Holy One, This day may I know Your health in my body; Your enlightenment in my mind; Your grace in my missteps; Your patience in my frustrations; Your inspiration where I am stuck And your tranquility where I need to slow down and rest. This day may I Breathe each breath with gratitude, See each… Read More
11th Hour Preacher Party: Last Week of Ordinary Time
When I think of Ordinary Time, I think of green and of trees. I understand why green; I’m not sure why trees. I took this photo as I set up for worship at our late September church camp worship service in the midst of Ordinary Time. This week, we finally come to the end of… Read More
Friday Prayer
For those who ran out of week before they ran out of things that need to get done, we pray to the Lord. For those who feel self-satisfied when they hear “Those who will not work should not eat”, we pray to the Lord. For those who carry home a backpack of food from school… Read More
Friday Festival: Dawn and Dusk
Shorter days are coming in some parts of the world, while others are finding longer, sunnier days. In the U.S., I find this time of year hard, as the dark and the cold take a mental toll. I found sustenance in our bloggers’ reflections on light, new dawns, and the beauty of twilight. A new… Read More
Ask the Matriarch: Congregational Planning with a Stewardship Emphasis
This week’s question is from a soon-to-be ordained pastor whose congregation is feeling some growing pains that will impact her own professional life. Dear Matriarchs, I serve a mid-size congregation as Director of Faith Formation. I recently became eligible for ordination and my congregation must now decide whether to call me to continue serving them… Read More
Wit’s Ends Day: Reviewing the Review
We just finished a pastor/congregation evaluation process at my church. Actually, our consultant says that this is just the beginning! We have exciting work ahead as we explore the summary documents! We should read through them prayerfully every night and consider what God is saying to us through the words of our co-congregants! What an… Read More
Wednesday Prayer
We awake with praise We pause with praise We move with praise We live with praise Not because all is perfect but because we are never alone Not because we have all the answers but because we trust You Not because we are not afraid but because we can lean on each other Not because… Read More
RCL: We Can Work it Out
This morning as I was pondering the interesting mix of texts on offer, I had a sudden realization: these were the Revised Common Lectionary texts for Sunday November 13, 2016– the Sunday following the U.S. presidential election. I chose then as I choose this week, to use the Isaiah and Luke texts. About two-thirds of… Read More
Tuesday Prayer
God of Questions and Answers- In the words of The Clash: “Should I stay or should I go now?” Should I drive on potentially icy roads or stay in my warm abode? Should I go out with friends or stay home to rest? Should I attend one more meeting that I really am not required… Read More
Narrative Lectionary: Many Verses to God’s Love Song
This week’s Narrative Lectionary passage gives us two passages from Isaiah. The first is the love song of the vineyard yielding bad fruit in chapter five. The second is from chapter eleven, a passage we often hear during Advent, where a shoot grows from the stump of Jesse. Commentary at Working Preacher is here. A… Read More
