11th Hour Preacher Party: You Didn't See Me Here Edition
Hello, all~ I believe Stacey was meant to fill in for me today, and I'm just noticing there's no post, so I'll start one for you and continue my vacation. Blessings on your preaching, Songbird
OK. Now really confused...I'm sure I saw another version of this a moment ago, even commented on it, but when I posted the comment blogger rejected it out of hand. Ah well. I was merely whingeing as usual about my lack of inspiration, the need to eat celery when I feel like carrot cake, and all the other ills that flesh is heir to. Not very festive, really. I'll find some greenies for LittlmanKitty and then take my grump elsewhere...
I don't know about everyone else, but I'm dashing back and forth between trying to finish my sermon and checking to see if the UPS guy has dropped off my HARRY POTTER BOOK!
Not that I'm going to get a crack at it... daughter is first (she has finished all her re-reading). Then son (he is in book five). Then me (just started re-reading prisoner of Azkaban).
Anyone with last minute inspirations re: Mary Magdalene, drop by my blog!
Well, better late than never. Life has a funny way of mixing us up sometimes, thanks Songbird for jumping in and starting the party. My little homily is in draft form using both Genesis and Luke, Abraham tending to the "angels" and Mary and Martha. So the theme is hospitality: the art of doing and being. In other words how what we do needs to be grounded in who we are as people of God, in our faith. Kinda fits in with the preacher party today and SB jumping in to start us up, even when she is on vacation. (And, I hope stacey is ok).
not preaching this week...popping in to hope that someone, in talking about mary and martha, will give me children's time inspiration! anyone, anyone?
i have trader joe's cranberry lemonade on offer today....not much else in the house since I'm leaving early Monday morning for a week...thinking of going to our local donut shop and calling it lunch. any requests?
I'm in this really odd situation of having written the sermon 2 months ago....yeah, for reals. I took a college of preacher's class and we had to write a sermon on an ordinary time text, and this date was the only one that I had booked up that long ago.
So, the sermon is actually pretty good. But it means that I have pretty much no motivation to actually, you know, write teh rest of the service.
And I was the stupid one who had my HP book sent to work, forgetting that it was a Saturday.
i re-read an old sermon because I didn't want to use the same illustrations (so far so good) and found a couple of things I liked about it... called "timing is everything"... and started out talking about how I had heard that cooking is an art but baking is a science. Now I remember a comment afterwards, that having women preachers has brought forward some different perspectives and different illustrations.
I'm off to mow the lawn before the heatwave strikes in full force, then off to visit a hospice patient, to the store to get Whoppers candy for a funeral homily, and hopefully at last to finish a sermon for the commemoration of Mary Magdalene tomorrow. I'll leave some fresh juneberry sauce and angel food cake along with three slices of leftover from yesterday juneberry pie. Blessings on your writing!
OK Sermon done. Now I need to find something for the Home for the Distincty Confused before I get to work on big scary talk I'm doing on Tuesday. Why do I say "yes" to these things? Vanilla coffee sounds lovely...I've never tried it. Thanks Diane. Not sure who's turn it is with Harry P...my daughter finished it overnight, and it seems currently available - but if I start it then not only will I get no more sermonising done, but I may quite possibly be hexed by my sons. Oh well, there's a jug of Pimms on the table when you're ready for it (it's 5.30 here now)...Courage, all ye preachers!
I need prayers today as I have no thoughts / ideas / inspiritation yet for my sermon! I also have a funeral to prepare for Monday and my step-son just flew in for his month long summer visit. I am torn by spending time with him (we haven't seen him since Christmas) and getting my act together for tomorrow and Monday.
Thanks girlfriends! I'll trade some left over Chinese food for carrot cake and fair trade coffee. (Although I guess that's not much of a trade! Hopefully you are feeling hospitable!)
I just got home. The munchkin is in bed, hubbies at the post office, and two copies of Harry Potter are hidden away at the house. Hubbie hid them so that I would finish my sermon (poor me!) I'm torn between doing the work or having a treasure hunt. Oh well! I have some apple pie a la mode if anyone is interested!
Morning everyone! And thanks Songbird for stepping up.
