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Saturday, March 08, 2008

11th Hour Preacher Party: Can These Bones Live Edition?


Good morning, gals and pals! It may be March, but where I am, it's not spring yet! In fact, it has dipped below zero the last two nights. Hard to imagine that desert and the Valley of Dry Bones where I am. But the question still applies, for Ezekiel, for Lazarus, and maybe for us: Can these bones live? Is the spirit blowing through your words as you prepare this Sunday? Are you imagining those bones coming together? Or are you Lazarus, still wrapped in bandages, dazed and confused, but walking out of the tomb? (I must say, one of the weirder images in Scripture.) Or perhaps you are grieving with Mary and Martha and Jesus. Or, perhaps your Lenten journey has been taking you in another direction entirely.

I have (as always) Fair Trade Coffee brewing, Good Earth tea, for those who prefer it, and an assortment of muffins (my favorites are banana chocolate chip, but bran is also available) and bagels. Feel free to share your own treats.

What are you working on today? If not a sermon, are you looking for a children's message? Or have you got one to share?

Or do you just want to pull up a chair and feel the coffee's steam and let us know how the season is treating you?

P.S. daylight saving time begins Sunday, too.

88 comments:

  1. hope everybody's not all done already! too many muffins all for myself.

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  2. I am in somewhat desperate need of a Children's message. Coffee first, then a perusal of my resources. I'll let you know where I'm headed!

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  3. I have some kettle fried donuts for you. Bad for you...but gooooood to you. At any rate, the sermon continues apace. I am focusing on Jesus' weeping for Lazarus, "Founded upon Tears." I find it interesting that in the midst of John's heavily doctrinal statements Jesus weeps. All of our doctrines, ideas, traditions are founded upon the great compassion of Christ. And when these things fail to convey that compassion, well, maybe we need to go back to the drawing board.

    Sunday will come very early this week...and some idiot (me) schedules an early morning Taize service on lamentation. Oh. My. God.

    Thus the lament begins. How go the early morning plans for you all?

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  4. ooh, tripp those sound sinful! songbird, I'll look through my resources too. I'm not the queen of children's messages myself, but I've been doing pretty well lately.

    I'm shortly off to the breakfast Bible study, after which I'll check in again.

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  5. Okay...the sermon is done, I think. I'll look at it again in the early (oh, so early) hours tomorrow.

    Blessings upon you all!

    Founded upon Tears

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  6. I slept in, and now I'm headed for coffee-I brew coffee pretty well if you'd like a cup. I'm thinking of spending the day doing laundry and reading a book! It's a rainy day here, so I'm going to make the most of it.

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  7. I am really discombobulated today. I have spent most of the week in court with a kid who had to testify to being abused. Then yesterday got the word of the death of a mother of a member. Then last night another death. I have to do a worship service for a business women's organization today and I am beginning to get punchy.

    I planned to do something with the "unbind him" statement. Just like the blind man, I can discuss what is death. But we have had so many funerals the past few months that I am wondering if it is too close to people. Perhaps the 'unbinding' is better.

    I will be back when I have something more.

    Since it is still Lent, I am still foregoing even virtual muffins. But I do need coffee.

    Please pray that we don't flood here. It has been raining for days.

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  8. Morning y'all! Lots of work to do today! Church work day was called off due to snow flurries but still need to set up for Sunday school and handbells. Funeral today. Oh, and a sermon on my fav text. Having a hard time not just teaching the scripture. I've never had to preach it before, it's very different. Martha make as confession of faith, Mary worships Jesus, Jesus is angered by the unbelief of those who have gathered to help the family morn, such a rich text even before you get to the whole bringing him back from the dead moment. Must. Focus.

    Prayers for you muthah+. May God grant you peace and a good shoulder to lean on!

    And tripp, those donuts sound amazing!

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  9. I am snuggled in with coffee, oatmeal, and sermon prep...was going to help with a charity "fun" dog show this am, but very unusual for this southern location...it's been snowed out!!! So, I'm pondering dry bones and smelly corpses...hmmm...hoping to develop the idea of grief and hope. Many of the folks in my church are of the "stiff upper lip" type rather than acknowledging and expressing grief...

