Good morning, preachers!In solidarity with Jeremiah's instructions to seek the welfare of the city, or as Stan Wilson at Theolog suggested, the neighborhood, I am hoping to bloom where I am planted today. Later this morning I'm meeting my sister-in-law to pick out some plants for my front garden, bare since we removed shrubs some months ago.
Let us know what's on your mind and on your calendar today. Do you have a great children's moment planned? Are you desperately seeking inspiration?
Coffee is on, and a variety of breakfast possibilities awaits. But I know you want the Fiber One, don't you? ;-)
coffee sounds good-though it is mid-day here, as for blooming where you are planted, not so appealing when you want to run away!
ReplyDelete(((Sally)))
ReplyDeletehugs Sally!
ReplyDeleteI am off to a women's conference (involuntary shudder). I'm preaching on the Luke text according to the bulletin, but somehow my brain has not yet got the message. Hope to be back to work on it this afternoon! Blessings Y'all!
cpc, I just went to see what I wrote about Luke three years ago, then realized I don't remember it because I was out of town, doing a wedding and seeing my son in a play at college. Somehow "No Sex, Please, We're British" is not the same thing as a sermon on the ten lepers.
ReplyDeleteHope the conference goes well, and see you later!
well I had a few thoughts the other day- what if the leper who came back was a woman...
ReplyDeletenot sure the congregation will go for that though- so back to the "drawing board" for me....
thanks for the hugs....it is amazing how effective they are across cyberspace!!!
ReplyDeleteSongbird will you post pics of your flowers?
Sure! We finally have sun her today, after days and days of gloom, so it should be possible to get some good ones.
ReplyDelete(((Sally))) I do know how you feel.
ReplyDeleteI'm not preaching. Our intern is preaching for the first time tomorrow.
He's working on the 10 lepers, but has also been sick all week!
and Sally, I like your take on it...
thanks Diane :-)
ReplyDeleteright I'm putting the kettle on, tea anyone- Earl Grey and vanilla...?
ReplyDeletewe have some cinnamon coffee... and oatmeal with walnuts? Fiberone sounds great Songbird:)
ReplyDeletehad a great Bible study one this text earlier this week!
Diane- say more....
ReplyDeleteGood morning all (and good afternoon, Sally). It's my first time preaching in a few weeks (it's been an unusual fall) and my first time at the preaching party in almost the same amount of time. It's supposed to be like riding a bike, though, right?
ReplyDeleteI don't like to have social engagements on Saturdays, but today I'm taking my boys to a birthday party. Also am not feeling well, possibly a reaction to what appears to be a poisonous spider bite. Also can't get a toxic parishioner out of my head - major drama this week, and I have done well for the most part with letting it go. An email I just got shoved her right back into my brain space.
I'm doing the Jeremiah text, titled "Living Where We Are," and am trying myself to do just that. We'll see....
(((earthchick))) seems that it is one of those days!
ReplyDeleteI'm just popping in to send love and strength to all my fellow preachers. I'm off momentarily to teach the first session of a tutorial in Reformed Theology for candidates for lay ministry in our region. Given this... I wrote yesterday- on Luke. And you can find my current draft here. Thanks to all who weighed in on my musings on obedience earlier in the week.
ReplyDeleteFeedback is welcome and if anything there can be helpful- feel free to borrow.
And... if you do have a chance to read the sermon, brilliant suggestions for an appropriate children's sermon to match would be most appreciated.
not that you aren't all busy enough as it is... i know... i'll pop in after class this afternoon.
blessings! and ((((sally))))!
I've got my draft out here onthe Timothy passage. Tomorrow will be a LOW Sunday...we had Homecoming last weekend, and have you ever noticed that after a big service, people don't come back the next week? Drives me crazy!
ReplyDelete(((Sally)))
ReplyDelete(((Earthchick)))
I'm not preaching this week, the pastor of our host church (a United Church) is preaching on the lepers.
I'm now trying to decide if I should take the day off from church completely or take advantage of extra time to work ahead a bit, because we all know how things come up. So--shall I be an ant or grasshopper?
Since I have some free time, though, I'll play short order cook and make omelets to order! (EggBeaters also available, for those of you watching your cholesterol) Any takers?
RP Grasshopper, I will take a loaded omelet. As for your question of what to do, listen to your soul. It will tell you whether to work or not and if it is the latter do it with no guilt strings attached.
