Jun 11 - Jul 30, 2023, The Path

The Path: Trusting the Unknown, 6/11/23

In Part I of our new series, "The Path of the Disciple," Pastor Sarah Sheaffer leads the congregation in "The Weight of the Call: Trusting the Unknown," with a focus on the starting point, hearing and responding to the call. Even when it scares us, or challenges us, or asks a lot of us.

© Greensky Hill Indian UMC & Discipleship Ministries. Used with permission.

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Joy, 6/18/23

The Path: Trusting the Unknown, 6/11/23

Our worship theme today is JOY! Pastor Tim Wright and worship leader, Sharon Osterhouse, lead this service featuring storytelling, poetry, Scripture, song, and art representing JOY.

© Greensky Hill Indian UMC & Discipleship Ministries. Used with permission.

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The Path: Tell in the Light, 6/25/23

The Path: Trusting the Unknown, 6/11/23

The Path: Tell in the Light, 6/25/23

Part II of "The Path of the Disciple," week 1, "Learning to Grow: Tell in the Light," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, Time for Children with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a dip into the shallows with an invitation to a deeper swim into Genesis 21, Psalm 86, Romans 6, and Matthew 10 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays, and a video, "Embracing the Otherness" by The Work of the People.

“What you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops” (Matthew 10:27). This week, we’ve got whispers and we’ve got shouts. That seems like a common human experience, doesn’t it?"

© Greensky Hill Indian UMC & Discipleship Ministries. Used with permission.

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The Path: Quenching a Thirst, 7/2/23

The Path: Tell in the Light, 6/25/23

Week 2, "Quenching a Thirst," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with The Drum Voices of Greensky Hill, Sharon Osterhouse, and others, Time for Children, a reflection on Matthew 10:40-42 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays, open table Communion, and a video by Spencer LaJoye.

"We’re about hospitality this week. That sounds like a casual, or maybe even an extra kind of thing. 'It’s not something essential,' we might think. It’s part of the social niceties that make us look good. But, in fact, we would be wrong, if that was our position. Jesus sees hospitality as central to our discipleship."

© Greensky Hill Indian UMC & Discipleship Ministries. Used with permission.

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The Path: Taking the Yoke, 7/9/23

The Path: Quenching a Thirst, 7/2/23

The Path: Seeds in the Dirt, 7/16/23

Week 3, 'Taking the Yoke,' features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection on the First Nations Version of Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays and a video, "Community," by The Work of the People.

'Come unto me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest' (Matt. 11:28). There’s more to it than pulling a comforter over your head and dozing off. Especially since the next line is 'Take my yoke' (11:29)... The offer has to be for something other than a good night’s sleep. It must have something to do with working alongside of or being guided by Jesus. But working. Moving. Being. All that stuff, all those action words. It is, yet again, not about checking out, but about diving in. It’s about going deeper. About living. Jesus invites us to restful living. Restful working."

© Greensky Hill Indian UMC & Discipleship Ministries. Used with permission.

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The Path: Seeds in the Dirt, 7/16/23

The Path: Quenching a Thirst, 7/2/23

The Path: Seeds in the Dirt, 7/16/23

Part III, "The Path of the Disciple," week 1, "Imagining a New Reality: Seeds in the Dirt," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection on the First Nations Version of Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays, and a video, "The Sower," by The Work of the People.

"The theme for this part of the series invites us to look at potential. We are asked to imagine fruitfulness and then to work for that in the whole ministry of the church."

© Greensky Hill Indian UMC & Discipleship Ministries. Used with permission.

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The Path: Shine Like the Sun, 7/23/23

"The Path of the Disciple," Part III, Week 2, "Imagining a New Reality: Shine Like the Sun," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection on Psalm 86:11-17 and the First Nations Version of Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays, and a video, "Wait With Patience," by The Work of the People.

"Jesus’ story of the weeds and wheat tells us that what may appear to be a lost cause to us isn’t necessarily lost to grace. Let our prayers overflow for our own healing but also for the healing of the world. We might be— no, we are continually surprised at what God’s grace can do and for whom. We never know who we might see shining like the sun."

© Greensky Hill Indian UMC & Discipleship Ministries. Used with permission.

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The Path: Hidden & Mixed In, 7/30/23

The Path: Shine Like the Sun, 7/23/23

"The Path of the Disciple," Part III, Week 3, "Imagining a New Reality: Hidden & Mixed In," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, Time for Children with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection on the First Nations Version of Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays, and a video, "Mustard Seed," by The Work of the People.

"We prefer the obvious. We like to be sure. But trusting Creator is something else indeed. Hebrews 11:1 (FNV) reminds us that trust 'means we can be sure of the things we do not see.' Not see? Like a treasure hidden in a field, or like yeast mixed in the flour, hidden and mixed in. That’s how grace works."

© Greensky Hill Indian UMC & Discipleship Ministries. Used with permission.

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April 16, Emerge - Jun 4, 2023, Re-Membering

Tombs and Cocoons: Trusting the Dark, 4/16/23

Coming Out: Leaving Comfortable Places, 4/23/23

Greensky Hill invites the community to a new 7-week worship series, "Emerge: A Metamorphosis Moment," with week 1: "Tombs and Cocoons: Trusting the Dark," featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays on the First Nations Version of Luke 1:26-38 and John 19:38-20:1, and a video, "Psalm 31" by The Work of the People. All are welcome.
"The butterfly has long been a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus, as well as our own resurrection as we emerge from the power of fear and death. In this series, we will consider the process of metamorphosis as a guide to examine our own transformations from cocoons and tombs to the unfurled beauty of all God calls us to be. During this season, we will consider what it means to be a people who believe that transformation is possible — that we can move beyond the leaves we find ourselves on and turn into beautiful beings that can fly to new heights and see and experience the world in the sweetest of ways, tasting and perpetuating the nectar of goodness."

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

CCLI 20391192"Emerge" week 2: "Coming Out: Leaving Comfortable Places," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays on the First Nations Version of Hebrews 11:1-3, and a video, "Creative Scripture Engagement" by Pete Enns and The Work of the People. All are welcome.

"'And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.' This quote by writer Anaïs Nin speaks profoundly to our current theme in worship, 'Emerge.' A caterpillar forms a chrysalis and stays inside for a time while the magical process of metamorphosis occurs. And a day comes when that protective shell is too constricting — the butterfly within must break free! Today we gather to encourage one another out of our comfortable places so that we may truly bloom."

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

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Coming Out: Leaving Comfortable Places, 4/23/23

"Emerge" week 2: "Coming Out: Leaving Comfortable Places," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays on the First Nations Version of Hebrews 11:1-3, and a video, "Creative Scripture Engagement" by Pete Enns and The Work of the People. All are welcome.

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

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Open: Into the Light, 4/30/23

Coming Out: Leaving Comfortable Places, 4/23/23

Open: Into the Light, 4/30/23

"Emerge" week 3: "Open: Into the Light," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children and a reflection on Luke 24:28-49 by family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, and a video, "Open Unto Me," by Howard Thurman and The Work of the People.

"There are times in our lives when we must learn to see the world differently. Caterpillars have limited vision and are only able to sense changes in the intensity of light. When they become butterflies, they are gifted with a completely new eye structure that allows them to form images and take in a huge range of colors — even more than the human eye! Let we who have limited vision in this life be reassured by God’s presence, even when we cannot know what lies ahead. Today, we open ourselves to the light of enduring hope."

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

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Unwrap: Waking Up, 5/7/23

Let Go: Leaving Behind What We Don't Need, 5/21/23

Open: Into the Light, 4/30/23

"Emerge" week 4,"Unwrap: Waking Up," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection from John 11 & 12 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays, a video, "The Partier," by Rachel Held Evans and The Work of the People, and open table Communion. All are welcome!

"In the opening of the tomb of Lazarus, in the unwrapping of his funeral clothes, the community had to face their unknowing — and perhaps disbelief — and trust that the resurrection Jesus had facilitated was real. The range of emotions was vast. As the butterfly’s cozy environment cracks further open still, it is the effort of the process of emerging that makes change possible — waking up, rolling away the stone, unwrapping what will be."

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

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Unfold: Claiming New Possibilities, 5/14/23

Let Go: Leaving Behind What We Don't Need, 5/21/23

"Emerge" week 5, "Unfold: Claiming New Possibilities," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection on Matthew 16:13-20 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays, and a video, "Look and Listen" from Isaiah 51 by The Work of the People.

"We all come into this world as seeds of potential. Just as mighty oak trees grow from tiny acorns and beautiful butterflies grow from humble caterpillars, each one of us is gifted with unique potential for growth and transformation. Today as we continue our journey through the “Emerge” series, we dare to imagine unfolding our wings and claiming our space in this beloved community."

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

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Let Go: Leaving Behind What We Don't Need, 5/21/23

"Emerge" week 6, "Let Go: Leaving Behind What We Don't Need," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection on Exodus 16 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays, and a video, "Equality" featuring Aaron Strumphill by The Work of the People.

"Just as butterflies leave behind their chrysalises, baby birds break out of their shells, and snakes shed their skin, we too discard old parts of ourselves in order to keep growing. We go through changes in work, in family structures, in friendships, in our own beliefs and values, all throughout our lives. When we give ourselves permission to say ‘yes’ to new experiences and ways of being, that often means letting go of old habits and patterns, a kind of decluttering the mind, body, and spirit. Today in worship, we will ponder what it means to release what is no longer necessary so that we might make room for positive changes."
Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

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Journey: The Places We Will Go, 5/28/23

"Emerge" week 7, Pentecost Sunday, "Journey: The Places We Will Go," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children and a reflection on Acts 2:1-4 & 10:34-36 with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, and a video by The Work of the People.

"Friends, we gather today for a special occasion in the life of the church: Pentecost! This week is the culmination of our journey through the “Emerge” series where we have focused on metamorphosis and resurrection through the metaphor of the butterfly. We celebrate the life of this beloved community by honoring our traditions and looking to the future with hope, faith, and joy."

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

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Re-Membering Our Lives, 6/4/23

Journey: The Places We Will Go, 5/28/23

Greensky Hill invites all people to celebrate and reconnect with Creator and each other in worship. We are created to be in community with each other and Creator. We are incomplete when we become “Dis-Membered” from community. We gather to Re-Member ourselves into community featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, celebration of Creator’s Sacred Meal: Communion, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children and a reflection on Acts 2:42-47 & 1 Corinthians 1:23-26 by Tim Wright.

© Greensky Hill Indian UMC.

Used with permission.

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February 12, 2023, SAD Week 6 - April 9, 2023, Easter

SAD: Walk This Way, 2/12/23

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Resister, 2/26/23

SAD: Leave Room for Dessert, 2/19/23

"Spiritual Affective Disorder," Week 6: “Walk This Way,” features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, "Time for Children" with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection on Psalm 119:1-8 and the First Nations Version of Acts 17:27b-28 by the Rev. Jonathan David Mays, and a video, "Love, Justice, & Mercy," by William Barber & The Work of the People.

"Research shows that one of the most effective mood-boosters is moving our bodies. Stretching, walking, and dancing can send feel-good endorphins coursing through us and the change can feel like a light coming on. The Hebrew authors of our scriptures used the metaphor of 'walking' in God’s ways to help us see the benefits to our spiritual lives of moving toward the goodness of God. During our worship series, we are looking at the ordinary activities of our lives with a new perspective, seeing the potential for deep spiritual connection and nourishment in our everyday rhythms. This week our spiritual practice will help us see our walking (or any kind of movement) as a blessed gift of God’s love in action in the world!”

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

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SAD: Leave Room for Dessert, 2/19/23

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Resister, 2/26/23

SAD: Leave Room for Dessert, 2/19/23

Greensky Hill concludes "Spiritual Affective Disorder" with week 7: “Save Room for Dessert” featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, "Time for Children" with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection on Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 by the Rev. Jonathan David Mays, and a video, "Very Good News," by Lisa Sharon Harper and The Work of the People.

"During this worship series, we are exploring how our everyday activities can become spiritual practices that bring more light and meaning to our lives, and provide sustenance to those around us. The server at your favorite restaurant might regularly say to you, 'leave room for dessert!' In other words, don’t eat to excess — leave some room. This is a good spiritual practice, says the author of Leviticus. Gleaning is the practice of gathering food for those who need it out of the abundance of what is available. What awareness can we bring to the food we buy, cook and throw away as part of our spiritual mandate to care for the human family? Whether it is cooking more than enough and sharing with someone who needs it, buying extra at the grocery storeto donate to the food bank, or getting involved in a gleaning network’s efforts, our everyday use of foods is our spiritual practice this week.”

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

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Lookin' for Love: Look for the Resister, 2/26/23

Greensky Hill begins the Lenten series, "Lookin' for Love," with a brief imposition of ashes ceremony for those who want to start their 2023 season of Lent with that Ash Wednesday tradition that we had to cancel because of the weather this year and with Week 1, "Look for the Resister," featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, Children's Time with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection on Psalm 32 & the First Nations Version of Matthew 4:1-11, and a video, "Dust We Are and Shall Return," by The Work of the People.

