It’s time for the September Ordiversary Party! If you were (or are being) ordained in September, we celebrate you and your ministry! Keep up the good work, friends. This is the chance to share your stories, and your advice for new ordinands, and for us to give thanks for all that God has done through… Read More
Wednesday Prayer
God of many names We lift up those facing the ravages of storms that go by many names Present storms and storms that have passed, leaving stark reminders of just how small and vulnerable we are The fear is real The loss is real The trauma is real Bring peace and restoration to every person,… Read More
Narrative Lectionary: Soap Opera in Egypt (Genesis 39:1-23)
Some people live their whole lives in the same hometown, marry the person next door, and work in the family business. Not much changes in their lives from year to year. Joseph is not one of those people. He has more ups and downs in a month than most people ever experience. He moves from… Read More
Tuesday Prayer
Soothing Spirit, my heart and head are off today. The unsettling vibration in my soul overwhelms me today. Something is off- – Today is one year. One year after his death. The makeup of my soul was forever changed that day. And when the winds of September swirl around me, I feel the change of… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: Role Reversal
In a previous life, I helped lead retreats for schoolchildren from Christian schools. A class of kids, usually age 8-10, would come for a week at a time during the school year with their teachers, and we would be responsible for activities, worship, and meals every day. At that age, kids tend to be somewhat… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: Spiritual Beings Having a Political Experience
We were on a road trip, and we started a conversation with the Wendy’s employee who had just taken our order. With no people in line and an almost empty restaurant, she seemed happy to chat with us. “I’m studying to be an LVN,” she enthusiastically proclaimed. A first-career medical technologist myself, I was interested… Read More
Sunday Prayer
O dear Love, Today, there is so much to pray about, We grieve, we hope, we offer gratitude, we fear, we tremble at your feet, we beg for Your ear. We ask for your Spirit to soothe all of the suffering and to challenge all of the complacent. Move into our lives, generate our courage… Read More
11th Hour Preacher Party: Get Behind
A few weeks ago I had a homeless woman show up at church, literally in the church, crouched over the kneelers, banging her fist on them, crying. When I approached her she looked up at me and said, “I just want to pray.” And then a little later, after I gave her water and food,… Read More
Friday Festival: The Gray In-Between Times
Maybe because I’m pondering transitions in my own life these days, I saw a lot of images of transition and writing about transition in our blogs this week. Maybe it’s the gray sky that marks the transition from night to day or from clear sky to hurricane-force winds. Maybe it’s the transition from work to… Read More
Friday Prayer
Life-giving Mother, Strengthen me to say… To the spiritual forces that oppose you, Get behind me, Satan! To the political forces that subvert your desire for healing and wholeness, Get behind me, Adversary! To the force within me, struggling for control of others and all situations, Get behind me, Sin! I renounce the forces… Read More