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  10. Songbird, in terms of a children's message, i was thinking of having the kids act it out. i was going to get some cheesecloth, and have one volunteer to be Lazarus, and we could wrap him/ her up, and the other children could all say a prayer of thanks, and then call the words of Jesus....

    It's a little unfocused in my head, but that's what I'm thinking.

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  11. New thought. i might get an adult male from the congregation to be Lazarus, and instruct him to wait until the kids do something specific... call loudly enough, or something... still pondering...

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  12. I too am sort of desperate for an interesting children's sermon....on
    Ezekiel, and preferably not requiring any props I'm not likely to find in my office.

    Presbytery meeting today an hour away, and also need to run by church beforehand to pick up the materials (which I of course forgetfully left there last night post-confirmation field trip), drop off overdue movie at the library, and run by Costco to turn in my prescription and order for new glasses. I can do all of that, pretend it's a day off, AND make a really fabulous dinner, all before going to bed early in order to not feel so horrible tomorrow, right?

    Ezekiel children's message, anyone? And anyone else out there who thinks that changing clocks on Sunday morning is cruel and unusual punishment, oppression of christians, etc etc? Why not Saturday morning? just saying.

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  13. morning all... i'm revisiting a monologue i've offered my congregation before, from martha's perspective. You can find it here and if any of you have had too busy a week and are interested in using it, I'm offering it freely. Just let me know, o.k.? It would be cool to know where all it is offered.

    So... will be re-memorizing soon- I was supposed to be on the road by now- but weather led to a cancellation. So... I plan to soak and re-memorize and then... could it be, really? will she? relax????? maybe even a fire in the fireplace?

    (((Muthah))) what. a. week. Blessings.

    Praying for creativity and focus for all.

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  14. hello... so yeah 1st communion class today, and a public event where i bless the prime rib for the cattlemen and the sermon is only 1/2 there.

    bones. dried up. waiting to have the breath of god in them. that was me... and now after a time away, whew! now how to NOT make that personal... but my guess is in the pews are plenty of dried bones waiting to have the breath of God bring them life. we can have flesh. the sinews... but without the breath of God we do not live. that's kinda the gist.

    children's sermon? uh oh. i'll check back later... coffee pot's empty here.

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  15. Morning all....coffee please. I was up so early my sweet window server at the coffee shop had to tell me she wasn't open yet, would I please come back later. I have been now messing around in the "day job" office with the day job stuff for two hours and it's about time to get to the thing in front of me....which is tomorrow's sermon. I think it is some variation on what graves we are in and what binds us there and how Jesus calls us out...at least that seemed like a good thing at 5 a.m. Then when that one is done it's on to something for our Wednesday Soup and Sermon sermon...cuz it's gonna be that kind of a week, and if I don't write it today, it won't get writ....so today is gonna be a long one. Somewhere in there I have to go run errands as the dog needs meds and I need groceries...so I'll scout the market for something irresistable for toiling preachers, too.

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  16. From the Sermonwriter resources of 2005, a children's sermon.

    CHILDREN'S SERMON: Reading Signs
    by Lois Parker Edstrom

    Objects suggested: A road sign or pictures of road signs.

    Pictures of road signs are available at:
    http://www.freefoto.com/browse.jsp?id=21-86-0


    When you ride in the car with your mother or father do you look at road
    signs along the way? What do you see? Let's list different types of
    signs you might spot.

    A stop sign

    A school crossing sign

    A sign pointing the way to a hospital

    A sign advertising a business

    A railroad crossing sign

    A sign is a message, illustrated with words, a picture, or a symbol, that
    points or directs us to something else. The hospital sign lets us know a
    hospital is near. A school crossing sign cautions us to go slow; school
    children may be crossing the street. A stop sign signals that there may be
    heavy traffic on a street we are approaching and we should prepare to
    stop. When we see a railroad sign we look for a train.

    When Jesus lived on earth he used signs to point us to God. He performed
    miracles and each one of these miracles was a sign that caused people to
    believe that God was near. Jesus calmed the Sea of Galilee during a
    storm. He walked on water. He healed the sick and caused a blind man to
    see. He fed five thousand people when only a small amount of food was
    available.

