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Saturday, August 28, 2010

11th Hour Preacher's Party: the Home, Hospitality, Humilty Edition


Apple, pear, cranberry pie....would you like a slice? (photo and pie by mompriest)
As summer begins to wind down my family and I are squeezing in as many cook-outs and grilled dinners as we possibly can. I love to cook and entertain, but really prefer to do this in a casual way. Well, unless it's Christmas Eve dinner, but that's for another party discussion. Our scripture readings this week give us plenty of opportunity to talk about hospitality, whether in the home or otherwise. They also point us to look at ideas of humility, although I admit I do not readily share my most humbling experiences from the pulpit (insert smiling face here)....still there is lots we could say about humility as a virtue.

So, where are your thoughts leading you for your sermon? Are you going with Jeremiah or Sirach? The Psalms or Proverbs? Or maybe The Letter to the Hebrews (did Paul write it?)...Maybe though you are drawn to Luke or some combination of these?

As of this writing I am not sure where I am going or even which scripture I may use. Thankfully I have three choices and can make up my mind at the last minute....although I really hope it doesn't take me that long. Still, there are some excellent late night partyers to keep me company should it come to that for me or you!

Regardless here we are, Saturday and a party to keep us sustained and entertained. I have fresh blueberry pancakes, coffee, and nectarines - and of course, pie..... Grab a mug and pull up a chair, would you like coffee or tea?

104 comments:

  1. I'm here, but as of yet completely unproductive but slightly wired. You would think if I can't go to sleep, I could at least work on the sermon or something else useful, but no.

    I'm going with Luke and the oh-so-many ways we rank people and put them in their place today...more than that I cannot say.

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  2. I would love a cup of coffee, virtual will have to do since I don't want to go downstairs and wake up the puppy to get a real cup.

    I wasn't going to preach this week and had the mindset to prove it, but things change and here I am. Tomorrow is wholeness and healing so really it is a meditation and I have gone back to last week's Gospel (the bent over woman) since I used Jeremiah last week.

    Add in a major PW (our women's association) event that has been moved to our youth center due to a SINKHOLE opening up in our parking lot and the water being turned off and you can see why I told my friend it's been a very 'Head of Staffy' week.

    So... hoping to finish this meditation this morning so at least that is taken off the plate.

    Blessings to all this morning!

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  3. I'm off-lectionary, using the few verses right after last week's gospel reading, "the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed...like leaven mixed with 3 measures of flour..."

    I think I had ideas about this when I planned the service two months ago, and probably even two weeks ago before I went on vacation, but now I have don't-wanna-be-back-from-vacation brain, PLUS this morning is the middle school youth group kick-off, where we "kidnap" (not really!) new youth and then do a day of group building activities. It's going to be a super fun day, and our middle school youth group is awesome, but that means no sermonizing until mid-afternoon.
    (well, it *should* have meant sermonizing on Friday afternoon, but Jon Stewart and naptime seem to have colonized that part of the calendar instead, on, umm, "accident." yeah, accident. LOL.)

    So...I'm off to play games and reflect on Psalm 25.4 with 17 middle school kids. TTFN.

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  4. Attempting to go to sleep now...see you all later, maybe in the afternoon!

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  5. Thanking God this sermon is in a reasonable place, which I know may be frustrating some of you. Sorry. This morning it is out of necessity.

    Off to engage the day!

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  6. GOod Morning SemFem, Kathyrnjz, and Teri! SemFem, I'am about at the same place with my sermon, 500+ words with some thought to hospitality and humility...and a lot more I've added, or written, and deleted....

    Kathrynjz,I hope you do enjoy this day. and Teri - you and the youth group as well.

    So, now I've done all of this but now that the coffee is brewed I'm pouring - who'd like a cup?

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  7. I'm neither assisting nor preaching today...instead, I'm going to be at our son's/stepson's wedding! We're taking a breakfast breather here at our cottage (in the Irish Hills/Chain-of-Lakes area north of Ann Arbor), but it's going to be a busy day here prepping for the festivities.

    Lots of grab-and-go breakfast items here -- whole-wheat mini-bagels, fresh Michigan peaches, oatmeal bread. Help yourselves!

