Greetings, Preachers!
I wonder if King David's mother had more than a hand-full with young child David?
I wonder what happened to the leftovers at Jesus' great picnic?
I wonder why we would ever say "no, thank you" (or "enough, already!) to the bread of life?
"More than enough" -- blessing or burden?
Welcome to today's Preacher Party!
Let's pile up the table snacks and goodies. Leftovers are welcome!
Help yourselves to the never-depleted coffee pot and iced tea pitcher.
Share your thoughts and struggles -- preaching related or not.
Share your thoughts and struggles -- preaching related or not.
Take an extra helping of encouragement and ideas.
May you be filled with good things and abundant blessings!
And give thanks!
Whatever you've got, in Christ Jesus, it's going to be more than enough!
Coffee's on!
ReplyDeleteHow is everyone today?
Where is everyone today? Up late watching the Olympics? Sleeping in after a long week?
Going to find some breakfast . . .
A full week-end of partying ahead - 80th anniversary of our merged Methodist and Presbyterian congregations via the literal merger of the two storm-damaged buildings. I'm using the prayer for the church in Ephesians and trying to balance celebration and enjoyment of the building with the recognition that it's not here as a monument or a museum but as a springboard for carrying the indwelling Christ into the world.
ReplyDeleteWe'll see. I have a long drive in which to think about it. And first a peer supervision meeting of spiritual directors.
Cream cheese croissants for all!
. . . "springboard for carrying the indwelling Christ into the world." I know I'm not the only one who would like to quote you on this!
DeleteCream cheese croissants -- YUM!
Yes. and, yes.
DeleteOh - that was me! Yesterday I had to get into my Gannet Girl blogs, and I guess I never signed out. Quote away if you want. I hope I remember to quote myself!
Deletehowdy preachers and pals! Sure is quiet here! And I am actually preaching tomorrow, which I haven't done since about April...
ReplyDeleteTomorrow's sermon is required by our Board of Ordained Ministry to be on the topic of the Priesthood of All Believers with 1 Peter 2:4-10 as the text. Thankfully I like this text, but it has been a long week of slogging to get the sermon done. Last week I was on a missions trip to New Orleans with 70 youth, adults and young adults from our church. It has taken me a full week to recover from the lack of sleep, lack of quiet time, extreme heat and extreme driving (7 15-passenger vans!). It was a great trip, and I need to reflect on it in this sermon for the congregation but just enough, not too much. Anyway.
On today's docket - driving across town to say farewell to a colleague who is moving to Austin TX (from small city Ohio), sermonizing, entertaining my three girls and getting them to pack for our trip to Michigan (we leave right after services tomorrow). Should be a good day.
Wishing all of you the same. I'd be happy to share some of my homemade hot cocoa with you on the porch, here!
That sounds like a fun trip!
DeleteHot cocoa on the porch sounds just right. Thanks, MumPastor.
Trip to Michigan??? If you're coming through Dearborn let me know....
DeleteWhat a week you've had! Grace to you in the sermon, and a wonderful vacation to all of you!
DeleteWho's coming to Austin? That's pretty close to us--feel free to point her/him in my direction: texasesperanza at hotmail dot com
DeleteThanks Robin! Terri, we are headed to Whitmore Lake (north of Ann Arbor) tomorrow, and then Boyne City for the rest of the week. I know the Dearborn area though - maybe I'll see you up there sometime! Esperanza, my friend will be the new associate at St. David's in Austin - she's great! I'll be happy to give her your email.
DeleteBack to work feeling much more stressed for no good reason than it's getting closer. bleah.
Small world - I know that person moving to Austin also - cannot wait to have her back in Texas!
DeleteWorking on my "Lament for the Temple of Our Ancestors: A Christian Observance of TIsha B'Av." And I'm totally geeked out that the new Mountain Lion OS for Macintosh lets me dictate my sermon instead of typing it! And for those of you preaching about David's mother, I love that the rabbis give her a name in the (Babylonian) Talmud, Baba Bathra 91a, Nizbeth bat Adael. Happy preaching!
ReplyDeleteWil, at first I wasn't sure how "geeked out" and "Mountain Lion" were going to get together in that sentence! And I'm a MacBook Rev myself. But I think I have Snow Leopard . . . or something. I'll have to check it out!
DeleteHappy preaching to you, too!
Ok - I'm jealous. I want to dictate my sermon too! I may have to rethink my disdain for Apple.
DeleteThe irony is that everyone I know who bought Dragon Dictation for a whole lot of money hates it. This was a $20 upgrade and I love it. And PS: I just dictated this reply.