    One of the most amazing miracles happened when he caused a man, named
    Lazarus, who had died, to live again. Jesus told people that the miracle
    was performed "so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." When
    you see road signs, remember that there are also signs in the Bible giving
    us directions which point to God.

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  17. I'm back again with more fresh-baked scones, and this batch is better than last week's, so please take one!

    I'm not preaching tomorrow but have multipled other projects (church-related and otherwise) on the docket for today. The bad news is I woke up to a broken DVD player. Wonder how much I'll get done without it today (confessing that I rely on it to occupy the boys at times so that I might get something done other than reading multiple Dr. Seuss books).

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  18. wondering if day light savings starts here too ??? mmm

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  19. Good morning all.

    I'll have a muffin Diane, if there's any left.

    I'm also willing to share a hot bowl of grits if there's any takers.

    Visit to the MIL today and a comedy show to follow. Thank God I have tomorrow morning as well as this morning for sermon work ...

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  20. The daughter is making pancakes. Husband is watching free premium cable. My pc died this week taking all my old sermons with is which is sad for a supply preacher. My laptop got messed with by the family and now the space bar is sticky. Can I have some Bailey's in my coffee? Or is that wrong?

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  21. I have such a day I almost didn't stop here. But I'm glad I did.

    Older Adult gathering at the church, then home for a couple of hours to try to eek out a sermon, the title of which I have ("In Life and In Death"), but the ideas, not so much.

    Then I have to take WonderGirl to get her contacts, then home where I have only another couple of hours until I leave for Spouse's Semi-Professional Chorus concert at the local basilica.

    I won't get home again until about 10:00, which tonight might as well be 11:00 because of the time change. ACK!

    More Cows, I might be taking you up on your offer!!!!!!

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  22. Good morning! Any banana chocolate muffins left? I'll take one... Also, there might be waffles here soon!

    I preached a couple years ago on the Lazarus text, not long after a very public tragedy in my seminary placement, and talked about our role as witnesses, and the differences between living is hope and trying to control everything. I think I'll continue with the theme of how frightening new life can be - even Jesus is "disturbed"!

    And Teri - heck yeah. Stupid time change. I want all 24 hours today!

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  23. Not really preaching tomorrow--doing what I call "house worship" which is a more informal gathering, praise and prayer and worship and then discussion of the reading... I'm tempted by the Lazarus reading, it's so rich, but I think we need to ponder revitalising dry bones here in River City.

    Also have a reconciliation meeting with a former member (weather permitting), a friend in crisis, and a "Winter Blues" party tonight next door.

    The scones and grits both sound very good, as my cupboard is bare of anything but granola bars this morning.

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  24. ok, I'm just heading into a first communion class, so I don't have time to read all until AFTER, but I do have time to say (((Muthah+))).

    I'll be back in an hour and a half.

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  25. I only have a few minutes before I have to wake The Husband so we can head out to an all day event at my alma mater, the nearby denomination-related university. But I wanted to stop in here first because I keep missing Tuesday somehow!

    I don't usually have a children's sermon due to a lack of children, but tomorrow is Girl Scout Sunday and we have a troop of Brownies coming to church - complete with COOKIES! I'm going to ask them how being a Girl Scout has transformed them. They did Christmas Caroling at a homeless shelter and are prepared with stories of growth and change.

    The sermon will (hopefully) flow from there - how God transforms us even as the dry bones were transformed from death to life.

    Maybe it can be a short sermon, since I also have to somehow make time for a 3 minute DVD advertising Church World Service CROP Walk . . . Ooh - our walking will help transform lives! Goodie, Goodie, now I can go have fun with a clear conscience.

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  26. For "have fun" read "attend a very important regional church event." :-)

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  27. At our place we made French toast with some leftover cinnamon swirl bread -- just dry enough to really soak up all that custardy goodness -- Farmer Ken's eggs and half and half, because it was there. And of course Fair Trade coffee is always on...mild breakfast blend, anyone? Or Republic of Tea White Jasmine; pick your poison.

