Visit our new site at revgalblogpals.org.

Friday, March 16, 2012

11th Hour Preacher Party: Say No To Snakes Edition

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Gals and Pals!
 


My kids have been looking forward to St. Patrick's Day since Valentine's Day when I colored their milk pink with a little food coloring.  They are so ready for green milk this morning!

I'm embracing the holiday in a different way.  I've never been one to pay too much attention to some of these feasts and observances, but the snake legend feels appropriate to me this week.  I think I've got some snakes that need to be driven out not of my house or my town, but of my mind and my spirit.  My preaching has felt "meh" this Lent after a very energizing Epiphany.  It's hard to take.  Doubts are creeping into my mind and slithering around into my spirit.  I'm hoping good ol' St. Patrick will drive them out for me today.

How about the rest of you?  Do you have some snakes in your way as you are preparing for worship tomorrow?  Let us drive them out for one another as we share in our St. Paddy's Day party!

Any green food to share???  I'll pass on the food coloring to anyone who needs it.  Join the party in the comments and, if you will, link your sermons so we can visit and be blessed.

112 comments:

  1. Fun start to the post.
    I am using the narrative text of the widow's mite (doing word play on her might).
    Also touching on the Ephesians text.
    so, I may not be of much help, but the text does come up later in OT (ordinary time, not overtime for all of us watching hoops).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm off the lectionary this week and all of Lent, too. However, this week I did myself a favor and at least picked one that was in the lectionary earlier in the season. Thanks be to God!

      Delete
  2. Hi,
    I am looking at the conflict with the leaders in Mark 12. Going to a birthday party for someone in the congregation tonight, so I am finished [5.00pm Saturday here] I will post it now, but will reread when I return from the party. Any comments would be appreciated.

    Draft : Asking Questions

    ReplyDelete
  3. As a Patricia, I should have realised first thing this morning that it was St Patrick's day. I love the image! I'm feeling very proud of myself as I had the sermon written on Tuesday but now I feel I must link St Patrick into it. I wish I'd managed to get one of those wriggly toy snakes as the children will be there in force to celebrate Mothering Sunday. I really must learn how to do a blog so I can link my sermons. I suppose the gist of my sermons is, as the Israelites gazed on the snake (a hateful symbol), we focus on the cross (also a hateful symbol). But we don't like to focus on something that highlights our guilts and failures. When we focus our perspective changes. My congregation needs this sort of basic message. We're having an exciting time at the moment -- charismatic renewal seems to be about to take place despite ourselves!

    I had a full day off yesterday - my first for 3 weeks - and I blobbed and watched dvds all day. I feel so much better and ready to face Sunday!

    Only green grapes in my house! I remember when my younger daughter made cup cakes and coloured them bright green, blue and red. They looked so awful we could hardly eat them! But I could do green cup cakes to go with the green milk. . .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How funny! I haven't been on the lectionary all week so I didn't even know there was the snake connection between the lectionary

      Delete
    2. and St. Patrick's Day, at least with the snakes.

      The green milk makes my stomach turn, but it thrills the kiddos.

      Delete
  4. I have an all day meeting that requires my alarm to be set very early (an hour from now) so of course my body woke me up extra early! I'm glad there's a carpool of us from this area going so I shouldn't have to drive.

    The sermon is done except for printing but I'm hoping y'all will carry me through the boring parts of the all day meeting. I'll take my crocheting, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very early indeed. Blech! Hope we can help with the meeting entertainment.

      Delete
  5. St. Patrick's Day was never a big deal in our house... unfortunately my largely Catholic community would take great fun in punching me in the arm because I wasn't wearing green. Ridiculous.

    Today is going to be one of those Mom/Ministry marble days. A phone call last night from a broken Mom over the suicide of her son yesterday. Just awful. I am waiting for her family to call me back as they have moved so many times and have been so sporadic in attendance that I have no idea where she lives any more.

    I am also helping to coach my son's baseball team this year and the first practice is at 2. Church game night at 5, but he has a birthday party to go to at 6. So... you can see what I mean.