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  8. tomorrow I am preaching on Jeremiah and Luke. Do our stories tell of God's activity in our lives - past and present - or do we look for our sense of worth and identity in all the wrong places - like the status we get from being seen with the 'right' people.
    All printed and almost bed time here. finished earlier than usual, so I have prepared a PP with music for a time of reflection after confession, which is after the sermon this week.

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  9. what a coincidence! I think we will be having blueberry pancakes as well.

    I'm preaching on Hebrews, mainly because I've preached so many times on Luke. I like it, but I wanted to do something different.

    I also liked some of working preacher's resources, one question on the sermon brainwave about hebrews was "what kind of faith community will you be?" that is a good question for us, as we will be calling a new pastor soon.

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  10. and please, yes, virtual (or real) coffee. really needing it now.

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  11. Just checking in. Mompriest, I would love some coffee, as I am all out. I am off to puppy school for the morning, and birthday party tonight, so I guess I will write my sermon this afternoon. I am going with Luke, but have nary a word written, although I have a stream of thought in my head.
    Hope it translates later!

    I will bring back lunch--I am thinking Chipotle today--so am taking orders! My treat! ;-)

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  12. Lots going on here already - great start to the party. I'm looking for a children's time for tomorrow. Not preaching, but I did reflect on the gospel here. Timely, as our session are grappling with issues of hospitality this week. Will be interesting to see if colleagues make the link:)
    Just off to have lunch of home baked bread and home made tomato soup - Dig in - having a very domesticated day - laundry time after lunch!

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  13. It's a busy early morning at this party. I don't envy all the activity b/c I've only had one cup of java so far. I will wake up soon.

    I stayed up and wrote the sermon last night. We are going to see MIL today who is failing. Or so it sounds from SIL. She has bounced back before but this may be 'the' time. One never knows.

    I will take my laptop in the car to edit and prepare the worship pieces, including the children's time. I'm preaching on Hebrews. This is the last Sunday of "A Voice from the Congregation" so I have one meditation and a member has the other on Luke. (Dunno how I'll go back to longer sermons...maybe I won't?)

    Take care all, I'll check in as I have internet. Best wishes with puppies and church events, youth activities and writing sermons.

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  14. Lutheranchick, blessings for that wedding!

    PRL - hope you rest well, glad your sermon is good form.

    Diane - blueberries!!!! And, I think I'll wander over to workingpreacher and see what he offers may be just what I need to finish off my thoughts...thanks!

    Karla, chipotle for lunch it is! Thanks!! Good luck with all you have going on today - may the Spirit give you those words without much wrestling...

    Liz, yum!!! Sounds like a good conversation to have - hope it goes well.

    RevNancy - prayers for you and your family, especially your MiL.

    Seems like we are in need of some childrens resources and idea? What are you working on?

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  15. Scattered week. I have a very, repeat very, loose structure I worked on yesterday pre-memorial service, lunch, and inurnment (100 miles away).

    Hope to close some holes in that loose structure this morning. Will be preaching on Luke and how we live out the parable.

    Scrambled eggs and toast anyone?

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  16. I'm a little behind the 8 ball this week - I was sick with something that kept me from doing much sermon prep all week...I'm supply preaching in a new place, one that I am told is very relaxed in the summer, so if I went super short they wouldn't be upset.

    I am preaching on the Luke text, and I'm thinking about what we see as important, vs what is important in the Kingdom. Maybe. We'll see where it ends up.

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  17. I have this week free, my last Sunday off before I start at my new call. My daughter and I will attend worship at the church where I was ordained and she was baptized, which is also the place my membership has been held during my time as an Interim. I find it's hard to believe that soon we will have our own church again, a place where our family can hold membership and be part of a community for the longer term. I guess I'm amazed by that after being "minister of the meantime" for the past four years.
    God be with you all today as you prepare.

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  18. Good morning, Purple, and welcome. I hope the day goes well for you, your travels safe and uneventful, and enough holes in the structure to get your sermon written!

    Jeff - welcome, and hope you feel better. I find sometimes, that while short is enticing and even a good discipline, it is also hard to do!

    Martha - enjoy this weekend and blessings for this new journey.

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  19. yes i shamelessy bribed the dogs with bones to chew this morning while i try and finish a sermon...

    started on luke might be bringing in hebrews with diane's good question there about faith community... *sigh* coffee. please. more. soon.