    I am going to be a presenter/server tomorrow, so my concerns are less theological and more logistical/kinetic, i.e., not tripping over the pastor and fellow servers in our new worship space and using our Lenten Communion protocol -- small groups communing together at the altar rail rather than our usual continuous-line style. We're again going off the reservation as far as sermon text...and to tell you the truth I am not sure what the "Shadows of Lent" subtheme will be tomorrow. I wait to be surprised and edified.

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  28. I'm here. I'm preaching on Ps.130 because I don't have the upmph for either dry bones or Lazarus. I am waiting for the Lord. I am hoping for the Lord.

    Made the grits/cheese/sausage casserole for LLS's visit this morning and baked a loaf of bread.

    I've had 5 cups of coffee, done several loads of laundry, cleaned up the kitchen...and still, inspiration is somewhere else.

    Beautiful clear day here. Chilly without snow or flood.

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  29. Argh.

    I'm at the church because I thought the liturgical dancers needed to rehearse today. We got our wires crossed and it's NEXT Saturday (which is a total pain for me, but whatever).

    I wrote a complete dog of a sermon yesterday. So bad that I am not going to read it before starting something new when I get home. But first, I'm off to pick up our new tub-surround for our bathroom renovations.

    I'm working with Ezekiel and feeling today like a bag of dry bones. ugh.

    Sorry for the Grumpy. I'll just grab some of lutheranchik's yummy french toast, some coffee, and sit quietly over there in the corner. When I'm feeling more human, I'll come back.

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  30. The piece we are doing tomorrow requires three readers, but anyone who wants it is welcome to use it. Here's the link.

    I think I'm going with the idea that Jesus wept, and will tell the story to the children and ask them about when and why we cry.

    And if they don't talk, as is so often the case at this church, I'll just cry for them. ;-)

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  31. Hello! Hubby made french toast, though with out the cinnamon bread. Still exactly what I wanted. I'm preaching on Ezekiel, but haven't gotten very far. Hopefully the hubby will take the kids away somewhere so I can work.

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  32. Scones (dried cherry and cranberry) with fair trade coffee here, leftover chicken and veggie stir-fry for lunch when you are ready, and not much else. I am with whoever said they want all 24 hours today! I have a sermon to write, the Boy Scout "Blue and Gold dinner" to attend and pray at, and then a visit to a congregation member whose husband died yesterday. Phew! Oh and some idiot (me!) (to borrow the phrase from triipp) decided to make it celebrate women sunday and then preach from ezekiel rather than John. Why? Who knows. The valley of dry bones is one of my favorites and I may pull out my cantidating sermon and see what can be reused. Only 8 of them have heard it. I could send the DVD and just sleep in, right?

    for children;s sermons, can we sing the dry bones song?

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  33. We are being overwhelmed by snow and with all the blowing and drifing and continuing accumulation, I doubt that we will be holding worship service tomorrow.

    Here's a children's sermon, I was planning to use, compliments of LH.
    Feel free to use, and adapt.

    BONE - (beef shank bone, stripped clean, washed, dried. We use an old beef shank bone which the dogs picked clean and over the years is a bleached ivory)

    This bone came from a cow. The dogs finished off the meat and the marrow. How easy do you think it would be to put this bone back together with all the other bones it was attached to and then put muscles and skin on them and make a living cow out of this again?
    Impossible! It would take nothing less than a miracle.
    Today we hear how the prophet Ezekiel saw a whole valley of dry human bones. God asks Ezekiel if these bones can live and tells him to command the bones to take on flesh and live. When Ezekiel does this, God brings the bones together and brings them to life. This was to be sign to Ezekiel that the Lord would renew and give new life to God's people.
    Ezekiel tells us that God offer us hope when there seems to be no hope. God offers life where before there was death.
    Even though we seem hopeless trapped in our sins and separated from God, God offers us forgiveness in Jesus Christ and give us life everlasting with God.

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  34. Oh hooray...we're back! I'd been at a training event all day, only discoverd I was preaching yesterday (due to a crisis with the rotad preacher) and have not a word or a thought so far...
    Worse, I'm preaching in the Evening, so will have to do without the inspiration of batting ideas about with others preaching the same texts.
    It's Matt 20 for me (with the added bonus of a baptism mid afternoon tomnorrow, so no time then either)...
    BUT I do have some lime doritos here...possibly not what those of you are currently early pm actually need...but very encouraging in this evening slot.

