It's a rainy Saturday in City By the Sea, where the leaves continue to change and fall. It's the season for warm drinks and looking for that warm sweater to keep a preacher cozy while she finishes (or starts) her sermon.Pumpkin carving is also on the agenda today.
What commitments will interweave with your writing?
I have the coffee on, and hot water for tea, and I would be happy to make oatmeal for anyone who likes it. Someone want to pop out for pastries?
Leave a comment here and let us know what you're facing on this Saturday.
("Autumn Rain," a painting by Julian Alden Weir, is in the public domain.)
Pumpkin-carving is on my agenda for the evening as is baking some lemon bars for a deacon/elder "Lunch and Learn" tomorrow. Next week is our Consecration Sunday - we'll have a guest preacher, so my task this week is to preach about Stewardship. I ventured off Lectionary and am preaching the story of the Widow's Mite. I'm mostly done because I thought I'd be golfing today, but it's a little soggy, so I might just drink tea and read and goof off. Doesn't that sound great?
ReplyDeleteyes, it's rainy here, too, in beantown. I am happy to run down to the Modern Pastry Shop (lovely old italian bakery) and pick up some tarts and almond coffee rings. Coffee is on, animals are fed, and its time to hunker down and finish writing. Later, an evening retreat at church on Music In Our Lives...and of course, the World Series when I get home. But for now...it's a lovely contemplative morning for writing...
ReplyDeletenot preaching this weekend, but working on 2 funerals, a wedding and preaching next weekend. also fitting in shopping for my neice's confirmation!
ReplyDeleteI get to sleep in slightly more than usual today, but I'd be happy to pop out for pop tarts.
tomorrow is reformation sunday at my church.
Having spent an entire morning footling, I now have 2 homilies to write - one for a funeral on Monday morn, the other for "Journey On" a service of remembrance and thanksgiving to which we invite all the funeral families from the past year. The challenge is not to replicate a funeral type address...and for some reason I've chosen to go with seeds as my theme.
ReplyDeleteFocus completely absent.
Large bowl of apples on the table to share - but I might just pop out to hunt for a new notebook for a journalling project. Sounds more fun really...Catch you later, friends.
Would you all send some of that rain California way please? We still have 14 fires burning and the air quality where I am is officially listed as "unhealthy."
ReplyDeleteI'll be preaching the 2nd Timothy passage "The Lord stands with me." I'm pretty much still exactly where I was on Tuesday, although I did finally get my office back together after last week's water heater flood.
Between now and Monday I have to write the sermon for tomorrow, write a short speech for a goodbye event at our nearby denominational-related university, put the November newsletter together, and complete next Sunday's bulletin. I'm flying to the Midwest early Tuesday for my seminary's alumni board meeting and won't be back till Thursday night. LOTS to do today.
I do have to go out later (after the sun comes up!) for a few things, so I can pop into the Mexican bakery for some pan dulce. I especially like the filled kinds - pumpkin pan dulce, anyone?
I finished my sermon early this week so today I'm going to spend the day with my one week old granddaughter, Sage, and one year old grandson, Gabriel.
ReplyDeleteAfter that I'm going to kayak down a bit of the American River at sunset. The sunsets and moon rises have been amazing this week and I want to be on the river today.
Pumpkin pan dulce sounds out of this world. Prayers of comfort, hope, compassion, and more comfort reaching out to all our sisters and brothers and other living creatures in California. We hold you all in our hearts, RevMaria.
ReplyDeleteRevMaria, Pumpkin pan dulce sounds lovely!
ReplyDeleteMy sermon is mostly done--doing some polishing and refining, adding the opening and closing paragraphs--as I have a wedding late this afternoon and I will be going to the reception afterwards. Following up on Tuesday comments, I'm looking at the way the taxman focused on his own issues, not comparing himself to others--because we can always find people we are better than or worse than. The need is to focus on our own relationship with God, and whether we are all that God has intended us to be.
Feeling slow after a busy day and late night yesterday (sermon writing, wedding rehearsal, ushering at a community theatre play, CD release party).
I've put another pot of coffee on, as I seem to have drained it.
I also have "Dobble Chokoladefladen" courtesy of a friend's visit to Ikea last week. Yes, they're chocolate and yes they're addictive!
Oh, and I have to fit "fibula" into that sermon somewhere, courtesy of Music Man and our game of wits (he comes up with a word, I have to fit it into the sermon; it's how I ended up preaching on wombats one Sunday).
