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Saturday, June 21, 2008

11th Hour Preacher Party: Strangers and Sparrows Edition

Good morning, gals and pals! I've been gone most of the week, and now here it is Saturday morning, and time to pull a sermon together for tomorrow. I HAVE actually been thinking about this ahead of time, but after a few days off sitting by a calm and beautiful lake on sunny days, it's hard to get back into the swing of things.

So, I'm providing bagels, muffins, jams and jellies (all calorie free, of course) and a virtual place at the table for conversation and comfort. We all need that, don't we?

This morning, I'm struck with Jesus' words in the gospel lesson: "Do not be afraid" -- and his descriptions of future situations that might make the disciples -- well -- afraid. And I keep humming "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me." And somehow, that reminds me of.... Hagar. If she isn't a sparrow, who is?

What are you struck by this morning? Where is your sermon headed? And what are you humming along the way?

89 comments:

  1. Hi Dianne. Your words seem very appropriate for the people of Zimbabwe in these last days before the run-off election on Friday. World Council of Churches has asked for all Christians to pray for justice and peace tomorrow. Some resources here. The situation is dire, with many Christians and others suffering the most horrific torture and death. I know I have been talking about this a lot lately. It is one of the few times I am aware of that churches in a country have directly asked the international community to pray for their political situation. So I hope that we all can. Our congregation is having a vigil every night seeking a way forward.

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  2. Hooray...so glad the party has begun, as it's lunch time here already.
    I'm off to do a wedding then need to speed on with sermon for baptisms tomorrow which is currently one. huge. blank.
    Thanks be to God, the wedding address is done, dusted and safely enclosed between the covers...Lovely to grab a bagel on the run. Thanks so much Diane...see you later.

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  3. I'm focused on the Genesis passage this week, with a basis from what I wrote three years ago, but trying to think this morning about what the whole "family values" theme might say to this particular local church in transition. It's so easy to confuse tradition with what we assume God wants, isn't it?
    I don't know if I'm laying groundwork or kicking over the traces. Really, that's up to them. But I'm making room for either, at the same time not wanting to be so heavy-handed that certain people close down to hearing me or each other.
    Aargh! First, coffee.
    Later, hospital calls.
    But before those, get son off to camp!!!

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  4. ah, yes, coffee. I forgot about the fair trade coffee. Please, everyone, have a cup, if you indulge.

    Emjaydee, welcome and thanks for your words about Zimbabwe.

    Kathryn, you have a busy day ahead of you! So glad you can join us.

    And songbird, I like what you are saying about Hagar and family values.

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  5. I'm taking the gospel.
    I wish I'd taken Romans.
    Rent-a-preachers can't change the bulletin, though, so gospel it is. Must get this puppy done before afternoon wedding and dinner with classmate from 15 years ago visiting town.

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  6. good luck ppb! I'm taking the gospel, too, and feel a little like you.

    I'm starting with the story of what I witnessed on Tuesday afternoon at a kids activity called "Pump it up!" which is a kind of jumping center, where they jump and bounce on all kinds of inflatable equipment. It amazed me to see how hard they played, in full confidence that they could NOT get hurt. THEY were fearless....

    so, after the opening, sadly, much is still up in the air.

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  7. I'm not preaching tommorrow however I have made a a visual presentation of the gospel readings using microsoft movie maker. It took as much time for me to make this presentation as it does to write a sermon. Keep us in your prayers tommorrow. This will be the first time we've incorparated electronic multi-media in a worship service. Don't know how the congregation will react but it is for a special service for the children.

    Em, thanks for the mention of Zimbabwe. I am using pieces of the WCC resources for our pastoral prayer. Our church has a partnership with a church in Zimbabwe and we are very worried about them.

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  8. Eating my plain-yogurt-mixed-with-homemade-cinnamon-applesauce here (it's killer, BTW), pondering my sermon...we're doing weekend errands and hosting a small barbecue party tonight too. ARE WE CRAZY?????? Anyway, I trust the Spirit to bring it all together, even if it's at one in the morning, LOL...I'm going with the Gospel, talking about how whenever we move in a Godward direction we will inevitably run against a wall of resistance -- sometimes even from "holy folks" -- but that Jesus has walked that road ahead of us and is also walking with us, showing us the way; to not be afraid.

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  9. Also -- ora pro me...our pastor is with the kids at confirmation camp and I'm going to be presiding for the first time. Gulp.