    I'm about to dump all of my research and ideas On Ephesians with a touch of John from the week into a paper with the sermon title on it. I hope that bodes well for the day.

    (Have I mentioned how much I love that there is no longer a comment pop out window? Yay!)

    ReplyDelete
  6. oh, kzj...what a day. holding that family in the light, what little they can bear.

    I'm up ridiculously early (it's still dark) so I can feed/walk my dogsitting charge before driving just over an hour to spend a day in a leadership workshop with Sharon Daloz Parks. Last night's opening session was pretty good so I'm looking forward to today, except the part where it's still dark outside and I'm awake.
    Luckily, tomorrow is the day we scheduled the cantata (Rutter's Requiem) so no snakes for us this year. What a handy "coincidence"....lol! BUT: I did preach on the snakes a few years ago, with the jist being that we have to face the metaphorical snakes in our lives in order to be the people God calls us to be. If it would help you at all, that sermon is linked in the Tuesday comments. Feel free to use, borrow, or say "wow, that is exactly how I do not want to do this one." :-)

    alright, gotta finish getting ready and go walk a big kerry blue terrier who is always excited to see me, and then get on the road. Please let there be a drive-thru coffee place on the way....

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi all, back from the party, added an ending and re-posted. Now printing, then a cup of chamomile, and sleep.
    St Patrick's day is celebrated in Australia, but seems to be more to do with drinking and Irish dancing and wearing green, than snakes. We Aussies adopt a lot of celebrations, just for the sake of the party.
    kathrynzj thinkign of you as you juggle.

    night everyone, hope you all have productive days

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's about all we do with St. Pat's in the States, too. A friend of mine is running at 21K race after which they give you free beer at an Irish pub. Just makes me want to vomit.

      Delete
  8. Ummmm.... pearl, that is EXACTLY America's version of the celebration as well. There are already lines to get into Irish pubs. Seriously.

    Sleep tight!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Already praying for the family, kzj.
    My #2 Son is home for spring break, and it is good to have him here. We stayed up ridiculously late talking. I will not get to sleep until noon. Ahem. But I'm very glad to have him home.
    I started the kind of Word Doc kzj mentioned a few days ago, but took time for another project yesterday and haven't gone back to the sermon. So I need to get it going. Prayer Shawl Knitters at church this morning, so the dog and I will be taking a trip to the country to hang out with them for at least an hour before picking up the first day home requirement, bagels. Not green ones.
    Lastly, I never had any green clothes when I was a kid, and I got pinched mercilessly every year. Not an enthusiast. But I think it's a good "in" for the children's word tomorrow, since I can't think of any other way to approach the snakes on the plain, and I really need to get that story in somewhere to make sense of John 3:14ish. Do gummy worms look enough like snakes to make the point about wiggly things I hate?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gummy worms will be perfect. And besides, if all else fails, the kids love the ones when they get to eat candy at the end. At least in my church they do.

      Delete
  10. Good morning pals,

    My mind is on Tim Tebow and how he has the words John 3:16 under his eyes for sunblock. Does this verse mean that God cares about the outcome of football games?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hopefully even Tim Tebow would say it's more about God's love for the people playing the game than for love of the game itself.

      Delete
  11. Good morning, everyone!

    The confirmands asked me a week or two ago about "those signs at football games that say 'John 3:16'" and so that may be an opening for a sermon titled "Lift Up the Fear." I was inspired in that direction by the Lectionary Leanings comments this week.

    I am in the camp of those who got turned off to St. Pat's day by being pinched and (my memory) taunted about the whole wearing green thing.

    Prayers for you and that family, KZJ. How very very sad.

    I have coffee to share with you all and some delicious oranges I got at the local market yesterday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds like you're called to address the gospel for sure, Sharon. We haven't had a confirmation group in a while, but I loved it when I could tie stuff in directly from confirmation to worship. I had such better engagement from the kids!

      Delete
  12. My sermon is written, read: preachable. I don't normally rejoice in that at this party quite so early, but you all have reached out to me in this day that I am facing, so I wanted to share that at least that hurdle is done.