I am also not tempted by Harry cause my Mom will hand down her copy. Not preaching tomorrow but need to prepare less formal homilies for two house masses during my upcoming trip with Matt while kids are with my mom, yahoo.
One is a house blessing for my best friend, for which I need to choose texts and other liturgy since she is too busy moving this weekend. The other is a non RevGal blogmeet on the feast of Mary's parents/Jesus' grandparents, for which I need to look up the readings.
Our cupboard is pretty bare but I do have some Belgian chocolate and caramel cookies given to me in England to offer....
blueberries, num... we have some of those, and raspberries too... please join us while they are in season... keep the hospitality easy, we don't want to become distracted from (not our task) but the person... perhaps that's part of the art of hospitality, not to let the task(s) distract us from the person...
Not preaching, except at the wedding I'm doing this afternoon. So, sending all my preaching vibes to the rest of you. Along with some grapes and cherries... and the sweetest carrots that I bought at the farmers market this morning. I could eat them all day long.
After not enough sleep (up late talking with a friend who needed a sympathetic ear), had a pre-wedding session that I thought was at 10, and everyone else thought was at 11...then my car window failed (went down, won't come back up)...Therefore besides needed repair, can't park downtown and go to coffeeshop to work on sermon.
I did, however, get my nails and brows done. Gotta have priorities.
So. I'm with whoever was doing Luke and Genesis. We have new members coming in, too. So... Hospitality, welcoming--it all fits. But what exactly to say is the question.
And--to top it all off I wanted to finish this early so I'd have some time to start working early on my sermon for Pride next week.
I'm way behind in lots of things, but I'm a week ahead in the lectionary. Next week is an outdoor service, and I decided to make this week a prayer focus --dealing with the Lord's Prayer and following. Several months ago, when I planned it all on paper, it sounded fresh and exciting. Now I wonder how I'm going to tie in multiple ways of praying and the sermon into a somewhat fluid service. I have a feeling after trying to empower and challenge (convince?) members that we can all pray in varied ways, once I get people into small groups, they'll all stare at on one another until the group time is over.
Meanwhile, I too have the Harry Potter bug and am just waiting for someone in the church to finish a copy so I can borrow it. I'm on the reserve list for a library copy, but at number 46 (I put my name on the list about two months ago!), I have a long wait if I go that route. I may still break down and buy a hardback copy before accidentally hearing spoilers.
Speaking of spoiling, some kind souls have been giving me lots of fresh zucchini. I'd be glad to offer the versitile vegetable to any of you. Rainbow Pastor -- it's not chocolate, but I do have a recipe for chocolate zucchini bread somewhere that all but masks any hint of healthiness.
Even though my sermon is on Mary Magdalene for tomorrow & happily done... I've been playing Martha. Cleaning house. Doing dishes. The results? Homemade spaghetti sauce is simmering. Garden fresh cuke salad in the fridge and fresh cherry cobbler to bake tonight... but that children's sermon & baptismal preparation await.
reverend dona quixote and anyone else who's wondering-- Juneberries are found in the wild, also known as sarviceberry or serviceberry or even poor person's blueberry. They grow on shrubs that can be quite tall, are labor intensive to pick, but delicious. They have a small seed, and when baked in a pie or cobbler you are rewarded with a faint essence of almond in addition to the sweet/tart firm fruit. Quite a coveted item in summer around here. Some folks from the nearby Spirit Lake Nation pick and sell them for $5 a quart.
I return to find so many offerings of delicious food - HCL, yum, zucchini bread, berries of all kinds, pie and cobblers, oh my. I wrote a quick draft of my sermon, putting on paper what my brain noodled on all week (in between VBS that is)...(still have all those songs rambling around in my brain, a verse here and there...God is good, God is life, I will worship him forever...and on it goes). anyway, I am making marinated steak shish-kabob for dinner (in a garlic lime marinade) with a pasta salad and probably corn on the cob.(since I have to use it before it spoils). An absolutely beautiful day here...and so I too am being much more like Martha...can you tell I'm a week away from vacation - the ramble brain...oy.
Juneberries sound yummy --thanks for the explanation Prairie Pastor.
