Thursday Prayer: The Lord is my grandmother

Grandma, great and mighty God…                                                                                     you take care of me and everything I need. You make me rest in the cool, green grass                                                                            because grass is good for my eyes, and good for my soul. You take me where the water is still and quiet,                                                        where the waters soak up the chaos of… Read More

11th Hour Preacher Party: Year’s End

Sunday comes again, this time the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year. How will you celebrate? As you work on your sermon this week, how can we help? What does your congregation need from you? What is the word you are being called to offer?  As we finish the year, will you follow the Revised… Read More

Revised Common Lectionary – Nov. 14

As I reviewed the readings for this week one theme rang out, accompanied by a visceral image of robed people crossing a field at dusk toward a church that glows. A wondering of mine is how to find the right words to convince people to be true disciples of Jesus, to undertake a painful and… Read More

Worship Words October 31, 2021

Are you preparing for worship using the Revised Common Lectionary? If so, are you using Ruth or Deuteronomy, Psalm 146, or Psalm 119? Are you using the Narrative Lectionary? Are you observing Reformation Day, following a whole different set of texts? Are scraping the Lectionary all together and welcoming the ghouls and goblins of Halloween… Read More

11th Hour Preacher Party: What Do You Want Me to Do?

In the RCL reading, Jesus asks Bartimaeus, “what do you want me to do?” Today I ask, what do you want us to do? As you work on your sermon this week, how can we help? What does your congregation need from you? What is the word you are being called to offer?  During this… Read More

Worship Words: 17 October 2021

James and John were ambitious and striving, but maybe your get-up-and-go got up and went without you. Are you in need of a little liturgical help for this week? Maybe just some inspiration to write something new, maybe something you can copy-and-paste…either way, RGBP is here for you! Here are some pieces you are welcome… Read More

Revised Common Lectionary – Why?

Proper 24, Year B: Job 38:1-7 (34-41), Hebrews 5: 10-10, Mark 10:35-45 Track one lectionary preachers are continuing the story of Job this week, after being left last week with Job’s lament. Job has spent the last 37 chapters asking why, defending himself as his friends pose theology after theology all ending in what Job… Read More

RCL: Faithfulness

This week’s texts look a lot at what it means to be faithful. Mark 10:17-31 wrestles with is it enough to follow all of the commandments. The man who questions Jesus seems so confident: “I have done all of these things since I was a boy.” I can picture this person, for whom these choices… Read More

Worship Words October 3, 2021

Sometimes the lectionary and the traditions of the church don’t exactly combine to make worship planning seamless and easy. Words of Jesus about divorce as the Gospel reading on World Communion Sunday? How’s that supposed to work? I offer no solutions other than being glad there are a plethora of wonderful World Communion Sunday resources… Read More