In preparing to preach on 1 Samuel 16:1-13 this week, I am stopped in my tracks by a line in verse 1: “Fill your horn with oil and set out.” It is such a simple command, yet so demanding, and with so much promise. I’m wondering what it would mean for me to fill my…
This past Sunday I began a 4-week sermon series on Revelation (using the scriptures suggested by Working Preacher). Surprisingly, what I’m discovering as I study for this series is that I LOVE Revelation! The English nerd in me loves the genre of apocalyptic literature: the stunning images, the other-worldly quality, the connections to previous sacred…
Call to Worship (based on Psalm 33, New Jerusalem translation) Sing to God a new song! The faithful love of God fills the earth. By the word of God the heavens were made. By the breath of God’s mouth, the stars formed.The faithful love of God fills the earth. God collects the waters of the…
At Peace Mennonite, we have been using the Narrative Lectionary this past year, which means we have the summer “off” to figure out our own worship themes. We’re kicking of the summer with “Extending the Table,” a 5-week series looking at meals in the Bible–and thinking about how we, as a church, can be more…
*Trigger warning: For those of you who have experienced traumatic church processes in the past, this will all sound very familiar and will make you want to scream, cry, cuss and/or run as far away from the church as you can get. You are welcome to keep reading, but there is nothing new or surprising…
*This reflection is taken from the Peace Mennonite 2021 Lenten Devotional When we are kids, we color pictures of a guy sitting up in the branches of a tree. But when we get older, we know that the really important part of the story comes at the end. When this very wealthy tax collector declares…
Here’s a poem I wrote based on the beginning of this week’s Narrative Lectionary reading. (It’s in the Lenten Devotional.) Bad at Math This guy’s a little crazy, don’t you think?This shepherd who told the whole town:“I found my lost sheep”Which is to say,“I lost a sheep”And to say,“I left ninety-nine of my sheep to…
Since the full Lenten devotional is available here, I won’t be posting the entry for each day on my blog. But I thought this reflection on this week’s Narrative Lectionary scripture might be helpful for some of you preachers. At the end of today’s scripture reading, there are two brief, distinct passages. In the first,…
Tomorrow I will begin posting daily Lent reflections from this devotional. But today is Toni Morrison’s birthday! She would have been 90 years old. (As I type this, my dog, Toni, is sleeping on the chair beside me. My husband graciously tolerates me naming our pets after favorite writers.) (Yes, there are references to seven…
As we prepare to begin Lent next week, I want to share with you all some resources that might be helpful as you plan for spiritual formation and worship. (If, that is, you don’t already have everything planned. Which I know some of you don’t.) I just finished this devotional booklet! It contains daily reflections…
COVID time is a strange time to think about Sabbath. On the one hand, it feels like we’ve been on an imposed Sabbath for about a year now—having events cancelled, isolating, not traveling, shopping less . . . On the other hand, it feels like EVERYTHING is so much work and there’s no rest in…
If asked which Gospel is your favorite, I imagine a preacher should respond in much the same way a parent should respond to being asked about their favorite child: “Well, each one has its unique endearments and they are all equally precious.” Nevertheless, Luke has always been my favorite Gospel. Partly, yes, because it is…
I know I am not the only one worried about violence erupting in the United States in these days leading up to Biden’s inauguration. There have been threats of violence against churches and members of congress. Right wing groups have called for raids on every state capitol. Too many people with deeply held racist beliefs…
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in…
The part of the Epiphany story I have always found most haunting is Matthew 2:3: “When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him.” This one line speaks to an insecure and immature political leader who the people understand will do damage if he feels threatened. It foreshadows the slaughter of…