BTW, the 3 sisters and I saw Hairspray yesterday --wonderful, wonderful feel good movie that will make you smile and laugh. Go see it if you need a lift in spirits.
so...I should be figuring out a children's time and writing prayers of the people...and doing laundry and packing for the mission trip...and shopping for a costume for the masquerade during said trip...and and and and...
obviously the best way to do that is to watch the first two Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
it seems my inner procrastinator has taken over today.
anyone come up with a Mary and Martha children's time they want to share yet?
I'm thinking that water might be useful. Boiling water is important for cooking, but it is too hot to drink. Water that has cooled off is good for tea, or hot chocolate, or coffee or drinking plain. Water that is cold is good on a hot day, but water that is too cold freezes...
Being busy is like boiling water it's good but if you're too busy, like boiling water you can boil away and then you have no water... (what Martha needs to learn). Being cool and calm (like Mary) is a good state to be in, but if you get too cool you freeze...and while some things frozen are good they are limited in what they can do.
Water (or liquid) helps us remember that there is a range of ways we can be, all of which are important, if we balance them??
Or something else that helps them see the difference between busy, calm, useful, overdone? And then how being quiet helps us know God, knowing God helps us know what to do in the world.
Or have them do something really fast - jump or run - and feel their heart racing. then have them sit really still until their breath slows down. then have them walk calmly.... (won't work if you're in the nave or sanctuary, but it might if you have children's chapel)...maybe then can feel in their bodies the difference between two busy, too slow, and calm.
Hi friends, I've been out and about today, but just finished a draft of my sermon for tomorrow and posted it on my blog. I doesn't feel all that deep (in an academic way) to me--it's more of a testimony than anything else. But hey, I hear that's all the rage in preaching these days!
Wow, Mompriest, can I come over for dinner? Or at least have your recipes? I'm preaching tonight in about 1/2 hour, and again tomorrow, and then *whish* again going on a short vacation.
Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things... I know I am.
WOW. Finished with sermon last night, but sort of wished I saved it for the party, although my cupboards don't have nuthin' yummy to eat...I can offer up a fiber one bar and an english cucumber that I bought a week ago... like the childrens' ideas....
Got a rough draft of the sermon done by Friday afternoon so I could spend the day with Harry Potter. I was one of the crazies out at 12:01 buying my copy. I've finished the book and am exhausted from reading all day.
The sermon could probably use an editing once over and I still need a children's time that goes with Amos 8 ... hmmmmm
I have fresh veggie risotto--using the last of my fresh farm vegetables from this week before I head out for New Orleans. It's vegan--anyone want some?
diane, come on over. anyone else? dinner will be ready in few minutes. I'm wondering if a glass of red wine (shiraz) will help me finish my sermon, which I really will get to soon...whenever I get in a pinch, or I'm tired, I used one of the saints to ground the sermon. Tomorrow I will speak about St. Benedict from whom the Benedictine order was founded, and its primary rule - hospitality...
Just dropped in to see how all were doing. I preached at our Saturday evening service already, so I'm obviously done with the sermon.
Wasn't going to post until I saw a blogger name of karla jean. Since that is my sister's name (and I'm fairly confident that she's NOT preaching tomorrow), I was intriqued and tried to click on your name, but couldn't find out anything about you... so, anyway, hi.
OOOOhhh, I'm with you, Rainbow Pastor, because I stayed up till almot midnight trying to come to an understanding with one of my board members, and now I'm taking off my shoes and stretching my toes after helping with a large inner-city outreach in Milwaukee. A good day, except that I am very tired and I do not have my sermon done and now all I want to do is stretch out on the couch. Well, I have a rough outline...very rough. I also have lovely green grapes to add to the fruit collection. Off to pray for inspiration in fleshing out my rather uninspiring sermon points.
Finished my Mary/Martha sermon last night. We attended a family reunion today and just got home a few minutes ago. My HP book arrived in my absence and now sits on my bed waiting for me to tuck in the kiddos and settle in to read. I MUST not read all night - I have to preach tomorrow. (Repeat, repeat, repeat!)