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  35. I'm getting ready to brew more coffee and settle in with a book. I think everything is ready for tomorrow. I really appreciate the children's sermon ideas that are shared. I don't usually have to do those - someone else volunteers for that - but she'll be gone for several weeks in April, so I'm glad for the ideas! I've posted my sermon if it is helpful to anyone.

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  36. I was gone for three days this week and so I wrote early on. I'm back and this is what I have

    Using Shawshank Redemption as a way to weave the Ezekiel and John passage. Longer than what I usually preach and I wish I could show the clips instead using the dialogue.

    Tweaking...once I rest, unpack etc.

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  37. Finished, which is good as I leave in about 45 minutes and will not be back until after supper. I want to post and link, but blogger is being stupid and won't let me.

    In the spirit of hoping to share (because so often it is what you share that sparks my thinking) here is what I think is one of the key sentences: "Because getting out of the valley, finding what you need to get up and walk requires more than simply words – it requires the life-breath given by God."

    Ezekiel does not give us the life breath to get out of the valley, but testifies to the life breath given by God, which leads to the question of who testifies to us about the life breath of God (connection to the women of the church!!). When blogger behaves I'll post it fully.

    Off to bless the boy scout dinner, which will be a first for me!

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  38. I can offer up some of the freshly made Masala Chai I'm sipping on (love my local tea bazaar).

    I'm trying to connect the idea of life even in the midst of death with our role in God's bringing life (we speak God's words of hope and life to the dry bones). I'm hoping this sermon will encourage folks to actually speak out for life even when death seems inevitable. You know, write letters, make phone calls, speak out when presented with the opportunity, that sort of thing.

    We'll see how it all comes together - in 1 less hour than normal. Help, help, we're being represssed!

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  39. LEt's see:
    SErmon--some starting ideas
    Energy for working on said sermon ideas--negligible

    Oh and I have no idea if I have a musician tomorrow or if it will be me and the laptop (regular organist has illness in the house) using recorded music. Luckily I think everything I planned we would sing is available in the recorded music I have.

    So, now to think abut How we are the church. THe intent was that this would be sort of a wrap up/summary of the sermon series but looking back on the series, that isn't going to work so well.

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  40. ANd singing the "Dry BOnes" song seems totally appropriate for a children's message. 3 years ago I sanga a bit of "toe bone conected to the..." in the sermons. One person afterward said she hoped I was going to sing more of it

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  41. Hi there- I'm working with Lazarus, and I think I'm going to approach the different emotions that everyone is feeling- sorrow of the sisters, anger of Jesus, bewilderment of Lazarus...

    I really like the road sign children's sermon- thanks! Another one I saw on the web somewhere was blowing bubbles and talking about how the breath of God can do amazing things...

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  42. Hi! I tried to comment earlier, but blogger was being nasty and wouldn't let me.

    I've got freshly baked banana bread to add to the table, and I'm preaching on Lazarus, focusing on the stone in front of the tomb as our element of faith this week. I'm hoping to ponder how we try and wall away our "little deaths" with stones, but none of those stones can keep Jesus out and keep life from mixing with and triumphing over death.

    I'm also trying not to think that we might not have church tomorrow--huge snowstorm here yesterday and today, probably the biggest of the season. In fact, I need to go snowblow shortly if I want to get out of my driveway tomorrow morning.

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  43. Well, after a whirlwind of a day, and with the decision to send WonderGirl off to her eye appointment by herself (her dad was out flying today!), I got something written.

    Many thanks to More Cows for the offer of the monologue. If I hate my sermon later, I may still use it!

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  44. Thank you thank you thank you to chilly fingers!

    I was looking for a way to close my dog/sermon and your approach to unbinding and setting free was just what I needed.

    The sermon is much less dog-like now, actually. I ended up bringing in both Ezekiel and Lazarus. It will have to do, because I. Am. Toast. As in, Done.

    Teh brain, she feels like so much pudding.

