[LITURGY] Rest is Freedom

Intro: Hey South Bend City Church, Mariah here – the Director of Art and Worship. Thank you so much for joining us for today’s liturgy episode of the podcast. In this weekend’s gatherings we had the chance to slow down and breathe. We did this by singing some songs and entering into a breath prayer. This was all supported by Cole Arthur Riley’s work, both on her Instagram and from her book “This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories that Make Us”.

If you want to follow along with the transcript, you can do so by scrolling down or clicking the link in the show notes below. Our hope is that wherever you are, you’re able to take a second to breathe deep and rest today.

Let’s jump in with the rest of our community now.

 

Future/Past by John Mark McMillan
Verse 1
You hold the reins on the sun and the moon
Like horses driven by kings
You cover the mountains, the valleys below
With the breadth of your mighty wings

Pre-Chorus
All treasures of wisdom and things to be known
Are hidden in-side your hand
And in this fortunate turn of events
You ask me to be your friend
You ask me to be your friend

Chorus (x2)
And you, You are my first, You are my last
You are my future and my past

Verse 2
The constellations are swimming inside
The breadth of your desire
Where could I run, where could I hide
from your hearts jealous fire

Pre-Chorus
Chorus (x2)

Bridge (x4)
You are the beginning and the end

Chorus (x2)

 

We’ll Be Free by William Matthews and Gungor
Verse 1
There’s a world at war
Caught in suffering
Silent casualties
Oh, God, grant us peace
In these sleepless nights
I can hardly breathe
Despite brutality
I know that we’ll be free
I know that we’ll be free

Chorus (x2)
Let the light in, keep it shinin’
Let it break into the darkness
All that love dares us to see
We’ll all be free

Verse 2
In these desperate times
Love will hold us here
Love will join our hands
Teach us to have no fear
So we lay our hate down
To wash their feet
When we see our brother
Oh, we’ll all be free
Yes, we’ll all be free

Chorus (x2)

Bridge
We’ll be free (free), free (free)
We’ll all be free

Chorus (x2)

 

Mariah: Amen. You guys can go ahead and grab a seat as we enter into this next section of our time.

There’s a couple different practices that we bring into our time together. Lectionary is one, Prayers of the People is one, and another one is breath prayer. And we just wanted to take a minute to breathe together. This prayer is a way to center ourselves in the here and now but also to connect us to ourselves and to the Divine.

We’re going to do this, I’m going to use some resources from Cole Arthur Riley, both from her Instagram page and from her book, This Here Flesh. And I hope that this morning, wherever you’re at, you can enter into this time. But if you can’t, for whatever reason, that’s okay as well.

So what I’m going to ask you to do, if you feel comfortable with it, put your feet flat on the floor. Find a position that’s comfortable for you, put your hands on your knees or however feels comfortable and if you’re comfortable with this, you can go ahead and close your eyes.

As you do, feel your heart beating in your chest. Take some deep breaths. Imagine yourself in a safe place, wherever that might be for you. Feel the air of that space. What do you see in that space? How do you feel in that space? And as you continue to breathe, try to enter in and stay in that space for the next few minutes.

As we do, I’m going to read some of Cole’s words.

 

Excerpts from “This Here Flesh” by Cole Arthur Riley
“Work is not the salvation you think it is. If you want to get free, exhaustion is not the way. Rest. Go slow. How will you stay near to yourself today?

God, in Christ learned something of this incessant exhaustion and enslavement from every soul we collide with. In one of the gospels, Jesus wakes up at daybreak just to go out to find a place to exhale alone for a bit. The crowds go and hunt him down, and they’re clinging to him, begging him to not leave again. Jesus puts them all in check, as if to say, “Don’t you know I have other things going on? You are keeping me from my purpose?

If Christ walked away, so can we.

I sometimes wonder what willpower, what fidelity to rest and waiting it must’ve taken for God, knowing he had all the capacity and strength to heal every person in every crowd to walk away. At first it seemed nearly callous, but it liberates me as I create boundaries in my own life.

I see the longing an despair all around me, and I think of Christ, lying in the boat with his head on a pillow while the waves toss their craft around. Everyone is frantic, thinking death itself has come for them, and the creator of the universe is fast asleep. Glory.

Sometimes the appropriate response to desperation is to do the unthinkable. Close your eyes.”

 

Mariah: With those thoughts and mind in your space, as you inhale, say to to yourself, in freedom, I lie down. And as you exhale, exhaustion is not my calling.

“INHALE: In freedom, I lie down.
EXHALE: Exhaustion is not my calling.”

Keep breathing and as you do, here’s a few more thoughts. As you inhale, I feel my breath deepen. As you exhale, slowness is sacred.

“INHALE: I feel my breath deepen.
EXHALE: Slowness is sacred.”

Breathe in and out. In and out.

In that light we’re going to orient ourselves back into the here and now so wherever you are take a minute to continue to breathe. Start to be aware that your feet are on the ground and your hands are in your lap. The space that we’re in here at Studebaker 112.

When you feel comfortable, open your eyes back up. And look at the community you’re a part of.

In that spirit we’re going to continue on and singing and some prayer. So as you’re able, would you stand? If you wanna stay in the position you’re into, that’s fine as well. But if you’re able and willing, would you stand? Wanna pray this over our next few moments.

 

A Prayer from @blackliturgies on Instagram
“Oh God, in the course of this busy life, give us times of refreshment and of peace and grant that we may so use our leisure to rebuild our bodies and renew our minds. That our spirits may be open to the goodness of your creation.

And together we say, amen.

 

Sufficient for Today by Maverick City Music
Verse 1
There may be storms
That won’t move out the way
And trials will come
To only test my faith
What I’ve learned about Your favor
Your mercy and Your grace
Is they go on forever
They’re sufficient for today

Verse 2
When I’m worried about tomorrow
I won’t be overwhelmed
And the burdens that I’ve carried
I will choose to lay them down
‘Cause what I’ve learned about Your favor
Your mercy and Your grace
Is they go on forever
They’re sufficient for today

Chorus (x2)
And hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
They’re sufficient for today

Verse 3
In the joy and in the sorrow
I find You just the same
And behind my darkest mornings
There’s a peace I can’t explain
I’m so grateful for Your favor
Your mercy and Your grace
‘Cause they go on forever
They’re sufficient for today

Chorus (x2)

 

Great is Thy Faithfulness
Verse 1
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not
As Thou has been Thou forever wilt be.

Chorus
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Lord unto me.

 

Mariah: Even if maybe that faithfulness doesn’t resonate with you this morning, I hope that today you hear that rest is freedom. We’re going to finish our time together with a reading and a chorus of a song. When you see the bolded and italicized words, I ask that you join in with me. Let’s read this together.

 

Excerpts from “This Here Flesh” by Cole Arthur Riley
“Rest is not the reward of our liberation, nor something we lay hold of once we are free. It is the path that delivers us there. Rest is an act of defiance and it cannot be predicated on apology. It’s the audacity to face the demands of this world and proclaim, We will not be owned.

We will not return to the chains that once held us. They are brittle and tarnished from our tears, which made the flood. Remember. You were never meant to prove your dignity. You don’t belong in the catacombs of restlessness, wandering from death to death. Lie down with me in the pasture, where life is alive and growing with the unapologetic slowness of a blade of grass. What will become of us?

We will be free and we will be dreaming.”

 

We’ll Be Free (Reprise)
Bridge
We’ll be free (free), free (free)
We’ll all be free