Cheesehead here with the upper midwest dinner report:
turkey bratwurt on the grill, sweet corn on the cob from the farm stand, zucchini sauteed with garlic adn grape tomatoes, strawberries with whipped cream, and a nice crisp glass of pinot grigio.
ah, Mompriest, one of these days I'm going to surprise you and really come to where you are...St. Benedict & hospitality... at the Benedictine retreat center in SD where I lived, they practiced open communion. It was a hospitality issue for them. How cool was that?
as it turns out the ECUSA celebrates the feast day of St. Benedict on July 11...so I'm 11 days off...at least I'm in the same month...I wonder what saint I can talk about next week to get me through the day before vacation.
Oh and cheese, I'm headed up for the zucchini sauteed with grape tomatoes - sounds fab...
It is still a pretty short outline, which is okay, but I am DONE--and know what? I am even getting excited about sharing it tomorrow! Aint the Holy Spirit amazing? I'm off for a hot shower and bed. Blessings to both preachers and hearers.
Singing Owl, I am amazed that the thought of a hot shower is a good thing. It's not even that hot here but my house is pretty warm and I am sitting in front of a fan...
I have decided to give the Holy Spirit something of a workout tomorrow morning. I have only the vaguest of children's time plans, and a plan to return to extemporaneous prayers of the people (I've been writing them out for a few months now and I think I'm over it).
Some might use the phrase "flying by the seat of one's pants"--but isn't that the prerogative of those preparing to leave for week-long mission trips with teenagers? Especially those preparing for such trips without the advantage of Harry Potter, though most trip goers will likely have read the book already?
just saying...as I eat a popsicle and head to bed, praying for the Holy Spirit to take me by the seat of my pants (or skirt, as the case may be) and help me to fly....
(PS: While I'm gone, I'll still check submissions to "Things I Can't Say"--if there's something you want to say but can't say aloud, email it to cantsaythat@gmail.com and the brilliantly anonymous space will open up to you at the livejournal of the same name....)
Teri -- never heard of this brilliantly anonymous space. Is it new? "can't say that" well, it's preached once tonight at the small chapel rehearsal, er, service, and will just go with it tomorrow, too. mostly written out, so not flying by the seat of my pants or anything, but I've bee there. So burned out getting ready for 2nd 5 day vacation that I can't imagine getting up at 5:50 tomorrow a.m. and just talking at 8:00.
OK. Now really confused...I'm sure I saw another version of this a moment ago, even commented on it, but when I posted the comment blogger rejected it out of hand.
ReplyDeleteAh well.
I was merely whingeing as usual about my lack of inspiration, the need to eat celery when I feel like carrot cake, and all the other ills that flesh is heir to. Not very festive, really. I'll find some greenies for LittlmanKitty and then take my grump elsewhere...
I don't know about everyone else, but I'm dashing back and forth between trying to finish my sermon and checking to see if the UPS guy has dropped off my HARRY POTTER BOOK!
ReplyDeleteNot that I'm going to get a crack at it... daughter is first (she has finished all her re-reading). Then son (he is in book five). Then me (just started re-reading prisoner of Azkaban).
Anyone with last minute inspirations re: Mary Magdalene, drop by my blog!
Mags
Well, better late than never. Life has a funny way of mixing us up sometimes, thanks Songbird for jumping in and starting the party. My little homily is in draft form using both Genesis and Luke, Abraham tending to the "angels" and Mary and Martha. So the theme is hospitality: the art of doing and being. In other words how what we do needs to be grounded in who we are as people of God, in our faith. Kinda fits in with the preacher party today and SB jumping in to start us up, even when she is on vacation. (And, I hope stacey is ok).
ReplyDeleteBTW, I have some Jamaican-Me-Crazy iced coffee, if anyone wants some.
ReplyDeleteMags
I just assumed the party was delayed by impedimentia or some other hex.
ReplyDeleteWhat can I say about hospitality, balancing between doing and being, and Mary and Martha on this last sermon beffore holidays.
At least I am not tempted by Potter as we don't get postal service on Saturday
ooh, carrot cake. that sounds really good.
ReplyDeletenot preaching this week...popping in to hope that someone, in talking about mary and martha, will give me children's time inspiration! anyone, anyone?
i have trader joe's cranberry lemonade on offer today....not much else in the house since I'm leaving early Monday morning for a week...thinking of going to our local donut shop and calling it lunch. any requests?