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  20. good morning HC!Here, all the coffee you could possibly need - and hoping those doggies can amuse themselves without resorting to mischief :-)

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  21. kzj, i like that sinkhole as a sermon illustration at some point. of what, i don't know. The Spirit will surely tell you.

    martha, hooray for closing that circle.

    everyone, i have some of the best fresh canteloupe i ever put in my mouth. come and get it.

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  22. 'mornin' MB - thanks for the canteloup - yum!

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  23. 871 words into sermon...

    you know you've hit a wall when you decide to go pick up dog poo in yard, hoping "something" will happen to the sermon while you're gone.

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  24. Mornin' all. I'm struggling with heaviness of eyelids, slowness of thought, lowness of spirit, and generally feeling like a slug. I'm gonna try a change of scenery for a bit then get back to the sermon that was percolating yesterday but seems to have grown cold overnight.

    What I really really need right now is an idea for what to take to the potluck lunch tomorrow that can stay warm in the crockpot. Two important factors - funds are low and it needs to feed a lot of people as we are having guests! Others are already bringing two of my stand by's spaghetti with meat sauce and chicken spaghetti. Ideas anyone????

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  25. I haven't even started on my sermon. Been kicking around the idea of parable- this is unlike the other parables, so maybe we near Jesus words here as good advice when he is really talking kingdom. IDK - maybe it will come together once I start writing.

    Off to the farmers market. Need anything?

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  26. I've been on vacation since Aug. 2, but tomorrow I'm back on. I had a wonderful low key vacation, visiting friends and family in New England and spending a few days in my favorite Big City. I'm happy to be back with my parish but honestly ambivalent about the end of the summer--couldn't we have a little more?

    So the story I told on Tuesday about being 'reseated' in 3rd grade has stuck with me, and yesterday afternoon I sat down and poured out a draft--very unusual for this last minute preacher. It's not about hospitality per se, but rather about how position and status don't matter in God's kingdom. I'll post it later.

    Today I need to reenter the real world and buy some food, so a trip to Whole Foods is in order. I'm missing the lovely farmer's market in my favorite northern New England town...nothing to compare with that here.

    It's another beautiful day here--enjoy everyone. I have blueberries from Maine to share.

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  27. mid-life rookie - crockpot ideas?

    1 c. of ketchup & 1 c. of coca-cola make a pretty inexpensive barbeque sauce... you can some stew meat, chopped veggies like celery, carrots, potatoes etc.

    or... cook frozen chicken breasts for about 4 hrs. in crockpot with juice of 2 limes and 2 Tbps chili powder... drain, shred chicken... add 1 can of corn, 1 jar of salsa... cook about another hour on low... voila. grab shredded lettuce; cheese; taco shells or tortillas and shredded chicken tacos are served.

    that's all i've got.

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  28. Good morning! Being a Texas girl, it was breakfast tacos for breakfast and now on to the Luke text. I think i am preaching on how Jesus is always interrupting polite meals to transform the way we eat...then bringing in the hospitality, etc. I'm also intrigued that the one at the lowest place is the one whom the host calls "friend"....might not get much out of that, but we'll see :).

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  29. Just had breakfast with the Property committee here at the church and am kibitzing with them whilst they work.

    Going with Hospitality here. I posted some thoughts at my place last night.

    AS I was wandering around this morning I was struck again by a sign in the narthex here. It says (on two 8.5x11 sheets of paper) "Radical Hospitality: Two Minute Rule: After service take 2 minutes to talk, talk to two people, be welcoming"

    If that is what the church considers Radical Hospitality (and in many congregations it is quite radical-sadly) then we have lost our way somewhere

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  30. I am preaching on Hebrews with a side of Luke. I was leaning towards a call-to-action type sermon, pushing us to welcome the strangers around us, to prepare a table not for the fancy-pants types but for the least of these (ie we're not doing a good enough job). But my sermon last week on the bent-over woman was sort of like that, so I was trying to figure out how to avoid a repeat.

    However, yesterday while re-reading the texts and jotting down notes, I got really happy and excited that this is part of what being a Christ-follower means. Mutual love, being content with what we have, God's promised presence, a table welcoming of all? How great is that?!?!

    So that's where I'm heading...it's almost lunch time here, but I haven't done any grocery shopping so all I can offer is another cup of coffee and some cold pizza.

