Wild, free Spirit, what did you do the day after Pentecost? Did you curl up and rest? Did the wind still? Or did you take it easy, sending small breaths of peace out into the world? Or, were you blowing somewhere else, unnoticed? Did someone miss their own Pentecost? On this day, Mothering Spirit, we… Read More
Wednesday Prayer
God who spins the planet, turning one month into the next, we come to you in awe, and hope, and slight worry, wondering what this month, and this day, and this hour will hold. As this new month begins, we pray for the war-weary and those in danger, for the grieving and those in pain,… Read More
Wednesday Prayer
Generous God, for your small and mysterious gifts, thank you. As the big box of palms arrived, I start to feel a glimmer of Easter hope. Thinking about Sunday, picturing the kids ringing the chimes and waving the palms, I start to see a way out of Lent, and all that feels like an eternal… Read More
Wednesday Prayer
God of light in the shadows, one little candle this week doesn’t seem like enough. This candle named Hope has to burn so brightly, and for so long, lighting the way from our turmoil to God’s peace, from our sorrow to Christ’s joy, from our fears to the Spirit’s grace. And yet behind that little… Read More
Narrative Lectionary: Nap Time (1 Kings 19:1-18)
In these COVID-weary times, this has become a signature scripture for lots of worn-out pastors. Meeting up with Elijah after his big showdown with the prophets of Baal, we find him exhausted. Discouraged. Unable to see that his work is making any difference. Anyone feeling that way about now? Nurses, doctors, teachers, parents, mental health… Read More
Wednesday Prayer
God of hope, disappointment lurks right under the surface of everything these days, and fatigue is overtaking us. Loss is ever present, and the way ahead is murky. We stumble forward, longing for your presence. Let your gift of hope settle on us again, we ask. Infuse us with your love. Bless us with sacred… Read More
Wednesday Prayer
Weaver of time, here we are in between so many things, in between holidays, in between the start of COVID and, we pray, its end, in between hope and resignation, in between grief and peace. Come to us, we pray, in these ordinary times, liven them with your gifts of joy and serenity, and fill… Read More
Wednesday Prayer
O God, Breath of Life, we breathe in and out, forgetting millions of times a day that we draw on the Source of all breath. Our hurried, anxious breaths rush us along, and we long to breathe deeply, drawing from your Spirit. Held by creation’s wind, may we breathe in your spark, and remember who… Read More
Wednesday Prayer
Expansive God, whose goodness is beyond measure, forgive me when I hold things too tightly, anxious about numbers and results. Forgive me for counting my steps and attending to carbs and pondering another cup of coffee, and failing to add up my time with you. Forgive me for listing the roster of my neighbors too… Read More
Narrative Lectionary: Let’s Eat! (Exodus 16:1-18)
Manna looks like a simple fix for a simple complaint. Still, as always, God is up to something bigger. It looks like food, and it’s really the taste of freedom. These COVID days have sparked a lot of conversation about technical vs. adaptive change in the church. We often fail to recognize adaptive challenges, which… Read More