I just read a very good post on the perils of “children’s time” over at Carolyn’s wonderful blog, “Worshiping with Children.” Her post has inspired me to share a bit about how our church worked to include children in the Lent and Easter worship this year. Our Lenten theme this year was “Make Space for…
I was in liturgy writing overdrive last week, so nothing new this week. I’ve pulled out a prayer of blessing for graduates that I wrote a couple of years ago. It is about that time of year again . . . Prayer of Blessing for Graduates Creative and Creating God, We thank you for [names…
I love to plan worship services. I love to arrange for the participants, select the hymns, write the prayers, choose the readings . . . I love every part. And I want it all to be perfect. I had this problem even before I was a pastor. My wedding, for example. I didn’t spend much…
*This liturgy is an adaptation of the traditional Great Thanksgiving liturgy. The concluding prayer of thanksgiving was (heavily) adapted from a prayer by Katherine Hawker. Communion Liturgy for Easter Sunday Friends, let us come out of the darkness and join together in the light of God’s love. You are invited to this table of life…
I do not have our Sunday worship service completely planned yet, though I’m getting close. I offer some worship pieces below that may or may not be used at Peace Mennonite Church this coming Sunday. I pray you are each having a blessed Holy Week. Call to Worship Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!…
I’ve posted the sermon I preached this morning on Mark 11:20-25. I was honored to preach for one of our ecumenical mid-day Holy Week worship services here in Lawrence. We pastors had decided to take the texts chronologically for the week. I agreed to preach on Tuesday without knowing what I was getting myself into.…
Holy Week tends to be pretty hard on pastors–or at least on me. There is, of course, the practical aspect of organizing and leading extra worship services. (Between today and next Sunday there are seven worship services in which I have a significant part.) More worship services means more sermons to write, more music to…
*This order of worship is from 2011. You can see the 2013 service, which does not include foot washing, here. – – – – – Welcome and Introduction Confession and Assurance Hymn: What wondrous love is this (v. 1) Prayer of Confession and Assurance of Pardon (From Psalm 51) Hymn: What wondrous love is this…
I’ve added my sermon from Palm Sunday 2009 to my “Pages” (on the right hand side bar). The main point is that we try to make Jesus into the savior we want, thus depriving ourselves of the fullness of Christ’s salvation.
I’m finishing up a beautiful novel: The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, by Kim Edwards. At one point in the novel, Bree is talking with her sister Norah. Bree has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and Norah is worried about her. Bree says, “I’m on the church prayer list. That helps.” This comment struck me first…
Spacious Faith 