    Thanks be to God and my lectionary study group.

    Grabbing some breakfast, then calling the family if they have not yet called me.

    Thank you all for all you do and your support for me and one another.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are many days I'll take preachable and ESPECIALLY at that our on Saturday morning. Have a wonderful, but crazy day. Continuing to lift the family in your care up in prayer.

      Delete
  13. Okay, I made cinnamon rolls to leave for my sleeping son, and I'm trying to get myself out the door. I haven't had a no-church-activity Saturday, other than a day I was sick and the week of BE, since before Christmas. I'm trying to counter it by working at home on Fridays, but that hasn't generated a sermon this week. I'll be back later and rejoin the party!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm having the first empty Saturday in ages, too. I keep getting the feeling that I'm forgetting to do something. My daughter asked to go to the zoo which sounds like a brilliant idea. Might work on that this afternoon.

      Delete
  14. kzj, covering you with prayers.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Good morning preachers. Just checking in since I'm not preaching tomorrow--my wonderful seminarian is. I didn't check the readings when I asked him to preach this week, but I'm just as glad not to have to deal with with John 3:16.

    My daughter and granddaughters were supposed to be here this weekend, but their visit got postponed again, so I have a free day. And I really need to go buy a pair of jeans. But ugh. Even after losing a great deal of weight, buying jeans is still a chore. And I've been fighting a migraine since Wednesday (another reason I'm grateful not to be preaching this weekend.) So we'll see how the day unfolds. I spent all of yesterday reading the third Hunger Games book--and to those of you who recommended them, thanks! I started Sunday afternoon and devoured them in my spare moments this week. I found them powerful; disturbing as well, but lots to think about for sure and a gripping story.

    I have oatmeal and ginger tea if you still need breakfast :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh, and my St. Patrick's Day story--I too have suffered the pinches but my real shock was when I started teaching at a small Catholic college with a big Irish Catholic student body. I happened to schedule an exam at a 10am class on St. Patrick's Day and earned the ire of my class because--are you ready--it interfered with their ability to go to "Kegs and Eggs" at a local pub to start the day. Students came a begged me to change the date of the exam, but heartless creature that I am, I declined, and I heard about it on my student evals at the end of the semester.

    Said college has since changed their calendar so that spring break always covers St. Patrick's Day because they didn't want to deal with all the fall-out from the over - consumption of alcohol on campus.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow!!! That is crazy!!! Instead of addressing the drinking let's just change the school calendar. Wow.

      Delete
    2. To be fair they have been trying to deal with the drinking (which when I was there was a huge issue) but (so they claimed) there were huge liability issues and issues with kids from other schools (three colleges in town) also causing property damage. The kicker I think was when a whole bunch of large windows in a dorm under construction were broken on St. P's, and they couldn't determine whether it was their own students or others who did it.

      The Irish Catholic drinking culture took me by surprise, and as many parents supported it (implicitly if not explicitly) as objected to it. It may have improved since I left but it was a cause for great concern for faculty and staff at a college that otherwise took pride in its Catholic identity and emphasis on student service and social justice work.

      Delete
    3. Wow. Good for them to try to deal with it, then. I don't even know how you would be begin to do that with something so ingrained not just in the college's culture, but the families'.

      Delete
  17. I'm preaching on the Samaritan woman at the well tomorrow. It's nowhere near preachable. I have what I want to say in my mind, but it's not coming out on the page right...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It took a shot at the Samaritan woman at the well once. It must have been Lenten lectionary last year? I don't think I was off lectionary. Anyway, if it's of any use to you here it is, <a href="

      Delete
    2. Stupid thing won't let me "paste." So the address http://sherev.blogspot.com/2011/03/so-thirsty.html