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  10. Good for you LC!

    I like what you say about Jesus walking the way before us.

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  11. i wished we coulda started the party at oh 1am... i was up writing...

    coffee at my side.
    headache pounding.
    mochajava puppy whimpering.
    hubhc grouching.
    sermon percolating...

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  12. Go, LChik!

    Praying for Zimbabwe and all of you preparing to preach.

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  13. HC, if only I had known.... prayers for your headache.

    hope the sermon percolates well.

    thanks for your good wishes and prayers, Mary Beth.

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  14. Diane, we have Pump It Up! here too. It's surprisingly fun for kids and adults! I'm sort of wondering if I can have a youth group party there--I tihnk that would be a good time.

    I'm not preaching this week, and SP has gone off-lectionary and is preaching on Job 38. I have no ideas for children's sermons at all so I'm looking for something generic. Any ideas?

    Also I am commissioning one of our high school youth tomorrow as she heads off to Project Burning Bush, a sort of taste of seminary for high school youth. I have no idea how to do that kind of commissioning--much more used to the mission-type commissioning. Hmmm....any ideas for this out there?

    I was "irresponsible" yesterday and took a real day off, so now I'm behind on reading/blogging the Bible in 90 Days for church too. Awesome. Today I'll be catching up and maybe getting ahead as I'm having all four of my wisdom teeth out next Tuesday and so will be out of commission for a couple of days....good times!

    I only have lunch food to offer...so I'll be back to help set up a buffet then! Happy thinking and writing, friends!

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  15. OK...Wedding done, reasonably happily I think. There seems to be much less expectation in these parishes that couples will build up a relationship with the vicar before their wedding - actually getting to meet with them once before the rehearsal has been quite challenging so it's hard to feel the same sort of emotional engagement as I'm used to. However,they all seemed more than contented so I guess it didn't show at all.
    Now, Baptism sermon...I guess I have to do somethign with Romans, but for 2 unchurched families with lots of children. Oh my!

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  16. Friends,
    Please pray for me and the family as I officiate at the burial of one of God' sparrows this morning at 11:00a.m....a 4 year old little girl who succumbed to leukemia. Qp

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  17. Quakerpastor - prayers going!

    Teri - "generic" children's sermon: I had a pitcher and a cup and saucer. Asked the children which would hold more water - pitcher or the tea cup? And then asked what would happen if I filled the pitcher with water and poured all that water into the tea cup? (it would overflow!)... and connected it to how God's love by the power of the Holy Spirit has been poured into our hearts... SO much love that it overflows - meaning we have love to share. Then I gave each of them a heart-shaped post-it note to stick on themselves and a post-it note to share with someone else in church that day... reminders of God's love overflowing.

    whew... now anybody want to finish writing my sermon? okay... I'll get back to it.

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  18. QP, you are definitely held in prayer...

    As are the people of Zimbabwe, and HC, and the rest of you!

    I'm going with the alternative reading from jeremiah this week, and I'm feeling some holy fire myself. One of my denomination's leaders was in Eastern Europe a few weeks ago and faced a literal mob--they were rocking the bus she was on, trying to get downtown for a gay pride parade. The lives of those brave folks on the bus were in danger--this is what they face every day. And yet here in Canada, we tend to be complacent--not only about our civil rights as LGBT folk, but our right to worship (the mandatory religion is Orthodox; no other religions allowed).

    And then people here complain because our local Pride isn't to their taste or don't feel they "need" church or whatever...I'm feeling pretty peeved about it and plan to tell them so. We are very lucky and blessed to be living where we are, and should be living into that blessing--and working to help others into that blessing as well.

    Well, we'll see how it plays out...sometimes I get frustrated because I feel like I'm preaching to people who already understand and are doing what I'm talking about. But there are always those who aren't...

    Strong Heart and I have some errands to do today, some house things...and a friend's musical gig tonight, so I would like to wrap this up.

    I have fresh peanut butter cookies made by SH last night, if you need a quick pick up--also some yummy French vanilla yogurt.

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  19. praying for you and your flock, quakerpastor.

    ((((quakerpastor))))

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  20. QP, my prayers are with you and the family of the four year old.

    I want to talk about standing for what is right-whistle blowing. I did a few years ago and it caused many consequences including not being able to work in my own tradition. Jer., Romans and Matt. all speak to this incident. The hard part is getting myself out of these passages and speaking to the issues so that they are meaningful for my parishioners. I don't want the sermon to be about me.

