For this week’s call to worship, I decided to add to a piece I had written for an earlier Sunday when we were doing the Narrative Lectionary. I edited it a bit and added in the kings and prophets to reflect that we are a bit further along in our journey through scripture. This week…
There is a phrase parents sometimes use. When I hear it, I feel a small, uneasy twinge in the pit of my stomach. The phrase is floating around out there, so I’m sure you’ve heard it too. You may even have used it before. (Respectful comments welcome below.) One particular memory I have of this…
At Peace Mennonite, we’re back into the Narrative Lectionary. We’ve made it to the prophets. (Whether we survive them or not remains to be seen.) Here’s our call to worship, based on the Message version of Isaiah 1:10-20: God says, “Quit your worship charades. I can’t stand your trivial religious games. When you put on…
Last Saturday I was awake at 5 a.m. I didn’t want to get up, so I stayed warm under my covers and started thinking. I began making a mental outline of the sermon that I needed to write that morning. Then I started thinking about possible crafts for the February craft kit. And back and…
(Here is the reflection I shared during worship on New Year’s Day, 2012 ) Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11-14a It’s probably not surprising that I’ve been thinking about gifts this holiday season. Of course, I’ve been considering what gifts to give others and I’ve been enjoying the gifts others have given me. And as one year ends…
I found a treasure online that I want to share with you on this day of Epiphany. Here is a sound recording of T.S. Eliot reading his poem “Journey of the Magi.” The words to the poem are printed on the page as well, but I recommend listening to it with your eyes closed. I…
This coming Sunday we will have a guest speaker, Stefan Warner, talking about his experiences with Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq. Here’s our call to worship: As we gather this morning, let us proclaim: We are people of God’s peace, Seeking the path of Christ. We are people of God’s peace, Longing to live in…
It’s been awhile since I participated in this wonderful exercise. Thanks to Sally for posting this one. Blessings from 2011 (Yes, I know I have six for the Friday 5–that’s just the kind of rebel I am) A diagnosis—After years of struggles and frustrations, our 14-year-old son was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. The diagnosis does…
As we prepare to celebrate New Year’s Day this coming Sunday, I am re-posting a New Year’s prayer that I wrote last year. I have formatted the prayer to be read responsively-leader speaks the plain text, congregation the bold, and everyone speaks the bold italics. As always, you are welcome to use this prayer in…
I pray you all had a blessed Christmas day, and that you continue to celebrate Jesus with joy! For Christmas, my husband gave me the domain name “spaciousfaith.com”–and he did all the legwork to connect it to my blog. I realize that this is not particularly exciting for most folks, but I get a kick…
Spacious Faith 