I see the caffeine has kicked in, so off to polish....
I am going to play today. You see, tomorrow is Laity Sunday. It's what we do on Reformation Sunday. Yep, the people rise up and kick me out of the pulpit. The Reformation continues, I guess.
ReplyDeleteSo, today I'll hang out with my wife.
God bless you all in your work this week. Preach 'em into the Kingdom, folks!
I have a pot of Irish oatmeal bubbling on the stove...
ReplyDeleteWish I had more of a sermon bubbling in my head, or better yet, on my computer screen.
I took three days of vacay this week--really took them, which means I did zero sermon work. But now it is go time. We have a wine-tasting tonight, which is, believe it or not, a church function. I need to be finished by 4:00 or so. Guess I'd better start.
No preaching or even worship leading for me this week--I'm taking the confirmation class to a high-church Presby congregation for a field trip. There will be bagpipes. Why yes, I did plan to go to my "home church" on Reformation Sunday (also my ordination anniversary) in purpose, why do you ask?? ;-)
ReplyDeleteanyway, all things are in readiness for my weekend, I hope. church "fall bonfire" tonight, also my coffee shop is closing tomorrow and the party is tonight, field trip tomorrow morning and Reformation Party in youth group in the evening. Good times.
So, since i'm all free time, do let me know if you are in need of anything! I can be your personal (vegetarian) chef/waitress/go-fer today if that helps anyone get Reformation ready! :-)
On my agenda: shampooing the carpet in the dining room where my dog, well, where my dog couldn't wait to go outside...sigh...
ReplyDeleteThen, doing more work to set up the church for our Celebration Sunday tomorrow.
No sermon this week. We will have a "Reflected Eucharist." The service will alternate voices between a narrator who "explains" the service, what we do and why, and the people who are acutally doing the work in the service.
We also will have a brunch to celebrate the ministries of the parish. And it is our pledge Sunday. So. A big day planned. But a lot of people who are out of town. (What is it about this October, the entire month people have travelled)...
If you get "bored" you can read the sermon on my blog from the woman who preached at our clergy conference last Monday. It is an excellent sermon!
Prayers for each of you as you break open the word....
Yes... there is the sermon to finish. But first there is the leaf-peeping drive I promised my husband. It is rainy, but I'm hoping it will clear off. Then there is the 10th anniversary concert our organist is giving. Hopefully some sermon writing in between! Blessings to all.
ReplyDeleteI'll check back in later.. and will try to pick up some goodies somewhere along my adventures!
Raining here in Village by the Sea...welcome rain, since we're in drought conditions and the governor has asked us all to reduce our water consumption by half. I'm taking that as permission to stop doing laundry and just buy new clothes. (I wish)
ReplyDeleteWe're having pumpkin cheesecake (sugar-free, but still good, I promise!) and a big pot of soup later today. Meanwhile, a visit to a church member's house for a "show": heirloom knits, custom stationery, lovely things I cannot afford.
I am preaching tomorrow night on the wedding at Cana and Serious Good News: the distinction between the somber seriousness we often bring to our relationship with God and the significance of our relationship that is joy-filled. We'll see how it turns out; I'm trying something new...talking about our mental pictures of God (looking for images of distance, seriousness, severity), play Chris Rice's "Good News", and then read the text and talk about the joyousness of a lot of Jesus' ministry, and that we are called into joy-filled connections not only with Christ but with others.
My sermon is mostly done - but only because Dave's coming back today after being gone all week on a mission trip and I want us to have some good time together today - although he has to preach tomorrow, so he'll have to write a sermon sometime between now and tomorrow morning.
ReplyDeleteSo I worked mostly all day yesterday on the sermon. One of our saints passed away last week and her memorial was on Wednesday, so this is my second sermon this week. I was supposed to be on the mission trip with Dave (New Orleans, working with Habitat) and not preaching Sunday, but after the death I cancelled my trip and will go next year sometime - and there is a blogpost coming up on that decision. And when I gave the guest preacher the option of not preaching, she accepted because she too was having a hard week.
I'm focusing on Luke and God's righteousness as a gift and not something we earn. Not very original, I know, and trust me, not very well-developed in the sermon. The sermon is all over the place - I get on to some kinda good stuff and then off on another tangent. I'm so brain-dead that I'm stuck and can't seem to bring it home, and I'm not sure I have the energy or even care to fix it. Right now my attitude is that people are just gonna have to deal with the fact that I'm tired and empty this Sunday. Nice attitude, huh?
