On Sunday, February 16th, Bryana Russell spoke to us in person on "The God Who Sees Us". Bryana Russell is an artist and a mental health advocate who works as the Engagement Manager at Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries. During Covid, she worked on creating a resource titled "when a loved on dies by suicide", which involved her travelling across the UI and interviewing people who lost someone they love to suicide. This emotionally taxing work was made even more difficult by the fact that she was pregnant with a son right when she was about to resume her career. Yet, she reflected on how God gifted her the ultimate gift of presence during this time when she met her old friend in one of the plane rides.

The story of Hagar is an interesting one. Though she's a minor character in the Old Testament, she is the first person to name God and the only person to name him, "The God who sees me". This is in stark contrast with much of the other characters who, when having encountered the divine, said, "I have seen God". Hagar's story is that of enslavement, impregnation, and abuse. Yet, though very little has improved for her, the Lord was with her, and that made all the difference. [JL]

Passage: Genesis 16:1-15; Psalm 1; Luke 5:17-26
Communion: No
Ecumenical or Event:
Potluck Lunch: No
Congregational Meeting: No

Speaker: Bryana Russell
Worship Leader: Diane Ehling
Song Leader:
Pianist: Rosemary Bell
Usher:
Zoom Coordinator: John Lee
Children's Feature Leader:

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