ReplyDelete((sally)) ((preachers))
I am working from Jeremiah and 2 Timothy today. I have thoughts but it is time to stop percolating and start spitting out!
Hard to do though when my mind is already on a cruise with my revgal friends!
((Sally)) - I think I might know a little of how you feel.
ReplyDelete((Earthchick)) - I HATE the drama, particularly when it keep reasserting itself after you have tried to move on.
I'm preaching from the Luke text, on the inner healing that an attitude of gratitude can bring.
I'm also looking for some resources - help appreciated. I want to help our finance committee approach budget planning from a more spiritually informed perspective. Right now they use a combination approach: the scarcity approach and the "strictly business" approach. I don't see either of those approaches affirmed in scripture. Suggestions?
ReplyDeleteNote to self: Nowhere on today's extensive 'to do' list is listed "sit in glider watching Vh1 Countdown while drinking coffee."
ReplyDelete((earthchick)) - as someone who was put through the ringer here just a couple of years ago I learned that when I saw those emails/received those phone calls I could handle them by asking myself, "5 years from now is this REALLY going to matter?" You can even pare down the years, adjusting to your situation accordingly.
If that is not only unsolicited but also unhelpful, please file accordingly.
Preacher Mom- I don't know if this is too obvious, but it helped one congregation that I served tremendously. Malachi 3:10. "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing." They started budgeting with what was most important and learned to trust. It was much healthier after we did some study with an outside resources specifically focusing on this text.
ReplyDeleteThanks, will smama and all. I know you people get it, and it's nice to vent a bit in a safe space. This is a person who has the awful combination of extreme intelligence and extraordinary powers of manipulation. This combination has been very effective in the past, in keeping people from seeing some of what is really going on. This time, I think more people may be catching on.
ReplyDeleteStill, I find myself anxious and depressed about it. The dynamics of the situation also trigger some of my own issues, unfortunately, and I am trying harder this time to sit loose with all that rather than reacting.
I wish I could say more, because I know you people would understand and empathize and offer good counsel, but I find I'm paranoid about even writing what I've written, in case a Google search were to show what I've said (and I've already edited out some of the stuff I just wrote). I may even come back later and delete.
Bleh.
No words on sermon yet. Unless you count the title.
((Sally)) I really like your take on the 10th leper. I preached in 1st person in costume last time this one came around, but I didn't give the leper the character you have. I did point out that, as a Samaritan, I wouldn't have been welcomed by the priests anyway. .
ReplyDeleteI'm going with Timothy this week, with focus on "the word of God is not chained" and "remind them not to wrangle over words."
We're getting some badly needed rain here. No church or social events to distract me today, although I do need to go buy some food for my very empty refrigerator. Anybody want me to pick up anything when I go?
earthchick- what a horrible situation- prayers for you as you walk through this time...I've dealt with that type relationship before- it is very hard
ReplyDeleteGood morning all. Not preaching tomorrow or next Sunday, but do need to prepare bulletins for those who are.
ReplyDeleteAlso finishing up my 2006 income tax over this weekend --yucch.
My prayers for Sally, Earthchick and those who are experiencing challenging times. I've been swamped this week, so not totally sure what's going on, but I will catch up at some point later today.
RP, be a grasshopper, but after you finish my western omelet. ;)
I am filling in at another church this week, so I get to be lazy and preach last week's sermon. We aren't normally lectionary followers, so I don't have to worry about it being a repeat. I'll keep you in my prayers as you prepare! I'm off to create Halloween costumes for a Halloween party the kids are invited to this afternoon.
ReplyDeleteI slept gloriously late today. For me, that is 8:00am.
ReplyDeleteI am going with the "Would it Kill You To Send a Thank-You Note?" idea from earlier in the week. There is a funny story about thank you notes from an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond that I can't get out of my head, and I'm going to try to deconstruct it in a way that should help us deconstruct what is going on in the Luke passage.
Now I have to get off my lappy, and go down to my Serious Writing Desktop Computer in the home office.
((Earthchick)) I had one of those, and everyone finally did catch on to what she was doing. But the pain and abuse I went through until that happened was horrific. She was able to trigger every one of my insecurities. I just hope that if it ever happens again I can follow will smamas advice. :-)
ReplyDeleteRP, I vote for you taking the day off. How often do those come along, anyway?
praise the Lord for not preaching this week. I am so ready for a vacation. Too bad one is not forthcoming!
