(Pity) Parties: October at Gilead

You know that pandemic era script? The one where someone asks how you're doing and you're like "Fine, a pandemic 6?" and then, if you're feeling honest, you tell 'em how things *really* are and how shitty is it and then at the last minute, you pull up and are, like, "But you know, I'm grateful."

EFF. THAT. SCRIPT.

In October, we’re telling real stories of how sh*tty things and throwing real (safe) parties while we still can. No more sugar coating it! Shit's rough! And we’ve got a long winter ahead of us. So come get it, while the getting’s good. A cozy Christmas party on Oct 11th, an awards-style service celebrating the small victories that no one ever sees on the 18th, and an Easter do-over on the 25th (byo piñata stick).

Mask up, and come join us on the lawn at 4250 N Paulina (or over Zoom but unless you need to do that…come outside!!!)! More about safe worship together here.

This is how we like it

Looking for our Communion bread recipe? Here you go. It’s more or less the King Arthur Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread recipe, with more butter. There’s also a new, easier, scone recipe. Scroll dowwwwwn for that.

If you’re baking for Gilead, first: thank you. And please note that items with asterisks are provided for you. You should take the bread bag home with you the week prior. If you’re baking for Gilead during ye olde global pandemic, we ask only that you wash your hands multiple times as you go (before you touch the batter, obvi), and that you limit touching the bread once it’s done. Please wrap the bread individually in the wax paper that’s provided, by twisting the paper at both ends like a lil piece of candy) and arrive by 4:45 to place it on chairs.

Yeasted bread

• 3 cups (King Arthur Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour*

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 2 teaspoons instant yeast*

• 1 1/4 teaspoons xanthan gum*

• 1 cup warm milk

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) soft butter

• 3 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional. Recommended)

Place the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and xanthan gum in a bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix till combined.

Using an electric mixer (hand mixer, or stand), drizzle in the warm milk, beating all the time; the mixture will be crumbly at first, but once all the milk is added, it'll come together.

Add the butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating each in thoroughly before adding the next. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, then beat at high speed for 3 minutes, to make a very smooth, thick batter.

Cover the bowl, and let the batter rise for 1 hour.

Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl, gently deflating the batter in the process.

Grease an 8 1/2" by 4 1/2" loaf pan OR (pandemic era) 36 mini-muffin tins.

Scoop the dough into the pan. Press it level, using a spatula or your wet fingers. Pandemic-era: we found that dropping spoonfuls into the muffin tins (cookie baking style) worked well, and then pressed/smoothed the batter into the tins with a spatula re-wet a few times during the process with cold water.

Cover with greased plastic wrap (whatever: or a towel, or a plastic bag. We’ve never greased plastic wrap. What a pain in the ass!), and set in a warm place to rise until the loaf barely crowns above the rim of the pan/muffin tins. This should take about 45 to 60 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake the bread for 38 to 42 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven, turn it out of the pan, and cool on a rack.

Muffin tins:  bake 18 to 24 (too long!) minutes, until golden brown; their internal temperature will be at least 200°F. Remove the rolls from the oven, wait 5 minutes, and carefully transfer them from the pan to a cooling rack. Rolls are best served warm. (Or cooled - wrapped by gloved hands in parchment paper. Whichever.) Bring the bread and the bread bag to church.

Wanna see all of that in action?

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Scones!

4 cups gluten-free flour (provided)

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar (or more. You like it)

8 tablespoons/1 stick butter

4 eggs, well beaten

1 cup heavy cream

Preheat the over to 425º. Lightly butter the muffin tins. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Work in the butter with your fingers or a party blender until the mixture resembles course meal. Add the eggs and cream and stir just until blended. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about a minute.

Roll the dough into balls and pat them down lightly as you drop them into the tins. If you wanna get fancy, you can pat or roll the dough until it’s 3/4” thick and cut it into lil circles that’ll fit in the tins. This recipe (which is already doubled here) should make up to 48 mini muffs (™ Jenn Bosma).

Bake for about 15 minutes.

Come sit your ass down. (If you want.)

Metrics for the city of Chicago are look good…for now (WEAR A MASK!) so we are gonna meet for small, outdoor, masked-up, in-person worship while we can. We’re planning on July 19th, Aug 2, Aug 16, and Aug 30. If it rains: Zoom! If the City or CDC changes guidelines: Zoom! (So it pays to check the Facebook page.) It all takes a lot of planning and compliance. Here’s what you need to know:

Let's do this, bi*ches!