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  31. Midlife, RevDrMom, Ramona, Emily, Gord, and Beth - Welcome!!! Coffee or tea? So many good food offerings today (breakfast tacos, yum)...

    HC - crack me up, I often wish all kinds of things would happen while I pick up poo too - literal and metaphoric!

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  32. I have so missed you all while on a 3-month Sabbath Leave. This is my last week off so I will be joining you again next week for sure. I am feeling great: fully rested, renewed and restored.

    On this day my Sabbatical Task Force - ie: the three women who took over my job while I was off - are coming over to help me get ready for Re-Entry. We will be having two kinds of Mexican pan dulce (sweet bread), cinnamon buns, orange-cranberry scones and fruit with our fairly traded coffee. Any of you who need a nibble are welcome to join us at the virtual table.

    May all who are preaching find the words you need

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  33. Mid-life rookie, This is my favorite pot luck dish from the crock pot. If it were not a crock pot dish, I would take nothing to a pot luck because I don't have time for that on top of sermon and worship stuff. I usually mix this together after finishing the sermon and cook on low. A rare few times, I have mixed it Sunday morning (in a panic because I forgot the night before) and cooked it on high in my office because all of the church kitchen plugs are needed for others.

    Hash-brown casserole (I think serves 10-12, normal size servings?):
    2-lb bag frozen hashbrowns (or as close as you can get to 2 lbs)
    1/2 c. margarine/butter (melted)
    1 tsp. salt
    1 tsp. pepper
    2 c. sour cream
    1 can cream of mushroom soup
    2 c. cheddar cheese
    (optional 1/2 c. onions)
    Crushed potato chips

    In large bowl, mix all ingredients together. (I usually start with melted butter, soup, sour cream, then add cheese, then a few hash browns at a time. I find it a little easier to stir that way.)

    Put mixture in crockpot. It helps a little with cleanup if you butter or spray the crockpot first.

    Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 5-6 hours. Crushed chips go on top before serving. A lot of times I just don't mess with the chips. Cheese on the top would work fine, too.

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  34. Preaching Jeremiah tomorrow....I had a lot of trouble deciding on a text finally landed on Jeremiah. I've got a draft and it seems to be going in the direction of how dangerous it is for us to stop asking "where is God?" and for us to stop telling our stories. We'll see. Hopefully I can finish up in a couple of hours and enjoy this day!

    rev maria-My "senior" pastor is on sabbatical and is coming back in a month. I'd love to hear what kind of things you're planning for your "re-entry" so maybe I can help him when he returns from sabbatical

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  35. good morning. slept late here, so feel rested but a bit daunted by this day. nothing actually scheduled, but lots of projects to get done around the house and, oh yeah! a sermon too.

    I'll check back in when I'm up a little - saw Inception last night and got my mind blown, btw. Have you guys seen that?

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  36. Welcome back RevMaria. Welcome Vicar and thanks for that recipe (such a variety of sharing here today!). Welcome Lindsay. (I wonder, often, "where is God"....). And Welcome, Juniper!

    I've given my sermon a rest while I made pancakes and did some other work. Now...back to see what I wrote, what I have, hoping it's something I can work with...have already started and restarted so many times already....

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  37. Midlife rookie - here is my 'go-to' crock pot dish:

    brown up 1 bl ground beef,

    add one of the big industrial size cheese sauce (I prefer the nacho or jalepeno type, these can be found at Sam's Club or Gordon Foods) and a 16 0z jar of salsa.

    It's ready in about an hour and will keep on low forever. Take lots of chips.

    This recipie has got me through a noon potluck and an evening catechism dinner. Kids especially love it!

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  38. Hello fellow preachers and pals
    I haven't checked in in a while but have been preaching and working for the past few weeks after a lot of time off this summer. This week's text from Luke brought up a number of personal stories for me from the co-ed fraternity where I lived in college, where formal dinners were the norm, to having to change lunch tables in 8th grade because my old friends had started doing drugs and smoking and I wasn't quite into that. Anyway, the sermon is done, and it is a gorgeous day, and it is slipping away faster than I want it to! Last weekend before school starts, trying to figure out something fun to do for the next two hours before I have to leave for church.