Revkim, you might be surprised. Sometimes my tired and empty weeks produce a sermon that touches somebody. The HS--She's tricky that way!
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping you and Dave get some time together today.
the rain all along the eastern seaboard resulted in me spending an extra night in the city of the university i hope to attend come next fall. so i find myself sitting in a mega airport known for throwing curves into traveler's plans, but actually grateful for the curve i've been thrown.
ReplyDeletehad things gone as planned i would have gotten to my hometown (as in where I grew up, an hour and a half from where I now I live) late at night, crashed at my parents' house, gotten up early and raced to a city an hour east for a four hour event at which i had leadership responsibilities. after which i would have raced home, patched together whatever semblance of a sermon I had managed to write on the flights home last night, and preached it at 6:00. all the while not letting on to any parishioners that i had left the state.
while i am truly sorry not to be present to fulfill my responsibilites, i am remembering what one of the leaders at a women's conference i attended this past summer shared with us "One monkey don't stop no show." i am a member of a competent team that was sharing in the leadership for this event. i passed along all my materials and everything i was to do today can easily be done by someone else.
so... i got to relax last night... save for the 45 minutes when i realized i lost my power cord to my iBook. of course i noticed this AFTER i ran my battery down almost completely blogging about my fabulous day yesterday. a kind cleaning man let me into the office of the last faculty member with whom i met- my last hope for finding it- and voila- there it was on the corner of his desk!
so... as the sun rose over a cotton candy sky i started my sermon on a plane this morning.
and its coming together nicely so far. i'm not sure it will actually be a stewardship sermon, but a week break is not all that bad. they've had several stewardship sermons already.
sorry for the long comment. i have a long layover, a signal, and stuff to share.
i'm ridiculously hot in this airport so i have a great big cranberry-raspberry smoothie. anyone else hot? want a sip?
rev. maria, prayers for you and all in your state.
blessings, diane on all the demands on your plate! sheesh!
and hooray for everyone who is playing today! yay!
love to all.
I have hazelnut cream coffee to share along with some squash pie one of the church ladies just dropped off.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow is my first Sunday preaching after six weeks away on sabbatical.
It is surprisingly difficult to get back in the swing of things! And after church I will be preaching three times at the prison where my dh is the chaplain. Nothing like jumping back in with a bang.
I have a very skimpy outline so far, and nothing for the prison sermons.
It is dreary and raining here as well. I wish I could send some your way, Rev. Maria. We just escaped California in time. :-(
Hi all. Preaching tomorrow after being out of the pulpit for two weeks, a different sermon at each church.
ReplyDeleteRainy here, cool out, air is very fresh, and I would gladly share it with our fire-beset friends in CA and our drought-beset friends in the southeast US.
I'm thinking chili or soup for lunch. The chili is canned, Wolf Brand, brought to me with love by my bro and SIL from Texas when they visited with me in the land of God's Left Hand. The soup is homemade, still in the freezer, and will be Posole, Vegetarian Ministrone, or Beef Vegetable.
Orders?
chicken chili?
ReplyDeleteI have a recipe for that.
OH RDQ, Wolf brand chili sounds marvellous!
ReplyDeletePlugging away at the polishing here--I'm making progress on the outline part but not the intro and closing. No idea about "fibula" yet, either.
Perhaps the chili will revive me...I have two hours to finish this up!
My plan is to preach Joel this week.. but nothings coming to me... homemade chicken noodle soup anyone?
ReplyDeleteFibula ... heh heh, good luck with THAT one, RP. Did you want fritos, chopped onion and cheddar with that chili, madam?
ReplyDeleteI have a good recipe for chicken chili too, Diane, but haven't made it in years ... the Wolf Brand is red and beef based, and tastes more like chili than spaghetti sauce, which much of what passes for chili here in the Land of God's Left Hand does to my Texan tastebuds.
I don't like sermon Saturdays. Nobody plays catch with me, and there are books on my couch. And I HATE that laptop thingy. I am the only good laptop.
ReplyDeleteGirlkitty likes snuggly writing Saturdays.
I think they are STUPID.
ay yi yi! my sermon writing is totally kaflooey. my writing is taking me completely off the page of my writing map, and in a different direction all together. it's totally not my process, and this happened a couple of weeks ago. the sermon ended up great, but I have no idea where this one is going to end up...it looks like a crazy patch quilt of random thoughts. just a tiny bit of panic as I really want to sew this up before our retreat tonight (and the sox game, yes.....).