ReplyDeleteSP is preaching on Jeremiah, something about "what do you need to survive a tragedy" with the answer being something along the lines of "keep living" and "work with your community." Of course there's a PERFECT buffy scene for this at the end of the final episode of season 5 ("The Gift"). Sadly we will not be using it.
Here's the children's time: a box of things you "need" to be prepared for an emergency--flashlight, blanket, batteries, peanut butter (or granola bars), bottled water. I'll talk first about the story and then say something like "what are some things we would need if we had an emergency?" Pull things out of box. Then say "but the most important thing is something we can't put in a box--we need our family and friends and church community. We can't do it on our own!" The end. or something.
I'm headed to Trader Joe's--any requests? I'll drop things off here on my way to a funeral this afternoon. I saw in the Flyer that they have dark chocolate covered edamame now! oh my...and oh yum!
(((earthchick)))
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to catch up with the rest of the comments later, we are heading to the nursery to meet my gardening sister-in-law!
The good news earthchick is that the title is CLEARLY brilliant! And good for you for trying to "sit loose rather than reacting" - that is SO hard.
ReplyDeleteMy dog is snoring in a sunbeam on the floor. Wonder if he'll trade places with me?
Off to sermon... no. really.
Thanks, revhrod. I used that text recently in a sermon in ways they did not like! Our church received a rather large gift some years ago - before I was called to the church. They have invested the money and it is supposedly earmarked to provide for a full-time pastor. (Only I'm not even full-time anymore!) Yet they fret and worry so much any time the balance on the account drops. Their main financial focus has been to preserve/rebuild that blasted account. I asked them in the sermon if they ever tithed off of that generous gift so many years ago - if they ever gave some away with no strings attached to something outside their doors. Of course the answer is no. I am afraid that the spiritual health and the future growth (or lack thereof) of this church is directly tied with their attitudes toward "their" money - attitudes they so far have been unwilling to give up.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteNot preaching today, but I am doing a children's moment. Unfortunately, my pastor has wandered away from the lectionary (very, very away)and I am left to figure out a children's moment for Exodus 19:5-6. Fortunately, I have the kernel of an idea...we'll see where it goes.
Preacher Mom, I knew you knew.... I hope and pray that they find their way to a new vision. Otherwise, their health will continue to deteriorate and that's not good for anyone. Take care!
ReplyDeleteThe daughter and I are off to use a spa gift certificate that the hubby gave me for my birthday over a month ago. Pedis for everyone!
Blessings on the preaching, teaching, writing and dog napping!
Songbird, can you check my message on the most recent cruise post? Thanks
Ahhh . . . a pedicure. That would be heaven! Get them to massage your feet for a few extra moments just for me!
ReplyDeleteokay, here's a question:
ReplyDeleteBecause Samaritans were ritually unclean, we often assume that they were not welcome in the Temple (although they did have their own worship space and priests, it's not like they were total heathens).
But unclean people could come into the Temple (court of the Gentiles, for example) and Samaritans were followers of the Torah. Would the 10th leper really have been entirely unwelcome? How would a non-practicing Jew be received? Any leper who was "cured" had to go to the Temple...it was less a worship function than the priests' function as community physician/mildew identifier/keeper of individual and community health.
Help...this is an important point in my sermon thinking...
Interesting questions Anne- I suspect what is being picked up on in commentaries is the underlying suspicion held towards foreigners, and Samaritans particularly- they may have been tolerated by the " powers that be" but were not welcomed with open arms.- btw- they would have been a source of income- temple taxes etc!!!
ReplyDeleteAs for the ordinary folk- I suspect their reactions would be mixed!
And yes the priests were fulfilling a health related function!
Now that I have finally read the FF5 (just a little busy here) I can drop by the party. I am not preaching this week nor for the next two. We have our "Why I Come to Small Church" preaching series going on, leading up to our stewardship Sunday on the 28th. But that does not mean I am resting on my laurels...no, oh no.sigh.
ReplyDeleteprayers for those struggling right now...as someone once said, "It takes a lot of energy to be a non-anxious presence." So. prayers for stamina and grace.
I have lots of good tea here and granola bars (uh, fiber with sugar)...help your self.
at Bible study on Wednesday, we talked about the Luke story and some of the things we came up with were:
ReplyDelete1. How the 9 were doing what they were told ... the 1 was "over and above"
2. the big deal that the 1 "saw that he was healed"... connection between seeing and being able to give thanks
3. the samaritan thing... as long as they were 10 lepers unclean together, they were united, but once they were clean, the jewish lepers were acceptable and the samaritan was still ... a samaritan.