DeleteWOW, I may have to upgrade my MacBook--I think it may be too old for Mountain Lion. That sounds awesome.
DeleteMountain Lion devoured my SIL's hard drive this last week, so I'm feeling rather wary about it! Pretty darn cool to be able to get those words down right as they come from your mouth, though.
DeleteI had one piece of software that wouldn't work, it needed to be updated and the company put it out the next day. Other than that, I had no problems. It's doing a good job recognizing my voice and it knows some biblical terms like Nebuchadnezzar. (however in that last sentence it substituted "times" for "terms.")
DeleteWil, considering that my 4 year old crappy PC died a couple of weeks ago, just before my presentation at GC - and now the even older and more crappy back-up PC just died (thankfully I emailed my just completed sermon to my self first) - I am seriously leaning toward the purchase of a MAC airbook.
DeleteTerri, I *love* my MacBook Air. And do get AppleCare, it is the best insurance, extended warranty, technical support for the price out there.
DeleteThanks, Wil!
DeleteWeighing in kind of late, but thanks for the tip on the dictation feature, Wil! I just got that upgrade today and had not discovered that yet, but it will be great, I can tell already!
DeleteI've been fighting fatigue all week, a result of travelling to New Orleans with our youth for our national gathering. I just can't seem to get my 'umph' back. It doesn't help that I fell while I was there and now the knee that had just started to recover from a previous injury last December is once again screaming at me. I did get in to the chiropractor, and the adjustment helped some, but I don't see my doctor till Monday.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm also processing the problems on the trip. It became very apparent that I have no credibility with our youth leaders. I had suspected that they were reluctant to work with me, but now I know for sure. And I am personally appalled that they let the kids run wild in New Orleans - as a mother, if I knew what the low level of supervision was, I would have never let my son go. I have to talk to my councils about it, but I'm not sure where to start.
So I'm low today and not ready to write at all. I'd really like to just show one of the speakers from the gathering, but I did that after our synod assembly - I'm afraid the congregation will think I'm just phoning it in. And I'm not sure how much of the trip to talk about anyway - the kids will do a presentation, but not until fall.
I find that on days like this, if I go back for another hour of rest before I get up, it helps.
DeleteAh, Ramona, I think Muthah+ is right. Just go back to bed and start the day over.
DeleteOh Ramona, your week sounds awful on so many levels. A little more rest will surely help. And any sermon that moves you away from the emotion connected to this week will probably help too - although I suspect you can do a "teaser" that points toward the youth presentation in the fall?
DeletePrayers for you Ramona. That sounds like a lot.
DeleteGrrrr. I wrote a good chunk of sermon earli in the week and apparently neglected to email it to myself at home from my work computer. It isn't a tragedy, but it means a trip into the office when I didn't plan on it. Other than that and a run, today just has a few errands and, I hope, plenty of Olympic watching. It has been a very hard week--challenges at home and a night spent with a parish member as his wife died--and I really need to veg out.
ReplyDeleteThe tomatoes are practically falling off the vine, big meaty ones and smaller sweet ones. Come by and grab a few!
Oh my Betsy...sounds as if you really needs some rest, too. My tomatoes are not as good this year, so far, as last - too much heat...anyway, I hope you find a little reprieve and some small renewal in a day of simple (?) sermon writing and Olympic watching.
DeleteBetsy... hope you have a chance to veg and get some must needed rest.
Deletegood morning! getting ready for company to come and celebrate my mother in law's 90th birthday this weekend. coming down off a wedding yesterday and a funeral the day before, so I have my sermon (sort of) written. Not the best I've ever done, but I don't think it's the worst either. about loaves and fishes and the little clown car....
ReplyDeletenext week we welcome new senior pastor, so a new era will begin.
@Betsy, I only have one green tomato :(.
could still use a children's message.
Wow Diane, new Sr Pastor - I hope that transition goes well...
DeleteIf your preaching John, I saw a sermon idea on a facebook group - a table grace for each week of John's bread series. If I had children to do a sermon for, I think I would use that. Maybe bring a different kind of bread to share each week...
DeleteI saw that one too, ramona...definitely using that for my children's sermons for the rest of the summer! What a great idea.
DeleteWhat facebook group was this? An open one I hope. Sounds like a great idea.
DeleteELCA clergy, but there are some non-ELCA also. Lots of shop talk. You have to be invited, but if you're interested, I'd be happy to invite.