      Delete
  18. So, I'm up, mostly. Not feeling great at all. I had some icky stomach and chills stuff going on yesterday. The stomach is OK-ish this morning, but I feel really weak and light-headed. I'm very thankful that I'm going back in the lectionary that I have been off all season. It means I have resources from the rest of you to inspire me as I write. I'm feeling much better about this sermon than any of the others this season which is good because it always feels better to go off on vacation with a decent one than with a crappy one. Our new-ish educator is preaching next week while I'm gone which is great. She's seminary trained, served as a Methodist local pastor for a while before she decided her call was really to team ministry which isn't so much of an option for a Methodist pastor in our area. Not enough larger Methodist churches. So anyway, now she's working with us Presbyterians, but still loves preaching every once in a while. Great deal for us! Anyway, she's preaching this one and doing all of the organization for Palm/Passion Sunday with Martha's wonderful service! After tomorrow I have a pretty good break before Easter.


    But now I just have to get through tomorrow. It's one of those days I think I'd like to chill out and stay home, at least so far, but with the other Sundays "off" coming and our annual meeting in the morning it's just not possible. I'll get it together in time to make it work!

    ReplyDelete
  19. "Snakes, God?????" for me. I am looking at a more corporate nature of fear versus individual. Our prayer of awareness (aka prayer of confession) will include a time for silent prayer for those fears which keep us as individuals from bringing in the Kingdom of God and the corporate fears which challenge the church in the same fashion.

    It also seems that God continually looks forward...not behind...not in Eqypt...but looking forward and perhaps we should do the same.

    I might have to add a disclaimer to my sermon direction with the congregation...as I am reading Diana Butler Bass's latest book.

    First off, a cleaning morning at the church. We are unseasonably warm all week long. Of course this morning, it is foggy, damp, and only 50 degrees.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Folks in my church haven't gotten so used to my preaching reflecting what I'm reading and teaching that when I seem on fire about a new idea, they just ask out right what new book I have.

      Delete
  20. Good morning everyone!
    We had 60 people over for dinner last night, so I knew I wouldn't get anything done sermon-wise yesterday.
    But my kids both spent the night with friends and there is a steady rain this morning, so soccer games are canceled, the house is quiet, and my day is wide open. Ahhhh....
    We are reading the Numbers, John, and Ephesians text tomorrow. I suspect the sermon will mainly be Ephesians with a little bit of John. I am noticing how different those two passages are and think I will be talking about diversity of faith experience/understanding. In a world where the politicians claim that if you don't agree with them then they are being oppressed, I think we need to keep holding up the idea that diversity is God's intention.
    Kathryn, prayers for the family in your church. Thankful you are there to walk along side them.
    And now that Missouri is out of the tournament, my bracket is busted and I will cheer for Gonzaga and Vandy all the way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh dear me. 60 people. I can't even imagine.

      I like the diversity approach. So needed in the common rhetoric.

      Delete
  21. Good morning all - I have a rough draft, which is a lot more than I usually have this time of the day/week, so feeling grateful for that, although my topic (sexuality = good) is making me very nervous for some reason.

    I come from the Land of 10,000,000 Lutherans, so did not have a negative (or really any) memories of St. Patrick's Day as a child. But, married into a big Catholic family who love it, so luckily I can take the fun parts without the bad associations. Did not think of green milk, though, she rev. Will have to look and see if I have any food coloring...

    Thanks for the gummy worm idea, Martha! Just might do that as I'm children's time-less...

    Did not sleep a WINK last night and when I did it was to have terrible dreams, so am up earlier than I'd like. Have to send a couple of work-related emails, then I'm going to try and get exercise out of the way before the rest of the family is up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The green milk looks and awful lot like a grasshopper drink, just so you know. If that's something you enjoy it might make you want one. Or maybe that is just me.

      Delete
  22. Good morning, y'all. Sounds like all of you have been busy, busy!

    kzj, prayers for you!

    SheRev, I hope you feel better!

    I'm not preaching tomorrow - the hubs is up and is preaching on Ephesians - but I've enjoyed preaching the snakes in the past. I've been leading a daily prayer and conversation group on Facebook and offer reflections based on some of the lectionary passages. Been dwelling in the Psalm and in Ephesians this week, both of which I love.