    Good to see all of you here, blessings to all in your preparations, and Martha/SB enjoy your last weekend off! We have my favorite sea salt and cracked pepper chips, fresh tomatoes, and deli turkey and ham for lunch, along with the toll house squares we baked yesterday. Plenty for all, so dive in!

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  39. Mumpastor - welcome back...I hope you enjoy this day - it's beautiful here, too!

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  40. So, it's a bit long, but here is my draft, Valuable in God's Eyse. I always appreciate your comments, which help me grow my preaching voice.

    I'll come round to read all of your offerings soon, but first, dog park!

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  41. We've had dinner - mac and cheese, daughter's fav - lots left to share.
    And - I've just found a children's idea. I'm going to ask the children (for whom schools have just resumed) how they are at maths - giving them a few simple sums. Then I'll take a sheet of paper on which is written "GOD'S LOVE" and ask them how many corners there are to God's love on paper (4). Then I'll ask if anyone would like a piece. I'll cut off a corner and give it away. Then, when we count the corners, there's 5, and so on - the more we give away the more we have.
    I can relate this to the gospel by drawing attention to the fact that sometimes folk think we have to protect the church and protect worship, keep it special and that there's not enough of God's love to go around but Jesus, by telling of a feast to which all are invited, that no one has any more right to be there than another emphasises that God's love is for all.
    So, with that solved, I think I can crack open the sloe gin - can I pour you one?

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  42. oh liz! posted before I saw your idea! Genius and easy - that is what I will do!!

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  43. We're trying to get all 3 very tired kiddos to sleep at which point I will attempt to get the pretty well formed sermon out of my head and onto the computer. I didn't do so well with my writing day this week do to a minor incident that left me locked out of the house. Oh well. I'll get ot done before midnight. At least that's my plan.

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  44. Ok, so I think I'm done. Turned out to be more about hospitality as a kingdom quality. I hope it's understandable. Maybe some edits between now and tomorrow morning :)

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  45. Okay, I fell back on a recipe from my childhood for groundbeef casserole w/ rice. I already had everything I needed except the beef.

    Now it's almost 2pm and I must make tracks on this sermon. I'm preaching Hebrews 12: 1-2 tomorrow as we are having a homecoming celebrating 130 years since the church was founded. My District Superintendant will be there, so it would be good if this sermon isn't completely awful.

    I find that word "since" to be key to what I have to say. Since we have so great a cloud of witnesses we must.... The cloud of witnesses is impelling not simply comforting and encouraging.

    Pizza anyone? We have some left.

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  46. Today is not a sermon writing day for me. It has been a dissertation writing/revising day and that will continue after a break. I am quite thrilled to have accomplished what I have so early in the day!

    liz - I love that children's time idea! brilliant!

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  47. Oh, I forgot to say I copied all your recipes into a document titled Potluck for next time. They do these every month. Tomorrow's just bigger than usual

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  48. yeah! thanks to Liz for jumpstarting my brain with her chidlrens idea. After a couple of hours of what felt like goofing around I have about 1000 words of outline that I should be able to polish up in an hour or two after the boys bedtime tonite.

    Now, it's sunny but cool out (THAT never happens) so i'm off to work in the yard. or else take a nice nap in the lawn chair... Blessings, you afternoon writers. I'll see you tonight whenI come back to teh party!

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  49. I'm back...well I've been up for a while, but now I'm back to write. I have a feeling this will be one of those sermons where I really don't know where I'm going until I get there (which means they are usually either great or crappy).

    A cup of chai (and plenty more to share), my copy of Malina and Rohrbaugh and their funky table seating diagram, and I think I'm off...

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  50. o.k., finally back to sit down, and realize the event tonight is a sit down dinner rather than something to drop by. I should really follow my own rule on no plans for Saturday night. oyooyoyoyyo.
    Maybe a poetry Sunday, after all....

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  51. Detour to look up tires on line as teenaged driver's car needs new one before passing inspection that expired 2 months ago. Apparently we failed to teach him about checking dates on inspection stickers.

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  52. whoops, mid-life! hope it all works out.

    o.k., 340 words in. that's 1/3, right? for a summer sermon?

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  53. Some really great food and ideas going on around here today!

    Karla, yikes....so much easier on a Sat. night when it is a drop by anytime event...but sure I think you're 1/3 there.