I have inlaws ... 2 of DH's sisters and niece.
ReplyDeleteHow ironic when I'm preparing a sermon on hospitality!
Thankfully I just shipped them off to visit DH's mom Pistol so I can get some work done.
I'm in this really odd situation of having written the sermon 2 months ago....yeah, for reals. I took a college of preacher's class and we had to write a sermon on an ordinary time text, and this date was the only one that I had booked up that long ago.
ReplyDeleteSo, the sermon is actually pretty good. But it means that I have pretty much no motivation to actually, you know, write teh rest of the service.
And I was the stupid one who had my HP book sent to work, forgetting that it was a Saturday.
i re-read an old sermon because I didn't want to use the same illustrations (so far so good) and found a couple of things I liked about it... called "timing is everything"... and started out talking about how I had heard that cooking is an art but baking is a science. Now I remember a comment afterwards, that having women preachers has brought forward some different perspectives and different illustrations.
ReplyDeleteI'm off to mow the lawn before the heatwave strikes in full force, then off to visit a hospice patient, to the store to get Whoppers candy for a funeral homily, and hopefully at last to finish a sermon for the commemoration of Mary Magdalene tomorrow. I'll leave some fresh juneberry sauce and angel food cake along with three slices of leftover from yesterday juneberry pie. Blessings on your writing!
ReplyDeletehow about fair trade vanilla coffee? and french toast? I'm half done with this one..., and will need some perseverence!!!
ReplyDeleteDiane that coffee sounds wonderful!I an sniffing and sneezing and trying to combat a summer cold...yuk....
ReplyDeletetomorrows service could be difficult because it is a 3 congregation mix all used to v. different styles of worship and sermon...
I'm going with the Mary and Martha text...still trying to get it together here.
Songbird thanks for stepping in like that :-)
OK
ReplyDeleteSermon done.
Now I need to find something for the Home for the Distincty Confused before I get to work on big scary talk I'm doing on Tuesday. Why do I say "yes" to these things?
Vanilla coffee sounds lovely...I've never tried it. Thanks Diane.
Not sure who's turn it is with Harry P...my daughter finished it overnight, and it seems currently available - but if I start it then not only will I get no more sermonising done, but I may quite possibly be hexed by my sons.
Oh well, there's a jug of Pimms on the table when you're ready for it (it's 5.30 here now)...Courage, all ye preachers!
RevGalFriends - there you are!
ReplyDeleteI need prayers today as I have no thoughts / ideas / inspiritation yet for my sermon! I also have a funeral to prepare for Monday and my step-son just flew in for his month long summer visit. I am torn by spending time with him (we haven't seen him since Christmas) and getting my act together for tomorrow and Monday.
Thanks girlfriends! I'll trade some left over Chinese food for carrot cake and fair trade coffee. (Although I guess that's not much of a trade! Hopefully you are feeling hospitable!)
I just got home. The munchkin is in bed, hubbies at the post office, and two copies of Harry Potter are hidden away at the house. Hubbie hid them so that I would finish my sermon (poor me!) I'm torn between doing the work or having a treasure hunt. Oh well! I have some apple pie a la mode if anyone is interested!
ReplyDeleteI've got fresh blueberries if anyone would like them...
ReplyDeleteLuke for me...tackling the ambiguity of the text...fun fun fun!
Morning everyone! And thanks Songbird for stepping up.
ReplyDeleteI am also not tempted by Harry cause my Mom will hand down her copy. Not preaching tomorrow but need to prepare less formal homilies for two house masses during my upcoming trip with Matt while kids are with my mom, yahoo.
One is a house blessing for my best friend, for which I need to choose texts and other liturgy since she is too busy moving this weekend. The other is a non RevGal blogmeet on the feast of Mary's parents/Jesus' grandparents, for which I need to look up the readings.
Our cupboard is pretty bare but I do have some Belgian chocolate and caramel cookies given to me in England to offer....
Lemon merangue pie, anyone?
ReplyDeletePrairie Pastor, what's a juneberry?
blueberries, num... we have some of those, and raspberries too... please join us while they are in season... keep the hospitality easy, we don't want to become distracted from (not our task) but the person... perhaps that's part of the art of hospitality, not to let the task(s) distract us from the person...
