Breathe. Just breathe in the sharp ice air that stings the hollows of my nose and mingles with the blood that flows to each hair follicle, through each artery, each vein, fueling my stops and starts toward home, warming my wind-whipped skin, sinking deep into the marrow of each bone. Breathe. Just breathe out the…
Today is your birthday– or was. I don’t know what it is now that you are dead–just a shadow to remind us that last year we gave you tickets to a KU game–tickets for you and Matt to celebrate the day; a festive end to a pretty good year. We didn’t know how near to…
*This post is taken from the sermon I preached on December 22, 2013. You can read the full sermon text here. Luke 2:8-20 One thing to note about this biblical story is that it is set at night; in the dark and quiet. And I don’t mean Lawrence nighttime dark and quiet with streetlights and…
Just a brief prayer today as I prepare for our Christmas hymn-sing on December 29: Creator God, Word-Made-Flesh, Thank you for the songs of this holy season. Thank you for the amazing story of which we sing. Thank you for the song of the Spirit that surrounds and sustains us. May our voices and our…
And for this week: Scripture Readings: Isaiah 63:7-9 and Luke 2:8-20 Call to Worship: Glory to God in the highest! And hope to every discouraged heart. Glory to God in the highest! And peace to every conflicted soul. Glory to God in the highest! And joy to every downcast spirit. Glory to God in the…
This past Sunday we focused on the song of Mary and practiced group lectio divina together. (The children had been invited to draw a picture as a way to reflect on the scripture readings. I nearly lost it when one boy handed me his drawing to share with the congregation. It pictured the annunciation with…
It’s my day for a humor column over with the Rev. Gals. Pop on over if you’d like to see some historically accurate versions of favorite Christmas carols and some theologically diverse renditions of “Joy to the World.”
As I read through Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 this week, I couldn’t help but notice that parallelism is everywhere: “My heart exults in the Lord; / my strength is exalted in my God.” “Talk no more so very proudly, / let not arrogance come from your mouth;” “The bows of the mighty are…
I thought I had already posted these, but I guess not. Our scriptures are Matthew 3:1-12 and 1 Samuel 2:1-10 (Hannah’s song). Call to Worship We come to prepare the way; The way for Christ– the hope of Christ, the peace of Christ– to enter our world, to enter our hearts. We cry out together…
Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror. I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. My eyes waste away because of grief. ~from Psalm 6 We are…
Spacious Faith 