    Vicar, awesome! I hope the inspiration keeps on flowing!

    Jeff, I suspect your sermon will be just fine - some of the best one's are the one's that feel to me like you describe yours....

    Juniper, enjoy the time outside. My husband and I went to dog park with four dogs (two are ours, two belong to our kids) - and had a delightful 40 minute walk. or rather we walked, they ran. LOL

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  54. Dogpark. Love it. We had puppy school, and there were three 12 week old pembroke corgis. I melted. And my puppy Cooper, MONSTAH! We are working on the jumping. And speaking of jumping, time to jump in the shower to go to dinner. I have 1500 words very loosely connected, but at least there is a beginning, middle and end, and with another hour or so later I should have something...preachable. I hope.

    I'll be back later--who needs anything for the late night party?
    Wine? Lemonade? Cookies? Dark chocolate? I can stop by Whole Foods or Trader Joes--let me know!

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  55. Mmmmm...wine. I hope I'll get a glass tonight, but it will make me tired enough that I won't allow it until I'm done. I'm about a third of the way done since I am thankfully using a pretty long (almost 6 minutes) video in the middle. Never did get all 3 kids to nap and now 2 are up and my husband is out for a few hours playing golf. It's going to be a while before I can focus again.

    I am forcing myself to go to bed no later than midnight and will just work with whatever I have at that point. I don't think that will be a problem, but I need to say it to make it happen! If the baby would just chill for a little late afternoon nap I could get a little more typing done right now. Her eyes are finally getting very heavy! There's still luck. A little TV for the bigger kids and I'll be good to go. The mosquitos are CRAZY thick in my backyard so I can't send them back there.

    (Apple's next invent is my word verification -- iTent)

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  56. SheRev "iTent" LOL...as in my intention is, or if only we had an iTent the kids could go outside?

    Karla, It's still to early here for a glass of wine, but maybe by the time you get back I'll be ready!

    Now, I have to think about what we will have for dinner....let's see...

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  57. okay, I'm back from an AWESOME half-day with the middle schoolers...and also a conversation with one of the new leaders and also a quick nap...but I still lack ideas on the mustard seed/yeast front. I think I just need a way in and I can probably get going, but I don't know what that opening is going to be. And really, I need to be done in the next hour or two.

    hmmm...

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  58. Anyone remember a story (may be a Christmas story) about the old man who is told Jesus will visit, and prepares food, gifts, etc., only to give them all away to needy folk before Jesus arrives, then finds out that Jesus came in the form of the needy folk??? Help would be appreciated..........

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  59. RevTSB
    THat sounds like a story by Tolstoy called (I think) Where Love Is God Is I have used varied versions of that story to go with Matthew 25 and the sheep/goats parable.

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  60. Thanks, Gord. I've never read the Tolstoy version; must have been a modern retelling that I read. But that's the story! Blessings.

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  61. The holes are finally "filled in". You can check it out "here.

    Great ideas...from recipes...children's sermons.

    Thanks everyone!!

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  62. Sermon outline typed. It's short but needs to be as we have guest speakers at the beginning of the service. It's too preachy - needs more illustration, but I'm trusting that will work out. Now to get ready to go back to old church (I wasn't the pastor) to participate in thanking DogBlogger's husband for 10 years of youth leadership - the last 5 years for our son.

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  63. P.S. Two tires purchased by husband and son, inspection passed.

    She-Rev you make me wonder why I'm so tired. My kid takes care of his own needs for the most part. I'm pretty sure I couldn't have done what I do now when he was little and there was only one of him. Prayers for your ministry both in your family and in your church.

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  64. okay, I've reached EXACTLY 1000 words. Part of me wants to stop just for the novelty of being so precise. LOL. The other part of me realizes that I probably need a conclusion, because the 1000th word is not an ending. ha!

    If I ever come up with a conclusion I'll post the draft so y'all can tell me how to make this sermon flow better. And if you can't figure it out, then at least I know it's not just my tired brain thinking it's preachable enough that I can go walk my friend's dog and read a princess book.

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  65. Home from sinkhole wrangling(?) and peach festivalling. The Boy's bedtime is in the works then hopefully to polish off the sermon for a reasonable bed time...

    I can dream, right?