    Anybody have any ideas?

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  21. Good Morning Everyone! Good party, Diane....It's a beautiful morning here, low 80's before we hit a blistering 110...sigh...

    emjaydee, prayers indeed.
    QP, prayers for you and family...
    HC, prayers for you too!
    LC, prayers for you too...it will be wonderful.

    I'm not preaching tomorrow, BUT I have to get two sermons done today for next week. One for big funeral on Tuesday and one for NEXT Sunday. All because my daughter and Ryan arrive Tuesday afternoon for the week...YAY!

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  22. muthah, I'm kind of going in that direction too. In our local pastor lectionary study last week, we talked a lot about allegiances - about how we can't serve two masters and about how we will be known by the master we serve.

    Then we talked about the cult of America and the cult of the family in the United States today... and how often we put either one of those things above our commitments as Christians.

    I really haven't preached a controversial sermon to my congregation yet (been there for 5.5 months now) but had one parishoner remind me again this week that a preacher is only good if they step on his toes. So I took that as a sign I should go for it.

    My sermon is titled "Pledge of Allegiance" and I'm going to talk about what happens in our lives when we put being Christian before being parents, before being American, before our jobs... I think mostly I'll talk about the political implications, or at least the nationalistic ones - because I have a story from my own personal experience that fits well.

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  23. Busy day today. Wedding at six - many errands this morning including two different cheap food pick-ups. Al just sneaky ways to get in driving practice for my daughter. Oh yeah, and a sermon and a half to write. One for tomorrow and a homily for the wedding.

    I just caught myself trying to do it all...but then I remembered. Instead of me running out to the church to turn on the AC and change the paraments for the wedding, I called one of my members who lives much closer, and he and his wife will go out and do it. Bless them!

    Not much food here, I'll share when I get back from the grocery store.

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  24. Prayers for you QP! I've just started a p-t job with Hospice here and deeply struggle with the families with children who are terribly sick. Just yesterday a man said to me, "I'm still looking for the good that will come from this." I had no words for him.

    However, I need words to say on the *lovely* story of Hagar and Abraham and Sarah. I'm thinking about God's eye is on the sparrows cast out into the wilderness as well as on those who cast them out. God's grace extends to all even when we do not want it extended to those we've cast out. There are so many situations this plays out: in our own families, in our denominational wars, among the warring nations and warring religions of course. Original sin is so evident in this story to me: Isaac and Ishmael born into this argument, causing this argument by their births, unable to escape the terrible consequences of this. Yet God's grace is there for both of them. But I still have to write it.
    I have apple muffins. and clean dishes!

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  25. Oh, RP, those cookies are delicious
    Lots of prayers ascending, both for Zimbabwe and for QP and the family and that little one, worth more than many sparrows.
    Hope the fire produces an inspired sermon, RP...I'm trying to do two jobs at once, as it seems that if I don't get the poster sorted for the forthcoming Summer Fete by tomorrow the world really will end...and frankly at the moment I am more inspired by that than by preaching on Romans...Visual and accessible don't seem to be the first qualities that spring to mind here, but I think they are what is needed. Aaargh!

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  26. My song for the day is "We are Family" by Sister Sledge...I'm all about reconciliation in God's family. We'll see how it goes. I have a text that I hope I'll have time to edit one more time after a funeral and going to pick up a cake for tomorrow--all before preaching at 5!

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  27. My song for the day is the Dunkin Donuts commercial, "reluctantly helping my friend move."

    hey, if you can't get a song out of your head, put it in your sermon.

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  28. Am preaching Matthew focussed on being an apprentice/disciple. Am also inspired by all your energy as I have developed a full blown head cold and the pounding over my eye rhymes with the music i'm listening to.
    Thanks for the Zimbabwe reminder. It's too easy (shameful) to think only of my head, when so many others are on the line.
    I have good coffee here to share, not much else.
    I'm sure Quakerpastor will be a blessing to the family as they need your presence more than words.

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  29. Ooooooo...lutheranchik. I have all those ingredients in my kitchen. I think I'll make some for lunch!

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  30. hot cup lutheran - - I was up, too, hoping to lessen time spent tonight. I don't know if I did. I had a hard time focusing without the encouragement of the deadline. I hate that I operate that way. Anyway, thanks for your comment and insight.