DeleteNot preaching this week, TBTG. I am almost finished with my New Comers' class--20 new folk during July??!! and will finish the book study on the 3rd. Then I am psyched for a vacation. Today I just wait for the movers to come, move all the furniture from J's room, the closets and halls and then put in new carpet. Thank God I am NOT preaching tonight.
ReplyDeleteHey there, Muthah+! What a blessing to have so many new folk!
DeleteIt's almost 9:30 here, and I have no idea where I'm going with the sermon. First I turn to "rooted and grounded in love" and then I turn to Elisha and then I think about the cold cucumber gazpacho I want to make and I get stuck.
ReplyDeleteYum-o on the gazpacho! I hope it can find a way into your day, RevAlli. And maybe there's a connection holding all three? Possibly?
DeleteSpent the last week at our all ages gathering. Wonderful time. Not much sleep. Blessed to meet up with some revgals. I have a sermon title, more than we can ask or imagine, and nothing else... for now drinking coffee and catching up with my best guy. At some point he is making his most excellent french toast
ReplyDeleteCeleste, a title is a good start, as is french toast made by the best guy! Enjoy!
DeleteCeleste, it was fun putting names and faces together with several RevGals. Glad to be home and not preaching tomorrow.
DeleteI'm with you, Purple! Gat week, great meet-ups. Icing on top is being home and not preaching. :)
DeleteWaving to Purple and SheRev! Thanks for helping make ur such a special time. Sermon came together pretty painlessly. In honor of synod school I am singing All are welcome in my sermon.
DeleteI really want to talk about the youth gathering we just attended. The kids won't be doing their presentation until sometime in the fall (they can't get together until then to work on it).
ReplyDeleteIs it stealing the kids thunder to talk about the gathering from a pastor's point of view?
Since they won't be talking about it for quite a few weeks, I don't think so. Also, they will come at it from a youth perspective and yours will be different. Go for it!
DeleteI agree with Betsy. In the case of my church, it will be a whole different crowd in the fall, too.
DeleteMine done. As with Celeste, God gives us more than we can ask or imagine. So much to say on this miracle and it's quite frustrating to have to limit it to one theme!
ReplyDeleteSouth African traditional milk tart for anyone? It's really yummy!
YUM!
DeleteWhat Terri said!
DeleteI miss South African Melk Tert! It is not the same when I try to make it in Scotland!
DeleteI"m trying to do the sermon. I've been in bed all week following foot surgery and on crutches tomorrow, but I'd much rather take a pain pill than write the sermon...I decided to do a message on Sabbath instead of the lectionary. (Altho the Ephesians is my favorite verse.) I figured I could speak to enforced sabbath after conference, vacation, and surgery. I think the children's message is better than the sermon (Camp FOB time "Flat On Back") perhaps I will just keep the sermon short. I'm kinda following DAvid Lose's suggestion from a few weeks ago. We shall see how my foot holds up tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI borrowed David ?ose's idea last week about the index cards, and it went over really well with our congregation; you might consider including that, which also will shorten what you need to write!
DeleteTake good care, Nancy!
DeleteNancy, hope the recovvery goes well.
ReplyDeleteMy sermon is done but not ready - still need to format it for preaching and send it to my iPad. Alas, my computer died - the second old crummy PC to die in three weeks. At least I did emal the sermon draft to myself so I can work on it at the office...where I will be going shortly to officiate a wedding at 4pm.
Good to have back-up technology, isn't it?
DeleteI have been using my Kindle for preaching for several months and I love it!
Sorry to have been away so long. It was supposed to be a quick trip to the grocery store and post office and it turned into a Master Class on Murphy's Law.
ReplyDeleteThanks for keeping the fun going!
I decided earlier in the week when I had to prepare the order of service that I would preach on Ephesians rather than the Gospel. I am focussing on strength from God for my congregation (and me) as they have been through rather a lot of issues and illnesses and deaths in the last few months and are tired! I have a good illustration but not much else just now.
ReplyDeleteFor the children's talk I am going to talk about weightlifting and make (I hope) a big pole with fake weights on the ends and talk about God 'spotting' us - being there to help if we need it but letting us use our own strength when we can do it - always knowing God is there for us. I hope it will make a bit more sense when I write it all out!
A good illustration to go with your good idea, Tanya, and that sounds like more than enough to craft a sermon around. And I absolutely love your children's talk! What a great way to illustrate how God being there still requires our own work, as well as trust in God.
DeleteGood idea!
