Jeanette Harney

March 2, 2023

25 Days of Seeking Justice Across Borders | 2022

Jeanette Harney

March 2, 2023

ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT

Eden - A nonprofit to support disabled Latinx adults

Kenya Initiative - Emergency food assistance & school fees for Moses’ neighbors in Kenya

SCOPE - Maternal & Newbord Health, HIV/AIDS Edcuation in Ethiopia

Bethlehem Bible College

First Aid Arts - Arts-based resources and care for trauma survivors

SPH Scholarships - Scholarships for Papuan children in Indonesia

British Red Cross - Ukraine Crisis Appeal

DEC - Disaster Emergency Committee Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal

Shelter Scotland - shelter for those experiencing homelessness in Scotland

CAIR - Council on American-Islamic

Relations provides legal support for the Muslim community

NWIRP - Northwest Immigrant Rights Project provides legal support for immigrants.

REWA - Refugee Women’s Alliance provides legal services for refugees and women.

Ukraine Emergency Fund - Support CRU missionaries & the refugees they are assisting

Malala Fund - Support girls education in places where most girls miss out on secondary education

Thrive Ansanm - Empowering young people in Haiti to thrive through education, mentoring, and resources

Go.Build.Love - Water filters & wells Upstream International - Helping those who are helping people

One Gift One Child

myLIFEspeaks

Living Stones

Respire Haiti - Education & medical for children in Haiti

One Parish One Prisoner - Equipping parishes to build supportive relationships with one person returning to their community from prison.

New Beginnings

DAWN - Domestic Abuse Women’s Network

CEPAD -Partner organization in Nicaragua

Jeanette Harney

January 13, 2023

How would Jesus Parent?

Jeanette Harney

January 13, 2023

“How would Jesus parent?”

This was the thought that came to mind as I walked the track at the YMCA this week. I mean, he must’ve had to help out with his siblings being the oldest, so being around kids wasn’t foreign to him. His brother James likely had a good relationship with His older brother - so much so that he would follow Jesus as one of his apostles.

I asked Andrew what he thought about this and said, “ Why don’t you try asking the Spirit to bring a verse to mind that might help you.” (Good advice.)

So what came to mind? Matthew 19:13-15 (The Message)
One day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus intervened: “Let the children alone, don’t prevent them from coming to me. God’s kingdom is made up of people like these.”

Come unto me.

So many times, I think, “I should be doing more - I am missing the mark with my kids” - and on the hook for their choice to know or not know God. When it comes to your kiddos, do you ever worry that you’ve plain messed it up?

But all He says is bring those kiddos to me and I’m ready to accept them just as they are. He blesses and prays for them.

One of my good friends said her goal is that if her children go looking for God, she wants to make sure they know where to find Him. Not forcing faith but opening the door. The parents in Matthew knew where to find Jesus and Jesus welcomed them to His lap. So, what we’re doing is providing access. Access to love. Access to compassion. Access to the God of the universe who loves them beyond comprehension and wildly.

So yes, we definitely want to provide access to Jesus and His love, but I’ll raise you one: Belonging. Jesus made it clear that the children belonged with Him. Not as second class citizens standing by the wayside.

Our Union Kids team gets this and I’m so grateful. I get goosebumps when I see the kids streaming into the cafe on Sunday mornings because I know they will have the opportunity to belong and no requirement to believe. That’s not our job. Our job as parents and teachers is to show up, welcome kids, introduce them to God and then trust that Spirit has got this, got them. We seek to be "access to God" in action.

As our children get older, we know that our control over them - even though mostly that is an illusion to begin with - lessens. So, in this season, we can serve as seed-planters, guides, comforts, but not a savior for our kids by any stretch of the imagination. Maybe all that’s required is reminding your kids that they are loved, by you, God and our broader community. Reminding them that God is near, whether you think you've “parented right” or not.

What do you think? How would Jesus parent ? Does that thought shape how we introduce our children to our Savior and seek to provide a space of belonging? What resonates with you?

This Sunday, January 15
Chandra Jamerson will be leading our Union Kids time this week. Kids will join in the beginning of the worship time and then dismissed to the back. Nursery care will be available for the entire worship time for children who are infants through age 3, led by Grace Lee and Linden Beeman.