    My big thing today is that I *have* to work on taxes. MUST do it. Have tried to make myself do it for the last several days and just could not get on it. But I need to get all my stuff mailed into our CPA and I am getting close to the deadline. UGH. I hate dealing with financials.

    I also promised a certain kiddo that I would help put together the Lego Harry Potter set he got for Christmas (yeah, we've had it for almost 3 months and I feel like a terrible mom).

    Also preparing for various teaching responsibilities tomorrow as well as trying to find a way for our church to help out with the tornado clean-up in Dexter (the town next to Ann Arbor).

    So I expect I'll be partying with y'all off and on today, even though I'm not preaching.

    Oh! And I'm serving green eggs and ham tonight. And happy to share!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Believe it or not (I'm still scratching my head - I usually avoid this passage like the plague), I'm going with John 3:16.

    While I'm not using it, I did find this story. It might work for anyone who likes to find a place in the sermon/service for a chuckle. It isn't credited, except that the site I found it on said the story had originally been on the Desperate Preacher site:

    (I played with the wording slightly)

    There is a story of a family that decided they wanted a family pet. They decided on a dog, but it had to be a Christian dog. So they searched until they found a dog at a local rescue shelter. The woman at the shelter said, “This is a very special dog. He does amazing tricks.....watch this one.”

    She brought the dog next to her and said “Go on, fetch!” The dog ran into the woman’s office and brought back a bible. Then they all watched in amazement as the dog flipped the pages and turned to John 3:16. Well, the family was delighted, so they took the dog home and he quickly became a member of their family.

    One day, the neighbours were over and one of the children said, “Hey, look what our dog can do!” The young boy called the dog over and said, “Go on, fetch!” Once again the dog went into the office of the house and brought back the bible, turning the pages and stopping at John 3:16, placing his paw exactly at that verse.

    The neighbour asked, “Sure, but does the dog do any normal dog tricks?”The family looked nervously at each other, then the boy called to the dog and said, “Go on, heel!” The dog then sat on the boy’s lap, put its paws on the boy’s forehead and began praying.

    Clearly I still have some work to do. :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Wednesday afternooon we got a call asking if I could do a wedding today (bride is military and due to be shipped out shortly). SO I agreed and asked if they could come byt the church Thursday morning. Around noon Thurday bride phoned and said they'd be there about 2. At 2 she phoned and said the groom was stuck at work and could they come Friday after 3:30. I had parent dutiies then and so we agreed they would come at 11:30 today, their witnesses would join us at noon, which ws the time suggested in the original call for the service. So that is may morning. And since I have a place to be this afternoon they had better be on time.

    Sermon tomorrow is on prayer. Part of it will be on the fact that prayer is a ministry we can all take on. PArt of it willl refer to the fact that prayer is how we recharge our batteries.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I tried to tackle prayer last week from the angle of prayer being open to God, in communion with God - - it being less about the words we string together and more about aligning our lives with God's will and vision so that the prayer "Thy will be done" takes place in us and through us. I liked my idea, but I think my execution was less than desirable. Sort of my feeling of all of Lent this year. Sigh.

      Delete
  25. Practicing Gratitude as part of our Lenten spiritual practices series, and touching on all the texts. Snake on a stake: we have to confront that which we fear in order to find the place of gratitude. Kathrynzj, that, like virtually everything else I do and say, whether anyone knows it or not, is tinged with my son's suicide 3.5 years ago. Email me if I can be of any help to you or that crushed family.

    I'm afraid that what I have to offer are chocolate croissants from the bakery!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Robin do not be at all afraid that what you have to offer are chocolate croissants. That trumps any silly green thing!

      Delete
    2. one NEVER has to be afraid to offer chocolate....

      Delete
    3. Thank you, Robin. My heart breaks for their wound that as you know, will never fully heal. Right now the community is rallying - offers of meals abound - but I always worry about three months from now and then six and then so on...

      Delete
    4. Yes, I always suggest to people to note something on the calendar for months and years from now, so they can show up or send a note or flowers. Almost no one does anything like that, but we never forget.