DeleteA hot day here, so I just made a chocolate smoothie for lunch. The secret ingredients are a bunch of kale and a scoop of wheat grass, so it's healthy and delicious! Help yourselves to that and some fresh strawberries.
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon preachers. Inadvertantly it seems like I took the morning off...got up later than a work day, ran, took my time cooling off and eating, procrastinated on FB and elsewhere, took a shower...and it's suddenly almost 2pm and I haven't even opened a document to start writing yet.
ReplyDeleteI do have a sense of where I'm going, however (tho I always use those words with caution when I have nothing written!). FotW's commentary on 2 Kings made an interesting tie-in between abundance, hospitality and stewardship, and that works with the gospel, too, so I want to work with that.
But first I need lunch....running makes me hungry! I wish I had some of those tomatoes y'all are talking about to make some gazpacho--sounds delicious about now, but I'm going to have to settle for what ever is in my fridge at the moment.
Back later...
PS--Terri, I know I'm going to have to get a new laptop in the next year (my macbook is 6 years old) and I've been debating btwn the MacBook pro and the Air. ,,, or maybe trying just to have an iPad? I'll be interested in your decision.
Hi RDM! Nice to see you today!
DeleteIsn't it funny that our computers are old at 6 years? When you said that, I realize that mine is about 5 years old and it seems like just yesterday.
I, too, am interested in the laptop / iPad decision. One . . . or both?
Happy sermon Saturday RevGals! I am WAY TOO distracted by the Olympics today. Good distraction, though.
ReplyDeleteI found the John passage provides "more than enough" on which to preach. Now i need to narrow it down to just one central thought.
Blessings on each of you as you prepare and preach.
RevKel is in the house! And also in London, too. HIghlights? I saw on Facebook something about the queen appearing to parachute from a helicopter?!
DeleteKeep us posted on your progress with the John text. It is very rich with possibilities, all right, and I would love to hear how you pick and choose.
Checking in with not a word on the screen. The girls and I spent yesterday at our local youth rodeo, which was lots of fun, but not conducive to sermon writing. My introvert self is still recuperating, I think. A small garbage disposal plumbing disaster, internet weirdnesses, and a glass of milk on my laptop (two of the three were my fault) have rounded out the morning. So far, the laptop is ok, except for the trackpad. An external mouse is working around that problem, but has done nothing to fix the sink.
ReplyDeletePreaching David and Bathsheba. Someone had an idea on Tuesday that I liked--to make the sermon an extended prayer. So maybe it will be a combination of a first person sermon in a prayer form. Hmm. Off to stare at the blinking cursor.
Sounds like you have had a few challenges, esperanza. So glad your laptop is OK. I hate when that happens!
DeleteOoooh, I like your sermon idea. "Dear God, it's me, David . . ." What would he pray?
Blessings on you and your blinking cursor.
Tanya,the milk tart was indeed yum. Will save you some! Perhaps Scottish cows just don't produce the right flavour of milk for milk tart!
ReplyDeleteI'm off to bed now. Happy writing to all of you. I have an ordinand from Yorkshire with me for 6 weeks so he will do some preaching, which will be great for me.
Good night all!
it's summer, hot, dry, windy summer and my mo-jo is on vacation. seriously.
ReplyDeletei have never procrastinated so much on a sermon.
i found the olympic opening ceremony to be a confusing hodge-podge sort of like the gospel of John... parts are recognizable but put where I don't normally place them. yes indeed addressing both in the sermon... which looks to be on the short side. and that's how it is.
Nice connection, HCL! And I've heard that there are people in our congregations who appreciate sermons that are on the short side. May it be so for you and yours!
DeleteThanks all for the healing wishes. I think I'm having vacation withdrawal too. But I have a sermon that I'd like to cut down. But I still like my words. What do you do when you have to cut? Do you find it helps to 'walk' away for a while? (as in watch the Olympics....)
ReplyDeleteRe: computers, I got an old G-5 b/c I didn't want to spend 1500-2000 on a new macbook pro. I really think the ipad is the way of the future, but don't skimp on memory. Most of my 16 G is taken up by apps and there are always new and interesting ones out there.
Thanks for the advice on iPad memory. I was wondering how much is enough -- or too much -- on that. Do you have (use?) a keyboard with your iPad? Or is that a silly question? Oh well, I'll risk it because I know you will be kind.
DeleteI don't like to cut when I like my words. And I mostly always like them a lot! But I do find that most sermons of mine end up with more on the cutting floor than get preached. I confess that I keep the leftovers, just in case I might need them in three years . . . or six . . .