ReplyDeleteChili sounds good.
Hello all, it's about 5.40pm here now and I'm just coming to the end of a week off. Got two sermons to draw together from some vague thoughts for three services in 2 churches tomorrow. Glad the clocks go back in the UK tonight!
ReplyDeleteChelley--our clocks go back too...thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteRDQ--all of the above garnishes, thank 'ee!
Well sermon is done and printed. For the first time in a long time, I will wake up tomorrow and not have to tweak it. I'm sure I'll do some more polishing, that's just me.
Blessings on all of you writing and polishing and on all the games and retreats and other busy things we do...
And prayers for Rev Maria and all our sisters and brothers in CA...
PS I did fit fibula in...in an aside as to what a surgeon might do, in the context of our occupations and work...set a fibula. Not one of my happier efforts, but it worked.
It's a beautiful day in Kansas City. I've been cleaning house and thinking about thinking about a sermon. It's been a rough week and hard to get motivated. I got laid off from my secular engineering job on Tuesday, and have been going easy on myself for the rest of the week. I was planning to leave the job in May when I graduate, but this was a little earlier than I planned. It's hard to get motivated to find another engineering job when everyone knows i will be a short-timer. I may just hang out a while and see if i can make it without the extra income.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of things on the list for today. I've been cleaning house, and bought paint to do the trim on the barn. Not many good days left for that. I have a sermon to prepare, and a Family Fun Night at one of the churches this evening. I also have to call a widow to get information on her husband for the funeral on Monday. I didn't know the deceased.
The plan for now is to pick up my daughter, eat lunch, paint this afternoon, while thinking about the text.
There is a roast in the crockpot, so I'll check back around dinner time.
Kim
I'm selfishly glad to see I'm not the only one who didn't finish early this week. Tomorrow is filled with church and then a seven-hour Confirmation retreat, so it would be Really Good if I didn't put this sermon off all day long and just Got It Done.
ReplyDeleteIt's all Reformation, all day long...I'm thinking about preaching on the John text for Reformation and about the truth setting us free. I even have that commercial stuck in my head that uses the song that goes "Free! To do what I want, any old time." (What IS the product, though?)
Sending virtual rain to SoCal and inspiration to everyone else who needs it. I've got chai to share, and if I can find the time, I'm making pumpkin bread.
I'm not preaching this weekend- but trying hard to rub 2 thoughts together to form a summative piece for assesment before I hand in the real thing... but my brin is not working- does anyone have coffee?
ReplyDeleteRP--do the clocks in Canada really go back tonight? They are going back in the US a week from tonight. Hmm!
ReplyDeleteSemfem, isn't that one of the cellphone commercials? Can't think of which one...and I could be totally wrong. Gee, I'm helpful :)
ReplyDeleteIt's gray and soggy here, and I am utterly uninspired. So, I'm trudging through all the "just needs to get done" tasks and trying to summon up some sermon mojo.
Anyone want some mocha-double-chocolate cookies? I was waxing domestic this week.
Stacey--it IS a cell phone commercial! Yes! Anybody know which one?
ReplyDeletenow I am singing semfem's commercial song, too. no more contemplative rainy day musings...
ReplyDeletemy beloved just brought me a dunkin donuts iced lite caramel latte that will keep me running, for awhile!
How to help write a sermon:
ReplyDelete(send this to all the revcats out there.I want to have a publication for my Cat Vitae).
1. Jump on sibling's head.
2. Act suprised when she is mad.
3. Act innocent when human is irked.
4. run in circles around the apartment.
5. Jump on keyboard.
6. Threaten to tell people the naughty words that the human just used when you jumped on keyboard.
7. Chase tail. Loudly.
8. Ignore pointed sighs.
9. meow for no apparent reason.
10. Refuse to see the humor in a sermon about a bad guy and a good guy when you're being jubilant and your stupid sister is being all quiet and snuggly.
11. sharpen claws. on sofa.
12. look surprised when human yells.
13. Smirk when sibling wakes up because human is yelling.
14. Chew on laptop cord.
15. Look indignant when told "no."
16. Go looking for things to knock off counter.
17. Mewow first so the human gets to see things going ka-boom.
18. take a bath. (hygiene is important.)