ReplyDeleteNot preaching, except at the wedding I'm doing this afternoon. So, sending all my preaching vibes to the rest of you. Along with some grapes and cherries... and the sweetest carrots that I bought at the farmers market this morning. I could eat them all day long.
ReplyDeleteI have waffles to offer.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have chocolate? I think I need some.
After not enough sleep (up late talking with a friend who needed a sympathetic ear), had a pre-wedding session that I thought was at 10, and everyone else thought was at 11...then my car window failed (went down, won't come back up)...Therefore besides needed repair, can't park downtown and go to coffeeshop to work on sermon.
I did, however, get my nails and brows done. Gotta have priorities.
So. I'm with whoever was doing Luke and Genesis. We have new members coming in, too. So... Hospitality, welcoming--it all fits. But what exactly to say is the question.
And--to top it all off I wanted to finish this early so I'd have some time to start working early on my sermon for Pride next week.
Yes, chocolate is in order.
chocolate yes please that sounds good :-)
ReplyDeleteIn re: chocolate: You ladies got some dementors you need chased away? ;-)
ReplyDeleteMags (finished and reasonably satisfied with sermon...)
Hey all!
ReplyDeleteI'm way behind in lots of things, but I'm a week ahead in the lectionary. Next week is an outdoor service, and I decided to make this week a prayer focus --dealing with the Lord's Prayer and following. Several months ago, when I planned it all on paper, it sounded fresh and exciting. Now I wonder how I'm going to tie in multiple ways of praying and the sermon into a somewhat fluid service. I have a feeling after trying to empower and challenge (convince?) members that we can all pray in varied ways, once I get people into small groups, they'll all stare at on one another until the group time is over.
Meanwhile, I too have the Harry Potter bug and am just waiting for someone in the church to finish a copy so I can borrow it. I'm on the reserve list for a library copy, but at number 46 (I put my name on the list about two months ago!), I have a long wait if I go that route. I may still break down and buy a hardback copy before accidentally hearing spoilers.
Speaking of spoiling, some kind souls have been giving me lots of fresh zucchini. I'd be glad to offer the versitile vegetable to any of you. Rainbow Pastor -- it's not chocolate, but I do have a recipe for chocolate zucchini bread somewhere that all but masks any hint of healthiness.
Sigh, back to work...
Even though my sermon is on Mary Magdalene for tomorrow & happily done... I've been playing Martha. Cleaning house. Doing dishes. The results? Homemade spaghetti sauce is simmering. Garden fresh cuke salad in the fridge and fresh cherry cobbler to bake tonight...
ReplyDeletebut that children's sermon & baptismal preparation await.
zucchini bread! mmm mmm... now that makes my mouth water... sermon is done, now needs to be remembered.
ReplyDeletereverend dona quixote and anyone else who's wondering--
ReplyDeleteJuneberries are found in the wild, also known as sarviceberry or serviceberry or even poor person's blueberry. They grow on shrubs that can be quite tall, are labor intensive to pick, but delicious. They have a small seed, and when baked in a pie or cobbler you are rewarded with a faint essence of almond in addition to the sweet/tart firm fruit. Quite a coveted item in summer around here. Some folks from the nearby Spirit Lake Nation pick and sell them for $5 a quart.
I return to find so many offerings of delicious food - HCL, yum, zucchini bread, berries of all kinds, pie and cobblers, oh my. I wrote a quick draft of my sermon, putting on paper what my brain noodled on all week (in between VBS that is)...(still have all those songs rambling around in my brain, a verse here and there...God is good, God is life, I will worship him forever...and on it goes). anyway, I am making marinated steak shish-kabob for dinner (in a garlic lime marinade) with a pasta salad and probably corn on the cob.(since I have to use it before it spoils). An absolutely beautiful day here...and so I too am being much more like Martha...can you tell I'm a week away from vacation - the ramble brain...oy.
ReplyDeleteJuneberries sound yummy --thanks for the explanation Prairie Pastor.
