"

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

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Heart of the Matter: Hearts Overflowing, 5/8/22

Heart of the Matter: Straight from the Heart, 5/1/22

Heart of the Matter: No Trouble in My Heart, 5/15/22

Greensky Hill continues its worship series, "Heart of the Matter," with a Fourth Sunday of Easter service called, "Hearts Overflowing." The service includes songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Break Bread" with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on John 10:1-10, and a video, "I Rest In You," by The Work of the People.

"Jesus used the metaphor of a shepherd several times in his ministry. In today's passage from the Gospel of John, the sheep know that the Shepherd really cares about them and offers what they need–good, abundant, green pastures to eat in. They recognize this Shepherd who takes care of them as they hear his voice."

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

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Heart of the Matter: No Trouble in My Heart, 5/15/22

Heart of the Matter: Open the Eyes of My Heart, 5/29/22

Heart of the Matter: No Trouble in My Heart, 5/15/22

Greensky Hill continues the worship series, "Heart of the Matter," with a Fifth Sunday of Easter service called, "No Trouble in My Heart." The service includes songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Break Bread" with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on Psalm 31 and John 14:1-14, and a video, "Living in the Presence of God," by Susan Briehl for The Work of the People.

"Our future is in the hands of Love, in the heart of God. Jesus, as God-in-the-flesh, helps us to know that we are in the house and family of God. He called God 'Abba' – an intimate name that a child would call a Parent in the language Jesus spoke. God was not distant, but a Parent who loves tenderly, protects faithfully, and wants us to know intimately."

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Heart of the Matter: Kept in Our Hearts, 5/22/22

Heart of the Matter: Open the Eyes of My Heart, 5/29/22

Greensky Hill continues the worship series, "Heart of the Matter," with a Sixth Sunday of Easter service called, "Kept in Your Heart." The service includes songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Break Bread" with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on John 14:15-21 and 1 Peter 3:13-16a, and a video, "Love One Another," by The Work of the People.

"How do we 'sanctify Christ as Lord' in our hearts? To 'sanctify' something is to set it apart as holy. Holiness resides within each one of us. It calls us to see holiness in others. It calls us to do the right thing in the name of Love, even when the right thing isn’t easy. Sometimes the right thing, and the hardest thing, is to follow the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves. We often focus on loving our neighbor, but we also must hear the second part… love ourselves. The Spirit is in us, Jesus says, and to love ourselves is to love God, to love the Jesus in each of us, and to love the Spirit that is our Companion and Helper."

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Heart of the Matter: Open the Eyes of My Heart, 5/29/22

Greensky Hill continues the worship series, "Heart of the Matter," with an Ascension Sunday service called, "Open the Eyes of My Heart." The service includes songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music and prayer with Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Break Bread" with a song by Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on Luke 24:44-53 and Ephesians 1: 15-23, and a video, "Beginning at Jerusalem," by The Work of the People.

"To be the 'body of Christ' as the church is to see the world through the eyes of Jesus – to see through the eyes of love. As Christ’s body here on earth, we try to create the same conditions of love that he did while he was here on earth. We hope that 'the eyes of our hearts' can be continually opened, as the disciples’ were that day of Jesus’ ascension, so that we can be the best representation of his love here on earth. Perhaps we can see 'ascension' with Christ as an 'elevation' or 'heightening' of our gratitude and of our commitment to do good in the world."

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Pentecost Sunday: The Heart of the Matter, 6/5/22

Dan Magee's "Celebration of Life" Service, 6/25/22

Pentecost Sunday: The Heart of the Matter, 6/5/22

Greensky Hill concludes the worship series, "Heart of the Matter," with a Pentecost Sunday service called, "The Heart of the Matter" The service includes, the Drum Voices of Greensky Hill, songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music and prayer with Sharon Osterhouse, Communion, "Break Bread" with Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on John 7:37-39 and Acts 2:1-21, and a video, "Within, Everywhere, and Always," by The Work of the People.

"Throughout this season, we have proclaimed that love is what binds us to God, to Jesus, to each other. Love IS our religion. On the day of Pentecost, the church received the power of the Holy Spirit to let this message flow out from all, to all. The power of this message is ever so important to offer to the world today. The Spirit is poured out on each one of us so let us be a community of messengers letting loving compassion flow from our hearts."

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Wild and Wise Voices, 6/12/22

Dan Magee's "Celebration of Life" Service, 6/25/22

Pentecost Sunday: The Heart of the Matter, 6/5/22

This worship service, led by Rev. Jonathan Mays, features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, a clip of Rev. Dr. Ron Bell teaching about 5:5:7 breath work, music and an anti-racism prayer with Sharon Osterhouse, children's time with Sarah Sheaffer, and a sermon, "Wild and Wise Voices," by Bishop David Bard based on Proverbs 1:2-6, Proverbs 8:1-5 & Matthew 11:7-19 from 2022 Michigan Annual Conference of the UMC.

Dan Magee's "Celebration of Life" Service, 6/25/22

Greensky Hill kin and community, please join me, Ann Duve Anderson, Kelly ZK, and other family and friends for Daniel Magee's "Celebration of Life," at 11 a.m., Saturday, June 25, 2022 at Greensky Hill Indian UMC. It’s hard to believe that Dan died 11 months ago, July 29, 2021! We miss him. Today, we celebrate his life together.

About Greensky Hill

We share sacred space.

We remain a sanctuary of love in a setting of natural beauty.

We preserve a unique Native Heritage.

We invite people to experience community as sisters and brothers in Christ and empower people to serve all in need.

We worship together every Sunday at 10 a.m. (in person and online).

Our simple log church was built in the 1840's. Surrounded by trees marking the site of a long sacred meeting place, the church was constructed with large hewn logs notched at the corners and laid horizontally over a stone foundation. Much of the lumber used in the building was brought by canoe from Traverse City. Today the church continues to be an active, racially mixed congregation, some of whom are descendants of original worshipers. Our three ministry priorities are: to be radically welcoming, to be an Anishinaabek cultural center as well as a living Christian church, and the Greening of Greensky Hill.

We care for creation, we care for our community, and we love sharing meals with our neighbors.

Through our partnership with Manna Food Project, we have Family Food Boxes available at no charge and with no strings attached. If you're interested in worship or other church activities, you are more than welcome; however, you should never feel obligated. We also care for our community with United Methodist Women and Men's Club meetings, Grandmother Moon ceremonies, Bible Studies, children's ministry, water protector events, and other activities.