"Lent is a wonderfully reflective time to reassess where we are searching for meaning and purpose. A question for us this year is: don’t we often look for wholeness and happiness in places that offer only temporary ‘good feelings’ and satisfaction? We will discover that the stories of Jesus show us how to truly love. This week we hear how Jesus resists evil in the desert. We see the futility of looking for love in empty highs, in tempting fate, and in mindless adoration. Rather, as Jesus demonstrates, it is in our resistance to evil that we find true communion with God. Resistance to evil starts with our own confession of complicit acts that move us further from love. Our groaning can turn to 'glad cries of deliverance' as we choose good over evil time after time — even and especially if it isn’t the 'popular' thing to do."

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

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Lookin' for Love: Look for the Helper, 3/5/23

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Thirst-Quencher, 3/12/23

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Resister, 2/26/23

Week 2 features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by The Drum Voices of Greensky Hill and worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, Children's Time with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays on Psalm 121 and the First Nations Version of John 3:1-17, Communion, and a video, "Dust We Are and Shall Return," by The Work of the People.

"Oftentimes we believe that we must 'deserve' the love we receive. We work, work, work to get approval and to feel like our life is justified — pulling our own weight, thinking that whatever life we create, and love we get, is only what we ourselves can conjure up. But the scriptures offer the image of God as our 'keeper' — always helping, always present. Nicodemus has followed all the rules and done everything he can do, and yet he is still looking for love — for tangible connection with God. Jesus says that he must be born 'of the Spirit.' It’s not all up to simply 'doing the right thing!' It is about allowing the Spirit to help birth love in our lives."

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

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Lookin' for Love: Look for the Thirst-Quencher, 3/12/23

Week 3 features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Hadassah Greensky and worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Children's Time with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays on Exodus 7:1-7 and the First Nations Version of John 4:5-42, and a video, "Story Like This," by Shellee Layne Coley and Kelly Ann Hall and The Work of the People.

"Our worship series for Lent continues as we contemplate the ways we have looked for satisfaction in things that cannot satisfy. The Samaritan woman at the well in our scripture today found out that the water she came for was not really the water she needed so desperately. This woman had looked for love in many places, in many faces. When she was finally offered a soul-quenching love by Jesus, she became a powerful messenger of Good News. Just as the water given by God that flowed in the desert for the Israelites offered new life, the desert of our lives can be refreshed if we look for love regularly at the well of living water and offer life-giving water to others."

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

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Lookin' for Love: Look for the Shepherd, 3/19/23

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Thirst-Quencher, 3/12/23

Week 4 features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Children's Time with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays on Psalm 23 and the First Nations Version of John 4:42; 46-54; 9:33-39; & 10:10-11a, and a video, "Leaving Ourselves at the Altar," by The Work of the People featuring Phuc Luu.

"We have been focusing on where love is to really be found during this season of Lent. We too often look for love in the security of powerful figures, sure that they can 'fix' things for us. It was no different for the people of the First and Second Testaments. They were looking for Kings, Saviors, Liberators who would offer peace and security in uncertain times. And they often looked 'in all the wrong places.' The Pharisees just can’t believe that this trouble-maker, rule-breaker named Jesus is the One, the Son of God and Savior. Time and again Jesus uses the unlikely metaphor of a Shepherd to teach us how we ought to love and care for each other. No wonder, the Shepherd does what is needed, when it is needed, regardless of the 'rules.'"

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

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Lookin' for Love: Look for the Liberator, 3/26/23

Week 5 features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, Children's Time, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays on Psalm 130 and the First Nations Version of John 11:1-45, and a video, "Watering Dry Bones," by The Work of the People.

"Sometimes the things we think offer love actually seek to bind us, preventing us from being full and whole and offering our best love to the world. This season of Lent, we continue our look at our faith narratives that show us about true love. The story of Lazarus, whose funeral shrouds trail him out of the tomb, offers us a metaphor of new life as we recognize that true love is that which unbinds us, that wants for us more, not less, freedom and life. Jesus says to us, 'Come out! Walk! Live! Love! Shed your funeral clothes and offer your deepest self, your deepest love, for the world.' Of course this kind of love can be dangerous, as we will see as the events of Holy Week loom closer. But the price of continuing to look for love in the wrong places is higher than the blessing of life lived boldly."

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

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Lookin' for Love: Look for the Unexpected, 4/2/23

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Liberator, 3/26/23

"The disciples must have been excited and terrified all at once. The entrance into Jerusalem for Passover week had turned into a big deal. How would Jesus be received — by the people and by the authorities? And an entrance can define perception! Surely they would make as big a splash of confidence as possible. And then Jesus asks for a donkey. 'A…donkey?!' Once again, Jesus demonstrates a love for peace and a love for common people by creating an entrance that proclaimed the power of God’s 'kin-dom of heaven,' not Herod’s kingdom of oppression. Looking for love? Keep your eyes out for it in unexpected places."

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

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Holy Week Ritual of Three Anointings, 4/6/23

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Liberator, 3/26/23

Holy Week Ritual of Three Anointings, 4/6/23

Greensky Hill Indian United Methodist Church invites the community to take 12-15 minutes to connect together apart for an online Maundy Thursday service. If you can, have a little bit of olive oil nearby and set your space for a contemplative experience, e.g. quiet, candlelit, and comfortable. Dr. Marcia McFee at Worship Design Studio, wrote, "Along with my collaborators, Ted Lyddon Hatten and Chuck Bell, this Holy Week Ritual of Three Anointings is timeless in its message and rich in its symbolism (especially around the brokenness of our world)."

"Holy Week Meditation

and Rituals of Anointing"

Used with permission.

Love Wins (Easter), 4/9/23

Holy Week Ritual of Three Anointings, 4/6/23

Greensky Hill celebrates Easter with "Love Wins," featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Children's Time with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays on the First Nations Version of John 21:1-18, and a video, “Act as if You Were Free,” by Ilia Delio and The Work of the People. All are welcome.

"During the season of Lent leading up to this moment, we have been asking ourselves if we are lookin’ for love in all the wrong places, if we are giving our attention to the things that do not really sustain our lives and add to love in this world. This day is the culminating message from the Gospel. In the end (or is it the beginning?), we find out that love always wins! All things of this world pale in comparison to what resurrection looks like in our lives. New-found meaning, purpose, attention, wholeheartedness, wellbeing, peace: these are the things that matter – the things the Teacher shows us. And no matter how many 'wrong places' we've looked for love, the graves give way to the light of a new day as we learn to love as Christ loves us."

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

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November 27, 2022 - February 5, 2023

Reflecting the Sacred: Sacred Time, 11/27/22

Reflecting the Sacred: Sacred People, 12/4/22

Advent 1: “Sacred Time,” features the Drum Voices of Greensky Hill, Advent candle lighting, songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Time for Children" with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection with the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on the First Nations Version of Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44, and Richard's Rohr's "Universal Christ," and a video, "A Prayer for Advent," by The Work of the People.

"The Christmas season is a time when the juxtaposition of the sacred and secular feels sometimes blatantly opposed, and sometimes quite blurred. The word 'sacred' points to something dedicated as 'holy' and 'set apart.' This year, you are invited to a spiritual journey of seeing ALL things pregnant with the Holy. What could our experience of the Advent and Christmas season be like if we lived it imagining that everything is reflecting the sacred?"

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

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Reflecting the Sacred: Sacred People, 12/4/22

Advent 2: “Sacred People,” features the Drum Voices of Greensky Hill, Advent candle lighting, carols and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, "Time for Children" with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection with the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on the First Nations Version of Romans 15:4-13, Matthew 3:1-12, and Richard's Rohr's "Universal Christ," a video, "Christmas Is Waiting to Be Born," by The Work of the People, and communion.

"When we look through the lens of the sacred, we prepare our senses to recognize the holy in all people–to come to know them in a 'steadfast and encouraging' way. Our world is crying out for harmony, and being able to see the Christ reflected in each other makes a path for this to be accomplished. We are inspired this week to see our own walk upon this earth as part of the call to be sacred people who usher in the presence of love."

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

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Reflecting the Sacred: Sacred Space, 12/11/22

Reflecting the Sacred: Sacred People, 12/4/22

Reflecting the Sacred: Sacred Knowing, 12/18/22

Advent 3: “Sacred Space,” features the Drum Voices of Greensky Hill, Advent candle lighting, carols and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, "Time for Children" and a reflection with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer based on Isaiah 35:1-10, the First Nations Version of Luke 1:46b-55, and Richard's Rohr's "Universal Christ," and a video, "Birth Blessing," by The Work of the People.

"All of creation is imbued with the presence of the Christ Mystery. It is a 'Christ Mirror.' When we say this, we don’t say that all things are God, but that God is in and through all things. The Creator’s very DNA was set in motion as day and night, earth and sky, flora and fauna, creatures and humans inhabited the earth. And God called it all inherently 'good.' The earth upon which we walk is a Sacred Place."

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

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Reflecting the Sacred: Sacred Knowing, 12/18/22

Christmas Day Service Led by Bishop Bard, 12/25/22

Reflecting the Sacred: Sacred Knowing, 12/18/22

Advent 4: “Sacred Knowing,” features the Drum Voices of Greensky Hill, Advent candle lighting, carols and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with worship pastor, Sharon Osterhouse, "Time for Children" with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on Isaiah 7:10-16, the First Nations Version of Matthew 1:18-25, and Richard's Rohr's "Universal Christ," and a video, "I Will Light Candles This Christmas," by The Work of the People.

As Series collaborator, Worship Design Studios, notes, "Many of us look for signs to help us know what to do, or we wish we could have our own personal angel visit us to let us know the 'right' next steps. Uncertainty is a fact of life–this seems ever more true. This week we will remember that there is a Christ within us constantly birthing wisdom and a deep knowing if we will but listen with a contemplative heart. Let us seek out quiet in order to hear the voice that brings peace by gently saying, 'do not be afraid.'"

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

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Christmas Eve: The Gifts We Bring, 12/24/22

Christmas Day Service Led by Bishop Bard, 12/25/22

Due to the blizzard of 2022, this is an encore broadcast of our 2021 online (due to COVID-19) Christmas Eve service. A year ago, we described it this way: "As we long to safely gather again in our hewn-log sanctuary and continue to plan for 2022, tonight we gather online in the comfort of our own homes. We invite you to enjoy the gifts of your Greensky Hill relations as we welcome the greatest gift of all. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!" We're thankful for the many opportunites to gather safely in 2022 and the technology to connect online. We will renew in-person worship (and continue streaming) on January 1, 2023.

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Christmas Day Service Led by Bishop Bard, 12/25/22

Share the joy of the birth of our Savior, with this conference-produced worship service lead by Michigan Bishop David Bard, featuring pastors and lay worship leaders from across the state.

© The Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church. Used with permission.

Reflecting the Sacred: Sacred Doing, 1/1/23

Spiritual Affective Disorder: To Soothe the Soul, 1/15/23

Spiritual Affective Disorder: Flip the Switch, 1/8/23

Our First Sunday after Christmas service: “Sacred Doing,” features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Time for Children" and Sunday School with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection with the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on Isaiah 63:7-9 and the First Nations Version of Matthew 2:13-23, and Richard's Rohr's "Universal Christ," and a video, "Make Room," by The Work of the People, and Communion.

"We’ve looked through the lens of the sacred and have experienced time, people, places, others, and ourselves as God’s holy love reflected and incarnate in the world. Because of the experience of God’s action of love toward us, we are called also to act, the 'sacred doing' of alleviating suffering wherever it is found. We dedicate ourselves in this New Year to sacred acts of justice and mercy, bringing grace to a hurting world, reflecting the sacred in all we do."

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

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Spiritual Affective Disorder: Flip the Switch, 1/8/23

Spiritual Affective Disorder: To Soothe the Soul, 1/15/23

Spiritual Affective Disorder: Flip the Switch, 1/8/23

Week 1: “Flip The Switch,” featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Time for Children" and a reflection from family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, based on Isaiah 60:1-6.

"Seasonal Affective Disorder happens when a lack of sunlight affects our moods and ability to cope effectively. Spiritual Affective Disorder can also be a condition when we’ve had prolonged stress and life is disturbingly uncertain. What is our faithful response to our strained mental health? What if everyday life activities could become spiritual practices — deepening our experience of a meaningful life and helping us shine a light on the 'blahs?'”

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

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Spiritual Affective Disorder: To Soothe the Soul, 1/15/23

Week 2: “To Soothe the Soul,” features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Time for Children" and a reflection from family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, based Psalm 40:1-11.
"This week we will explore how music can become a powerful healing agent in our everyday spiritual practice."

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

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Spiritual Affective Disorder: Lighten Up, 1/22/23

Spiritual Affective Disorder: Little Altars Everywhere, 2/5/23

Spiritual Affective Disorder: To Soothe the Soul, 1/15/23

Week 3: “Lighten Up,” features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Time for Children" and a reflection from family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, based on Isaiah 9:1-4.