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  66. it's good enough, I think....though editing can still happen, so please comment away! 14 hours to spare! :-)

    Now I'm going to make dinner and walk the dog...if I end up making anything yummy, I'll be back to share!

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  67. I've edited and posted here. Feedback appreciated.

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  68. Also plenty of pizza with homemade sauce to share; we discovered on vacation that store-bought naan makes great crust for quick pizza.

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  69. Rev Dr Mom, What a great pizza idea! Now where do you get "store bought" Naan?

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  70. Vicar, most grocery stores around here have it. Look in the deli section if it's not with the bread.

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  71. 1236 words and it's THISCLOSE to being done! Gogogogogogogo...

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  72. Naan pizza! What a fabulous idea!

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  73. It's nice to come home and see how busy the party has been. I'm not crazy about my sermon but the Hebrews text felt limiting today.

    MIL is likely breathing her last tonight or tomorrow so that will be ahead this week, but it was good to see her today and try to ease her on the way.

    Nite all, I'm off to rest and hopefully to bed earlier than my system prefers.

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  74. back from a variety of things I had to do, including, yes, pizza! we made pizza too, although not with naan crust (which sound delicious!)

    So many sermon offerings today - I'll be round to read them all, hopefully before the night ends and the party goes to sleep...

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  75. 1376 words, including a conclusion! It'll stand some polishing later, but it's in decent shape now, so it's time to throw together some stirfry for dinner. Glad to share if anyone else is hungry.

    RevDrMom, thanks for posting your sermon...a few phrases there helped mine come together at the end.

    RevNancyFitz, prayers for your family.

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  76. We must be coming back to work from vacations! Comments are up tonight already.

    Call me mother of the year - - the big kids are in front of a TV again, but the baby is sleeping. I'm hoping to get 30 more minutes of writing in before I read them books and send the to bed. Keeping things shorter (to make room for my long-ish video I'm showing as an illustration) is always somehow harder than just writing it all myself.

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  77. RevNancy, I will hold you and your family, and most especially your MiL in my prayers. May she be at peace.

    Ok, I've only read one sermon, now on to the rest...

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  78. Ahhh...spoke to soon. Baby is awake, so I guess I get to cuddle instead of type. Oh well!

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  79. hi guys. back to the party for me for a bit. I preached the early edition already; might tweak the ending before tomorrow, but I'm pretty tired.

    I even think I have a children's message, with some pennies.

    I'm trying to decide whether to go out shopping for a bit, or just stay home and knit.

    for anyone that is paying attention, I've been alone here all summer, as the sr. pastor retired at the end of May. There was supposed to be an interim pastor in place by August 1. but, nope.

    so, I'm going into "rally sunday" as a solo. egad.

    I think I'll be okay if I don't have another funeral for the next couple weeks, at least.

    there have been 12 or 13 (I've lost count) funerals here this summer.)

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  80. Diane, it just pains me that you are working so hard and here I have ALL this time and COULD help...but well, you know it's not like you can just have me come up and help - there are procedures and protocol etc...sigh...But I would if I could. So, what I'll do is continue to pray for you and your congregation. May there be an interim soon!

    SheRev - cuddles are definitely the priority. The sermon will be fine however it is....

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  81. Diane, I'm so sorry for you! It's nice they think so highly of you that they aren't in a hurry to make their deadline, but really! Hopefully it will be soon, and in the meantime we know you're equipped to do it.

    2 bigger kids are in bed. Husband is still out at the church golf outing. He totally owes me a guilt-free night at the pottery studio for this! Baby is happy in the swing next to me, so I better get typing while I have two hands. I've written this sermon 3 times in my head tonight, so now I hope I can get it down on paper in one fell-swoop. What is a fell swoop anyway? Oh Google....

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  82. 652 words which is about 2/3 of where I want to be - - normal for most of you, but short for me since I have the video. Husband finally home, but the baby's hungry again. I'll be done in plenty of time for a real night's sleep I'm sure.

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  83. SheRev - hoping you really do get a real nights sleep...my sermon for tomorrow is 1400+ words, longer for me by 200 words, but those last 200 are my goodbye and well wishes for their interim time...so, that doesn't really count, right?

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  84. well friends, I have mint tea and oatmeal cookies - and then it's off to bed for me....last one up get the lights, 'k?

    and thanks for a fun party!

