Spirit of Warmth, As chills reign in the hearts of many,we reach for our spiritual blankets to remove the frigidness surrounding us. Oh how so many words and images and actionshave built a wall of ice between us and our neighbors! Yet there is no ice that you, God, can’t melt.For you are our Great… Read More
Worship Words-January 17, 2021
What a time to be planning worship! May God grant you words and actions to both express/name what is and to call/proclaim what God wills to be. Feel free to use/read/adapt with credit to the listed author and revgalblogpals.org 1A.Opening Prayer by Barb Hedges-Goettl (GATE-L) O God, in this time of change and challenge, we… Read More
Saturday Prayer
Holy One, as this new year beginswe are moving slowly intosomething that is even less familiarthan any other new yearin our lifetimes A pandemic is stillhovering over usand we have no ideawhen it will endor how many will be affected by it But one thing we do knowis that you are with usand we can… Read More
Narrative Lectionary: Axes and Asking (Luke 3:1-22)
“The ax is laid at the root of the tree,” John announces, seeing God at work in the destruction. As we say a welcome goodbye to 2020, we understand the violence of the image. COVID has taken an ax to our routines, jolted our physical, mental and economic health and dispelled our illusions about how… Read More
Tuesday Prayer
Holy One, as we come to the end of this seemingly endless year, I pray for what has been and what will be. I pray for those who are suffering, those who have died, those who carry on, those who hope and those who long for hope. I pray for mercy and grace. I pray… Read More
RCL for Jan. 3, 2021. Why Is He Here?
Why is he here? And so it began—the long human wondering, imagining, arguing, asserting, interpreting, deciding, proclaiming, expanding, emphasizing, controlling, re-ordering, etc. of reasons for Immanuel, God with us. Yes, there was wondering before it happened. It was a particular responsibility, rich with meaning and a belonging held in trust by some and not others.… Read More
Monday Prayer
Cherishing God, in your abiding love we stop to ground ourselves again. Here is where cast our rods far out in time to catch a glimpse of how long you have known us, loved us, accepted us—and reel it in. In quiet we hear the echoes of your call to us from before our own… Read More
Friday prayer: in the silence
Last night was silent, God. The sanctuary was not challenging the fire marshall’s capacity limit. There were no squeals of delight as members hugged children of the church visiting from out of town. Voices husky with emotion did not meld in a chorus of praise, holding candles aloft. Even so your people, your ministers, were… Read More
Tuesday Prayer
Last night the planets aligned, Jupiter and Saturn. Some say that this great conjunction will herald a new day, which will influence the world for the next 200 years. One can only hope that the world is turning just a little closer to what God must surely desire. So my prayer this morning is a… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: Christmas 1
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always struggled to write the next sermon until the current one is done. Funeral on a Saturday? Sunday’s sermon isn’t getting finished until after the burial and luncheon. Holy Week? Don’t even ask me about Easter until after Good Friday. This has made for some very quick turn-arounds… Read More