"Life can be serious business. Certainly watching the daily news can give the impression that there is little good to find in the world. This week we choose to lighten up–to 'spin' life in a little different way as we look for the delight and especially, humor, in life...perhaps laughter is the best medicine.”

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

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Spiritual Affective Disorder: Make My Day, 1/29/23

Spiritual Affective Disorder: Little Altars Everywhere, 2/5/23

Week 4: “Make My Day,” features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, "Time for Children" with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection on the connection between Anishinaabek Grandfather Teachings and Micah 6:1-8 by Rev. Jonathan David Mays, and a video, "O Divine Healer," by The Work of the People.

"The prophet Micah offered up a vision for life lived from a different perspective. Rather than see doing good as 'obligatory sacrifice,' he said that when we live our lives with a love for kindness for all God’s people, we are fulfilling God’s desire to spread justice and love throughout the land. This week, what if we lived each day on the lookout for ways to make someone’s day through a kind and unexpected gesture? It might just make our day as well!”

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

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Spiritual Affective Disorder: Little Altars Everywhere, 2/5/23

Week 5: “Little Altars Everywhere,” features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, "Time for Children" with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection on Psalms 84 & 112 and the First Nations Version of Acts 17:24-28 by Rev. Jonathan David Mays, a video, "Everybody's Table," by Juanita Rasmus & The Work of the People, and open table Communion.

"Where do you think God’s 'dwelling place' is? The Psalmist speaks of longing to be in God’s 'house.' Indeed, being in what feels like a sacred place can transform and inspire us. Instead of thinking that finding God requires us to go to a designated place like our church, what if we created spaces that reminded us of the sacred wherever we are? Our worship series this season is designed to help us see our ordinary surroundings as sacred containers for spiritual connection. This week you are invited to create an 'altar' in your home that can remind you that God dwells in all places.”

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

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September 4 - November 20, 2022

Re-Shaped: We Were Made For This, 9/4/22

Greensky Hill begins, "Re-Shaped: What We're Made For" with week one: "We Were Made for This," featuring The Drum Voices of Greensky Hill, songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music and prayer with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Story for All Ages" with pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on Jeremiah 18:1-6, a video, "When God Imagined Me," by The Work of the People, and Communion.

"Certainly we are in the midst of big changes after the disruptions of the pandemics of our era. Embracing change and letting it 'animate us' toward new possibilities is the work we must do in our day. This series doesn’t start by assuming that we are 'ready' for a change. Only in the fourth week of this series do we take the first step. We spend the first three weeks of this four-week series steeping ourselves in the idea that change is what we are made for…that we are actually made and equipped by a Creator that knew we would need to be partners and agents of change throughout history. We must be called to change. We must spend time discerning and deepening our understanding of the call that is luring us until we are ready to let go of 'what was' in favor of the new creation."

Series Design © Worship Design Studio

Re-Shaped: Inside Out, 9/11/22

Re-Shaped: We Were Made For This, 9/4/22

Greensky Hill continues, "Re-Shaped: What We're Made For" with week two: "Inside Out," featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music and prayer with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Story for All Ages" with pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on the First Nations Version of Mark 1:1-15, and a video, "Into the Jordan," by The Work of the People.

Series designer, Worship Design Studio, notes that our scripture this week invites us to remember the purification ritual (baptism) of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and the message that we, as followers of Creator Sets Free, are changed constantly 'from the inside out.' Transformation does not start with the action of change itself, but a willingness within our own spirits to 'lean into' the life path that is calling us.

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

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Re-Shaped: Everything Changes, 9/18/22

Re-Shaped: We Were Made For This, 9/4/22

Re-Shaped: Everything Changes, 9/18/22

Greensky Hill continues, "Re-Shaped: What We're Made For" with week three: "Everything Changes," featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music and prayer with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Story for All Ages" and a reflection by family pastor Sarah Sheaffer based on the First Nations Version of John 12:20-26, and a video, "In this Newborn Light: A Prayer by John Philip Newell," by The Work of the People.

In collaboration with Worship Design Studio, we continue our worship series on change. The first two weeks of the series helped us examine and expand our own understanding about our capacity for change. We were reminded that the Creator God made us for change, and we are being made new always from the inside-out by the ever-creative Spirit of God within us. Our spiritual growth is deeply connected to our ability to embrace change.

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

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Re-Shaped: En-Couraged, 9/25/22

Finding Your Breath: Listening to Our Bodies, 10/9/22

Re-Shaped: Everything Changes, 9/18/22

Greensky Hill concludes, "Re-Shaped: What We're Made For" with week four: "En-Couraged," featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music and prayer with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Story for All Ages" with pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a sermon, "Du Courage," by the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on the First Nations Version of Matthew 14:22-31a, and a video, "there I AM," by The Work of the People.

"This is the last week of our worship series on change. As we have seen, there are a lot of spiritual considerations to make before we even take the first step of change. We have been reminded that our Creator God made us for change, that we are being made new always from the inside-out, and that our job sometimes is just to let go into trust that God is with us through the loss and rediscovery that is this process of change."

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

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Finding Your Cave: Listening Spaces, 10/2/22

Finding Your Breath: Listening to Our Bodies, 10/9/22

"Listen" Week 1: "Finding Your Cave: Listening Spaces," featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Children's Discovery" with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, lectio divina and a homily with the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on 1 Kings 19:11-12, a video by The Work of the People, and Communion.

"Have you ever misplaced your phone – which is on vibrate of course – and then asked someone to call it? We get really still and really quiet. Our ears perk up in all directions in order to be ready to hear that little buzz. It is a quieting down and high alert all at the same time. During this series we will quiet things down and heighten our attention to the “still, small voice” of God and our own True Self. Listening through prayer as well as meditation on holy texts is an ancient practice. Come and rest, come and listen."

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

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Finding Your Breath: Listening to Our Bodies, 10/9/22

"Listen" Week 2: "Finding Your Breath: Listening to Our Bodies," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Children's Discovery" with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, lectio divina and a homily with the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on Romans 8: 26-28; 38-39, and a video by The Work of the People.

"Our sacred texts connect the breath of God with our own aliveness–God blew breath into us at creation and we continue to breathe all of creation in and out of our bodies constantly. The early church also believed that breath and Spirit were one in the same. How might the meditative practice of paying attention to our breath be, in and of itself, a prayer of connection to God? When we embrace our bodies as the holy vessel of God, we become even more our true selves–which has been there all along."

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

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Finding a Word: Listening to the Texts, 10/16/22

Finding Your Mystic: Listening Behind the Voices, 10/30/22

Finding Your Power: Listening for Healing, 10/23/22

"Listen" Week 3: “Finding a Word: Listening to the Texts” features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Children's Discovery" with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, lectio divina and a homily with the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on Proverbs 1:20-23, and a video by The Work of the People.

"The Wisdom tradition within Christianity invites us to love knowledge, especially the self-knowledge that comes from examining ourselves in relationship to the liberating Word of God. As we have been practicing in our worship, Lectio divina ('divine reading') is an ancient tradition of mixing the reading of scripture with prayer and meditation. Rather than an analytical approach to the words of scripture, it is a way for the words to simply be present and live in us. What will we hear when we let go of what it all is 'supposed to' mean and simply let it reside within us?"

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

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Finding Your Power: Listening for Healing, 10/23/22

Finding Your Mystic: Listening Behind the Voices, 10/30/22

Finding Your Power: Listening for Healing, 10/23/22

"Listen" Week 4: “Finding Your Power: Listening for Healing” features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Children's Discovery" with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, lectio divina and a homily with the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on the First Nations Version of Mark 5:24-34, and a video by The Work of the People.

"Prayer as a spiritual practice may come easily for you and maybe it doesn’t. Even the most devout among us has doubts about prayer’s power at times. What is it? How does it work? This week we will consider that the mechanics of what happens in prayer is not as important as that we do it. Because whether or not the outcome for ourselves or others is an actual healing, the very act of being entangled with God and with others through prayer has healing and power-bestowing benefits."

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

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Finding Your Mystic: Listening Behind the Voices, 10/30/22

"Listen" Week 5: “Finding Your Mystic: Listening Behind the Voices” features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Children's Discovery" with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, lectio divina and a homily with the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on the First Nations Version of Romans 12:2-12, and a video by The Work of the People.

"We often have a 'cast of characters' living inside our heads that love to carry on endless conversations–each from their own perspective. The chatter of our minds can sometimes keep us from a deeper listening and it is often difficult to understand what is a mystical connection to God. Getting our True Self into the chairperson’s seat in the committee meeting does not mean ignoring those voices of fear, pessimism, people-pleasing or accusation, but instead listening intently to them and not letting them bully us into negative action. Letting them in and letting them go is the prayer of the mystic within."

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

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Finding Your Purpose: Listening to Your Heart, 11/6/22

Finding the Road That Has No End: Listening in Love, 11/20/22

Finding Your Mystic: Listening Behind the Voices, 10/30/22

"Listen" Week 6: “Finding Your Purpose: Listening to Your Heart” features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Children's Discovery" with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, lectio divina and a homily with the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on the First Nations Version of Matthew 26:36-46, a video by The Work of the People, and Communion.

"Jesus’ prayer life was described most often in the scriptures as something he did 'away' from the crowds or disciples. As we have been learning together to listen, we have experienced the blessings of turning away from the noise of the world in order to turn inward to hear that 'still small voice' of God and finding our own voice of wisdom there as well. This Sunday, the scripture contains one of the rare examples of how Jesus prayed. It was honest, it was gut-wrenching, and it finally was a letting-go of expectations about life and a turning toward the acceptance that gives us courage to move onward."

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

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Finding Your Life: Listening Deeply, 11/13/22

Finding the Road That Has No End: Listening in Love, 11/20/22

"Listen" Week 7: “Finding Your Life: Listening Deeply,” features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, Sunday School with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, lectio divina and a homily with the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on the First Nations Version of Mark 1:9-15, and a video, "The Great Reversal," by The Work of the People. "In order to really listen, we 'turn around' (the root meaning of the word 'repent') from the distractions of daily noise and focus our attention on listening in a deeper way. Writer Parker Palmer suggests we must listen 'to what our life is telling us'–in other words, to listen to the deep wisdom God gave to us as a birthright, connecting to God’s purpose once again."

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

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Finding the Road That Has No End: Listening in Love, 11/20/22

"Listen" Week 8: “Finding the Road That Has No End: Listening in Love,” features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music with worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "Children's Discovery" and Sunday School with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, lectio divina and a homily with the Rev. Jonathan Mays based on the First Nations Version of 1 Corinthians 1-8, and a video, "The Great Reversal" by The Work of the People.

When we listen deeply, we hear the way of love, the good road that leads to the good life, a life that overflows with beauty and harmony. Series collaborator, Worship Design Studios, notes, "It is this 'turning' or 're-orienting' ourselves toward the Holy that is the essence of listening: hearing that still, small voice and finding your own. What we pay attention to is what we are formed by."

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

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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.

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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

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.

"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

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, "Your Kindness Pierces Through Time," 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.

CCLI 20391192

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

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, "Your Kindness Pierces Through Time," 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.

CCLI 20391192

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.

CCLI 20391192.

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.

CCLI 20391192.

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.

CCLI 20391192.

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."

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

CCLI 20391192

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."

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

CCLI 20391192.

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."

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

CCLI 20391192.

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."

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

CCLI 20391192.

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.

March 2 - April 17, 2022

Good Enough: Perfectionism Is Impossible, 3/2/22

Good Enough: So Much Is Out of Our Control, 3/13/22

Good Enough: Perfectionism Is Impossible, 3/2/22

"Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lent season, a time when we aspire to make some room for deeper introspection and practices that will draw us into the love and assurance of faith...This Lent, rather than change for 'the best,' we’ll seek to gain momentum one day at a time, 'to reach for a faith that is never perfect, but good enough.'"

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio. CCLI 20391192. Used with permission.

Good Enough: Ordinary Life Can Be Holy, 3/6/22

Good Enough: So Much Is Out of Our Control, 3/13/22

Good Enough: Perfectionism Is Impossible, 3/2/22

Lent 1 features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, Carrie Newcomer, and others, "The Children Lead Us" with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, no-contact Communion, and a sermon from Luke 4:1-13 by Rev. Jonathan Mays with a video, "Into the Wilderness," from The Work of the People.

"The liturgical season of Lent developed over the centuries as a time of deepened reflection. Originally a period of preparation for baptisms on Easter Eve, it later became a time for all Christians to take stock of their lives and examine how the connection to their faith was progressing–or not–and to recommit to a life of goodness. This year we will indeed open up and take stock. But rather than feel guilty (a popular Lenten pastime) about what we haven’t accomplished in our lives and faith, we will spend some time questioning how our culture’s obsession with achievement and perfection actually keeps us from the true depths of life and faith. This Lent, we’ll take some time to turn ladder-climbing into garden-tending, nurturing our souls and embracing our holy, 'good enough,' lives."

Good Enough: So Much Is Out of Our Control, 3/13/22

Lent 2 features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "The Children Lead Us" with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, and a sermon from Luke 13:31-35 by Rev. Jonathan Mays with a video, "Gathering Her Brood," from The Work of the People.

