Grace and gratitude seem to be at the heart of the lectionary choices for this coming Sunday. But so do notions of who is in and who is out; what excludes us from community and what welcomes us in; who is an “alien,” and what does that mean in God’s economy of grace. I will… Read More
Sunday Prayer: Wormwood and Gall
God of our ancestors,the song we inheritedhas been starved in this famine of injustice;our tongues have driedfrom crying in this desert of hopelessness.Increase our faith!God of all creation,the grass will witherand we along with it, no matter our fretting;our breath will endlong before the mountain melts into the sea.Increase our faith!God of daily mercies,mustard seeds… Read More
Thursday prayer: clothe yourself with kindness
Clothe yourselves with …kindness… Colossians 3 May I dress this day in kindness: the kindness of attentive presence, the kindness of truthful speech, the kindness of wholehearted listening; May I dress this day in kindness: the kindness of a thoughtful gesture, the kindness of a small favour, the kindness of responsive action; May I dress… Read More
Narrative Lectionary: The Law and the Shema (Deut 5:1-21 and 6:4-9)
This Sunday’s text is the second telling of the Ten Commandments, the telling of the commandments just before the Israelites enter the land of milk and honey. So this is not the generation that left Egypt, most of them are dead, but the next generation, the ones who will inherit the land. You can find… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: Help Your Neighbours
The harvest of my potatoes and courgettes from my small garden provide me with the hope of an oasis in the desert. For it seems like every other grain of sand is yet another story of disappointment, denial and destruction. Where, I wonder, are the leaders who are prepared to stand up for citizens, whoever… Read More
Saturday prayer – For Those In Meetings
Dear God – We gather around tables, we invoke Your name and then we begin. We listen. We speak. We raise our hands in affirmation. We caffeinate. We take notes. We decide. And in all these things, we are striving after You – straining to know Your will for us. Bless the work we are… Read More
11th Hour Preacher Party: Gift and responsibility.
Our readings this week remind us that we belong to God and all that we are and all that we have comes from God. That demands of us care and compassion for others and good stewardship of all God’s gifts. You will find the RCL post from earlier in the week here and the NL… Read More
Friday Prayer
Dear God- [pause] [pause] [pause] [long pause] [Do these really count as pauses anymore or just a block of silence?] Dear God- I want to pray, but I’m both overwhelmed and drained. Even with the Spirit’s intercession, my prayers are one long sigh and silence. Such as they are, please receive them. And, in your… Read More
Friday Festival: Stories told and lessons learned
I’m coaching some new clients, and our initial sessions always include some intentional conversation about their lives and ministry settings. A quick recitation of facts can only tell us so much about a person or a predicament. When we go deeper, not only do we get to know the storyteller, but we may also see… Read More
Thursday Prayer
As I sit behind the multiple locked doors of this fine church building, in a city where gates and fences, and systems and policies, keep people from really seeing, hearing, and knowing each other, as I work on our budget, and fill in each little box, each line item, O God, help me to dream.… Read More