It’s been a while. No, it’s been LITERALLY FOREVER*! We’ve missed you***, and we’re excited to be together again in a safe and socially distant way. This Sunday we will mask up, sanitize ourselves, and gather in the courtyard of Bethany UCC (4250 N Paulina) and HAVE CHURCH TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE EARLY MARCH. 

Note: Yes, we will technically*** be live-streaming the service on Zoom, but we’d be thrilled if you feel safe joining us in the open air. Obvi, if you don’t / it’s not an option for you, we’ll be in the same place we have been. Find that Zoomy-zoom link in your email.
 

Here’s The Deal

Masks are not an option. We get it, they aren’t the most comfy thing in the world, and seeing a sea of masks around you is oddly disconcerting. Wearing masks properly (over you nose and mouth) and keeping at least six feet of distance between yourself and people who aren’t on you #QuaranTeam is how we’re getting to be together. It sucks, but staying apart sucks more. #MaskUp #KeepYourDistance

For Your Safety

Sanitized restrooms with working toilets (#upgrade) will be available, but remember, it’s summer and we’re gonna be outside so bring what you need. Some things to consider: water, sunscreen, umbrellas, hats, mats or blankets if you’re not really into plastic chairs. Your #Team will get a circle that’s 8 ft in diameter. Plan well. Plan wisely. Also, we will have some circles set up for larger groups. If you’re not with a larger group… don’t be that g*y**.
 

Procedures

Showing Up

Contrary to what you’ve been told, please keep on the grass. When arriving please use the lawn to take the most direct path to your circle of choice, also, fill in from the front to minimize passing and accidentally breathing on each other. We will have stations with hand sanitizer and masks if you forget yours, but again, these aren’t our typical “greeting stations” so let’s not gather or bottle up around them. 

Note: The CDC recommends that older / particularly vulnerable individuals arrive earlier and stay late to minimize close contact with others. So if that's you, consider showing up 10-15 minutes earlier than you usually would. Maybe you'll get to witness a bit of sound check. 
 

Doing the Thing

Prompts - We’ll be doing prompts social distance style so save our number in your phone now, I’ll wait…

919.960.1247

No, I’ll do you 1 better. Click HERE and add us to your contacts**. 

Singing - Our worship staff will be on the steps of the church far enough away that they can remove their masks for speaking and singing without worrying about our "respiratory droplets" getting all up in your circles. We’re not doing any paper. No bulletins, no passing of the peace, or the beer (offering) buckets. No group-singing. WE KNOW! Singing together is what we do, but… safety. 

The Courtyard is BWBYLBCAI - Bring Whatever Beverage But Be Cool About It. Like.
Don’t show up to church with a keg, or a jug of Muscadine wine. Though delicious, we want to be good neighbors, and frankly, not look like assholes. To limit contact we’re practicing a Pack-In/Pack-Out policy, meaning that what you bring with you, leaves with you. Sounds like a great time to break out that travel mug that you haven’t used in months because, what even is travel anymore?
 

Peeling Out

After the Benediction, you’ll be dismissed row by row to, again, limit passing. We know how we are, so if you wanna stick around and chat with someone, go around the side of the building, or a little down the street so that we don’t get all rowdy crowdy on the sidewalk. (See above about not being those g*ys.)
 

Your Concerns

A FOG (friend of Gilead) who’s also a public health official reviewed our worship plan and said, and we quote, “the way you’re planning to have worship is like putting on a condom to have oral sex.” Read: This is literally how you say SAFE in Gilead.*

Have other concerns? Let us know. Email. Text. Phone. You (mostly) know how the world works.

*hyperbole
**seriously, right now
***understatement

No Time Like the Present: Hedgehogs (#Archival)

You feeling lonely, lil hedgehog?

In case you missed it: things have gotten good around here. We’ve popped the cork on some ideas that we have long been looking forward to but that didn't seem to fit anywhere, or were too weird, or were a little (or way) too much work. Ideas that we were saving for...when? and why, again?

When the pandemic hit, we thought, "fuck it. No time like the present." And a new theme was born: a theme about being in the moment, not waiting, or carpe-ing that diem, built of all the stuff we've been saving up. But no more! We're gonna "spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away!"

