God, Fill us with your Spiritthat we might have courage—Courage to be vulnerable,To risk being wrong;Courage to speak hard truths,And to accept them;Courage to lead through uncertainty,And to ask for help when we need it;Courage to try something new,And to try something again;Courage to take up our cross,And to follow you, regardless.It is a frightening…
O give thanks to the Holy One, who is good;God’s steadfast love endures forever!Let the church say,“God’s steadfast love endures forever.”Let us all proclaim,“God’s steadfast love endures forever.”In our distress we can call on our Creatorwho will answered us and set us in a broad place—A place of prayer and singing, a place of listening…
Last week I attended the national Mennonite Church USA convention in Kansas City. Part-way through the week, one of the MennoMedia staff excitedly told me that they had sold out of all the copies they brought of Expecting Emmanuel! Which seems exciting until you know that they only brought two copies. I get it, though.…
On the banks of the Chilkoot River in Haines, Alaska, you can see Deer Rock. The nearby plaque explains that this rock, known as Guwakaan Teiyee, is very important to the Tlingit people because of the peace negotiated at this site between the Eagle and Raven clans. You have to read a different sign–a bit…
I had a really great Easter this year. The weather for the sunrise service was spectacular, as was the food at our Easter breakfast. We had a full house for worship and sang one Hallelujah after another. I ate lunch (that I didn’t have to cook) with family and delighted in watching my nephews and…
These are some reflections on John 20: 24-29. They are excerpted from a longer sermon I preached several years ago. Believing is at the heart of John’s Gospel. It’s why the Gospel was written. It’s why God sent Jesus to us: “that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” And in…
Almighty, suffering God,whose love for us extends from the heights of heavento the depths of Mary’s womband even into the darkness of the grave,Receive now these prayers we offer at the foot of your cross:For those, like Jesus, who must flee their homelands for fear of violence.For those, like Jesus, with no place to lay…
Hello, friends. Our prayer practice for Holy Week is a cross collage meditation. We consider the ways that violent systems continue to cause suffering in our world today, just as they did in Jesus’ day. I appreciate those who have joined in this Lenten journey. I will post one more prayer practice next week. After…
Here is a call to worship for Good Friday that I adapted from a piece I wrote several years ago: In this holy week, on this holy night,We come to be present with Jesus in his suffering.With the glory of Palm Sunday behind us and the victory of Easter not yet come,We gather with our…
Have you ever noticed how often Jesus is misunderstood? The religious leaders don’t understand him—they accuse him of false teachings and try to trap him into saying things he doesn’t mean so they can turn the people against him. The people don’t really understand him. Remember when Jesus asks his disciples: Who do people say…
Spacious Faith 