"We continue our movement through the Lent season this week with another kind of 'letting go.' This week we lament that so much in life is out of our control. This is frustrating to us and so sometimes we have been tempted to believe the sayings that tell us if we just “think positively,” we can turn it all around. Yet our experience tells us that this doesn’t always work. Let us turn ladder-climbing toward the expectation of a perfect life into garden-tending, nurturing 'what is' and embracing our holy, good enough, lives."

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio. CCLI 20391192. Used with permission.

Good Enough: Lots of Things Can Be Medicine, 3/20/22

Good Enough: We Often Believe We Are the Problem, 3/27/22

Good Enough: So Much Is Out of Our Control, 3/13/22

Greensky Hill continues the Lenten worship series, "Good Enough: Embracing the Imperfections of Life and Faith," based on a book by New York Times bestselling author, Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie. Lent 3: "Lots of Things Can Be Medicine," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "The Children Lead Us" with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection from Luke 13:1-9 by Rev. Jonathan Mays with a video, "Bearing Fruit," by The Work of the People.

"As we continue our look at what it means to release oppressive expectations about perfection in our lives and in our faith, this week we turn to a harmful idea that the prescription for our fear of failure is to simply work harder. As the book Good Enough reminds us, "We might feel we are climbing an ‘endless staircase’ of achievement, for high grades or success…[in] caregiving, work, or social pressure.' This Lent, we are taking some time to stop climbing ladders and staircases, to tend our souls slowly and lovingly, tilling the soil and fertilizer, and embracing our holy, 'good enough,' lives."

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio. CCLI 20391192. Used with permission.

Good Enough: We Often Believe We Are the Problem, 3/27/22

Lent 4: "We Often Believe We Are the Problem," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "The Children Lead Us" with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a sermon from Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 by Rev. Jonathan Mays with a video by The Work of the People.

As series creator, Worship Design Studio notes, "Each week of this Lent season, we are focusing on ways that we can practice a counter-cultural theology that emphasizes the beauty and grace of the reality of life-right-now rather than waiting with increasing judgment to reach some vision of a perfected existence. Our ladder-climbing efforts sometimes end up taking us down a rung or two as things don’t work out just right. And so let us continue to turn ladders into gardens, nurturing our souls and embracing our holy, “good enough,” lives."

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio. CCLI 20391192. Used with permission.

Good Enough: We Are Fragile, 4/3/22

Good Enough: We Often Believe We Are the Problem, 3/27/22

Lent 5: "We Are Fragile," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "The Children Lead Us" with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a sermon from John 12:1-8 by Rev. Jonathan Mays with a video, "Tending to the Body," by The Work of the People, and no contact Communion.

"The story of Jesus includes many moments around tables, as this was part of his ritual of relationship even to the last. In this fifth week of the Lent season, we will hear a story of love and devotion from the disciple Mary, directed at Jesus at the table. As we will see, Jesus tries to prepare his beloved companions for his death. Talk of death is like a gut-punch to many of us; we would rather believe we and our loved ones are invincible, are able to will ourselves into being strong. We all know that isn’t always how the story goes. We are fragile. Our lives, like the plants in the gardens we tend, are susceptible to elemental dangers and a life-cycle of letting go in order to live."

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio. CCLI 20391192. Used with permission.

Palm Sunday: You Are a Group Project, 4/10/22

Good Friday: Jesus' Last Words on the Cross, 4/15/22

Palm Sunday: You Are a Group Project, 4/10/22

Palm Sunday: "You Are A Group Project," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "The Children Lead Us" with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, and a sermon from Luke 19:28-40 by Rev. Jonathan Mays with a video, "Leaves Fallen Underfoot," by The Work of the People.

As series creator, Worship Design Studio notes, "We stand at the precipice of Lent and Holy Week. This day moves from shouting and praising to a time of crying and lament. The drama of the story of Jesus’ last week reads like the book of our lives. Feeling hopeful one moment, we plummet the next as we deal with disappointment, danger, and grief. God’s incarnation on earth was not immune from this roller-coaster we call life. One thing we know, when the going gets rough, the last thing on our minds is climbing the ladder of self-improvement. We just want to survive, to be comforted, to have our pain known and embraced. And so we turn from the isolation of perfection and turn toward deep love. It is never too late to nurture the garden of relationships, for we are all a group project."

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio. CCLI 20391192. Used with permission.

Maundy Thursday: Love One Another, 4/14/22

Good Friday: Jesus' Last Words on the Cross, 4/15/22

Palm Sunday: You Are a Group Project, 4/10/22

Greensky Hill invites the community to an online Maundy Thursday service produced by the Michigan UMC Campus Ministries: Wesley Foundation of Kalamazoo, Wesley Foundation at the University of Michigan, CMU Wesley & Ferris Wesley.

Good Friday: Jesus' Last Words on the Cross, 4/15/22

Greensky Hill invites the community to an online Good Friday service produced by the Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church featuring:

Worship Leader: Rev. Dr. B. Kevin Smalls
Liturgists: Min. Candy Johnson
Music Director: Jesse Douglas & Hope Music Ministry

Easter Sunday: A Good Gardener, 4/17/22

Good Friday: Jesus' Last Words on the Cross, 4/15/22

Greensky Hill concludes the worship series, "Good Enough: Embracing the Imperfections of Life and Faith," based on the book by New York Times bestselling author, Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie. For Easter Sunday, "A Good Gardener" features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, "The Children Lead Us" with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reading by Rev. Jonathan Mays based on John 20:1-18 from the book "Good Enough," a video by The Work of the People, and new member welcome.

"During the season of Lent, and this last week in Holy Week, we focused on growing gardens, tending the life that is right in front of us, rather than constantly climbing ladders of what this world defines as success. We have been embracing 'good enough' lives and 'good enough' selves that are worthy of love, no matter what. We have been acknowledging the suffering that is a natural part of life, and we have practiced compassion as we deal with the realities and limitations that invite us to let go of perfectionism and the incessant drive toward something other than our own real, holy, and 'blessed-regardless' lives. And now we encounter Easter. It is a day we proclaim that while death is a part of life–even little 'deaths' along the way of dreams, of love, of the way we thought life would go–even though this is a part of life, we are part of a faith that invites us to consider that the Good Gardener is always tending us, abiding with us, beyond any kind of death that faces us."

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio. CCLI 20391192. Used with permission.

January 2 - February 27, 2022

These Lives are Precious, 1/2/22

Rev. Jonathan Mays begins the Christmas/Epiphany worship series "God is Holding Your Life," with Week 1: "These Lives are Precious." This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse , Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, and others, children's time with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, and a reflection from Psalm 72.

"We begin a new worship series today that we pray will bring a ‘breather’ and a sense of assurance to us all. Life is a series of exclamations from ‘O No!’ to ‘Help!’ to ‘Oh Yeah!’ We can swing between disappointment, helplessness, and gratitude on a daily basis. The Book of Psalms knows all about this. Written over a span of time from exile and isolation to the rebuilding of the community, the poetry of the Psalms will accompany us in this series, reminding us that through it all, we can trust that God is, indeed, holding our lives.

This worship will allow us to simplify and slow down for a time. We will lean on prayer, reflection and sharing with one another."

Awe and Wonder, 1/9/22

These Lives are Precious, 1/2/22

Rev. Jonathan Mays continues the Christmas/Epiphany worship series "God is Holding Your Life," with Week 2: "Awe and Wonder." This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, and others, children's time with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, and a reflection from Psalm 29.

"Strength and peace is the prayer of the Psalm this week. The Psalmist says 'let me count the ways' that we can know the strength of the Holy One. With awe and wonder we behold the presence of God in all the elements of creation–water, fire, air, earth. And it is this glory that assures us that God, indeed, is holding our lives."

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

Where Can I Go? 1/16/22

These Lives are Precious, 1/2/22

Where Can I Go? 1/16/22

Rev. Jonathan Mays continues the Epiphany worship series "God is Holding Your Life," with Week 3: "Where Can I Go?" This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, and others, children's time with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, and a reflection on Psalm 139.

"This week’s Psalm text brings home this message: we are in an intimate relationship with God. There is nowhere we go that God is not present–no state of our being that results in our being abandoned. God has knit us together, has woven us, knowing us from before our beginning. God, indeed, is holding our lives."

In God Alone, 1/23/22

Whole Heart Hallelujah, 1/30/22

Where Can I Go? 1/16/22

Rev. Jonathan Mays continues the Epiphany worship series "God is Holding Your Life," with Week 4: "In God Alone." This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, and others, children's time with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, and a reflection from Psalm 62.

"'My one and only!' So many songs have utilized this phrase to express devoted love. This week we see that this tradition goes back all the way to the poets of the psalm tradition. This is a love psalm of trust in the 'Holy One and Only' who is the rock and refuge in the midst of life that sometimes feels as fleeting as breath. We put our trust in the One who, indeed, is holding our lives."

Whole Heart Hallelujah, 1/30/22

Greensky Hill continues "God is Holding Your Life," with Week 5: "Whole Heart Hallelujah," including songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, and others, children's time with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, and a reflection from Psalm 111.

"One mode of poetry in the Psalms is all-out praise and thanksgiving, such as the one for today. We also find praise even in Psalms of lament and complaint because 'God is good all the time and all the time God is good!' Life is not always good, but when we engage in gratitude, we remember the evidence of God at work in our lives and we remember that indeed, God is holding our lives, even now."

Joyful, Joyful, 2/6/22

Whole Heart Hallelujah, 1/30/22

Rev. Jonathan Mays welcomes an encore sermon from our beloved friend Dan Magee (May 20, 1957 - July 29, 2021) and a collection of moments from other services that assure us that God is holding our lives. This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, a Body Prayer with Bishop David Bard, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, Matt Koontz, and others, a children's story with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, and a reflection from Psalm 95 when Dan preached the first Sunday that Greensky Hill was closed at the beginning of the pandemic.

By the Waters, 2/13/22

We Wait, We Hope, We Stay, 2/20/22

Assurance that God is holding our lives with an encore of the Greensky Hill service recorded for Annual Conference 2021. Songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by the Drum Voices of Greensky Hill, Rev. Jonathan Mays, Sharon Osterhouse, Sarah Sheaffer, Jessica Dominic, and Matt Koontz, an anti-racism prayer led by Laurie Wilson-Moore, narration by Kathy Mays, and a message based on Psalm 137, referencing music by Supamann, John Legend and Common, and a viral video by Kimberly Latrice Jones. We have to listen to others’ songs before we can sing the Lord’s song.

We Wait, We Hope, We Stay, 2/20/22

Rev. Jonathan Mays continues the Epiphany worship series "God is Holding Your Life," with Week 6: "We Wait, We Hope We Stay." This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, and others, children's time with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, and a reflection from Psalm 147.

"Today’s Psalm comes late in the Book and offers a glimpse of a time when the exiled outcasts are gathering back together and seeing their world built back up. We too, yearn for a re-gathering and a day when we sing our praises and play our instruments with abandon together again. We wait, we hope, we stay firm in our faith, knowing as our ancient ancestors did, that God is indeed holding our lives."

The One is Shining Forth, 2/27/22

We Wait, We Hope, We Stay, 2/20/22

The One is Shining Forth, 2/27/22

Rev. Jonathan Mays concludes the worship series "God is Holding Your Life," with a multicultural service featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, and others, children's time with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, and a reflection from Psalm 50. As series creator, Worship Design Studio notes, "The Psalm that comes at the end of our series speaks of an active God whose light shines for all time and in all places. God is not silent, but calls the people to remember that they, too, can act on God’s behalf, holding all suffering peoples in hands of prayer and care and transforming the world that will shine bright into the future. May it be so."

November 28 - December 26, 2021

Making Room, 11/28/21

How Much is Too Much? 12/12/21

A Place at the Table, 12/5/21

Rev. Jonathan Mays begins the Advent/Christmas worship series "The Inn: Housing the Holy," with Week 1: "Making Room (Hope)." This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, children's time with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, and a sermon from Jeremiah 33:14-16 & Psalm 25:4-5.

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

A Place at the Table, 12/5/21

How Much is Too Much? 12/12/21

A Place at the Table, 12/5/21

Rev. Jonathan Mays continues the Advent/Christmas worship series "The Inn: Housing the Holy," with Week 2: "A Place at the Table (Peace)." This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, children's time with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a Love Feast, and a sermon from Baruch 5:1-5 & Philippians 1:3-11.

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

How Much is Too Much? 12/12/21

During Rev. Jonathan Mays' Study Week, Pastor Sarah Sheaffer leads "The Inn: Housing the Holy," with Week 3: "How much is too much? (Joy)" Join us as we "Open The Door" this week and explore joy, self-control, and giving. This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastors Sharon Osterhouse and Sarah Sheaffer, a sermon from Isaiah 12:2-6 and Luke 3:7-18.

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

A Room with a View, 12/19/21

A Service of Readings & Carols, 12/26/21

How Much is Too Much? 12/12/21

Rev. Jonathan Mays continues the Advent/Christmas worship series "The Inn: Housing the Holy," with Week 4: "A Room with a View (Love)." This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, children's time with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, and a sermon from Micah 5:2-5a & Luke 1:46-55.