We kicked off with puppets and we're moving onto hedgehogs. At first, the hedgehog thing was because there are a lot of very good poems about hedgehogs (like, too many to use, even now). And then because hedgehogs, as adorable and vulnerable as they are, also are mad prickly and likely to hurt others just by their very nature. (Just like people! Get it??)

So huddle up, people. Not too close, of course. A little bit of distance is always a good idea — because of the inherent danger. But otherwise, let's throw caution to the wind — because what could come of it all is so good. Let's be church.

Get yer pandemic-era, hedgehog church service here.

No Time Like the Present: Finding Your Purpose

This is one for the record books: Rev. Vince Amlin’s Illustrated Guide to Ignatian (ish) Discernment. We’re just gonna leave this here, for anyone and anytime that could use a little old-fashioned figurin’ out what’s next.

No Time Like the Present: Puppets

What were we waiting for??

There are some people who eat the part of the meal they like best first, and some who save it for last. After laundry day, some people wear the good underwear first, and others work through the lesser underwear before they treat themselves. (I'm basing this on a small, anecdotal, data set.) And some of that's a matter of preference.

Sometimes though, saving "the good stuff" until later is not just arbitrary, not just a neutral choice. Sometimes saving the good stuff is wasteful. Because if not now, when?

Sometimes saving "the good stuff" until later is even bad theology. Between Jesus proclaiming that the kingdom of heaven is here, among us, now!, and his stories about how saving up kind of anything for later is a waste of effort — not to mention him intoning a few glasses of wine into a meal that he was with his friends only "a little while" — you could get the idea that there's something important about this present moment, and treating it like the only one we've got.

So our new theme — No Time Like the Present — kicks off with the story of a woman lavishly anointing Jesus' feet with, really, too much of the good stuff, and his defense of her doing so. Also: puppets. Because if not now, when??

While we’re apart, you can find sermons and music over here. We can’t leave the music up indefinitely (for various, not-that-interesting reasons) so get at it. This week, the puppets sing I Don’t Want to Wait (Paula Cole) and Right Here Right Now (Jesus Jones). Find just the sermon here.

And join us for our next Zoom prayers-of-the-people session. Check Facebook for details and links, but we’re planning on Sunday nights at 5 pm.

Easter, Anyway

It was so fucking good when… we had Easter, anyway.

While we’re apart, we’re going to be sharing sermons and music over here. This week, get our Easter extravaganza with one (1) National Book Award finalist, three (3) songs, scores of fake flowers (20s), Owen on drums (Owen), one (1) Texas pastor, about a billion eff-bombs (more than usual), and Vince preaching (so fucking good).

We can’t leave the music up indefinitely (for various, not-that-interesting reasons) so get at it. Find just the sermon, the poem, and the prompts (from y’all and from some other Gilead faves) here.

And join us for our next Zoom prayers-of-the-people session. Check Facebook for details and links, but we’re planning on Sunday nights at 5 pm.

Hot, fresh sermons: Palm Sunday edition (April 5)

While we’re apart, we’re going to be sharing sermons and music over here. This week, Palm Sunday, Rebecca Anderson preaches about…Palm Sunday. And time getting super weird then, and now.

We can’t leave the music up indefinitely (for various, not-that-interesting reasons) so get at it. You can find just the sermon here.

And join us for our next Zoom prayers-of-the-people session. Check Facebook for details and links, but we’re planning on Sunday nights at 5 pm.

Hot, fresh sermons: March 29, 2020 edition

While we’re apart, we’re going to be sharing sermons and music over here. This week, Vince Amlin preached on praying on empty. Our music is from Gilead faves the Indigo Girls and Dixie Chicks, and we’ve even got a story from socially distanced Cillian Green!

We can’t leave the music up indefinitely (for various, not-that-interesting reasons) so get at it. You can find just the sermon here.

And join us for our next Zoom prayers-of-the-people session. Check Facebook for details and links, but we’re planning on Sunday nights at 5 pm.

Hot, fresh sermons: March 22, 2020 edition

While we’re apart, we’re going to be sharing sermons and music over here. This week, Vince Amlin preached on asking for what you want. When you really need it. Plus: Passionate Kisses, (Lucinda, and Mary Chapin Carpenter) and Want (Gilead favorite, Birdtalker).