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  31. Glad to see everyone is supporting/encouraging/feeding each other here. I need to finish this sermon, pronto!

    am procrastinating....

    and thinking about too many things.

    at one time.

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  32. Good morning preachers! Prayers to you QP, and the family of the little one. Lots going on here at the PP this morning already. I'm just getting moving on this part of life. Somehow I had my weeks mixed and only realized on Wednesday that I was preaching this Sunday. I thought it was NEXT week and was already cogitating on Abraham and Isaac. Oops! Now it's Hagar and Jesus saying rather tough things with not nearly enough time to think about it. Somehow the whole idea of "faith in the midst" keeps swirling in my head and I know the song "It is Well With My Soul" is going to be our Communion meditation. That and some dark roast is what I've got to offer at this point. So off to do some praying, thinking and hopefully, writing (vs. procrastinating!)

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  33. OK. I'm caught up on the party action. Prayers have ascended for all. I'm off to a luncheon some of our members just decided to throw for all the members over 80. Not many of them make it around for worship very often, and scattered around the county in their homes and nursing homes, they don't get together EVER. Some haven't seen each other in many years. So, a bunch of folks are running around carting them all to church for a couple of hours. It should be good. There are some fun conversation starter questions for the tables. I'm going to hear some AWESOME history today and I'm looking forward to it!

    Anyway, nothing too new on my Matthew thoughts. Here are my initial thoughts from earlier in the week. This sermon is #3 in my "Radical Discipleship" series. it's called "Radical Risk". I've got the ideas about how following Jesus is a risk to our priorities, our thoughts about what is important, because we just might find out we will need to turn some of these things around. I really want to incorporate the stuff about the lost and found life piece. I'm intrigued by all of that and think that's where the good news is in the passage. Just gotta find it!

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  34. Well, I have a pretty much final draft, so am off to shower and errand-run. I'll be back to do a final tweak before heading out tonight, so comments/suggestions are very welcome!

    Anyone need anything while I'm out?

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  35. No humming here, although that is one of my favorite songs. I wrote my sermon, but I am not happy with it. Or at least that's how I feel. I have asked two of the kids who have been on their mission trip to come speak at church and focus on being a disciple. It is always a risk to ask for someone else to speak and I asked for them to keep it brief. We'll see.

    emjaydee, thanks for reminding us of the situation in Zimbabwe. Lord in your mercy hear our prayers.

    Wow what a party we have, having read all your notes and where you are going with the sermon.

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  36. Thanks for all the prayers!
    The commital was hard, but went fairly well. I think I would have lost it if mom had been emotional.But she wasn't really--and I could control mine and be pastoral. Which sometimes just really sucks--being pastoral that is. All said and done; it was a privilege to serve the family.

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  37. I, like Kathryn, am working on a baptism sermon. I have some organic Mexicn fair trade coffee that is yummy and some strawberry popscicles that are yummy as well. The song in my head, oddly, is from O Brother Where Art Thou. I'm using it tomorrow along with pictures of many baptisms, all kinds of people, places. I started the day with our worship team, all somewhat sad because our marvellously talented music leader just left the church--inexplicably. But we pulled it together as best we could. During the summer we are meeting in our cool basement (sanctuary does not have a.c.) amd so tomorrow we are sitting around tables with coffee and stuff. We will see how it goes. Things just get stranger and stranger in these parts. Meanwhile, I have a graduation open house to attend. Back later to finish up the sermon. Geze, that was verbose. :-)

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  38. Back from running errands...daughter needs to go to the library later, so I might just go and take my laptop and work there. That sometimes works...

    I have cherry pie and two wonderful loaves of zucchini bread to share from my two grocery programs. Also way more eggs than I know what to do with right now. Definitely French toast in the morning!

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  39. QP..it's very sad when the loss is so deep that it transcends grief...grateful it went well enough...it is such an honor, isn't it?

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  40. draft is done we have this wedding-theme happening and eek! i wrote and rewrote so as to NOT sound like "professor hotcup speaks from the pulpit to peons in the pew"...

    if you're bored. take a peek and let me know if i managed to not bore you further...

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  41. I'm preaching Matt this week but a friend in my lectionary group is preaching Genesis. Another friend in the group told her about the West Wing episode titled "Issac and Ishmael" (season 3 episode 1). I toss that out to you fwiw. Part of the conversation with the high school kids is on youtube here

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  42. I'm done but won't be posted until later. some parts are ok, and some are ugh. but I have to preach it at 5:00 so we'll see.