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

The Gifts We Bring, 12/24/21

A Service of Readings & Carols, 12/26/21

As we long to safely gather again in our hewn-log sanctuary and continue to plan for 2022, tonight we gather online in the comfort of our own homes. We invite you to enjoy the gifts of your Greensky Hill relations as we welcome the greatest gift of all. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

A Service of Readings & Carols, 12/26/21

In partnership with the Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church, Greensky Hill Indian UMC hosts "A Service of Readings and Carols" to finish the series, "The Inn: Housing the Holy." This beautiful statewide service of readings and carols includes contributions by all 9 Michigan Conference Districts and a welcome and benediction from Bishop David Bard.

September 5 - November 21, 2021

Beguiled by Beauty: Beauty, Contemplation, and Radical Compassion, 9/5/21

Beguiled by Beauty: Awakening to Beauty, Falling in Love with the World, 9/19/21

Beguiled by Beauty: Beauty, Contemplation, and Radical Compassion, 9/5/21

Greensky Hill presents a multicultural service featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by The Drum Voices of Greensky Hill, Pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, "Searching for Beauty: A Time for Children" with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer and kids, “Sermo Divina” from Ezekiel 31:3-7 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays, and Communion. “All things are beautiful–not by a standard of ‘pretty’ as seen by our eyes, but by an essence of sacred worth that is sensed by the spirit. This is the root and heart of compassion and justice. Beauty is the threshold to Divine Goodness and a door into radical compassion. Contemplation trains our spirits to see this deeper truth. Over the next six weeks, we will pursue a contemplative life to deepen our spiritual capacities so that we might live as Beloveds of God who extend Goodness in the world." (WDS)

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

Beguiled by Beauty: We Are Made for the Beloved, 9/12/21

Beguiled by Beauty: Awakening to Beauty, Falling in Love with the World, 9/19/21

Beguiled by Beauty: Beauty, Contemplation, and Radical Compassion, 9/5/21

Greensky Hill presents a multicultural service featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, "Searching for Beauty: A Time for Children" with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer and kids, and “Sermo Divina” from Psalm 16:7-11 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays. “A Christian mystic of the 14th century, Julian of Norwich, lived during one of the worst centuries of human history, including the black death pandemic that wiped out millions of people, famines, floods, war, and corruption. In her writing, she addresses what she believed to be at the root of suffering–the misplaced idea of God’s rejection. Without this core belief in beauty and sacred worth, we engage in self-and-other-destroying behaviors, inducing further suffering. Contemplative practices invite us into union with the Divine One, healing the wounds of forgetfulness." (WDS)

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

Beguiled by Beauty: Awakening to Beauty, Falling in Love with the World, 9/19/21

Greensky Hill continues our six-week worship series "Beguiled by Beauty," with Week 3: "Awakening to Beauty, Falling in Love with the World." This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English and “Sermo Divina” from Psalm 147 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays. "We try to satisfy our thirst for meaningful life with so many distractions and addictions. Awakening to beauty is to find the well that never runs dry. For it is in beginning to truly see the world with our spirits that our soul’s thirst is quenched. “The resilience and beauty of the natural world is a sign of hope, even when things are difficult.” A tree is scorched by fire and yet new sprouts shoot up, defiant and optimistically reaching toward the sun. A crack in a sidewalk reveals the seeds just beneath the surface just waiting for a chance to break through. Contemplating this resilient beauty draws us back to our own vitality and the promise that we, too, are capable of new life." (WDS)

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

Beguiled by Beauty: Abyss, Mystery, and Wonder, 9/26/21

Beguiled by Beauty: From Beauty to Compassion and Justice, 10/10/21

Beguiled by Beauty: Awakening to Beauty, Falling in Love with the World, 9/19/21

Greensky Hill continues our six-week worship series "Beguiled by Beauty," with Week 4: "Abyss, Mystery, and Wonder." This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, "Searching for Beauty: A Time for Children" with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer and kids, and “Sermo Divina” from Psalm 135:1-3, 13-21 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays. "Names were important in the Ancient Near East. Names described attributes of the person to whom they were assigned and could be changed when an important occurrence shifted the story and the essence of a person. The psalmist often gives glory to 'the name of God.' And yet to name God is difficult for there is no one word that can describe the fullness of the Holy. In today's Lectio Divina passage, the psalmist describes the attributes of God for which praise is given: justice and compassion. This is unlike any other unfeeling, life-denying idol that claims to be a “god.” This is a Holy Spirit that moves and breathes–not only in setting the beauty of creation in motion, but even now. It is an indescribable presence that warrants the simple description 'Beautiful Name.'" (WDS)

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

Beguiled by Beauty: The Beauty of a World Without a "Why," 10/3/21

Beguiled by Beauty: From Beauty to Compassion and Justice, 10/10/21

This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, "Searching for Beauty: A Time for Children" with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer and kids, “Sermo Divina” from Song of Songs 4:1-7 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays, and individually served Communion. "When we accept the non-utilitarian goodness of life–a world that doesn’t need a 'why'– we tune into the raw delight in the world. 'Beauty decenters our ego by helping us realize that life is its own justification.' As we let go of how everything relates to us, serves us, benefits us, we begin to appreciate all things for their own worth and beauty, and our desire for their flourishing intensifies. When we turn this idea onto our own selves, we can let go of the expectations of others and the societal standards of beauty in regard to our own worth."

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

Beguiled by Beauty: From Beauty to Compassion and Justice, 10/10/21

This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, "Searching for Beauty: A Time for Children" with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer and kids, and “Sermo Divina” from Isaiah 52:7-10 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays. With quotes from "Beguiled by Beauty" author, Dr. Wendy Farley, Series designer, Worship Design Studios, notes, "Our series ends with a reaffirmation of our call to contemplative action in the world. The awareness of one another’s beauty is the 'seedling for the birth of compassion and justice.' A contemplative life can empty us and ready us to become instruments of the Good. Let us affirm our plans to continue practicing 'a way of beauty' that makes life 'rich, courageous, generous, and joyful' as active agents of the Divine Beauty in the world."

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

Drawn In: Dream, 10/17/21

Pastor Sarah Sheaffer introduces a new six-week worship series, "Drawn In: Living Out the Creative Life with God," with Week 1: "Dream." This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, and a sermon from Luke 4:13-21. As series designer, Worship Design Studio, notes," All creation began with the dream of God, the will and intention for life to exist in the void. All of our actions are born out of desire, out of a dream and vision for the future. This is our birthright: to imagine and to create. What brings you alive? What truly moves your soul in the deepest way? What you create out of that answer is your greatest gift to the world and the way in which you are part of God’s unfolding and ongoing creative dream!"

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

Drawn In: Hover, 10/24/21

Drawn In: Dream, 10/17/21

Pastor Sarah Sheaffer continues the six-week worship series "Drawn In: Living Out the Creative Life with God," with Week 2: "Hover." This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, and a sermon from Luke 4:1-13.

As series designer, Worship Design Studio, notes, "Hovering is the creative posture of taking a moment to see the 'big picture.' In a world of quick fixes and instant gratification, we sometimes want to skip the step of paying quiet attention to this question: 'what one thing do we need to focus on now?' Clearing the decks in order to give ourselves space and time to think, to ruminate, to consider what is necessary, feels like a luxury but in fact both creativity experts and Jesus point to the importance of taking reflective time. The 'project' of our lives and work in the world as Christians depends upon this as well. If you didn’t feel that you have to do or fix EVERYTHING, what ONE thing would you work on at this point in your life? What do you feel drawn to?"

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

Drawn In: Risk, 10/31/21

Drawn In: Dream, 10/17/21

Drawn In: Listen, 11/7/21

Pastor Sarah Sheaffer continues the six-week worship series "Drawn In: Living Out the Creative Life with God," with Week 3: "Risk." This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, and a sermon from Matthew 25:24-30. As series designer, Worship Design Studio, notes, "God’s act of creating all that is, God’s act of entering our lives in the person of Jesus, God’s everyday act of creating new life–all these are acts of bringing that which is not into being—all acts of originality. To create is to assert ourselves in a way that is risky, that invites stepping into the unknown. Jesus told a story about people who did different things with the 'talents' given to them. The one who took a risk and utilized those talents multiplied his gift in the world. What can you do to risk what God has given you to expand love and grace in the world?"

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

Drawn In: Listen, 11/7/21

Drawn In: Re-Integrate, 11/14/21

Drawn In: Listen, 11/7/21

Pastor Sarah Sheaffer continues the six-week worship series "Drawn In: Living Out the Creative Life with God," with Week 4: "Listen." This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, a "Make-Belief" Moment for children, and a sermon from Acts 16:6-15. As series designer, Worship Design Studio, notes, "'Listening' as part of creativity is about perceiving. We open our senses to see what is emerging. Perhaps what we start doesn’t end up looking like what we thought it would. Instead, once the act of creating begins, we listen to how the Spirit is guiding our next steps and unfolding possibilities we were previously unaware of. Without paying attention in this way, we act as if we have all the answers. And when we are up against something that doesn’t go our way, we see it as a negative. But what if those moments are simply Co-Creator God inviting us to see new ways of moving forward in our lives?"

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

Drawn In: Re-Integrate, 11/14/21

Rev. Jonathan Mays continues the six-week worship series "Drawn In: Living Out the Creative Life with God," with Week 5: "Re-Integrate." This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, a "Make-Belief" Moment with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer and kids, and a sermon from 1 Corinthians 12:12-19. As series designer, Worship Design Studio, notes, "Everything that is created is in relationship with all other things. God’s vision for birds had to do with the quality of the creation of air. How a song is experienced by those who sing it will change the composer’s perception of the song or even the song itself. Nothing exists in isolation. So too for our relationships with others. What happens for humanity is closely related to how we respond to each other. Are we willing to re-integrate, re-vise, re-vision our lives as we come in contact with others who are not like us? New possibilities await if we are willing to offer ourselves fully and be willing to be changed by our interactions."

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

Drawn In: Rest, 11/21/21

Drawn In: Re-Integrate, 11/14/21

Rev. Jonathan Mays concludes the six-week worship series "Drawn In: Living Out the Creative Life with God," with Week 6: "Rest." This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, a "Make-Belief" Moment with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer and kids, and a sermon from Exodus 20:8-11.

As series designer, Worship Design Studio, notes, "Something grossly overlooked in the creative process is the place of effortlessness and play. In the story of creation, God rested. And this was very 'good' as well! Staying too focused on deadlines and how every moment can be 'productive' robs us of an important feature of what it means to be humans made in the image of God: rhythm. Pushing through is non-sustainable, and creativity suffers if we constantly labor. Celebration is necessary along the journey. God’s creativity is ongoing, so while the story said God was 'finished' and then rested, really it was simply a pause to reflect, to observe, and to celebrate, and then God continued God’s creative work among us and with us."

Design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

June 27 - August 29, 2021

Sacred Earth, Sacred Work: Creation as Blessing, 6/27/21

“What if we lived life truly connected to the origins of Creation and the Creator? In the beginning God created all things and called them originally ‘good.’ In this series we will explore six essential ideas found in Creation Spirituality–a way of living within the community of earth that deepens our reverence for life, participates in the creativity of the cosmos, and develops our passion for justice and human transformation. It compels us to lead lives of spiritual inquiry, creativity, and prophetic action as our sacred work in the world.” Series design and original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission

Sacred Earth, Sacred Work: Spirit of Compassion, 7/4/21

Sacred Earth, Sacred Work: Creation as Blessing, 6/27/21

“It is through the work of spiritual practice that we move beyond fear into compassion and discover our deep and true selves. Engaging in spiritual practices– whether that looks typically religious (like praying) or not (like walking) have intentionality in common. They draw us closer to the Creator and who we were created to be–free and compassionate beings. What practices in your life draw you closer to your true essence and closer to compassion for others?” Series design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

Sacred Earth, Sacred Work: The Paths of Life, 7/11/21

Sacred Earth, Sacred Work: Creation as Blessing, 6/27/21

Sacred Earth, Sacred Work: Sacred Creative Vocation, 7/18/21

“The spiritual journey can be understood as a dance moving in and out of four mystical paths, each with their own gifts: awe and wonder; letting go; creativity; compassion and justice. These 'cycles of life' are born out of the seasons of the planet and remind us that there is a time for everything and that fluctuations of the spirit are part of being human. Can we accept the Holy invitation to move fully into all the rhythms of life?” Series design and original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

Sacred Earth, Sacred Work: Sacred Creative Vocation, 7/18/21

"Made in the image of the Creator, every one of us carries within us the capacity to be a mystic, to be creative, to be visionary, and to be an agent for positive change. It is our responsibility to say 'here I am, send me' and to cultivate our capacity to benefit earth and all it’s creatures. What are we creating in this world that will cause positive ripples into the future?" © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