      Delete
  26. I'm still loving the dog joke. I caught my husband's cold. I managed to get a draft of the sermon done yesterday and haven't returned to it yet. I am very thankful that it is not NEXT weekend when we have a full day of things planned at church.

    Also I am off lectionary (back to Epi3B) using Jonah because a member wrote a play and we wanted to use it. I really struggled with a message but am trusting the HS to move through it - somehow, even if I'm too thick to see it.

    ReplyDelete
  27. My refresh rate seems to be about 2 hours behind. how crazy is this?

    Robin, I often think of an old friend who also lost her son when I hear of suicide. I'm sure your experience offers help to many others. I try to tell people that the disease 'took them' whether depression or labeled otherwise.

    My cold is not weakening but I am. Editing is silly because I'm not sure I"m making any sense. Soon to nap...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's also true that Blogger comments are set on Pacific time, not by our wish but because of some screw-up on their end. So you have to translate the math.

      Delete
  28. I am starting to get frustrated and feel taken advantage of. The couple who did not show up on Thursday and so were going to arrive at 11:30 before a noon wedding are still not here and it is noon. I have NO information about them. So now, how much longer do I wait for them to arrive?????

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Their crisis (deployment soon) is not your crisis. You have been more than flexible. I would leave 10 minutes ago.

      Delete
  29. Gord, I agree with Marci. Is there any chance they're running a scam?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I phoned them. WAs told the bride (who is USan and is the one in the military) was having trouble geting paperwork together. I said I had to be somewhere by 1 (only pushing the truth a touch) and re-iterated I was not available for the rest of the day. We'll see if they call back next week....

      Still, doesn't general politeness mean that if you know you will not be able to make an appointment you phone and let people know?????????

      I may have a conveniently full schedule for the next few days (actually I already do with an engagement every evening and two meetings next Saturday AM)

      Delete
    2. I would do the same Gord. Here, they could just as easily have a judge marry them...and it would be done as well. Seems there are other options (at least for your southern neighbors).

      Delete
  30. I'm back after staying at church longer than scheduled and then taking time to hang out with my son. I'm mindful that not all mothers have their children today and want him to know how glad I am he is home. Or maybe I want to remind me about it.

    What's in my Word Doc is a good idea, but not much else. So it's time to think and write and hope something appears in print eventually.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Wonderful to read all your offerings. This is a great community. Prayers Kathrynzj. My heart goes out to that family. And how I wish I'd thought of gummy snakes before the shops all shut. I will remember for next year!

    Goodnight from me to you all. Enjoy the rest of your "green" day!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Mercy, y'all. I am apparently so intent on avoiding working on taxes that I am actually tackling a major decluttering of my kids' room. Apparently I am more willing to deal with the emotional freight of parting with toys from toddlerhood than with the anxiety of looking at my financial numbers.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I am riffing on St. Patrick's day for children's time. I am not sharing the legend that St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland...but that he shared the love of God with people and he used the shamrock to do that. The three leaves of the Shamrock stood for the Trinity. I have the part of St. Patrick's prayer that is "Christ beside me, in front of me...etc" and also a large cardboard shamrock which will soon have silver lettering on it. God on one petal, Jesus on another, and the Spirit on the third.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds great. I don't have the children's sermon tomorrow so I can only guess what will be done with it.

      Delete
  34. Sermon rough draft done. Now to get ready for the progressive supper. I felt rushed to finish the sermon before the evening activities but here it is:

    For God So Loved the World.

    I'll be back later to do prayers, children's sermon etc.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Hey all! I have made a bumpy roll through the comments, trying to scroll through them via my laptop is ridiculous....anyway, I've picked up on some tough stuff (Gord, kzj) and some funny stuff - gummy worms/snakes....is hilarious...and some illness.

    I spent last night and today attending three presentations by Marcus Borg and then a fourth one offered to clergy over lunch. It's been a filling weekend. Now, I have to go read that sermon draft I wrote yesterday morning and see what I think of it. It is really 4:10pm Eastern time? crap....(can I say that?)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can say that. You just dd. I'm pretty certain that draft from yesterday is pretty darn good!