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  45. I just finished my sermon. I combined the Ezekiel and John passages. And we are singing "Dem Dry Bones" tomorrow. I love that song. :)

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  46. My college boy is home, and he has rehearsed with the two other readers for tomorrow's drama, and thank goodness the weather cooperated. We're getting lots of rain, but so far it's not cold enough to be icy.
    We are going out to dinner, so I must admit to being unusually relaxed for this time on a Saturday!
    (Please don't throw things.)

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  47. I'm doomed....Had begun to get somewhere when the other hospital rang so I've done another deathbed visit (huge and wonderful privilege and lovely family) which will undoubtedly help shape my thoughts on Passiontide, but seems to have put the lid on any hope of finishing the sermon tonight.
    So I'm praying for a rush of brilliance tomorrow morning and turning in , it now approaching eleven in these parts. Good night my friends...happy writing and happy preaching too xx

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  48. Great last paragraph, Chilly Fingers! Thank you for sharing.

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  49. And Cheesehead... nice work! It's hail and wind here. Lights on and off. Flicker, flicker. I am tired of rain, rain, rain!

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  50. I've got mine done! Yay! Here is the link. Now I can enjoy reading others' sermon as they come in.

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  51. It has been the strangest day...planned to stop by more often, but I kept getting distracted and discombobulated....Tomorrow's sermon however is finally done and posted here. Now on to Wednesday's. Arggh....any caffiene out there????

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  52. ok, I've been a very poor host so far. had some problems with the blogger server, and couldn't get in. argggggg.

    and then running around (literally).

    everybody is getting such good ideas! I'll be reading sermons a little later, I'm blogging from another place right now!

    thanks for the children's message ideas!

    how is everybody fixed for snacks? what would you like for supper?

    Chicken chili? Corn bread? It's cold here! so that sounds good.

    chips? pretzels?

    what would you like to drink?

    I'll be back, I hope in an hour or so, possibly with a chai.

    Gord, I like your Dry Bones idea.

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  53. and yes, Kate, I just got your message and I'll put some of my favorite fair trade toffee caramel coffee on. regular unflavored for those who prefer that as well.

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  54. I'm home from our presbytery meeting (and have been for a little while), so I'm doing the mom thing until it's sermon writing time after the kids go to bed. I'm anticipating a better night than last week since I'm more fired up about this psalm (130) than I was about last week's (23). I think tackling something so well known and over-interpreted was just daunting.

    So anyway, this time I'm talking about being "In Over Our Heads" and how making a statement of faith in God's promises can bring us hope when things seem hopeless. We'll see how that works out in a couple of hours.

    Very nervous about DST kicking my tired butt. I'm really going to focus in after the kids go to bed so I can HOPEFULLY get this done before I go to bed tonight.

    Tomorrow is our congregational meeting so I hope to keep this one on the shorter side. It's not an expectation that meeting and worship get done within an hour, but I'd like to not have it all go TOO long. We'll see though.

    I'll read where everyone is and come back later to check in!

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  55. I just finished my sermon. I've posted my sermon on John here and hubbie's sermon on Ezekiel here. I would love feedback, if anyone has the time.
    I've also just finished a yummy mexican lasagna! Plenty to share!
    I'm going to try to get some rest, tomorrow is BUSY. Leading Sunday school for the kids, playing in the handbell choir for someone who had shoulder surgery, singing the special music, and preaching. I've always heard pregnacy makes you crazy, now I am the proof!
    Blessings y'all!

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  56. Back from my "very important regional church event" where I had as much fun as I expected. We did have lunch, but the food in here all looks so good I'm getting hungry again already.

    My Dry Bones sermon is exactly where it was this morning - a couple of pages of hand-scribbled notes and a prayer that the Girl Scouts will give the answers I need them to give. I'll check back in later when I have something actually typed.

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  57. anyone for some chai? I'm checking in again before I need to go out and do some pre-spring ahead shopping! how is the supper time coming?

    I also have soup... clam chowder?

    glass of wine? or would that be distracting.

    my battery power is running out, so I'll be back again when I can be hooked up.

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  58. Have a Russell Stover chocolate covered marshmallow egg.