19. Take a short nap (this is exhuasting) right on top of sibling. Look surprised when she growls.
20. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Everybody got that? Guess what I just did!? BIiiiiiiiiiig Bible--on edge of coffee table--kaboom! Man that was a lot of work. More cat cookies for me!
Not a cell phone, but rather Chase credit card. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteHmm, okay. I guess I'm so used to the plethora of cell phone commercials that it just made sense. But credit card commercial...actually, hmm, that could work even better. Free...except when your bill comes!
ReplyDeleteOk, not to make you jealous or anything, but today i will be in my garden enjoying the 75 degree sunny weather with a clear blue Texas sky! Oh, yeah, and filling pinatas for the church picnic tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteIt's a tough life!
Well, I bought my notebook (heavens, they are so costly - there was a really beautiful one at £12.50 which seemed beyond a joke when it's just for me to try and make sense of myself with) and some new cartridges for my posh Waterman pen...so I hope the thoughts will be up to the standard of the implements.
ReplyDeleteWhat I have not done is add one jot or tittle to either sermon....I'm getting cross with myself here. Just stupid. No need to waste the whole day. gaaah.
And I think I'm getting another cold.
Friends, I didn't mean to be away so long!
ReplyDeleteI picked up some delicious Ginger Gold apples, and I'll start a fresh pot of coffee, too.
Kim in KCK, sorry to hear about your job!
Sermon-wise, I have an outline, but not much text. And my daughter will be home in 42 minutes. But I've accomplished a lot of other things, and I have two happy dogs, since they like spending the whole day with me.
Also, I'm enjoying my new shoes, cheery and red.
LMK, I'm willing to send my kitty, Pooter the 18 pound Gutful Wonder, to sit on your head and help you behave, if PPB thinks it is necessary.
ReplyDeleteLMK - you are brilliant. I will pass along your suggestions to Truffle and Ouzo, though they are presently sleeping in the next room. Ouzo is drooling a bit I think, so he's sleeping pretty hard. I best not wake him...
ReplyDeleteSermon - after a horrible headache week I have, well, nothing. Argh. I'm preaching Luke again and have a few roughed out ideas about recognizing the tension between our call to be bold bearers of the good news and at the same time humble servants.
one tough sermon written. one church needs a little uh motivating - it is reformation what a better time to talk about renewing and restoring ourselves to a committed life of spiritual growth?
ReplyDeleteblah blah blah... and i'm in the kitchen making bone cookies for the youth halloween supper. white bone shaped cookies filled with red jam... wicked aren't they?!
Well, I'm happy to say that I'm done with my sermon 2 hours before my self-impose deadline.
ReplyDeleteNotice, I didn't say that I'm happy with the sermon, only that I'm happy to be done with it!
hey all... home again. home again. and i have a draft, but... not sure.
ReplyDeleteanywho... does anyone have a copy of the children's book "you are special" by max lucado. if yes, if it's not too text heavy, could you send me the story? or just share the gist of it here. i think it might work for my children's sermon tomorrow.
Well, the first (fairly short) sermon is done and posted here (comments welcome). Just the all-age one to go on 'One World Week' /Psalm 146 - back to another bunch of vague ideas!
ReplyDeleteThinking a lot about each of you...for the wind to gently blow the other way in S. Cal bringing rain and fresh air...for job issues, may all be well, somehow....for busy weeks and brain dead lack of energy sermon writing, may the Spirit speak through your words (yes, she often does in amazing ways at times like these!)...and for everyone else. Prayers...
ReplyDeleteOh, and dark chocolate with almonds, or dark chocolate filled with chocolate mousse, or dark chocolate...well, I have lots of dark chocolate to share...
White bone-shaped cookies filled with red jam...COOL!
ReplyDeletePicked up a few more illustrations for talking about freedom and truth, in addition to the credit card commercial jingle. Not really into the sermon yet though...I think this will be one where I just need to dive in and write without an outline. This is not the kind of freedom I like.
More Cows--
ReplyDeleteI have "You are Special" but it's in my office and I'm off this weekend so I'm not going to venture in...but this is the gist of the story.
There is a wooden boy named Punchinello who lives in a village of wooden people. All the people give others gold stars when they do something wonderful or they are liked or if they have lots of other stars. When someone doesn't do good things, they are given gray dots. Punchinello is clumsy and never seems to do the right things. He has lots of dots. Then he meets a girl to whom neither the dots or stars stick to. One day he follows her out of the village and sees that she goes to see a carpenter. He waits anxiously, but the carpenter takes him inside. The carpenter seems huge and scary. Punchinello asks why nothing sticks to the girl. The carpenter says that it is because she doesn't care what anyone thinks about her except him because he made her and all the people. The carpenter tells Punchinello to come see him everyday and eventually what others think won't matter and all the dots will fall off (and that's what happens). Punchinello should only care what the carpenter thinks because he made him and thinks that he is special.