4. what Jesus said to the last leper is actually, in greek, "Your faith has saved you." different than just healing.
Okay, I have totally procrastinated by having a good old fashioned heart-to-heart talk with Wondergirl.
ReplyDeleteNow, I'm back to it.
(((sally))) (((earthchick)))
ReplyDeleteyou are in my thougts and prayers. Church drama is so hard.
I am not preaching tommorrow because I spent last night sleeping outside in a cardboard box in front of my State's Capital building to bring awareness to the homeless problem in our city.
I and a bunch of people had a rally last night and then got into our boxes to try to sleep. It was an eye opening experience for me. I'll blog about it soon but I have to take a nap now.
Wow, God_guurrlll. Thanks for putting your body on the line for justice work.
ReplyDeleteI've been browsing around on-line commentaries and came across this gem- "one of them drops back, stops, turns around. Something wilder than compliance comes into his mind. He is a new man, and that calls for a new voice. He runs back, "praising God with a loud voice," then falls at the feet of Jesus, pouring out the gladness of his thanks. It isn't a tidy little thank-you speech but a stammering babble and a puddle of tears in the dust. It has been said that praise is "the jazz factor" of faith. This man's freedom has found its voice and is having its proper play at Jesus, feet. Praise is love improvising its answer to Love."
ReplyDeleteyou can find it; here
ooh, Sally, I like it, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI have good thoughts - some even on paper and I am off to nap... err I mean let said thoughts percolate.
ReplyDeleteKeep on keeping on.
have some chocolate will smama!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, y'all. You are the very best.
ReplyDeleteJust got back from the bday party - nothing like being surrounded by a housefull of 3 year-old boys to get your mind off other concerns!
Now I'm back in the saddle and staring at an empty screen. Somehow I'm not worried as I ordinarily might be. This one feels like something that I can speak to from my core (though we will see). I can't tell you how much it means to me to have all your supportive and understanding comments. :)
Hello... wandering in late today (it's nearly 7pm here). I've got someone else preaching at my main service tomorrow, though am yet to come up with a 5-or-so minute something on the Luke passage for the later service.
ReplyDeleteI haven't replied to the Big Event invite, though I'm sadly not able to come (bit of an expensive trek from here to there!). I was just thinking if lots of RevGals go and all meet each other please don't become a new tier of RevGals and forget us poor envious ones who couldn't make it! Moment of paranoia over... ;)
Better write something...
(((earthchick))) sorry, should have hugged you as i was running out the door this morning, but running leads to overlooking... very. tough. stuff. glad the birthday party helped a bit- may the Spirit deliver a sermon.
ReplyDeletewell... my class has been taught. my sermon has been polished and formatted and will soon be printed. i'm debating between napping and blogging before my evening service tonight. i ought to be entertaining the idea of house cleaning... but... not so much.
and then there's that statement of purpose that needs MAJOR improvement.... not wanting to do that either.
sigh.
think i'll go find the candy i bought last night... anyone want some?
Chelly what say we have a European get together???
ReplyDeleteOoh, there's an idea Sally!
ReplyDeleteWell the pedicures were fab and then we went shoe shopping. How beautiful are our feet!
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't connected with the travel agent and want to email.... I got the agent's voice mail.... you can sent your info to dabs@centurytel.net.
Sounds like lots of folks are on a good path to good preaching. We're going to have corn chowder and bisquits for dinner tonight. Reservations, anyone?
Oooh and if the overseas folks go someplace cool, I want to hear ALL about it!
Has anyone heard from RevAbi? She's been on my mind since her last post, and I just wondered how things were faring at her church.
ReplyDeletehugs to everyone who is struggling this week, with stuck sermons, difficult parishioners, lack of chocolate (wait, that's me) and conferences.
ReplyDeleteI've got the beginnings of a mediocre sermon. And a bowl of fruit. that's all I got.
Okay, forget what I said about emailing the travel agent. I tried and my email bounced back. If I was one of those people who thought forces might work against me... But I suspect I just wrote something down wrong. Sigh... Called again. Got the answering machine again.
ReplyDeleteOkay. I've got 7 pages of passable sermon and no ending and a fried brain. I'm going home (I'm playing turtle in the nice, quiet office) and having a snack and maybe taking a nap, and then I'll hit it again this evening. I think if I can get inspired, I can polish it off in about an hour.