Sacred Earth, Sacred Work: Glorious Diversity, 7/25/21

Sacred Earth, Sacred Work: Sacred Creative Vocation, 7/18/21

Sacred Earth, Sacred Work: Healing Relationships, 8/1/21

“Creation Spirituality rejoices in and courageously honors the rich diversity within the Cosmos which is expressed in every individual and embodies multiple cultures, religions, and ancestral traditions. Creation is rife with theme and variation and yet fear has driven us to try to tame, label and homogenize it. What do we lose when we privilege dominant voices and limit perspectives? Diversity is another name for God and should be celebrated!” © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

Sacred Earth, Sacred Work: Healing Relationships, 8/1/21

Sacred Earth, Sacred Work: Sacred Creative Vocation, 7/18/21

Sacred Earth, Sacred Work: Healing Relationships, 8/1/21

“We live in sacred relationship with every other living thing. Our food, our health, our homes, our vocations are all part of an interconnected community. Creation hangs in the balance when we forget this connection. We acknowledge that our species and the entire earth community depends upon the healing of harm already done, moving toward sustainability for the future, and harmony that offers live-giving coexistence for all. Can we embrace our responsibility to care? Now is the time, if we want a future.” © www.worshipdesignstudio.com

Quest: Leaving Home, 8/8/21

Quest: The Reflection, 8/22/21

Quest: The Encounter, 8/15/21

“Friends, we are about to embark on a journey in the next four weeks. It is a journey about journeying, about traveling as a spiritual act. Whether you travel far away or simply begin to see our local surroundings as if for the first time, 'pilgrimage' has long been a spiritual practice, and 'journey' a deeply-felt metaphor for our spiritual lives. 'Quest' comes from the Latin root meaning 'ask' and 'seek.' This four week worship series will encourage us to open ourselves more fully to the curiosity and wonder, reflection and transformation that travelers–not merely tourists–experience when we choose to immerse ourselves in soul-widening adventures.” © www.worshipdesignstudio.com

Quest: The Encounter, 8/15/21

Quest: The Reflection, 8/22/21

Quest: The Encounter, 8/15/21

“We began a journey last week. For these four weeks we will be training our 'traveler’s mindset' and heart and soul, expanding our horizons, our understanding, and our love for the world and its people. We focused last week on leaving home. This week we find ourselves in 'The Encounter' with things that feel 'far from home.'" © www.worshipdesignstudio.com

Quest: The Reflection, 8/22/21

“When we begin to broaden our experience of lands and peoples in our travel, or in our own towns and cities, we may move through a personal crisis if the plurality of religious thought and practice has not come into close view in our lives before. And yet, if we continue to reflect and open, what feels so different may not be as far from us as we first imagined. The light we seek and life-sustaining river that runs through the 'Kin-dom' of God is full of common themes across religions: peaceful coexistence, food and shelter, love and compassion for those suffering and oppressed. How can deeper reflection about our own hesitation to connect to the wider human family free us to explore more possibilities for a better world?" © www.worshipdesignstudio.com

Quest: Returning Home, 8/29/21

Quest: The Reflection, 8/22/21

This multicultural service features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, "Children's Time of Unpacking" with Pastor Sarah Sheaffer and kids, and a message from Psalm 36:5-9 and John 15:9-12 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays. Series designer, Worship Design Studios, notes, “As we bring our series on travel to a close, we contemplate what it means to return home. After stretching our spirits and our love to include more of the glorious creation and its peoples, we return to a home that will never be the same to us. We have returned with 'guests'–memories of new friends and new perspectives. Perhaps we also return with new convictions to be more active and loving citizens of humanity right where we reside." © www.worshipdesignstudio.co

April 4 - June 20, 2021

For All Peoples a Feast: Dare to Dance Again, 4/4/21

"'The sun’s in my heart…' sang Gene Kelly as he danced in the rain. Our colorful umbrellas today and for the rest of the Easter season over the next 8 weeks will remind us that we are called to dance our dances of freedom for all the world to see–even and perhaps especially in times of great difficulty. During this season, we will dare to dance again! Dances of hope. Dances of justice. Dances of love." Worship series design and original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

With Great Power: Dancing Together, 4/11/21

For All Peoples a Feast: Dare to Dance Again, 4/4/21

"This is the Easter Season! Easter is not just one day of proclaiming that life and love are more powerful than death and hatred, but a whole “week of weeks,” as we call it–seven more weeks of daring to dance our dances with hope and passion. So let us continue our praise!" Series design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission. Songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, Sarah Sheaffer’s, "A Story for All Ages," and music by Sharon Osterhouse and Jessica Dominic.

While in Their Joy: Dancing Sure, 4/18/21

For All Peoples a Feast: Dare to Dance Again, 4/4/21

By This We Will Know: The Dance of Love, 4/25/21

"This Sunday acknowledges that sometimes we are unsure about our steps in this world. For the disciples, even 'while in their joy' at seeing Jesus after the resurrection, they were still 'disbelieving and wondering.' We are reminded that even though we may not know our next steps, we can be sure they will come because we are God’s beloved children, and so we have steps to follow – those of the resurrected Jesus." - Series design and original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

By This We Will Know: The Dance of Love, 4/25/21

Multicultural worship about love in action. "Easter is the unstoppable, unpredictable expression of God’s love for humankind! The call of Jesus is to live fully in the power of that love – alive in each of us. We learn about that divine love as it is embodied in the person and ministry of Jesus, the one who is compared to a good shepherd. As we look to him to learn how to love, may our hearts praise the One who raised Jesus and raises us to abundant life and love!" - www.worshipdesignstudio.com

From You Comes My Praise: Guide My Steps, 5/2/21

By This We Will Know: The Dance of Love, 4/25/21

From You Comes My Praise: Guide My Steps, 5/2/21

Join us for a mostly outdoor service featuring music by Sharon Osterhouse, a duet by Jessica Dominic & Sarah Sheaffer, Pastor Sarah's featured dreamer, Marian Anderson, creative video, a Love Feast, and time to contemplate Psalm 22, Acts 8, 1 John 4, & John 15. As www.worshipdesignstudio.com puts it, "...we, the church, must be a place of knowing and growing and accepting love...As we dance into diversity and acceptance, may the Spirit guide our steps for nothing is keeping us from it!"

Who Can Withhold: Break Forth, 5/9/21

By This We Will Know: The Dance of Love, 4/25/21

From You Comes My Praise: Guide My Steps, 5/2/21

Pastor Jonathan continues the "Dare to Dance Again" series with an online worship service featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Sharon Osterhouse, and Pastor Sarah’s time with children, "A Story for All Ages." This week, Sarah's featured dreamer is the poet, Amanda Gorman. The service also includes beautiful video and time to contemplate Psalm 98, John 15, & Acts 10. - Series design and original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

Gone Up With a Shout: Clap Your Hands, 5/16/21

Spirit Poured Out: Dare to Dance Again, 5/23 & 5/30/21

This morning, Sarah Sheaffer's dreamer this week is Jesus. Rev. Jonathan Mays shares a message entitled, “Gone Up With a Shout: Clap Your Hands" from Psalm 47 and Luke 24. "Dancing changes us: it transforms us and brings us to life, awakens our senses. Imagine the dreams and the heartbeat and the life stirring in Jesus and his disciples as he readied them for this next chapter of ministry." - Series design and original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

Spirit Poured Out: Dare to Dance Again, 5/23 & 5/30/21

To celebrate Pentecost and Trinity Sundays, Greensky Hill concludes the "Dare to Dance Again" series with an online worship service featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Sharon Osterhouse and others, and creative videos. Sarah Sheaffer's dreamer this week is God. The Rev. Jonathan Mays shares a message from Ezekiel 37 and Acts 2.

"Strangers No More" - Rev. Dr. Cynthia Wilson, 6/6/21

Spirit Poured Out: Dare to Dance Again, 5/23 & 5/30/21

By the Waters: How Shall We Sing the Lord's Song...? 6/13/21

In collaboration with the Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church, Greensky Hill presents a musical service with a powerful message by the Rev. Dr. Cynthia Wilson, created for Annual Conference 2021.

By the Waters: How Shall We Sing the Lord's Song...? 6/13/21

Recorded for Annual Conference 2021. Songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by the Drum Voices of Greensky Hill, Rev. Jonathan Mays, Sharon Osterhouse, Sarah Sheaffer, Jessica Dominic, and Matt Koontz, an anti-racism prayer led by Laurie Wilson-Moore, narration by Kathy Mays, and a message based on Psalm 137, referencing music by Supamann, John Legend and Common, and a viral video by Kimberly Latrice Jones. We have to listen to others’ songs before we can sing the Lord’s song.

When Is It Time to Sing a New Song to the Lord? 6/20/21

By the Waters: How Shall We Sing the Lord's Song...? 6/13/21

When Is It Time to Sing a New Song to the Lord? 6/20/21

This morning, as we continue to prepare for our "First Sunday Back" outdoor worship service at Greensky Hill, next Sunday, 6/27/21, we celebrate Juneteenth and Father's Day with worship led by Rev. Paul Perez and young adult clergy during Annual Conference 2021. The service begins with a welcome from Rev. Jonathan Mays, a children's message from Pastor Sarah Sheaffer, and a hymn video by Pastor Sharon Osterhouse, Kyria Joy Smith, and Nigel Smith.

March 28 - April 3, 2021, Holy Week

Holy, Wholly, Palm Sunday, 3/28/21

"As we head into Holy Week, we integrate our beliefs and actions for the health of the whole. We know there will still be pain, but we also know love will win.” Worship includes a greeting from Bishop Bard, songs & prayers in Anishinaabemowin & English, Pastor Sarah’s time for children, Pastor Sharon's music, a message about healing from toxic power, and young Wren & Roen's version of Amazing Grace in Anishinaabemowin. Series design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission.

Maundy Thursday Service of Remembrance, 4/1/21

Remembering Christ's final evening in the Upper Room, Bishop Bard calls upon us to open ourselves to God, acknowledging where we have fallen short, and trusting that God loves us – wholly and completely. © 2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. MICHIGAN AREA OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.

Good Friday Service, 4/2/21

This meditative service faces the crucifixion through art from around the world, accompanied only by piano and scripture texts from Isaiah and John. May this worship bring the forgiveness and freedom God shares with us, so that we may share it in solidarity with the world Christ came to disturb and save. © 2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. MICHIGAN AREA OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.

Holy Saturday Meditation & Ritual of Three Anointings, 4/3/21

You are invited to have olive oil and a towel nearby, dim the lights, light a candle, and experience this service on the largest screen you have. You may also want to pause the video in between movements, if you want to take more time. Holy Week Meditation and Rituals of Anointing © www.worshipdesignstudio.com. Used with permission.

January 10 - March 21, 2021

Tearing Apart the Heavens, 1/10/21

This morning’s gathering focuses on two sources of life: light and water, remembering the Epiphany of the Lord (when wise humans from a faraway place and tradition brought gifts to The Promised One) and the Baptism of the Lord (when Jesus humbled himself to be baptized in the wilderness). Enjoy an Epiphany carol, songs/prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, Pastor Sarah's children's message, a message from Mk 1 and Mt 2, and a Prayer Walk with a song from the Drum Voices of Greensky Hill.

Anything Good, 1/17/21

Tearing Apart the Heavens, 1/10/21

How do we love people who do terrible things? What if those people are our neighbors and family members? Let's think about that together this Sunday, 1/17, in the light of Epiphany. Rev. Jonathan Mays leads our online worship service, including songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, Pastor Sarah's children's message, ideas and actions from John 1:43-51, and prayers for healing, peace, and comfort and for anti-racism.

Follow Me! 1/24/21

Tearing Apart the Heavens, 1/10/21

What Have You to Do with Us, 1/31/21

So, how does Jesus fish? The Anishinaabemowin word, “gnaadamaadimi” and Robin Wall Kimmerer’s essay about the Serviceberry helps us think about that together in the light of Epiphany. Rev. Jonathan Mays leads worship, including songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, Pastor Sarah's children's message, ideas and actions from Mark 1:14-20, an anti-racism prayer, and prayers for healing, peace, and comfort.

What Have You to Do with Us, 1/31/21

For victims of colonialism, these are questions of survival: "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?" At Greensky Hill, we not only welcome the hard questions. We embrace them (and, more important, the people who ask them)! Rev. Jonathan Mays leads worship, including songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, ideas and actions from Mark 1:21-28, Pastor Sarah's children's message, an anti-racism prayer, and prayers for healing, peace, and comfort.

She Began to Serve, 2/7/21

What Have You to Do with Us, 1/31/21

A High Mountain Apart, 2/14/21

I wonder if Mister Rogers was thinking about the unnamed woman who got a second chance at life and immediately nourished others, when he said, "What changes the world? The only thing that ever really changes the world is when somebody gets the idea that love can abound and can be shared." Rev. Jonathan Mays leads our online worship service, including songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, Pastor Sarah's children's message, a Love Feast, and ideas and actions from Mark 1:29-39.

A High Mountain Apart, 2/14/21

What Have You to Do with Us, 1/31/21

A High Mountain Apart, 2/14/21

Let's walk together to a high mountain apart, by ourselves, and contemplate an experience that is at once terrifying and so overwhelmingly beautiful that you don't want it to end. Rev. Jonathan Mays leads our online service, including songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, Pastor Sarah's children's message, reflection on the mystery of the Transfiguration in Mark 9:2-9, an anti-racism prayer, and prayers for healing, peace, and comfort.