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  43. I have been enjoying reading posts on this blog for several weeks and decided it was time to join the conversation. My plans are for a sermon using the Matthew text, and focusing on discipleship. As I have read Matthew, it appears that Jesus tends to minister to the crowds and teach those who would be disciples. Not a bad plan for the church, I would say: minister to those outside the church walls, and focus on developing disciples with those inside the walls. My primary focus is on Sparrows and Swords. Sparrows = we are people who have worth/value in who we are. Swords = as we are faithful to Jesus teachings on love and compassion there will be plenty of folks who will react in ways that are not so loving or compassionate.
    Peace to each of you.

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  44. Wedding homily is done. Off to the library, then on to Matthew and "Counting Hairs" - God's incredible attention to detail.

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  45. I"m here and getting ready for a memorial. Somehow the bulletins did not get folded, so I will do that soon. And remembering the saint of the church we are about to remember, I will do it with as great a love as possible.

    THen, switching gears to think about sin, which for some reason seemed liek a good sermon topic last Monday - I've got an outline that needs major, um, fleshing out. (Get it? sins of the flesh? Yeah, pretty bad. Better get back to the eulogy....)

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  46. sparrows and swords, I like that! Welcoime

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  47. WEll my sermon ideas are coming along, although I did also get teh laundry done, some more stuff re-stored in the basesment following the May flood (minor, only an inch or two but enough to cause disruption) snd the Bulletin for July done.

    I am currently wrestling with whether or not the "back-tyo-Egypt" committee needs to apppear in my sermon about the God we meet when we have lost hope and are wandering around in the Wilderness. Or should they wait to make their appearnace this fall when the story brings them up...???

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  48. I am not making a good job of this, I fear.
    I'm still torn between the urge to produce a really easy, accessible "this is what baptism is all about" type homily, with maybe a visual aid or two, and the need to work with the passages as they are, and look at some difficult things. And I'm tired (and hungry...but that is about to be remedied, as the pasta is cooking as I type)
    Hope things are flowing more smoothly on your side of the Pond

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  49. My first line is "I really believe that God has a sense of humor." Well right now I think God may be having a bit of a giggle cuz I have a great intro....that goes on for 1098 words. Um....edit anyone!?! My entire sermons are usually about 1200! And I wanted to be gone a half hour ago. Anyone have some cheese for my whine? Or a middle? Or a conclusion....I'll take any of those right now!

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  50. joining the party late here; like Kathyrn I have a baptism tomorrow, not only that but this will be my first service and sermon after an extended period of illness (depression) I'd appreciate your comments and prayers!
    here

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  51. Crud. Laundry. Thanks for the reminder gord. I don't have a clean thing to wear tomorrow. Better get to that.

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  52. (Confession time: I'm a Presby-dork. I'm watching the live streaming video of General Assembly and all they are doing is having a question and answer session about issues in the building and meetings.)

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  53. qp- prayers that you get time aside to have good weep, or whatever you need to do...

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  54. I'm done.
    Not sure that the sermon is, but I'm just too weary to do more to improve things tonight. I'm not on till 9,30 tomorrow, though, so I'll revisit and edit in the morning and hope the Holy Spirit infiltrates my dreams
    Prayers for all of you as you write on...and special love to those who are feelign battered by events in their lives and world.

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  55. Sally, well done! (Typepad keeps signing me in as my dog, so I am posting here instead.)

    QP, bless you and the family of the little one.

    I have something, but fear it is too long. It's hard to tell just this sliver of the Hagar story. I want to give a fuller context, to show how complex the family, and its values, really were.

    So, a long one, I guess!

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  56. Last couple days juggling details for my first trip to Europe and a friend passing through town who wanted to spend time with me. Thought I've preached on the "not peace but a sword" text before, so a starting point given limited time would be to see what I did last time. But I've found nothing. So I've lost time and I'm starting from scratch. :P

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  57. There must be something cleansing about whining...I went back wrote about 500 more words, cut 300 or so and I am DONE! It's posted here. And I am off to haul 35 more rocks for my garden and do some weeding. Oh SheRev don't feel bad, I'm not even a Presby and I was bummed that my work computer wouldn't let me pick up the streaming cast...I'm such a geek I even watch other denoms meetings if I know the folks and the issues!

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  58. My bad! I almost forgot a wedding this morning. Thank God it was for a friend and only involved 5 people!

