Posted 21 hours ago
January Seed Sampler: International Flavors of Community and Cohousing
Seed Smile | Marzipan Day
MSC09 | January Holidays
Seed Story | A Frenchwoman’s Community Pilgrimage by Noemie Capdevila
Liturgy | Thursday Evening Prayer from the Mustard Seed House
Reflection | What Does Living in Community Mean?, by Christine Sine
Seed Share | L’Arche: International Community of Love, by Judy Naegeli, with Melody George
Seed Share | Communities in Holland, from Frank Mulder, Time to Turn
Resources | CLICK HERE
Posted 21 hours ago
January Mustard Seed Holidays
from the MSC09
6 | Three Kings Day/The Epiphany
10 | Moon and Stars Party
11-17 | Create a Community Altar Week
12 | Marzipan Day
17 | Feast of St. Anthony the Great
18-25 | Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
20 | Feast of Saint Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi
24 | Peanut Butter Day
25 | Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle
Look at the MSC09 calendar for more details.
Posted 21 hours ago
Marzipan Day!
On January 12th, celebrate marzipan, a confection made of sugar and almond meal. It’s great for winter because it has that nutty taste that resembles pecan pie and candied walnuts. Bake something on January 12th that highlights its sweetness or make your own.
Click here for ideas:
Basic Marzipan
epicurious.com
cooks.com
Posted 4 days ago
The Common Root 09: creating our future in the shadow of Empire
At the Common Root 2009, we'll explore ways of creatively embracing the in-breaking Kingdom of God in the shadow of Empire. We want to foster creative resistance as we seek community practices that bring shalom to a broken world.
Main presenters include:
- Greg Boyd (author of Myth of a Christian Nation, respected theologian, pastor at Woodland Hills)
- Tom and Christine Sine (Tom and Christine are directors of the Mustard Seed Associates and internationally respected speakers on spirituality, community, and grassroots church movements)
- Carol Rose (Carol is a pastor, poet, and the co-director of the Christian Peacemaker Teams)
- Jin Kim (Pastor Jin is the pastor of the Church of All Nations, a multi-ethnic church in the Twin Cities)
...Plus workshops on New Monasticism, the Catholic Worker Movement, Sustainable Living, urban church planting, community-based peacemaking, communal spirituality, and much more...
We're offering a special planter's track for those interested in starting new communities: Jeff Wright (president of Shalom Ministries: www.urban-anabaptist.org/sm/staff.php) will be leading a special track for those interested in forming new urban communities. This track will be running during workshop times, and those who sign up for the planter's track will have limited options for attending other tracks. This intensive is for those interested in being a part of the Common Root Planting Initiative.
Those who wish to sign up for the planter's track are encouraged to come to the conference early for a special luncheon, and will be asked to attend a concluding session on Saturday night, after the main gathering is over. The main session on Saturday night with be facilitated by Mark Van Steenwyk, coordinator of the Common Root Planting Initiative.
Registration is by donation (though if money isn't an issue, a $50 minimum is suggested).
Posted 11 days ago
Mustard Seed Associates in 2009
As we look ahead to 2009, we find ourselves facing a spreading global recession that is putting growing numbers of our neighbors near and far in serious peril. At MSA, we hope to help followers of Jesus respond to the current crisis creatively and effectively in 2009. Please consider joining us with support and participation.
In the next year, MSA plans to hold events and produce resources that will enable all of us to respond with God’s compassion in these turbulent times.
Here is a sample of some those events:
- January 2 | Holy Cooperation! We begin the year with a conversation led by Andrew McLeod, author of Holy Cooperation!, a book that gives hope for challenging economic times.
Free Online Registration
- January 16 | Salvation on the Small Screen? A conversation with Nadia Bolz-Weber, author of Salvation on the Small Screen? 24 Hours of Christian Television
Free Online Registration
- February 7 | Ricci Kilmer will lead the next workshop in The Revolution Starts At Home series, Justice at the Table, that will explore the intricate connections between our faith and our food.
Online Ragistration
- April 25 | The third Revolution workshop will be The Spirituality of Gardening
We will continue to use the Seed Sampler, our website and our blogs to provide practical resources, liturgies and spiritual reflections.
We also have a number of other exciting events planned for this coming year.
- March 7 | Christine Sine will conduct a seminar in Pasadena, California, Sacred Rhythms: Finding Peace in our Hectic World
- August 14-16 | The annual MSA Celtic Prayer Retreat on Camano Island
- October | Tom and Christine Sine will be on a speaking tour in Australia. If you are interested in holding an event while they are down under, please email us at mail@msainfo.org.
More events and resources announcements to come.