Ash Wednesday: Shattered, 2/17/21

"Ash Wednesday is a time of naming brokenness. As we enter Lent, we enter into a season of healing and recovery that - as a first step - requires the naming of what has been shattered. We accept responsibility as disciples of Jesus to be the Body of Christ – a body of those who need healing and offer healing in the world. The promise of Jesus is that he is with us in our weariness and burdens." Worship series design and original music © Worship Design Studio, www.worshipdesignstudio.com/vessels

Treasures, 2/21/21

Ash Wednesday: Shattered, 2/17/21

"Beach glass begins as something whole, yet discarded. As it's tumbled by the sea, it's broken and polished until it becomes a treasure. When brokenness enters our lives, Jesus reaches out to remind us that we are worthy of new life in the midst of hopelessness. In a year when pandemic has wreaked havoc on our world, we begin by affirming our journey to physical health." Worship series design and original music © Worship Design Studio, used with permission. www.worshipdesignstudio.com/vessels

Safe Keeping, 2/28/21

Ash Wednesday: Shattered, 2/17/21

Safe Keeping, 2/28/21

“God gathers us as a beachcomber gathers and marvels at every precious surviving piece of beach glass she finds. We are never alone, we are never lost to the one who seeks humanity’s wholeness. We [are] the Body of Christ that knows we cannot be personally healed until we see the interconnected community as part of the process of healing...In a year of devastating loss of livelihood, we consider the economic health that reimagines status quo.” www.worshipdesignstudio.com/vessels

Stories, 3/7/21

Different Pictures, 3/14/21

Safe Keeping, 2/28/21

“This week we acknowledge the power of truth-telling.... There are stories that have shaped our lives, leaving us without the ability to see who we truly are in the eyes of God and leaving us without the ability to speak the depth of our stories of struggle. We focus on the importance of recovery of mental health, reclaiming our sense of who we are and being able to proclaim new redemptive stories of divine worth.” Worship series design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used w/ permission.

Different Pictures, 3/14/21

"We need a touch of inspiration to awaken us from our sleep, as we hear in one of this week’s healing stories. We also awaken to our agency to seek out the Divine Healer, reaching out to touch the power we know can restore our intellect and imagination. We emerge ready to re-engage with the world, seeking and seeing solutions, creating different pictures of life renewed just as a mosaic artist creates beauty from broken pieces of glass." Series/Music © Worship Design Studio, used w/ permission.

Restoration, 3/21/21

Different Pictures, 3/14/21

“As we consider the health of humanity, we cannot ignore the need to heal the very planet that sustains us.... We want to be 'saved' by something or someone else, but we discover this week that we are in the boat with the One who shows us our power to turn it around, to calm the storm. We protect the jewel that is our home, restoring something beautiful from scars of the past.” Worship series design/original music © Worship Design Studio, used w/ permission.

October 25, 2020 - January 3, 2021

Pressing On: On These Two Commandments, 10/25/20

Imagine a world where justice for all is the norm, a world where everyone does these two things. "'You shall love the Lord your God* with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Matthew 22:37) *Feel free to use 12-Step language, God as you understand God. "We came to be aware that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."

All Saints Day: These Are They, 11/1/20

Pressing On: On These Two Commandments, 10/25/20

For All Saints Day, we are remembering those who Derek Weber describes as “the ones who cared for you, the ones who loved you…those who loved and cared and now are no longer there to do so.” With Revelation 7:9-17 & Matthew 5:1-12, we'll reflect on both personal (including pandemic) and political grief and we'll look to the example of "they who have come out of the great ordeal" for ways that we can participate with God in bringing comfort to those who grieve.

There Is Now: The Shout at Midnight, 11/8/20

Pressing On: On These Two Commandments, 10/25/20

There Is Now: The Shout at Midnight, 11/8/20

Some of us went to bed rejoicing, some of us went to bed weeping. Today, we remember that we have more in common than not. We walk this sacred way together: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are... If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” The Shout at Midnight in Matt. 25:6 reminds us to stay awake to opportunities to love.

There Is Now: Enter Into the Joy, 11/15/20

Company's Coming: This Place is a Mess, 11/29/20

There Is Now: The Shout at Midnight, 11/8/20

What will you do with the talents you have been given? Follow us as we journey through the parable of the talents, Matthew 25:14-30. In every gospel message, there is a call. But let it be a call to joy, not to shame or to heaviness. Let it be a call to the possibilities of transformation and growth. Help us navigate through social and racial injustice from a child's perspective. Invite the community to more— more love, more joy, more fellowship, and connection.

There Is Now: In Christ's Glory, 11/22/20

Company's Coming: This Place is a Mess, 11/29/20

Celebrate Thanks"living" with us as we continue Matthew 25 on this "Reign of Christ" Sunday. Let us take the opportunity to give thanks to Creator, as well as carry out Christ's reign where the "least of these" experience the abundance of God.

Company's Coming: This Place is a Mess, 11/29/20

Join us in looking back over the past year, looking forward at what is to come, and savoring the moment of the present. Let us prepare for the coming of our Creator, as we enter into this Advent season.

Company's Coming: Clean-up Crew, 12/6/20

Company's Coming: Waiting on the Threshold, 12/20/20

Company's Coming: Deck the Halls, 12/13/20

Join us in seeking spiritual cleansing as we prepare for the coming of our savior this advent season. Recognize the messes we make, and how we can clean up in preparation of hosting our most important guest.

Company's Coming: Deck the Halls, 12/13/20

Company's Coming: Waiting on the Threshold, 12/20/20

Company's Coming: Deck the Halls, 12/13/20

Advent Candle Lighting, a children's message from Pastor Sarah, songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, and a message from Pastor Jonathan, “Deck the Halls” from John 1. Discipleship Ministries asks, "After finding the mess and cleaning it up, what now? Decorations! We’ve got to make the place look great for those who are coming. We want our welcome to be beautiful and our hospitality to be breathtaking. So where do we start? What do we include? What does it matter?" It matters.

Company's Coming: Waiting on the Threshold, 12/20/20

Company's Coming: Welcoming the Guest, 12/24/20, Children's Christmas Eve Program/Candle Lighting

Join us for Advent Candle Lighting, Pastor Sarah's children's message, songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, Pastor Jonathan's message, “Waiting on the Threshold,” from 2 Samuel 7 & Luke 1, and the Doug Howell song, "According to Your Word."

Company's Coming: Welcoming the Guest, 12/24/20, Children's Christmas Eve Program/Candle Lighting

Merry Christmas from Pastor Sarah and the Greensky Hill Indian United Methodist Church's Children's Ministry and from Bishop David Alan Bard, Rev. Kathy Pittenger, and the Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church's Children's Ministry.

Company's Coming: Enjoying the Company, 12/27/20

Company's Coming: Welcoming the Guest, 12/24/20, Children's Christmas Eve Program/Candle Lighting

Company's Coming: Enjoying the Company, 12/27/20

Join us for special music by Maggie Sheaffer, songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, a musical children's message, Pastor Jonathan's message, “Enjoying the Company,” from Luke 2, a 2020 version of the Amy Grant song, "I Need a Silent Night," and a drum song by Raymond Shenoskey.

Company's Coming: Living the Celebration, 1/3/21

Company's Coming: Welcoming the Guest, 12/24/20, Children's Christmas Eve Program/Candle Lighting

Company's Coming: Enjoying the Company, 12/27/20

Join us for songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, Pastor Sarah's children's message, Pastor Jonathan's message, “Living the Celebration,” from Ephesians 1, a Christmas Carol, and a prayer walk to the Circle of Trees with the music of Jean Watson.

August 2 - October 18, 2020

Because God: You Give Them Something, 8/2/20

We are not powerless in the face of "the spiritual forces of racism, sexism, violence, and Plantation Capitalism" that James Lawson spoke about at John Lewis' funeral. We can do something. And when asked, "Why?", we can simply answer, "Because God." We'll share a Love Feast, pray together (including a Prayer for Anti-Racism), sing together, listen to a story from Matthew 14:13-21, and feel compassion in the 1969 Elvis Presley song, "In the Ghetto."

Because God: The Word Is Near, 8/9/20

Because God: You Give Them Something, 8/2/20

At first glance, a phrase like, "The word is near you," could seem like some churchy, religious, phrase disconnected from our everyday experience. It's not. It's true that it's a quote from the Bible, but listen to how connected it is to our everyday reality - especially our weird pandemic reality. In the New Testament book of Romans, "The word is near you," is a quote from the book of Deuteronomy. We know how to walk the good road. It's not too hard. It's not too far away. Let that sink in.

Because God: To the Lost Sheep, 8/16/20

Because God: You Give Them Something, 8/2/20

Because God: To the Lost Sheep, 8/16/20

We want Greensky Hill to be a safe place for all of us - ALL - to take “the greatest risk we’ll ever take.” That’s why we ask the hard questions and embrace the Mystery when we don’t have good answers. A 2016 Jordan Smith song will help get us there. In these days when political opponents call each other "sheeple" and BIPOC are disproportionately harmed by the pandemic and by institutional racism, it's more important than ever that we see each other as fully human.

Because God: Who Do You Say?, 8/23/20

Through the Wilderness: Praises & Swords, 9/6/20

Because God: To the Lost Sheep, 8/16/20

What do rocks have to do with being truly, fully, human? The same metaphor - rock - can be a life giving foundation upon which to build or an impenetrable fortress that keeps us from risking being seen as we are. Foundation or fortress? Has COVID-19 intensified self-protective feelings in you (like a 1966 Simon and Garfunkel song)? Everyday, we can deconstruct the colonized version of who Jesus is, look to the rock from which we were hewn, and answer with our lives, "Who do you say that I am?"

Because God: Hold Fast, 8/30/20

Through the Wilderness: Praises & Swords, 9/6/20

Let's talk about genuine love and what it means to "hold fast to what is good." And we'll ponder this riddle, "For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." A Mister Rogers song will help us hold fast and know, "Then Your Heart is Full of Love," as we listen to another story from Matthew 16 and a letter to a community trying to resist a false empire in order to live in God's kindom instead.

Through the Wilderness: Praises & Swords, 9/6/20

"Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law." - Romans 13:10Sunday, Sep. 6, at 10 AM, we're starting our September online worship series, "Through the Wilderness," with, "Praises & Swords," a message about real love in a really violent world.Let's walk together apart "Through the Wilderness." Together apart means loving our neighbors as ourselves by practicing physical distancing for now and social connecting always.

Through the Wilderness: Into the Sea, 9/13/20

Through the Wilderness: Strike the Rock, 9/27/20

Through the Wilderness: Into the Sea, 9/13/20

Our sacred text for this Sunday is a real stretch. Literally. "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea..." (Exodus 14:21 & 27). As we wrestle with violence in the Bible and all around us, we're thinking especially about those who cry out to their mothers in their moments of crisis. Those who needed to be set free were not Pharaoh's only victims.

Through the Wilderness: What Is It?, 9/20/20

Through the Wilderness: Strike the Rock, 9/27/20

Through the Wilderness: Into the Sea, 9/13/20

Let's face feelings of hopelessness and confusion with a story of hope and provision from Exodus 16. Sometimes, life is right in front of us, but we don’t recognize it. Sometimes, everything we long for, everything we need is right there, but... “Better the enslavement that I know, than the freedom that I don’t know.” - Rolf Jacobson, Fleshpots of Egypt

Through the Wilderness: Strike the Rock, 9/27/20

Through the Wilderness: World Communion Sunday, 10/4/20

We're continuing our September online worship series, "Through the Wilderness," with, "Strike the Rock." This service is all about nibi (water) and the gut-honest question, "Is the Creator among us or not?" And we'll borrow a bit of hope from the David Wilcox song, "Show the Way," when we sing, "In this darkness, love will show the way."

Through the Wilderness: World Communion Sunday, 10/4/20

Pastor Jonathan and team serving drive-in Communion in the parking lot (with free food boxes, free cloth masks, and home worship packets), followed by Pastor Sarah sharing a message from the sanctuary on Parking Lot 106.9 FM (30:00 on the video), “Through the Wilderness: That I May Gain Christ.” As we long to gather in our historic log sanctuary in the woods near Susan Lake, let’s imagine this space as our sacred circle of trees.

Pressing On: Think on These Things, 10/11/20

Through the Wilderness: World Communion Sunday, 10/4/20

Pressing On: Think on These Things, 10/11/20

Catch your breath. Take a Sabbath break from pandemics and politics and set your mind and heart on something beautiful. Rest with songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, a Children's Message from Pastor Sarah, Lectio Divina in Philippians 4:1-9, and thoughts and song from Rev. Jonathan Mays.

Pressing On: Known by Name, 10/18/20

Through the Wilderness: World Communion Sunday, 10/4/20

Pressing On: Think on These Things, 10/11/20

May I call you Moses? Essential workers, homeschooling parents, struggling small business owners, everyone who wishes the nightmare would end, you are Moses today. "The Lord said to Moses, 'I will do exactly what you have asked. I am pleased with you. And I know your name. I know all about you.'" Join us for songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, a Children's Message from Pastor Sarah, and thoughts and song by Rev. Jonathan Mays from Exodus 33:12-23.