    I finally got my sermon done at 7pm. Now to fix dinner

    www.foraseason.blogspot.com

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  59. mjd, fear not, I will be remembering Zimbabwe in the prayers tomorrow--we do every week as it is our companion synod.

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  60. preached it once. needs some tweaking. not sure i I have time. (sigh) glad some of you are making progress. I still really like my opening story. some other things... not so much.

    ah, well.

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  61. Here's my short sermon on Matthew 10:24-39.

    Please pray for our youth who are leaving for a week-long mission trip tomorrow. They will repair homes and give hope... to several families who are in deep need.

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  62. 9:20est and there is still bluegrass on my lawn and a 3 year old in my bed because my room is facing away from the stage.

    The sermon is from Mark circa 2003 and I am ok with that. It looks like rained out outdoor worship tomorrow morning in the Sanctuary which is always odd.

    That is all for me. I am headed upstairs to hug 3 year old after reading about QP's day. damn.

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  63. Long afternoon with one hospice visit after another and no idea how to document them cause I can't figure out the *%&$ computer system. *sigh* it will have to wait and grace will have to abound.

    Grace must also abound tomorrow because I lost my sermon somewhere this afternoon. I thought I had a beginning, middle-ish, and a last paragraph...now the last paragraph doesn't fit right and I'm going in a different direction entirely in my middle. I feel like I'm trying to connect two ends of a bridge...and it's goign to look pretty funky at the rate I'm going.

    Any ideas on how to do a children's sermon on Hagar and Ishmael? I need some wine with my whine...I think I'll skip the cheese and go for the heavy stuff.

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  64. LOL, she rev! I'm sure I'll be doing a bit of that myself in the coming days.

    QP- wow. prayers for that family and for you because I am sure you will need time to process all of that.

    Well, I pretty much finished my sermon yesterday so that I could spend the day goofing off with the family. We went to pick blueberries today. Help yourselves. They're delicious!

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  65. Nutella--just had to let you know that your comment about computers and hospice documentation gave me a laugh in the midst of what is otherwise another late night staring at the computer screen praying for a sermon. I am a hospice chaplain FT and serve a small church PT, and we have all been tearing our hair out recently with a new computer system...makes me wonder if we work for the same company, just in different states. Anyway, thanks for the laugh.
    Sally---prayers for you...it is difficult to come back after depression...yet...I have found that grace really does abound.
    Prayers for all still sermoninzing this night...may the Holy Spirit blow through all our dreams!

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  66. Whew! Got the kids to bed in time to watch the PCUSA moderatorial elections. Watched the nomination of a guy from the presbytery I just left. Now on to the candidate's speeches and questions. I think I know who God's calling. We'll see if that's confirmed by the assembly!

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  67. well, this hardly ever happens but I did my sermon at 5:00 and it just didn't sound right. So I am now re-writing it -- not from scratch, just basically moving some things around. I just didn't feel comfortable preaching it.

    anybody still up?

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  68. I'm up, Diane, but I think I'll be up all night since I just can't tear myself away from this live stream of the GA.

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  69. The wedding went well. The couple was late arriving, but still made it on time for the start. The bride teared up during one of the songs, the groom fell when he changed positions because he had locked up his knees (no injuries, Thank GOD). And I used the bride's (former) last name when I announced the couple. It was a joyful celebration of the union of high school sweethearts who went separate ways, found each other again , and finally married at the age of 60. Great fun. Went to the reception for about an hour, and came home to write my sermon.

    It's 10:30, I have 1668 words. I think it somewhat resembles a sermon. I think I will now go watch a little of SNL with my husband, go to bed at a reasonable time, and even get up a little later than my usual Sunday routine, because all I have to add is the pastoral prayer. God is definitely good.

    Sermonize and sleep well friends.

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  70. bummer. looks like I am the last one up.

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  71. diane, I'm still up. I have a half a sermon for the funeral on Tuesday and a page of stuff for the sermon next week. I know it seems I have a long time to prepare but I really don't - not with my daughter arriving and some vacation thrown in...

    anyway, I've been known to rewrite my sermons too...I'm sure yours will feel much better preaching it in the morning...

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  72. I'm still up, and now that the PCUSA has a new WONDERFUL moderator, I will begin to write my sermon. Tonight will stink.

    Sermon doesn't relate to the election. I just couldn't focus while watching and live blogging during the election.