We can’t leave the music up indefinitely (for various, not-that-interesting reasons) so get at it. You can find just the sermon here.

And join us for our next Zoom prayers-of-the-people session. Check Facebook for details and links, but we’re planning on Sunday nights at 5 pm.

This is hard. We love you.

#ThingsWeCantImagineDoingRightNow
#ThingsWeMiss #We(Still)BelongToTheLight

A community that's committed to real friendship and fighting loneliness, we're gonna do that even now. Especially now. It's just gonna take some doing. Without the possibility of running into each other on Sunday nights, we're gonna have be more intentional about seeking each other out. We're working on that on our end and invite you to, too.

We're still very much figuring it all out but we know a few things: 1) obviously, we're not gonna meet for a while. 2) We're gonna offer a Zoom gathering, Sunday at 5, to check-in and pray. No idea if that's a good idea. We'll find out. 3) We're gonna share a sermon and some music by video after that. 4) We want to stay in touch with you and make it possible for you to be in touch with each other. So:

Please CLICK HERE and fill out that form. It's an opt-in directory, with places for you to fill in (optional) info about how to reach you, how you'd like to connect, and what you may have to offer in this time. We're not gonna do a lot of match-making but encourage you to find each other, and read responses as they come in. As soon as you submit your answers, you can see everyone else's.

When Vince and I started Gilead, almost overnight we went from friends who saw each other once a year, and texted on a group thread ocassionally, to being in touch, like, all day every day. You may not want that much company but it really is possible to decide "I like you. Wanna text, like, a lot more than we ever have?" So opt-in and then creep around there, looking for friends.

This is hard, y'all. And we love you. We want to continue to be your pastors in all this so please reach out (rebecca@gileadchicago.org, vince@gileadchicago.org). We are praying for you; you're so much in our thoughts.

Read the rest here.

Are we having church? (Nope - not anymore)

All this here (see below) was from BEFORE. We’re obviously not meeting while every doctor and public health official in the world is advising against it. Make sure you get the weekly email and join our opt-in directory to stay in touch.

UPDATE/NOTHING’S CHANGED: on Friday, March 13, Rebecca took part in a clergy conference call with Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot and Dr. Allison Arwady, Commissioner of the Department of Public Health. Their primary focus was on cancelling gatherings of more than 250, hand-washing with soap and water, and people who feel sick staying home. (So please do.) None of their recommendations or emphases suggested we should cancel church so we get to meet! (Obviously, if you want or need to stay home, you should. If you’re coming Sunday night, read on!)

You may be wondering...

What're we doing about COVID-19?
We were already planning to talk this week about how prayer lives in our bodies, how our bodies participate in prayer and do the work of prayer, but now our bodies are even more front and center. We're following the guidance of health experts (none of whom are currently advising cancelling gatherings smaller than 250). So church this week is ON.

We're also asking that we all take precautions including the following:

• YOU (and all of us) washing our hands when we get to church. For real! Go into the bathrooms and doooo it.

• US having people with sparkling clean hands give you communion bread (so we're not all touching it)

• SKIPPING the cup part of communion

• STAYING HOME when feeling sick

• USING hand sanitizer (if we can find some) but also: have you heard about...hand-washing???

• SKIPPING THE HANDSHAKE. Literally: hugging is better. Or, probably, that elbow bump thing we’re all doing now.

If the recommendations about meeting changes (from the CDC, State of Illinois, Chicago Dept of Health or etc), we'll follow that wisdom. Basically, as usual, it pays to check the website and FB page.

Additionally, in the midst of uncertainty over everything from personal health to disruption of work, life, and finance — nevermind simply how we're supposed to be living right now — here's something you may already be considering:

We can opt in hard for thinking of health in terms of our whole communities. Our buildings, neighborhoods, church, and city. That could be as simple as a plan to check in on an older person over the next few weeks, or making some soup for the freezer — some for you, in case you get sick, some for someone else that you could drop off at their door. When the recommendations include "social distancing" (yikes), how can we be community?

Some thoughts on being a good neighbor here, and the opportunity to opt in to provide a meal or drop off something someone needs here. (Scroll down to find the skill-sharing line.)

Photo by Gallery DS on Unsplash