Play and Learn Field Trip - Wednesday, January 18

Play and Learn will take a field trip this week to Uwajimaya on January 18, led by Sachiko Smith. Please contact Sharon at 206.931.2392 if you are interested in meeting up with the group that morning.

Play and Learn returns to 415 Westlake on Wednesday, January 25 at 10 AM - 11:30 AM, with an optional snack time from 11:30 AM to 12 noon. This drop-in style play time for children ages infant to five. Please contact Kathy Foster at Kathy-Foster@comcast.net for more info.

Parents’ Prayer (Zoom call), Friday, January 27
The next parents’ prayer time is January 27 at 12:30 PM. Grab a bite to eat then jump on the Zoom call for 20 minutes and be ready for your next meeting at 1 PM or on to the rest of your day. This is a time of guided prayer to pray for our children, as well as pray for schools, teachers and families. I will send a separate email with the Zoom link.

Blessings,
Sharon

Sharon Mead
Union Church Children’s & Family Ministry Lead
sharon@unionchurchseattle.org
206.931.2392 talk/text

Jeanette Harney

November 3, 2022

ADVENT | 25 Prayers of Justice

Jeanette Harney

November 3, 2022

Pray With Passion and Compassion This Advent

Our hearts are heavy with the injustices that continue to plague our world. This Advent, we invite you into a time of prayer, to seek Jesus and explore the depths of your heart as we pray together for our broken world. Let us be encouraged that "He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God." (Romans 8:27)

Breathe

Jeanette Harney

July 15, 2022

Extra-Ordinary Living

Jeanette Harney

July 15, 2022

Stepping Out with Peter

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions* of Jesus. Acts 4:13
*they had been with Jesus

What transformation happens when we are companions with Jesus? What do people recognize in us that reflects our journey with Jesus?

2022 Summer Focus

This summer we are journeying with an ordinary guy in scripture, the disciple Peter, who is relatable in so many ways!

From Peter’s first encounters with Jesus as he is encouraged to “fish into the deep water” and invited by Philip to “come and see” who this Jesus is, we are are learning with Peter that no matter how ordinary, unordinary or extra-ordinary we feel, we worship an extraordinary God – who is actively engaged and passionately committed to creation.

Simon receives a new name Peter from Jesus – before he has done anything to prove his worth. Peter not only receives an invitation to live as God sees him -- as one who is not like shifting sand but solid as a rock -- we also receive an invitation. We, too are invited, to see ourselves through the eyes of Jesus.

Through Peter – an ordinary, every day person like us – we are invited to join with him on a journey of discovery with Jesus to learn (for disciple – means learner) how the God of the universe longs to transform our image of ourselves and ignite within us a passion for wholeness and restoration in this world God created and loves.

Previous Messages

We invite you to join us through reading these scripture passages at your own pace. If you have missed a sermon, here is the link to our past messages: http://www.unionchurchseattle.org/sermons

Weekly Focus

June 17: Luke 5:1-11 Into the Deep

June 24: I Peter 1:3-9 Living Hope

July 3: John 1:35-50 New Name and True Identity

July 10: Matthew 14:22-35 Into the Troubled Water

July 17: John 6:52-69 To Whom Shall We Go?

July 31: Matt 16:13-23 Learning from God’s Dream

August 7: Luke 9:28-36 and Mark 9:1-13 Party on the Mountaintop

August 14: Matthew 18 How Many Times?

August 21: John 13:1-17. Our Feet?

Sept 4: Luke 22:24-36; 54-62 Bold promise, big denial, and real grace

Sept 11 John 21 Out of the Deep (New Beginning)

Sept 18: Acts 3 In the Name of Jesus

Oct 2: Acts 4 Companions with Jesus in the Face of Power

Jeanette Harney

June 3, 2022

Pentecost

Jeanette Harney

June 3, 2022

Pentecost Sunday 2022

On this day where God empowers the church to minister we welcome our new Pastor of Youth and Community to Union to further strengthen and equip us! Come and meet our new member of the Union family and give thanks for the work of the Spirit!

Celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit into our lives to connect and equip us to be God’s agents of reconciliation in an estranged world. We celebrate God’s dream for humanity to live as new creation that cares for creation as we seek the dignity and welfare of all people.