ReplyDeleteBTW, the 3 sisters and I saw Hairspray yesterday --wonderful, wonderful feel good movie that will make you smile and laugh. Go see it if you need a lift in spirits.
so...I should be figuring out a children's time and writing prayers of the people...and doing laundry and packing for the mission trip...and shopping for a costume for the masquerade during said trip...and and and and...
ReplyDeleteobviously the best way to do that is to watch the first two Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
it seems my inner procrastinator has taken over today.
anyone come up with a Mary and Martha children's time they want to share yet?
Children's time with Mary and Martha: hum...
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking that water might be useful. Boiling water is important for cooking, but it is too hot to drink. Water that has cooled off is good for tea, or hot chocolate, or coffee or drinking plain. Water that is cold is good on a hot day, but water that is too cold freezes...
Being busy is like boiling water it's good but if you're too busy, like boiling water you can boil away and then you have no water... (what Martha needs to learn). Being cool and calm (like Mary) is a good state to be in, but if you get too cool you freeze...and while some things frozen are good they are limited in what they can do.
Water (or liquid) helps us remember that there is a range of ways we can be, all of which are important, if we balance them??
Or something else that helps them see the difference between busy, calm, useful, overdone? And then how being quiet helps us know God, knowing God helps us know what to do in the world.
Or have them do something really fast - jump or run - and feel their heart racing. then have them sit really still until their breath slows down. then have them walk calmly.... (won't work if you're in the nave or sanctuary, but it might if you have children's chapel)...maybe then can feel in their bodies the difference between two busy, too slow, and calm.
Well. Good luck.
Well have a good outline and a children's time. I'll talk about hospitality's importance in the days before hotels.
ReplyDeleteWhee! That means I get to play a little (i.e., have peanut butter pie with the neighbours after dinner).
Hi friends, I've been out and about today, but just finished a draft of my sermon for tomorrow and posted it on my blog. I doesn't feel all that deep (in an academic way) to me--it's more of a testimony than anything else. But hey, I hear that's all the rage in preaching these days!
ReplyDeleteWow, Mompriest, can I come over for dinner? Or at least have your recipes? I'm preaching tonight in about 1/2 hour, and again tomorrow, and then *whish* again going on a short vacation.
ReplyDeleteMartha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things... I know I am.
I am still busy getting nowhere and feeling worse by the moment...
ReplyDeletepreaching will be a miracle tomorrow :-)
WOW. Finished with sermon last night, but sort of wished I saved it for the party, although my cupboards don't have nuthin' yummy to eat...I can offer up a fiber one bar and an english cucumber that I bought a week ago...
ReplyDeletelike the childrens' ideas....
I've finished my sermon until I heave a great sigh and return to mess with another revision.
ReplyDeleteHP arrived at noon handed to me by a harried mail person.
Mr. C. carried it off triumphant that he wouldn't lose my place (I got to about pg.75).
I want to work on the prayers for tomorrow then I'm sneaking HP away from Mr. C. and HIDING.
Thanks for the good snacks. I feel like a scone would be good. Anyone have fresh scones? The kind made with heavy cream???
Our HP arrived at around noon. Pillar has it first, as he reads much more quickly than I do.
ReplyDeleteBlessings on all your sermons.
Gord - do stop by when you're in town!
Got a rough draft of the sermon done by Friday afternoon so I could spend the day with Harry Potter. I was one of the crazies out at 12:01 buying my copy. I've finished the book and am exhausted from reading all day.
ReplyDeleteThe sermon could probably use an editing once over and I still need a children's time that goes with Amos 8 ... hmmmmm
I have fresh veggie risotto--using the last of my fresh farm vegetables from this week before I head out for New Orleans. It's vegan--anyone want some?
ReplyDeletediane, come on over. anyone else? dinner will be ready in few minutes. I'm wondering if a glass of red wine (shiraz) will help me finish my sermon, which I really will get to soon...whenever I get in a pinch, or I'm tired, I used one of the saints to ground the sermon. Tomorrow I will speak about St. Benedict from whom the Benedictine order was founded, and its primary rule - hospitality...
ReplyDeletethe vegan risotto sounds delicious...
Hi all...
ReplyDeleteJust dropped in to see how all were doing. I preached at our Saturday evening service already, so I'm obviously done with the sermon.