We can change the future one mustard seed at a time, but in order to provide these and other MSA resources, we need your help. We need to raise $10,000 by the end of 2008 and invite you to prayerfully consider joining the Mustard Seed Circle of Support.
A year-end gift of $25 to $100 from each person on the Seed Sampler mailing list would more than cover its costs, including the coordinator’s salary. A 2009 monthly pledge of $25 to $50 would make possible the development of new resources, which would enable you to make a difference in your communities and our needy world.
Thank you for being a part of Mustard Seed Associates during the last year. May God bless you richly this Christmas season and in the coming year.
Shalom,
Mustard Seed Associates
Posted 15 days ago
Twelve Days of Christmas and more
by Christine Sine
When Christmas day and Boxing day are over our frenzied activity can easily give way to a low grade depression. But Christmas isn’t really over as those of us who are part of liturgical traditions are well aware. In the sixth century it was decided that celebrating Christmas just for a day didn’t provide time to celebrate the joy that Christ’s birth brought into our world. They made Christmas into a twelve day festival that ended with a feast on the Eve of Epiphany on January 5th to celebrate the coming of the wise men.
Even that seemly nonsense song The Twelve Days of Christmas, with its litany of strange gifts gives far more significance to those days than we realize. It was actually written as a catechism song during a time when Catholicism was banned in England. The songs gifts are hidden meanings to the teachings of the faith. The “true love” mentioned in the song doesn’t refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God and the partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ.
So what do you plan to do this Christmas season to share the joy of Christmas celebration beyond Christmas Day? Here are some suggestions you might like to consider.
Sit down with your family the day after Christmas – read the story of the angels appearing to the shepherds in the fields. Discuss your reactions to this story. What is your earliest memory of Christ appearing to you? Share how you felt at that time and talk about the difference that Christ’s presence has made in your life. Then ask yourselves: What most excites you today about the presence of Christ in your life? How does his presence impact your life? Next discuss ways that you could share the joy of Christmas with others during the following days. You might like to write down one suggestion for each of the 12 days of Christmas that could extend the joy of the season to others.
- Do you know people that are alone this Christmas? Take them out for a meal or invite them out for the day. Share with them the reasons that you continue to celebrate the joy of Christmas beyond December 25th
- Do you know people who are disabled? Take them for a drive around your neighbourhood to enjoy the Christmas lights.
- Do you know people of other faiths? Invite them over for a meal. Ask them questions about their own faith journey and then ask them if you can share yours and why this season is important to you.
- Do you have friends, acquaintances or family you rarely speak to? Phone one person each evening during the Christmas season to share your joy at Christ’s birth with them. * Do you know people who are homeless or living on the streets? If you live in the Northern hemisphere invite them home for a meal and an evening by a warm fire. If you live in the Southern hemisphere invite them out for a BBQ and an afternoon of games and fun.
- Do you know people that work amongst the poor in other parts of the world? Consider cutting your own food budget by half the week after Christmas and send what you save as an extra gift to encourage them during this season.
Posted 27 days ago
Advent Morning and Evening Prayers
Download now this PDF including a new set of Advent responsive prayers curated by Christine Sine.
Advent Morning & Evening Prayers.
This are the prayers we are using at the Mustard Seed House – daily at 8:30 AM (PST) and 9:00 PM (PST). Download them and pray with us.
Posted 35 days ago
Join the Advent Conspiracy
from fellow conspirators at The Advent Conspiracy
Posted 36 days ago
Awaiting the Christ Child - Advent Meditation Video
This Advent meditation encourages us to await the coming of Christ with expectation and joyful anticipation.
Posted 55 days ago
Co-housing opportunity - Shoreline, Seattle WA
This came today from our friends and co-conspirators Doug and Rocio woods.
My wife Rocio and I and our four children live in a duplex in Shoreline WA. We are looking for a family that is interested in cohousing to share our Duplex with us. We are looking forward to exploring the various aspects of intentional living: some shared meals, shared gardening and mutual childcare and co-parenting. Located in Shoreline off 15th Ave NE, on all the major bus routes to Downtown and UW, grocery stores, restaurants, medical and dental offices as well as multiple parks within easy walking distance.
- 1600 s.f. 3 bed /2.5 bath
- Private cul-de-sac
- New carpet and paint throughout the house
- Fireplace, deck, balcony and both a low maintenance yard and a vegetable/flower garden.
- One-car garage plus plenty of parking
Wonderful Shoreline School District
- Briarcrest Elementary
- Kellogg Middle School
- Shorecrest High School
Douglas & Rocio Woods
1427 NE 153rd Street
Shoreline WA 98155
Cell: 206-953-4967
e-mail