      Delete
  36. I so wish it was 1:08 pm. Alas I live Eastern time.

    ReplyDelete
  37. I am again amazed at the wonderful diversity and creativity in this group. Off to lead worship. I'll check in when I return, and get to look at some of your offerings.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Well, the same kiddo that wanted to go to the zoo today ended up throwing up twice this afternoon. I guess she got the tummy bug I had yesterday, only worse. It's a good thing her little brother and sister are perfectly happy just playing outside today. They did most of the morning and are doing so now. I just woke up from a semi-intentional nap, so now I need to go help my husband with all that is happening upstairs.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Oh, ick! Sorry you have a sick one.
    I remembered to get to the candy store before it closed, and I have the gummy worms. I think I'll use them as a symbol for something icky, then let the kids have them *after* church, at coffee hour. Which they may or may not find reasonable. But I will find it that way.

    ReplyDelete
  40. So, sermon is posted. Still contemplating last paragraph, and thus the title When Believe is Really Belove

    a few things to tend too, then I'll be around to read your offerings!

    ReplyDelete
  41. Oh geez, my husband made corned beef and cabbage. Let the grumbling, mine and the children's, begin. Lord, have mercy.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Sermon is completed. I was going to post it but blogger will not let me cut/paste into the compose version and if I use html (both plain and plain text it is long, long, long paragraph.

    Snakes, healing, and Diana Butler Bass...all in one.

    ReplyDelete
  43. My sermon has gone its own direction, which we'll say is a Spirit thing. Still need to do some editing to get rid of extraneous bits, but is turning into a claim about higher powers--what do we look up to? How does our faith proclaim our allegiance to a higher power? (Ephesians) And a quick reference to John and the lifting up of Jesus.

    But the family will all be watching NCAA bball tonight, so trying to get it done before New Mexico plays. And praying for the 23 soccer player who collapsed in the Tottenham/Bolton game today. Lifting up (get it?) people to the Light who are needing healing, comfort, and peace.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Sorry, that was "23 year old"

    ReplyDelete
  45. Weird, if I used CTL-V instead of right-click to paste...it worked.

    At any rate here is "Snakes, God???"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Blogger is being so weird lately. Thanks for posting. I'll be going around soon to read.

      Delete
  46. Here's mine: After Dark. Wish I had a better sense of whether it's good or not. Last week's got a great response; it's always hard to come back from that.

    ReplyDelete
  47. purple, blogger is so weird. Several weeks in a row the Sunday prayer, which looks like it is in prayer/oem form when I set the schedule time for posting, but when it actually posts its one long paragraph. Very annoying. That, and many other issues since they upgraded the format. sigh. You have a good sermon, so glad you could get it posted.

    ReplyDelete
  48. I've gone back to using the old Blogger dashboard sometimes, because you can't find some of the tools readily enough in the new version. New and Not Improved!
    We had printer issues, but my papers for tomorrow are printed. Blessings to all who are out there preaching. I'm thinking I will read sermons, but I may also conk out. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Silly me. I never even thought about going back on my own. Cutting and pasting sermons has been a pain in the butt since the changes. The formatting totally messes up.

      Delete
  49. Back.
    Seriously long day.
    I have the sermon to read over and tomorrow's line up of activities to get lined up in my head. I'm giving myself a 10:30 curfew.

    Also I want gummy worms.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Done.
    Thanks again everyone for all of your support today. We are looking at a HUGE funeral either Friday or Monday (23 or 26).

    Good night.

    ReplyDelete
  51. After a night of eating and writing I am tired. Good night all and blessings to all the night owls as you continue to write.

    ReplyDelete
  52. OK. Time to continue with the late night crew. I'm in! I haven't typed anything yet, but I've got a decent idea of where I'm going. I'm planning to keep it pretty short so we can start our annual meeting maybe a little earlier than the usual end of worship. I don't want to cut into education time and our organist has a plane to catch!