I think that summarizes it.
hot cup, those sound so cute! We're having a Halloween party at home on Wednesday; do you have a recipe you would be willing to share?
ReplyDeleteBack from leaf-peeping. It was very wet! We hiked up a waterfall in the rain. As a reward, we had lunch in a little resturant in a quaint, out of the way town.
ReplyDeleteNow I am dried off and need to get to the sermon before tonight's organ concert. Chocolate fudge, anyone?
LMK, what a great help you must be to your sermon-writing human. Mr Whiskers the bunny isn't nearly so helpful - he just helps me write by sleeping, eating and occasionally nudging my ankles to remind me to pet him. :-)
ReplyDeleteI finished about 1/2 the stuff I was supposed to do, went out to buy pumpkin pan dulce and to the mall for boots where I accidentally purchased a new suit, then came home and opened the document titled "October 28 Sermon?" I understand the question mark now - apparently I haven't actually Written anything yet! Agh! I'd better go see what I said on Tuesday.
Maybe I'll go cut up veggies for a nice beef stew instead. Hmm - write sermon or start stew. . . so hard to decide.
Oh fine - I didn't post anything helpful on Tuesday either. Stew it is!
ReplyDeleteI'm back from a halloween party at the church. The young adult group threw it (which consists of me, my husband, and one other girl.) So we worked really hard and only about 10 kids showed up.....Oh well, at least those 10 had fun. (I think?!)
ReplyDeleteBut now I'm back and have gotten no sermon work done. I have a few vague ideas (preaching on Luke) but no outline, no real notes made other than the ones in my head....
I promised hubby o mine that we would go out for dinner tonight, so i'm gonna go make myself beautiful and hope the Holy Spirit whispers something wonderful in my ear between now and when we get back from dinner.
I have left over cookies, cupcakes, and candy to share.....i'll leave it by the door.
silent- thank you! that should be very helpful.
ReplyDeleteHere. I finished early at a church meeting and there's leftover garlic bread (the garlic is IN the bread, not on it) and I've got water on for pasta. Linguine with white sauce and grilled chicken anyone?
ReplyDeleteI have a few more moments of research before the linguine is done, the kitchen is cleaned up and I get to watch OHIO STATE nullify Penn State since I have been a good girl doing my homework!!!
:)
deb
LMK ~ You are my RevCat's new hero! His tactics mostly involved loud meows and knocking over his water dish. Now he has some new moves to try on me. Kudos from 'Zeke.'
ReplyDeleteThanks be to God, the clocks go back in the UK tonight so I think i'm going to take my utter absence of inspiration, and matching absence of sermon off to bed and trust that I wake up full of wisdom and creativity tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteIm presiding in the morn, so dont actually need a sermon till the evening...but when I get there, it needs to be good. Oh heck. If God called me to preach, couldn't God just sometimes make the text really really obvious???
I think I may be done for the day. DH is chopping firewood for our first fire of the season ... I will enjoy sitting with her next to the fire watching the World Series ... and whatever else she flips to. In rapid succession. Frequently. Sometimes I hide the remote from her just on principle, nyah ha ha ha haaaa.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm always glad to help!
ReplyDeleteMy efforts worked! She stopped writing, and now is cooking. I'm hoping to get some chicken soup. She says to invite you, too.
I tell you, RevCats don't get near enough credit for all the work we do.
LOL at LMK...hahahahah....and I'm done with sermon, bulletin insert to go with sermon, but grinding my teeth over a video I'm trying to download which is very important for tomorrow, and it WILL NOT WORK! I wish I had a techie person in the house. :-( As for the prison sermons, nothing yet. I'm taking a break to cook supper.
ReplyDeleteThe Princess and I are having a frittata. Anyone hungry?
ReplyDeleteThis is off topic, and from a non-preacher (this weekend) and so I apologize, and first offer you amazing Egyptian-style lentil soup, homemade by me....