ReplyDeleteI want to go to Europe. Can't do it any more than I can go on the cruise, but I want to!
If anyone else wants to email Theresa at the travel agency she called me with the correct email address.
ReplyDeleteBabs@centurytel.net
I JUST SIGNED UP FOR A CRUISE!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd it was only $25 to hang out with you ladies.
ReplyDeleteA bargain at twice the price, I tell you.
ReplyDeleteI get to go on a cruise with Will Smama and a whole bunch of other folks! AND the husband thinks that this is reasonable considering how much golf he played this summer. Happy dance! Now I just need four or five supply preaching gigs to help pay for it! Anybody in the Philly area taking a Sunday off? ;-)
ReplyDeleteJeremiah is it for me this week. I am preaching in a nearby community.
ReplyDeleteI posted Dear Jeremiah here
Friends, after working on a new garden all afternoon, I'm now ready to prune my sermon a bit.
ReplyDeleteHow goes it? Anyone need a snack? Cheese and crackers? Diet Coke? That great popcorn that lets you have 5 cups for 1 point?
Just let me know!
Today was a community street fair, and now the USC vs. UNC football game. That's S Carolina, not California! But I thinkI might actually have a sermon!
ReplyDeleteIt's here.
Oh, and for future whatevers, just saw a cool IBM commercial. Guy walks into a room and all the business people are on the floor lying on Yoga mats with those blow up pillows under their heads. Man asks what they are doing, and the woman says they are "ideating" (say it like this: eye dee ate ing). Innovating, Thinking outside the box, doing things differently. Man asks how they will do it and woman says, "I don''t know, we haven't ideated it yet."
The tag line is something like "stop talking and do" -- would be helpful for us as we are in the modst of making a major decision on Tuesday night at our session meeting. We have only been talkign abotu it for 9 months or so.
Anyway, hope that's random enough for you.
Howdy Y'all! Hubbie just fired up the grill and he's now busy yelling at the Kentucky Wildcats, so I have some time to work. The women's conference was much better than anticipated. Still a bit fundamentalist for me, but there were some good points. It actually gave me a place to go with my sermon. Zec 2:4 and following talk about the city with no walls. The actions of Jesus tore down walls. Walls that seperated lepor and clean, samaritain and jew. What walls keep us sepreated, apart form true fellowship, and apart from Jesus. How do his words speak to tearing down these walls, and what should our reponse be.He tells the lepor to go to the temple, to go on a journy. They are not made clean imediatly, rather they begin the journey and "on the way" they find themselves clean. I think that God has called this congregation to begin the journey of healing, but they cannot do it if they refuse to leave the lepor colony! On the journey healing begins, but it is not "salvation" until we realize and aknowldge who it is that did the healing. It's not about us, or our "cleanleness, goodness" it is about the only truely good and clean one. Its about mercy, and recongnizing that mercy. I know, I'm rambling!
ReplyDeletelistening to pounding rain... sermon? check. afternoon snack? check. sweat pants? check. pot of chili cooking for supper? check. revgals cruise? uh wait a minute... no. sadly no. i simply don't do vessels out on open water...eek. have you not seen titanic? have you not heard?
ReplyDeleteThank you all for the support you've given me today. I'm off to bed now- it is almost mid-night here and I have a long day tomorrow!!!
ReplyDeleteHuh.
ReplyDeleteI guess I decided not to let a sinking ship in 1912 impact my decision.
Besides, if Leonardo DiCaprio is on the ship then it will be WELL worth it.
In the meantime... I have a new goal of being done with this sermon by 8:30. I think it can happen since about an hour ago I realized my struggles today have been because I was trying to force this sermon in a direction it should not be forced. We are now realigned and I hope to be done in time to enjoy the baseball game.
I will also try not to FLOG myself as I just realized that my first comment in this thread was posted 9 hours ago - grrrrrrrrr!
I DO do cruises, but just can't... the week after Easter is, sadly, not so great for the associate pastor. usually it is called "associate pastor sunday" on the liturgical calendar. but I would love to hang out with you guys, on the water, in the air, Anywhere. So, am bummed. Every once in awhile I get to preach on Easter, but that was last year.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY FINISHED SERMON DANCE!!!
ReplyDeleteI am finished.
Before 7 pm.
If it's not a miracle, it ought to be.