May 24 - July 26, 2020

Showing the Glory of Christ in Us, 5/24/20

Go, Therefore, Trinity Sunday/Peace with Justice Sunday, 6/7/20

Transcending Difference, Pentecost Sunday, 5/31/20

This week's video includes Pastor Sarah's Children's Message live! The service is all about what to do with the anxiety we feel, especially in the midst of a global pandemic. We can let it go.

Transcending Difference, Pentecost Sunday, 5/31/20

Go, Therefore, Trinity Sunday/Peace with Justice Sunday, 6/7/20

Transcending Difference, Pentecost Sunday, 5/31/20

Pentecost Sunday Live includes Pastor's Sarah's Children's Message! We'll re-center, focus on love, and continue working together to create a new normal. We will lament the murder of George Floyd; Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit; and the loss of 100,000 neighbors to COVID-19. And we will find hope in the power of the Holy Spirit to transcend difference and heal creation.

Go, Therefore, Trinity Sunday/Peace with Justice Sunday, 6/7/20

In 1870, William Swan was murdered for being black. None of the local white churches would bury a black man. At the end of the worship service, we walk from our hewn-log sanctuary to William Swan’s grave, so the world can see one more reminder that the particularly bad human behavior that the world has been reacting to since May 25, 2020 has been happening for a long, long time. And. There is still good in the world. And. If we love our neighbors as ourselves, love will win. Say his name.

See All the People, 6/14/20

Hear All the People, 6/21/20

Go, Therefore, Trinity Sunday/Peace with Justice Sunday, 6/7/20

This Second Sunday after Pentecost, we'll open our eyes to see all the people, especially those who often feel like they don't count - perhaps because of powerful people who literally don't want to count everyone, in the census, at the ballot box, or at the table - the very "harassed and helpless" people on whom Jesus had compassion. With Matthew 9:35-10:23 and Buffalo Springfield, we'll look at how the world in Jesus' time, in the 60's, and now, needs compassion.

Hear All the People, 6/21/20

Last week, Buffalo Springfield helped us look at these times we’re in. This morning, live from Greensky Hill, music from The Youngbloods will help us do something with Jesus’ teaching, “A disciple is not above the teacher…” Our Take Away: “Somebody’s hurting our people. It’s gone on far too long, and we won’t be silent anymore.” I encourage you to join me in accepting the invitation from www.june2020.org to join The Poor People’s Campaign.

Love All the People, 6/28/20

Hear All the People, 6/21/20

This morning, live from Greensky Hill, our Anishinaabemowin prayers and songs and music from The Beatles will help us do something with Jesus’ teaching, "...whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones...truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."

For Freedom, 7/5/20

Nothing Can Separate Us: Set Your Mind, 7/12/20

So far this Summer, songs from 1967 have helped us see the difference between the kingdoms of this world based on power and wealth and the kin-dom of God based on love. This morning, it’s a 1969 Tim Hardin hit (written by Bobby Darin), words from a guy who was blinded by the light, and Jesus telling us what we can do with toxic anxiety, that beg the questions, “Have we learned anything? Do we really understand what it means to live for freedom?” Do you remember, “A Simple Song of Freedom?”

Nothing Can Separate Us: Set Your Mind, 7/12/20

As we continue creating a new neighborly normal together, we'll pray together, sing together, and this week a Dylan song from 1962 will help us think about Romans 8:1-11 and how where you "Set Your Mind" is the difference between death and life. I know I set it down somewhere. And peace. Oh, peace. Doesn't that sound amazing? Sarah's children's message follows.

Pastor Sarah's Children's Message, 7/12/20

Nothing Can Separate Us: Set Your Mind, 7/12/20

Nothing Can Separate Us: Creation Waits, 7/19/20

Sarah shares soil management advice to help us set our minds on the Spirit. Plus, donut seeds! Yup, donut seeds.

Nothing Can Separate Us: Creation Waits, 7/19/20

Nothing Can Separate Us: More Than Conquerors (Love Wins), 7/26/20

Nothing Can Separate Us: Creation Waits, 7/19/20

What is creation waiting for? What are we waiting for? We’ve been using songs from the 60s, during our 10 AM online worship gathering, to think about questions like these. This morning, it’s a Pete Seeger song from 1955 with another important question: When will we ever learn?

Nothing Can Separate Us: More Than Conquerors (Love Wins), 7/26/20

As we continue creating a new neighborly normal together, we'll pray together, sing together, and contemplate Romans 8:26-39 and what it means to be "More Than Conquerors." We'll sit with Paul's questions (our questions?): “Who will rescue me from this body of death?" and "Who will separate us from the love of Christ?" And when we fear that the Creator and Lover of All might change their mind and leave us unloved, we'll trust the promise of the 1967 song by The Association, "Never My Love."

April 12 - May 17, 2020, Easter Season

The Three Marys, Easter Sunday, 4/12/20

Easter Worship with Bishop David Alan Bard, 4/12/20

Experience Greensky Hill's live Easter Sunday worship service, followed by Bishop David Bard's Easter service and Pastor Sarah's Easter Garden Project in the videos that follow.

Easter Worship with Bishop David Alan Bard, 4/12/20

Watch the video of our live service from Pastor Jonathan & Kathy's dining room. Then, watch this video as we finish our Easter 2020 celebration together.

Pastor Sarah's Easter Garden Project, 4/12/20

Easter Worship with Bishop David Alan Bard, 4/12/20

Indescribable & Glorious Joy, Second Sunday of Easter, 4/19/20

Rev. Kathy Pittenger shared a Children's Time during the Bishop's Easter Service.

In this video, Pastor Sarah shows us how to make an Easter garden project.

Indescribable & Glorious Joy, Second Sunday of Easter, 4/19/20

Pastor Sarah's Children's Time, Second Sunday of Easter, 4/19/20

Indescribable & Glorious Joy, Second Sunday of Easter, 4/19/20

Watch Bishop David Bard's video about Body Prayer, then experience our live worship service with this video. Watch Pastor Sarah's Children's Message video to conclude our worship experience for the Second Sunday of Easter.

Pastor Sarah's Children's Time, Second Sunday of Easter, 4/19/20

Sarah talks about finding joy even when there's doubt and sings "Waymaker."

Setting Our Faith & Hope, Third Sunday of Easter, 4/26/20

Pastor Sarah's Children's Time, Second Sunday of Easter, 4/19/20

Watch Bishop David Bard's video about Body Prayer, then experience our live worship service with this video. Watch Pastor Sarah's Children's Message in the next video to conclude our worship experience for the Third Sunday of Easter

Pastor Sarah's Children's Time, 4/26/20

Pastor Sarah's Children's Time, Fourth Sunday of Easter, 5/3/20

By His Wounds, Fourth Sunday of Easter, 5/3/20

Climb into the fort with Pastor Sarah and Maggie for a story about The Road to Emmaus.

By His Wounds, Fourth Sunday of Easter, 5/3/20

Pastor Sarah's Children's Time, Fourth Sunday of Easter, 5/3/20

By His Wounds, Fourth Sunday of Easter, 5/3/20

Pastor Jonathan shares an Agape Feast with Greensky Hill's extended family and friends and talks about walking the Sacred Way in Jesus' steps.

Pastor Sarah's Children's Time, Fourth Sunday of Easter, 5/3/20

Sarah and Maggie meet the sheep at the Matchett Farm.

Like Living Stones, Fifth Sunday of Easter, 5/10/20

Pastor Sarah's Children's Time, Fourth Sunday of Easter, 5/3/20

Pastor Jonathan leads worship, remembering Ahmaud Arberry, and singing "Mothering God, You Gave Me Birth," as we work together for a "new neighborly normal."

Pastor Sarah's Children's Time, 5/10/20

Like Living Stones, Fifth Sunday of Easter, 5/10/20

Come and Hear, Sixth Sunday of Easter, 5/17/20

Jesus answers Thomas' question about knowing the way, opens the Shepherd's gate to all, and assures us that nothing - not even death - can separate us from the love of God.

Come and Hear, Sixth Sunday of Easter, 5/17/20

Like Living Stones, Fifth Sunday of Easter, 5/10/20

Come and Hear, Sixth Sunday of Easter, 5/17/20

Pastor Jonathan ponders the poets' words in Acts 17:22-31, "In him we live and move and have our being." And talks about how, "The God who made the world and everything in it, the one who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands..."

March 15, Selah - April 11, 2020, Holy Week

Selah: Life in a Minor Key - Worship & Bow Down featuring Dan Magee, 3/15/20

Our first ever worship broadcast: Daniel Magee, a lay speaker at Greensky Hill, prepared a sermon for the third week in our Lenten series, "Selah – Life in a Minor Key." Each week in the series focuses on a Psalm and features an African American Spiritual. Along with Dan's message, "Worship and Bow Down," from Psalm 95.

Selah: Life in a Minor Key - In Right Paths, 3/22/20

Selah: Life in a Minor Key - Worship & Bow Down featuring Dan Magee, 3/15/20

This Sunday and next, we'll finish our Lenten series. We’ll rest - practice the Selah of Sabbath together - by listening, singing, praying, and meditating on a Psalm, an African American Spiritual, and hymns/prayers in Anishinaabemowin.‬

Selah: Life in a Minor Key - Out of the Depths, 3/29/20

Selah: Life in a Minor Key - Worship & Bow Down featuring Dan Magee, 3/15/20

Selah: Life in a Minor Key - Out of the Depths, 3/29/20

This Sunday, we'll finish our Lenten series. We’ll rest - practice the Selah of Sabbath together - by listening, singing, praying, and meditating on a Psalm, an African American Spiritual, and hymns/prayers in Anishinaabemowin.‬

Pastor Sarah's Children's Message - Psalm 130, 3/29/20

Selah: Life in a Minor Key - Out of the Depths, 3/29/20

Children’s Message for Psalm 130. Don’t be afraid to pray to God from a deep place.

Palm Sunday, 4/5/20

Pastor Sarah's Children's Message - Psalm 130, 3/29/20

Pastor Sarah's Palm Sunday Craft, 4/5/20

As we long to gather in our historic log sanctuary in the woods near Susan Lake, let’s imagine this space as our sacred circle of trees.

Pastor Sarah's Palm Sunday Craft, 4/5/20

Pastor Sarah's Children's Message - Psalm 130, 3/29/20

Pastor Sarah's Palm Sunday Craft, 4/5/20

Pastor Sarah shows us how to wave palm branches while we practice physical distancing.

Maundy Thursday, 4/9/20

Good Friday Reflection, Ragman by Walter Wangerin w/ Ken Medema, 4/10/20

Service of Handwashing & Table, 4/9/20

Watch this brief video of our live Maundy Thursday Service, then join the Batten family around the table in the video below to conclude our worship experience for Maundy Thursday 2020.

Service of Handwashing & Table, 4/9/20

Good Friday Reflection, Ragman by Walter Wangerin w/ Ken Medema, 4/10/20

Service of Handwashing & Table, 4/9/20

Watch the video of our live service from Pastor Jonathan & Kathy's dining room. Then, watch this video as we finish our Maundy Thursday service around the table with the Batten family.

Good Friday Reflection, Ragman by Walter Wangerin w/ Ken Medema, 4/10/20

Check out this great video as you reflect on the Christ Candle, listen to the story "Ragman" read by the author, Walter Wangerin, Jr., with an original song by Ken Medema.

Good Friday Service, 4/10/20

Holy Saturday Meditation, 4/11/20

Good Friday Reflection, Ragman by Walter Wangerin w/ Ken Medema, 4/10/20

Watch this brief video of our live Good Friday Service, then join Rev. Jeremy Peters in the next video to conclude our worship experience for Good Friday 2020.

Good Friday Prayer Walk, 4/10/20

Holy Saturday Meditation, 4/11/20

Watch the video of our live service from Pastor Jonathan & Kathy's dining room. Then, watch this video as we finish our Good Friday service with the members of Court Street UMC in Flint MI and their pastor, Rev. Jeremy Peters.

Holy Saturday Meditation, 4/11/20

We will get through this together.

We are not alone.

On Maundy Thursday, we shared a powerful interactive devotional written by our 2019 Camp Meeting speaker, Rev. Paul Perez. On Good Friday, we walked the streets of Flint and prayed with Rev. Jeremy Peters. Tomorrow, Easter Sunday, following our own brief live service at 10 AM, we'll join UMC siblings and others in worship together with Bishop David Alan Bard's Easter Service.

Today, this Holy Saturday, our 2017 Camp Meeting speaker, Rev. Dr. Glenn Wagner helps us wait.

We will get through this together.

As we experienced the art of our Christ Candle bearing the wounds and fears of our many prayer candles each time we gathered online during Holy Week, we meditate on the self-giving love of God, entering into our experience, our suffering, our injustice, and taking it to the grave. And we wait. We wait. We wait for new life.

Read Glenn Wagner's Holy Saturday reflection here.