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  73. Yawn...long day...I am still up as well. I am finally finished though, and I'm heading for bed. Man, it is Sunday morning already!

    Prayers for all ascending as I crawl under the covers!

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  74. Grace abounds! I got to party later than I probably should have and the sermon is still finished a wee bit earlier than usual. I'm about to hit print and then hit the bed. Blessings on your Sunday

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  75. Oi. Here I go. The feed from San Jose just ended. Now I better write.

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  76. oh, I'm back, but I put my nose to the grindstone and now it's reorganized and I think more preachable.

    I really want to start preaching from notes, but I think the key is to start earlier, not later.

    mompriest, how are you doing? I had a funeral last monday, so I know how you feel.

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  77. There's life! There's life! Welcome back, Diane! I'm hoping to finish up in the next 45 minutes (2:00 a.m.!!!), but that probably means more like 90. I hope I'm closer to targer, though.

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  78. She Rev -- I hope you are coming along here.. I have a sermon here and need to be up and preaching on the lawn at 8:00 so I have to go to bed.

    praying for you mompriest and she rev

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  79. by the way, I am hoping to start preaching from notes on my next try in two weeks, and I'm looking for advice and encouragement and support.

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  80. I don't do this much, but maybe it's the hour that's leaving me a little delusional. Here's my sermon for tomorrow... uh... today. (Like it or not.) ;)

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  81. I'm still working on finishing my sermon. I got such a good start yesterday morning, and then got a phone call that my sister-in-law and her husband needed help tearing wet carpet out of their basement and cleaning their walls from the flooding. I hadn't even realized they had had damage! So, I spent 9 hours over there yesterday, much of it on my hands and knees with a scraper getting carpet glue off of the floor.

    So, exhausted, I went to bed as soon as we got back. And set my alarm for 5am.

    I'm going to do something interactive and give the congregation time to think about their priorities... but i'm still fine tuning the question. I'm torn between "What are the top five priorities in your life - in order" and "By your actions in this world, what master do you serve?" One is a lot more pointed - the other gives them room to finagle and think about the multiple things that claim us.

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  82. Good morning, y'all!
    I posted my very long sermon over here. I hope it preaches.
    Already anticipating that holy nap...

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  83. Morning all, I'm up again to finish. Katie Z, sounds like you had a long day! I have coffee brewing and hopefully sermon-finishing-inspiration flowing. I hate Sunday mornings...prayers for all you preachers today, and assisting liturgists and children sermon do-ers...oh, have that to do as well.

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  84. Wow, Katie Z, I bet they were happy for your help!
    Here in the Northeast we've gotten a lot of rain the past several days, but nothing like what the Midwest experienced. I'm watching CNN now to see how it's going on the Mississippi.
    My son's flight to Chicago ended up being routed over Canada last night. He didn't get to camp until midnight!

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  85. Katie, Nutella and everyone, how are you this a.m.? I'm tired! but i'm getting out there and preaching! How about you?

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  86. I'm getting there. I need to be at church in an hour, still have to shower and putting the final touches on the sermon. I'm definately awake, but I'm also definately coming home and going back to bed after church =)

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  87. diane, I preached for many years without a text. I usually wrote the entire sermon on Tuesday and then spent the next 4+ days "internalizing" it...I'd memorize the key points and transitions and a few sentences and then let the rest of it flow...I'd run it through in my head (and heart) while walking the dogs, or spend time in quiet meditation letting it sink in. Then I got too busy to spend that much internal time with a sermon...and I really needed to create the final version in written form. (sigh)...I still long to go back to not using a text....one day...

    Anyway, using notes might be done the same way. Write it out first, then put to note cards the key points and transitions. Somehow by writing it out first you will have a good idea of where you want to go and how to get there....it's quite freeing, once you get comfortable with it.

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  88. Coming home and going back to bed...yes. I'm headed out the door for what I expect will be a stressful first without our beloved worship leader--but hopefully good too. Some people still don't know about his departure, but it will be noted and talked about I am sure. It is up to the Holy Spirit, it seems. I'm toast!

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  89. mompriest, I have done what you did on occasion, and my struggle is to get it down soon enough to spend the time internalizing it. I preach w/o notes on Wednesdays, but they are short meditations (3-5 minutes) and I don't write them out. I guess I can just riff a little on a topic as long as it's short.

    I did what you suggest one summer, and the main thing is the time needed.

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