His New Best Friend is my sermon on the Luke passage.
It's suddenly so quiet here! You can't all be finished, can you?
ReplyDeleteokay, so instead of fine-tuning the children's sermon, instead of writing prayers, instead of thinking about the introduction of a marine we support at one service and the introduction of new members at another....I am watching Cadfael. Have any of you seen this? It's a british show about a detective monk. A little cheesy, but kind of fun. Plus there's lots of gregorian chant. :-)
ReplyDeleteForget Leo - I'm hoping Will Smama will bring her "friend" Teh Clooney along.
ReplyDeleteI'm also doing the happy finished mediocre sermon dance. It's sort of a slow dance....
Checking in late...I had a great mini-vacation for the last two days with my SO, but now it's back to reality with a big WHOMP. Got back several hours before, been pondering and reading, and now I'm getting some thoughtful notes typed out. I just hope it won't be another Sunday morning 5 am special.
ReplyDeleteI'm about to dig into all the sermons that have been posted already...I can't wait! And then I should get some dinner.
(I will not be cruising, mostly out of guilt for taking four weeks off in a row this summer. But also because of some conflicting plans. Next time!)
SB, I am most definitely not finished. I love this text and where I'm trying to go with it, but I just can't seem to keep my focus. My computer mouse quit working partway in, so I had to go to the Apple store at the mall a couple of hours ago to get a new one. I am so not used to being at the mall on a Saturday night (esp. after a winning football game!) - it was mass chaos. Of course, I couldn't just run into the Apple Store and back out. No, I found myself in Victoria's Secret and then in The Children's Place. No purchases made, thankfully, but lots o' time lost.
ReplyDeleteSo here it is, after 8:00 (I'm usually done or almost done by now) and I'm only at the top of page 5. And dh had the bad manners to remind me that the Dean of the Univ. of Chicago Divinity School will likely be in worship tomorrow morning (he's lecturing at our church tomorrow night). Oy.
I have lots of peanut butter cookies to share, if anyone wants me to pass the plate.
Okay, cpclergypapa must be ON THE CEILING!!!
ReplyDeletePlease pass the peanut butter cookies.
As for me, I accomplished my goal with my reward being that I now have three. weeks. off. 2 weeks totally off, three Sundays off from preaching.
Crap! Just remembered children's sermon. Thinking...
I have a draft up that I hope will be final, since I am getting sleepy already and have to get to church early tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteAnyone for tea?
to be more specific it isn't the 1912 incident alone you know... but nevermind. wouldn't matter if clooney & leo both were there... it's still open water. not good, not good, not good... but if Tom Selleck were there...well, i'd buy my own monogrammed life perserver and bring the margarita maker with me... merry preaching to all and to all a good night.
ReplyDeleteHi all, I am sorry I have been absent today. We had our first Angel Food distribution day, and it went really well. We had lots of people show up to help. We were there late cleaning up and setting back up for Sunday morning.
ReplyDeleteIs my sermon done, no, rough drafted, I stayed up late last night because I knew today, I wouldn't have time to really work on it. So now while it is quite, I am working on it. Well, I am playing too.
But I wanted you all to know, I sent an email out to the rgbps contributors group, and posted a comment on the latest big event blog post, about the latest conversation I had with Theresa. So go check your email or look on the blog post. And encourage everybody to get on board for the big event.
Oh Sally, hugs to you. I know how you feel. Praying for the holy Spirit and angels to surround you.
ReplyDeleteTom Long preached the Luke passage from the perspective of thank you but no thank you. He based it on the passage before this one. He says a servant does what they are suppose to do and you don't thank them. He says it takes an outsider to teach us what thanks is all about. He says that thanks is the true worship of God, real thanks.He said some other things, but I don't remember them.
ReplyDeletehey RevAbi. Glad I'm not alone.
ReplyDeleteI'm on page 7, losing steam, no end yet discerned, tired as heck. Will virtual coffee keep me from sleeping tonight?
prayers for you earthchick. prayers.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Abi, for helping us make the cruise happen!
ReplyDeleteGals and pals, I am going to hit the sack. Will the last one up get the lights?
Blessings to all who preach tomorrow (or today for those overseas)!
hey earthchick
ReplyDeleteI'm just getting started, but then I am on the west coast and do have something from years gone by to start with (the joy of interim ministry!).
hey hot cup, whereever there is a margarita and Tom Selleck, well... it's party time.