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  85. How are you doing out there, SheRev?

    I'm taking care of a last few things and polishing the sermon while waiting for laundry to dry. Should be done soon...

    Anyone else out there? Thanks for the cookies and tea mompriest!

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  86. Back at it again, but it sounds like I may be alone. Taking out a bunch. Putting in stuff from early in the week notes that I forgot about. Did you know there is a track and field race called the steeplechase. It's long distance with hurdles AND water hazards. Do you think that's what the author of Hebrews 12 was talking about?

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  87. Thanks for asking about me! I am here and done, I believe, with 70 minutes 'til midnight. Woo hoo! It's a bit longer than I had hoped, but I do remember that we have no special music tomorrow, so I can take more than my usual time. The video in the middle will make it seem like it's not as long since I won't be talking the whole time. I'm including a much more direct call to specific action and ministry than I have ever done before. It feels right, but at the same time I'm as nervous as heck at putting my idea and vision out there for everyone. I've whispered about it here and there for the 2.5 years I've been here. The idea was a part of our visioning/discernment last spring -- one of a gazillion ideas that came up, but one of a few that stuck around and even got some specific supporters. We just had no idea of what the ministry might look like. I had a grace-filled meeting with a colleague at another church, though, this week that is very clear to me a way forward paved by the Holy Spirit. I might be taking a risk by sharing this in worship first instead of the usual channels of committee or session or whatever, but frankly those channels have been putting up stumbling blocks instead of encouraging ministry in recent months. Also, I just really hear God calling me to leadership that interprets to the congregation the vision I have discerned (while surrounded by their prayer, support, and gifts)and calls them to action toward that vision. The coach I worked with last spring and I called it a "synthesizing" leadership - - I can see the different parts of the big picture and put them together into a vision. I'm doing that pretty concretely and specifically in this sermon. We'll see how it goes!

    Anyway, I need to get some of the identifying specifics out of it and then I'll get it posted. I'll be back with the link shortly. I know it's late, but I'd take comments or suggestions. I'll read through it in the morning to see if the things I cut, paste, and moved around ended up in the right spot.

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  88. mid-life rookie, that kind of race is definitely what it FEELS like the author of Hebrews is talking about!

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  89. Oh yeah - - and Mompriest, those 200 words definitely don't count. ;)

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  90. Hi semfem - I'm back. Now sherev is in bed. who else is up?

    Oh, Diane - so hard to be working so hard. You are in my prayers.

    Im kind of scared to look at my draft. I liked is this mroning, but you never know....

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  91. Good night SheRev, and welcome back to mid-life and Juniper. Still working away here--mine needed more tweaking than I realized! Hope it's coming together for you both...

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  92. Done finally. Hang up clothes from dryer then to bed. Blessings to all

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  93. 11 pm. 1491 words. I have to come back to them by the light of day to knwo if they are any good or not.


    Blessings on your proclamations, all.

    May the Holy Spirit not forget ya
    and the Sinkhole of Despair not get ya.

    (a little "pome" for kj, and the rest of you too)

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  94. 1328 words, and after a good 45 minutes of fighting with the printer, the backup printer has been brought out and it's finally on paper. Whew! Hope everyone is finished...I'll get the lights if they are...

    Blessings on all pondering, preaching, and proclamation this day.

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  95. 'Sinkhole of despair' - Love it!

    Just checking on to see if the Holy Spirit has some changed. I do enjoy our one service Summer Sundays - only one more left.

    Hope everyone has a good one.

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  96. I almost resisted the GOOOD MORNING preacher friends - just to not break the 100...hee hee...but, some good support and partying last night after I hit the hay...blessings, all on your day and your words. ANd SheRev, on that vision too!

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  97. I'm back to clean up anything that needs cleaning (in the party or the sermon). Also I think I want to put this one in Publisher instead of Word so I can put it in a little mini-notebook to deliver it while doing a little walking around. I think the woman's thoughts from one place, Jesus' from another - - just to move around a little. (I'm off lectionary if you're wondering what I'm talking about, although more likely there's no one here to be wondering anyway.)

    Blessings on us all!!!

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  98. actually, SheRev I stopped by one last time before I head out...I like that idea a lot.

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  99. Thanks Mompriest! Heading to do that right now since the tweaks have been made.

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