On the day of Pentecost 2000+ years ago people from all the known nations were gathered in the bustling, overcrowded city of Jerusalem. Many were there to celebrate Shavuot – the Feast of Weeks, 50 days after Passover, people had come together to acknowledge God as creator and giver of the law. Some in the crowd were just there – as happens in any big city. (If you saw the crowded streets of Windsor this week – you have a vision of a crowd).

A few were there because they had followed Jesus, now risen from the dead, and Jesus had told them to wait in Jerusalem.

Into this expectant, faithful, discouraged, overwhelmed crowd – God acts. God moves. God’s Spirit descends upon this gathering of people who spoke the diverse languages of “every nation under heaven” we are told. And the disciples, now empowered by the Holy Spirit, share the Good News of God’s love and salvation in the native tongues of those who where there.

[Acts 2:1-4]
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

The Holy Spirit is a very real energizing Presence. – God on the Move. And because of the Spirit, Jesus is not gone and God is not distant. Because of the Spirit, our lives are united with God, our Creator, and Jesus, our Lord and Advocate.

God created us, Jesus leads us & the Spirit shows the way. In dealing with the Spirit we are dealing with none other than the personal presence of God.

Where and how do you experience the Holy Spirit (Breath of God and One who Comes Alongside) comforting, guiding, teaching, inspiring, connecting you to others, and breathing into you new life?

Jeanette Harney

May 27, 2022

Uvalde

Jeanette Harney

May 27, 2022

Dear Union Family,

We do not know what to say.

So many words swirl around us.

It is not that there are no theological thoughts or scriptural passages to quote but, in this time, the most healing act may be to stay in our anger and pain. Attempting to move away quickly runs the risk of failing to let pain do the work of moving us to restorative action.

The murders in Uvalde Elementary School are horrific as is the loss of life in the 213 similar acts of violence in these first 146 days of the year and the hundreds of shootings before—each tearing apart additional lives of parents, siblings, grandparents, spouses, cousins, and friends. The loss of laughter, hopes, dreams, and moments together is incalculable. We need to express that—to acknowledge the violation of the sanctity of life—to voice that this is utterly wrong and rips us to the core.

How do we talk to our kids about this—our kids who in many instances are already more aware of this harsh reality that we are from years of shooter drills and lock downs in their classrooms?

How do we pray when it feels it is to no avail and prayer itself has entered the political battleground?

We do not know what to say. So many words swirl around us.

But we do not abandon being present to our kids, holding, feeding, listening, asking what they are feeling, what they are thinking, choosing to live from love not fear. We do not abandon prayer---but we pray for more than comfort and peace. And we do not pray as a way of diverting attention from institutional evil that perpetuates these deadly acts. Instead, we pray for wisdom and courage to partner with the Spirit to transform our community by tangibly loving our neighbor and working against the fear-based constructs that root identity in guns more than Jesus.

Cole Arthur Riley, author and creator of Black Liturgies, reminds us of Frederick Douglass’ invocation to all of us: “I prayed for 20 years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.”

We also need to remember we are not alone. To that end, here are a couple of things we can do right now together though a part:
1) Set a reminder on your phone for 3 pm for the next twenty-one days and, wherever you are, as a community we will pray for government action, for our neighbors and how we are to participate in ending these senseless killings.

2) Walk or drive around your local schools. Be mindful of what comes to your attention and how we can respond in countering acts of violence in our communities.

In this time where the brokenness of an estranged world maybe more present than you remember…

Anger is appropriate—it is a sign of being created in the image of God Who creates life.

Prayer is appropriate—we follow a God who calls us to pray without ceasing.

Action is appropriate—we are called to bear witness to Christ came and lived physically in this world.

Hope is appropriate—the power that raised Jesus from the dead is still transforming lives.

With you in Christ,

James B and Renée

PS Parents, you have likely received many resources from your kids’ schools but here are a few more that have been referred to us:

Jeanette Harney

April 11, 2022

Lent Signpost. Week 6

Jeanette Harney

April 11, 2022

3 pm Daily Prayer:

As we journey this week toward the cross with Jesus, we invite you to pause in whatever you are doing at 3 pm each day this week and to take a moment to pause and pray. May this be a week of finding a different, other pace to life that invites space to be with Jesus.