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  59. Diane, would that be your battery or the computer? :) I have given up on sermon two...brain dead and uninspired....will have to take my chances on another day. Maybe I will just...er...borrow something for that event. Any thoughts for a good sermon to preach to the Red Hat contingent will be appreciated. Thanks for good company and good coffee. Blessings on all your preaching tomorrow.

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  60. Well, that was a very fruitful day of procrastinating. But laundry got done, dishes got washed, and there is a pot of yummy curry (completely Lent-friendly and a creative use of tofu) on the stove for anybody who would like some dinner. Banana bread is still available as well. And the neighbor agreed to snowblow my driveway for me, hurray!

    There's a distinct chance that St. Smaller will cancel if the snowplows there have not been out yet, but I still need to finish the sermon for St. Larger.

    Okay, what was I talking about? Rocks? Death? That Lazarus dude? Jesus? Time to go read some more RGBP sermons to refresh my memory.

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  61. Bigger church had its annual Ham & Bean dinner today...I'm sure there is some left if anyone wants some. Or Vegetable beef soup - sorry, no vegetarian options - this IS Kansas!

    I spent all day there hanging with the folks and visiting. Apparently the pastor before me didn't even bother coming to the dinners most of the time. I don't get that.

    I'm preaching on prayer tomorrow. There is still much work to be done, but I have some thoughts at least. I may just reset clocks, go to bed early and get up as usual in the wee hours to write.

    Cornbread anyone? It goes great with the beans.

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  62. oh yeah, one other thing. Keep me in your prayers this Tuesday. I go before my board of ordained ministry to determine if i will be commissioned as a probationary elder.

    Thanks!

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  63. Prayers in abundance for you Kim!

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  64. kck, may Tues go smoothly for you.

    I really wanted to finish early with the loss of an hour tonight. I've got a great outline, too bad the gap filling is taking so long.

    Any one else around?

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  65. I already set all my clocks ahead and it's so depressing. sigh. I hate daylight savings time.

    It felt like a busy day, but not quite sure what i actually got DONE. Now I'm starting on a sermon, realizing that I forgot to get someone to do the offering invitation for tomorrow (we are trying to do that by lay people during lent) and wondering if it's too late to call someone. I know I'm talking about feelings during childrens time, too ,but not sure where to go with it.

    Sigh, It's all feeling a little more loosey doosey than I like at this time of night.

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  66. Vicar, I'm here, and dragging my heels on writing. Not good. Maybe I can pray and hope that both services will be cancelled tomorrow. I am supposed to drive to see my honey in the afternoon and it's getting hard to focus on the morning tasks.

    Juniper, I hate springing forward as well. It all seems rather ridiculous to me (although I do love falling back; it's just the springing forward that is so annoying).

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  67. hey semfem, I'm dragging my heels as well, kinda. There's more now than when I posted but I'm thinking about changing the clocks ... and wishing someone was on facebook to play scrabulous. I'm really pretty bad at it so that tells you how much I'd rather procrastinate. And I'm relatively new to facebook so I don't have a billion friends yet. And none of that is filling in my outline but then again, that's why I'm posting here isn't it?

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  68. ok, I just got hooked up again. will be changing the clocks and getting organized for tomorrow. wondering if everybody is done early or is there any need of fresh coffee, tea or goodies out there? I'll be up for a little while longer to play host(ess)

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  69. p.s. I hate daylight saving time too. will have to walk my dog in the dark again tomorrow morning.

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  70. I'm here, but not for long. I'm going to bed at 11:00 p.m. (central) since it'll really be midnight. Not a fan of DST here either!!!

    I just spent too much time, but fun time, filling out my registration stuff for a summer family camp/Cont. Edu event in our general area. This is my 4th year going and I LOVE IT! I even really tried to keep this new call in the synod so I could come back to it each year without much difficulty. The good news for me is that my mother who lives in FL will be coming with me this year, and she doesn't do church. She's even taking a Bible class and a spirituality one. CRAZINESS.

    Anyway, sermon-writing, that was the topic, right?

    I'm looking at the hope themes in Psalm 130, still, and definitely tying Ezekiel in. LOVED your offering P.S., and especially the point to Shawshank earlier in the week. I'm pulling from it, too!

