In Biblical terms, the word for “consume” means to waste or burn away (the Hebrew is “shmad”). To consume literally means to burn up. It is an act of violence. To lay waste to. To use up, expend, dissipate. I think of this more and more as we continue to have conversations of about our… Read More
Friday prayer: make us faithful stewards
God who extravagantly blesses, you give us much and ask us to be purposeful in how we use it. It’s that time of year when many churches think more intentionally about how to allocate their funds and invite members into the spiritual discipline of giving. There’s extra anxiety around money talk this year, since the… Read More
Pastoral is Political: Stewardship of the Ideal
Today is the umpteenth who-even-knows-anymore day of the Season of COVID, during the weeks of protests for racial justice, in the days following the heart-rending, history-revealing passing of the honorable John Robert Lewis, civil rights leader and U.S. Representative from Georgia. Rep. Lewis died at the age of 80 after 65 years making “good trouble”… Read More
Friday Prayer
God of both the big picture and the details- Be with me today as I run errands. Help me find joy in the mundane and to focus on what I’d rather ignore. Assist me in being grateful to have clothes to wash and clean water in which to wash them. Grant me gratitude that I… Read More
Narrative Lectionary: On Earth as it is in Heaven
After reading the kin-dom stories found in this week’s text around 7 times this morning I can’t help but wonder if Jesus is expounding on the “on earth as it is in heaven” portion of the prayer he teaches his disciples in Chapter 6…? The story about the “good” and the “bad” dwelling together sounds… Read More
Why I Give to RevGalBlogPals: This cloud of witnesses
Tomorrow, Friday, 28 December, I will be presiding at a very large memorial service. It is for a civil servant in the town I just moved to about 7 weeks ago. She was and is quite beloved and we are expecting hundreds of people. While I know the ins and outs of funerals and I… Read More
Why I Give to RevGalBlogPals: God encounters
When people ask us, as ministers, where we get our support there are many answers. Our peers, our colleagues, our neighbours, our sessions and church committees are all potential sources for support. It is now 13 years since my ordination, and for the last eight years I’ve been a solo minister in a village where… 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
The Ministry of RevGalBlogPals: worth every penny
I have been a member of RevGalBlogPals almost since the beginning. From a couple dozen friends reading each other’s blogs, through a centralised website where we shared ideas, to conferences and other continuing education events, to a facebook group of over 5,000…RGBP has been a crucial part of my life for my whole ministry. At… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: Money Edition
The Revised Common Lectionary continues to bring us complicated teachings of Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew. In an attempt to catch Jesus teaching against the government, the Pharisees ask him about paying taxes. Is it lawful or not? Jesus says to give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and give to God the things… Read More
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