Wasn't going to post until I saw a blogger name of karla jean. Since that is my sister's name (and I'm fairly confident that she's NOT preaching tomorrow), I was intriqued and tried to click on your name, but couldn't find out anything about you... so, anyway, hi.
OOOOhhh, I'm with you, Rainbow Pastor, because I stayed up till almot midnight trying to come to an understanding with one of my board members, and now I'm taking off my shoes and stretching my toes after helping with a large inner-city outreach in Milwaukee. A good day, except that I am very tired and I do not have my sermon done and now all I want to do is stretch out on the couch. Well, I have a rough outline...very rough. I also have lovely green grapes to add to the fruit collection. Off to pray for inspiration in fleshing out my rather uninspiring sermon points.
ReplyDeleteFinished my Mary/Martha sermon last night. We attended a family reunion today and just got home a few minutes ago. My HP book arrived in my absence and now sits on my bed waiting for me to tuck in the kiddos and settle in to read. I MUST not read all night - I have to preach tomorrow. (Repeat, repeat, repeat!)
ReplyDeleteCheesehead here with the upper midwest dinner report:
ReplyDeleteturkey bratwurt on the grill, sweet corn on the cob from the farm stand, zucchini sauteed with garlic adn grape tomatoes, strawberries with whipped cream, and a nice crisp glass of pinot grigio.
Dinner on the deck in the gazebo: y'all come!
ah, Mompriest, one of these days I'm going to surprise you and really come to where you are...St. Benedict & hospitality... at the Benedictine retreat center in SD where I lived, they practiced open communion. It was a hospitality issue for them. How cool was that?
ReplyDeleteas it turns out the ECUSA celebrates the feast day of St. Benedict on July 11...so I'm 11 days off...at least I'm in the same month...I wonder what saint I can talk about next week to get me through the day before vacation.
ReplyDeleteOh and cheese, I'm headed up for the zucchini sauteed with grape tomatoes - sounds fab...
Just got The Boy to bed after a long day (week) and I have an outline and things I worked out in my head during the bike ride.
ReplyDeleteNow the only question is, "how quickly will it gel on paper?"
WS, I'm sure you'll be gellin' like a felon in no time.
ReplyDeleteYeah...I'm lame.
Lame? I was going to use that!
ReplyDeleteI'm not preaching, as I mentioned earlier, but I did post a few thoughts about Martha.
ReplyDeleteIt is still a pretty short outline, which is okay, but I am DONE--and know what? I am even getting excited about sharing it tomorrow! Aint the Holy Spirit amazing? I'm off for a hot shower and bed. Blessings to both preachers and hearers.
ReplyDeleteSinging Owl, I am amazed that the thought of a hot shower is a good thing. It's not even that hot here but my house is pretty warm and I am sitting in front of a fan...
ReplyDeleteI have decided to give the Holy Spirit something of a workout tomorrow morning. I have only the vaguest of children's time plans, and a plan to return to extemporaneous prayers of the people (I've been writing them out for a few months now and I think I'm over it).
Some might use the phrase "flying by the seat of one's pants"--but isn't that the prerogative of those preparing to leave for week-long mission trips with teenagers? Especially those preparing for such trips without the advantage of Harry Potter, though most trip goers will likely have read the book already?
just saying...as I eat a popsicle and head to bed, praying for the Holy Spirit to take me by the seat of my pants (or skirt, as the case may be) and help me to fly....
(PS: While I'm gone, I'll still check submissions to "Things I Can't Say"--if there's something you want to say but can't say aloud, email it to cantsaythat@gmail.com and the brilliantly anonymous space will open up to you at the livejournal of the same name....)
ReplyDeleteTeri -- never heard of this brilliantly anonymous space. Is it new? "can't say that"
ReplyDeletewell, it's preached once tonight at the small chapel rehearsal, er, service, and will just go with it tomorrow, too. mostly written out, so not flying by the seat of my pants or anything, but I've bee there.
So burned out getting ready for 2nd 5 day vacation that I can't imagine getting up at 5:50 tomorrow a.m. and just talking at 8:00.
sermon done. Now a prayer...
ReplyDelete