    I'll see you late-nighter/early morning folks in a few hours!

    All this talk about children's time reminded me that I'm taking this week after a little shuffling occurred at the end of the week. Guess I've got that to work on, too.

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  71. I hear you Diane...although no dog walking involved for me, I was so glad to finally be waking up in the light on Sundays...now it's back to darkness for a good long while.

    866 words, and I'm slowly chugging along. Blah blah blah stones blah blah Jesus blah blah Lazarus blah blah death blah life.

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  72. I'm am calling it quits. It's a dog. I'll walk it anyway. Glad the HS has got my back

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  73. glad the HS has ALL our backs tomorrow, for a lot of reasons!

    sorry this party didn't have enough snacks and margaritas!

    I promise next week, as we go into Holy week. (Raise your hand if you are writing more than one sermon.)

    Also, is anyone here going to the Festival of Homiletics this year? I know, some people are probably going on the awesome cruise instead, but I was just wondering...

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  74. If no one likes it, why do we HAVE DLS time then?

    Good night, Vicar.

    I'm preaching on Shawshank, too, thanks (!!) to the Tuesday comments . At least, what I could remember of it. I could not stomach watching it again - I remember it being kind of gutwrenchingly violent.

    Ok, but I really gotta go WRITE it now.

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  75. Preach it, Vicar!

    And she-rev, I wondered where you were...sleep well.

    Does this make me the final person out here writing tonight? I'm at 1107 words...the end is in sight, I think...

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  76. Oh right, Juniper is here too!

    diane--I'd love to go to the Festival of Homies, but have no more continuing ed time or money available for this year. Some year though, I'm definitely going.

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  77. ok, juniper, we'll leave the light on for you.

    as for DSL, no one asked me. They don't have DSL in Arizona. Guess they don' have to Save Daylight there.

    see you in the a.m.

    light over the sink is still on, though, if you need water for tea.

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  78. ok, juniper, we'll leave the light on for you.

    as for DSL, no one asked me. They don't have DSL in Arizona. Guess they don' have to Save Daylight there.

    see you in the a.m.

    light over the sink is still on, though, if you need water for tea.

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  79. Diane,
    I forgot to say, I'm going to the Festival - it would be great to have a revgals meet up there...

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  80. Oops, it is getting late :)
    And I forgot to say - do you want to suggest a place for us to meet since you're kind of local?

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  81. Wow. It would have been nice to get this huge theological break-through earlier in the evening!

    Now I have a great ending, and a so-so sermon that doesn't really connect with the ending.

    I think it's time to go reset some clocks and come back to it in a few minutes.

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  82. Okay, I've tweaked it and printed it and marked a bunch of lake-smooth stones with small crosses, and now I'm off to shower and sleep.

    Blessings on all preaching, proclamation, and pondering!

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  83. Guess DST scared us to sleep last night! It was a quiet night. At least it was quiet here. It was not so quiet at my house.

    I'm glad I got at least the outline done last night afterall. The baby was up at 11:50/12:50 (depending on the clock). The toddler was up at 2:50/3:50. I was set to wake up at 3:10/4:10. I let myself sleep an extra 9 minutes (I love you snooze-button) when I got back to bed moments before the alarm was going off. Now I'm here to finish up.

    Thankfully, I think I will be able to finish quick enough to get back to sleep before the last alarm for the morning. Hopefully!

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  84. ok, juniper. I've never been before. (to a festival of homies, as it's called)

    so I'll be back to you on that.

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  85. Diane and Semfem, thanks for the help with the sermon. I'm up early revisiting it. I made some strong coffee for those who have some last minute work to do.

    God bless the preachers.

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  86. Diane - I'm going to the Festival of Homies too!!

    Sadly, no cruise for me though. Perhaps next time.

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  87. Sue and Juniper -- I know this city like the back of my hand. So, I hope we can get together during the festival and have fun. How does it work re: meals? There's a REALLY interesting breakfast place downtown, if that sort of thing is an option.

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  88. I'm also somewhat local to the Festival this year (Western WI), and am 99.9% sure that I'll be attending, commuting from home. Since I'm new to the area I'd be interested in tagging along with those being shown around!

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