ReplyDeleteand now could I trouble you all for some prayer? It's a beautiful day here and I'm about to head out to the church fall bonfire, but have had news that makes me want to stay in bed forever, never coming out again. A good friend, a fellow Young Adult volunteer in Egypt who now lives in the Twin cities, had news that her best friend was murdered Thursday night in Minneapolis. She was an amazing young woman I only had the privilege of meeting twice in Cairo, and she appears to have been murdered by someone who put up a false Craigslist advertisement for a babysitter/nanny. Shocking is not even the right word. So prayers are coveted for Katherine's friends and family.
thanks...and back to your regularly scheduled saturday nights....
Oh, Teri, I'm so sorry! I will pray.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's horrifying. Praying...
ReplyDeleteI feel a bit insensitive plowing on ahead despite Teri's post, but alas, the sermons must still get done.
ReplyDeleteI set an 8pm deadline for myself, and we're looking at...27 minutes to go. I think I'm going to make it, as I just need to find a way to wrap it up. How are the rest of you coming along? Anyone need cookies? Tea? Beer?
I think I could come up with a bottle of wine, if that would help.
ReplyDeleteMy sermon is as finished as it is apt to be. I want to watch the ballgame, so I am going to leave it be for now. You can find the draft at my place.
Teri, my prayers are with you and Katherine's family.
ReplyDeleteI have 1/3 of a sermon, 1/2 of a newsletter, and a wonderfully aromatic pot of beef stew simmering on the stove. There's a loaf of Hawaiin bread to go with the stew - anyone hungry?
Going with Joel here, but a few verses off (18-27). Using it as a launching pad to talk about abundance, especially abundance in the face of seeming scarcity. I find a lot of links between the context in Joel (famine) and here (mill closure).
ReplyDeleteBut that is about it. I was out of town for 10.5 hours today (district wide visioning meeting 1.75 hours away and then my ride went shopping for a couple hours). ANd am less than wide awake now.
I just read I Refuse to lead a dying church by Paul Nixon and some of his thoughts about choosing life will come in helpful since this is part of my stewardship series
teri, so very sorry...praying, indeed.
ReplyDeleteTeri - Prayers for your friend. The pain of this world is truly astonishing. Lord, hear our prayer.
ReplyDeleteGord - I, too, read "I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church." We discussed it at a Cluster meeting. There was some good stuff there. Blessings for the Stewardship message.
I just returned from the organ concert and it was fantastic. I think I have a completed sermon. I just need to read through one more time!
LMK - I hope you don't continue with your tactics to keep your Mom awake at night. Rev Moms need to get a good night sleep on Saturdays! But my Rev Gal Cat Pal has some good tips on keeping humans awake if you need them!
Teri...praying. Praying, praying, praying. *sigh*
ReplyDelete*****
For a change, ladies and ladies (and gents if they are here), I've finished my sermon, about five hours earlier than usual! It will need a read-through still, but I feel good about it.
Now to polish stuff for the Confirmation retreat tomorrow.
(I've guiltily opened the Halloween candy already...please take one so I don't feel quite so alone in my guilt...)
P.S. My team beat USC today! Huzzah!
ReplyDeleteoh teri, i'm so sorry. praying...
ReplyDeleteTeri, that is horrifying. I'm praying...
ReplyDeleteI think I'm done, but I'm afraid that the sermon reads a bit like Pharisee's greatest hits, as I go off for awhile about the good qualities of the Pharisees. Anyway, I'm providing pulpit supply for a congregation that is looking for an interim. Since, I have found myself laid-off from my chaplain position, I am quite interested in this position.
You're welcome to anything I have- cupcakes with "brain" frosting, anyone?
Oh Teri, I'm so very sorry. Praying here....
ReplyDeleteTeri, I am so sorry ... praying.
ReplyDeleteIt is almost Sunday and I am exhausted. The Installation was today. It went great and was lots of fun.
ReplyDeleteBut what does an Episcopalian say to a bunch of Lutherans on Reformation Sunday?
Think I will talk about the New Reformation.
Eek...praying here too. :-(
ReplyDeleteWell, the sermons are done, and our computer guy came over and helped me get the video downloaded properly.
I'm asking the question (as the beginning of a series) "Is the church still relevant?"
Sorta fits with Reformation Sunday, doncha think? ;-)
Now for some ice cream and a little mindless TV watching before bed....
Friends, I realize we ended on a sad note, but thanks to all who turned out to share the sermon-writing process today. I'm going to bed soon. Last one out, get the lights! And God's blessings on you as you preach this Sunday.
ReplyDelete