    ReplyDelete
  53. The stuff for the morning is finished. I'm sitting here watching previously recorded tv. My brackets are blown so I don't care about basketball anymore. I'm choosing to work on an afghan that is almost finished while I do that.

    kzj- long day is such an understatement. be good to yourself

    ReplyDelete
  54. Hello friends, just dropping in with a virtual pot of tea for the late night crew. I had a spark of inspiration last night and wrote 98% of the sermon then...just now finished some tweaking of the conclusion, and figured out the children's sermon.

    Off to print things out and then have some of that tea and maybe do some knitting to wind down tonight. I'm in a funk (even though Messy Church went well) and feeling kind of grinchy. Hoping knitting will help.

    Blessings on all sermonating and sermonizing yet to come tonight!

    ReplyDelete
  55. Wow. We hit 100 already. Had to work late at "the toy store." And now to finish a sermon.
    So tired...would love to be sleeping in, but that ain't gonna happen.
    Anybody got a brilliant idea on a sermon?

    ReplyDelete
  56. I think it's easier to hit high numbers because of the "reply" feature. Instead of doing one long post to comment on everyone's stuff, I, at least, tend to leave lots of little comments on people's specific posts.

    semfem - - Knitting always helps. I'm sure of it.

    ReplyDelete
  57. I wish I was preaching on snakes or John 3:16 - but we're still in this sermon series on fear and this week is 'fear of death'. Great topic for small group discussion, tough sermon to write. Snakes would be much easier.

    Still, I'm done as much as I'm going to be and "Death, Where Is Thy Victory?" is blogged and wending it's way thru cyberspace to my kindle.

    Spent the day in The City - at the mall no less - with DH and DS. Nothing like 8 months of small town living to make you appreciate the joys of the mall - even when it's overrun with high school basketball final participants! Even crowds are novel these days.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Semfem - with you in the grinchy dept and not sure why, as I had a pretty great day, all things considered.

    FOR SURE not in the mood to look at my sermon again, but my son just cam thru and asked if I was "playing bubble witch saga AGAIN" so I guess I better stop goofing around and get down to it.

    Im not going a snake direction, so passing out gummy worm snakes might seem kind of weird (although it is candy! who will complain??) , but I like that shamrock idea...maybe I'll try that. I think I have some big green paper at the church and I could put it together in the morning.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've done the shamrock thing in a different way. I at about the trinity, drawing a circle for each of the three entities....overlapping in a classic trinity design. I then add a stem to it and ask if it looks familiar...go from there. It's cool to watch them make the connection.

      Delete
  59. Hey ladies! I'm actually done for the night, but I have a question...I recently got an iPad, and wrote my sermon on it....I'm trying to post to my blogger blog from it, but my beautifully formatted sermon comes out in one big block of text when I paste it there....any ideas?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I heard if you start a document on your computer, then work on it from your iPad, it goes better.

      Delete
    2. Agreed. No good advice here. It's gotten even weirder between blogger and iPad more recently than it was when I got here. The best advice I have is to try adding a space between every paragraph when you type. That used to help. Not too sure if it does anymore since I haven't used it in a while. There is a blogger app for the iPhone (which can be used on the iPad). It doesn't let you do as much with your formatting (like you can't choose where a picture is placed), but it exists. I don't know if it would help with that issue or not.

      Delete
  60. Pulling it out of the oven and called it done.
    Off to bed for now

    ReplyDelete
  61. uff da - trying to do WAYYYY TOOO MUCH in this sermon. Will have to cut back in the am but for now I must sleep on it awhile. gonna be a short night, though, i think...

    ReplyDelete
  62. Everyone gone to bed? Ok, turning out the lights and tiptoeing out - sleep well ya'll. See you in the morning!

    ReplyDelete
  63. Thanks Juniper for getting the lights. I forgot to come back and say goodnight. However, I just turned the lights back on. Time to get this one written for real. Last. sermon. before. vacation. Can you tell? I can.

    ReplyDelete

You don't want to comment here; instead, come visit our new blog, revgalblogpals.org. We'll see you there!

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.