ReplyDeletechilly fingers, thanks for asking about how I am. I am doing pretty good. Some things are better, we are still working on some things with the PPR committee. And some things are still tense. I am praying a lot, reading the bible a lot.and seeking support as I can get it. I don't hurt as badly as I did initially, but I am wary. I got a lot of support and feed back at the Bishop's convocation. Even got some positive time with the Bishop. I am attempting to be the non anxious presence, and non reactive to things. So thanks for asking. Your support, emails, encouragement and prayers have kept me lifted up.
ReplyDeleteOkay, earth chick, really big prayers for you with some top dog coming to worship tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteVirtual coffee will keep you up as long as you need to be up and will allow you to go to sleep when you need too.
Hello to all the west coasters who are now up with us.
(((Revabi))) still praying for you
ReplyDeleteDearest H just went out for some dark chocolate M&Ms. And I'm only pregnant with a sermon! You're welcome to share when he gets back.
ReplyDeleteThanks, revabi. I'm thinking of you with what you're dealing with - trying to be a non-anxious presence can be so tough in such times. Prayers for you.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I've been thinking of this toxic parishioner of mine, and the fact that I got bitten by a spider this week. And I've been thinking about how one is kind of like the other. From what I can tell, with this spider bite, there's not much I can do about it now. I've got a wound, and it is painful (and itchy as heck!) but it's not ultimately going to harm my whole body. Basically, I just have to let it hurt for awhile, and then let it heal for awhile, and then I may or may not have a scar from it. But otherwise, there is nothing I can do about what's already happened. And getting anxious about it does nothing but keep me up at night.
That's something that's really hard for me in general - not getting anxious about things I can't really do anything about. I think that whole non-anxiety thing is so key, and so hard.
The sermon is short... but it's what I needed to hear this week.
ReplyDeleteI've got a giant bag of M&M's... so dig in!
Just home from denominational meetings in Minneapolis, and thought I'd stop by and say hi. I'm not preaching tomorrow, thanks to a couple of wonderful parishioners who are sharing the preaching duties tomorrow. However, I do need to think of a children's sermon related to stewardship.
ReplyDeleteHe's back. Now we've got the M&Ms and ice cream sandwiches and bananas. Eat up night owls!
ReplyDeleteIn the mean time I just discovered that more people can name the Brady Bunch kids than the 10 Commandments. (sermon is on the big 10 this week.)
All right, y'all. I'm calling it done. I'm so pooped I may forego my usual wind-down with knitting and dh routine and head straight for bed. Party on, night owls!
ReplyDeleteWell thought out Earth Chick. Thank you for the prayers Diane. Okay where are the m&Ms? If I am going to stay awake with you west coasters, I am going to need m&m's. Come on we can do it. Preach that sermon!
ReplyDeleteCHOCOLATE! Somehow I allowed myself to get to this point without a scrap of chocolate in the house. Diet Vanilla Pepsi is doing a little bit of magic but not enough so far.
ReplyDeleteI ate dinner and put my head down on the table for a little nap before continuing with the sermon. Now I have a pretty good idea and hopefully can progress quickly so I can sleep for real.
Good to hear from you Abi (your Tom Long bit is very helpful to where I'm going with this), and now is the time to know we are not alone out there.
Can't resist trying to nab comment 100 (unless someone beats me to it).
ReplyDeleteIs anyone still up? I'm just now sitting down to finish. Long day but the laptop traveled with me so I got some work done. Amazing what happens when there is NO internet connection.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably not a good idea to start out a sermon by quoting Weird Al's "Party at the Leper Colony," is it?
ReplyDeleteBack to the drawing board.
I'm here, vicar! As usual. Good to see you again.
ReplyDeleteWord count: 847 and trucking right along.
ReplyDeleteYou still there, vicar? Or are you done?
I think I'm done! Word count: 1912 (long for me). I must have marinated this one well (and certainly long enough), because once I started, it just flowed out.
ReplyDeleteNow for a shower, a readthrough, and bed. Hope everyone got finished (or will shortly). Blessings on everyone's preaching, proclamation, and listening.
I just got up from my nap. Anything happen while I was asleep. Sure is good to sleep outside the box.
ReplyDeleteWell done, everyone - well done!
ReplyDeleteGood morning and happy preaching, all!
ReplyDeleteIt's well past church time, mid-football game. But I thought I'd post my sermon on the Timothy passage anyway. ;-) It's here
ReplyDelete