Think I've settled on Ephesians. Looked back on the sermon I preached 3 years ago. A different time. A different place. A different me. (It was the Sunday after I learned that a group of people, including Vestry members, were meeting secretly about me.) It was a good sermon, but not one I would ever use again or build on. Then again, maybe I am building on that moment. This morning's newspaper included an above-the-fold article about a "Christian" school that had turned away a child because his parents were gay. I'm thinking of a "That Ain't Christian" sermon that rounds around to rooted and grounded in love and living in the fullness of Christ.
ReplyDeleteCare to join me in looking for other "That Ain't Christian" moments/examples?
I love it!
DeleteI would be tempted to get political about the U.S. declaring itself to be a "Christian" nation but the people who say that the loudest are those who are oblivious to, or helping to make worse, the widening gap between rich and poor. And so forth . . . !
Thanks, Sharon. Ron Paul's budget makes a good target Never really done as confrontational a sermon. This is a frightening place for me to be. I'm beginning with "Sometimes I want to scream, "That's not Christian." Sets a certain tone a far cry from my usual Garrison Keillorish tone. Scarry.
DeleteI've got the bulletin done, the newsletter and calendar done, the worship and sermon for the nursing home done, and I'm out of things to procrastinate with and still be productive. And there's a war going on between my unwillingness to write my sermon with my desire to have it done before we go to my spouse's company picnic in two hours.
ReplyDeleteVacation - 12 days and counting...
wishing my procrastination was as productive as ramona's....
DeleteShe most definitely has set the bar high!
DeleteSorry - I didn't mean to sound like I'm bragging. One of the ways I procrastinate is to do some of the easier tasks, hoping it will motivate me. I also procrastinate by napping, reading and spending too much time on facebook and this group!
DeleteI think we can all relate to that, Ramona!
DeleteI'm back after a fabulous week-long conference on preaching, which means I have a bunch of good ideas for this Sunday's sermon but not a word actually written!
ReplyDeleteMostly today I have been puttering in the office, trying to catch up on phone calls and emails before leaving again Monday. However, there is a graduation party to attend shortly, so I've got to either figure out what I'm doing or postpone that until after the party.
Preaching on John and the bread of life, but also doing a Bible study on David and Bathsheba (not something I usually do on a Sunday), so need to get multiple sets of ducks in a row. Back to the documents...
I've gone from no words to too many words and I'm not done yet. This is NOT a problem I usually have. It's also the first time I've skipped ahead and written the ending before finishing the middle, so it will be interesting to see how it finally turns out.
ReplyDeleteRe the "how much technology and what kind?" question, I have an iPad which I use a lot - I preach from it, I have lots of ebooks, I take notes on it in meetings, I use it for entertainment. But I still write my sermons on my laptop. And I'm not sure that an iPad would fill ALL my needs. But maybe it would...I was advised that a MacBook Pro was a better choice than the air for people who already use iPads for on the go. I would love one of the new Pros with solid state memory and retina display but they are EXPENSIVE. As long as my current MacBook holds on I can delay making a decision.
There are the refurbished Macs with full factory warrantees on their sales page. Usually a year or two our of date anywhere 15-30% off, sometimes more.
DeleteI have a very rough draft, but I need to set it aside to get ready for the picnic.
ReplyDeleteGathering Holy Leftovers needs more work, but any comments would be appreciated. It's unabashedly a celebration of our youth gathering and denomination, but I think sometimes it's ok to toot our own horn, to celebrate how God works through us and wonder how God will continue to use us. I may not be quite there yet in the sermon.
I just noticed some font color problems. Hopefully I can fix them when I do my edit.
DeleteGoing to call this one done. I may get a chance to come back to it tonight, but maybe not. We have two different sets of visitors coming tomorrow, and we're leaving on an anniversary trip on Tuesday. This is a momentous occasion for us, as we are not very good about celebrating. Trying to get all the logistics worked out, but very much looking forward to time away.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your anniversary and also on celebrating the occasion!
DeleteIf you use your electronic device a lot for visual presentations--in my case, Keynote--the laptop makes it easier. I have both a MacBook Pro (6 years old) and an iPad (1 year old), and aside from the fact that they don't play nicely together because of the difference in age, I find the laptop way easier to use for Keynote presentations, or at least for creating them. Also, I have no word processor on my iPad, so I'm writing in Notes and then have to go to Word on my laptop for formatting, word counts, etc. I have gotten pretty good with the touchscreen keyboard on the iPad but it would be hard for long stretches. If Imhad to choose between the too as an all around work tool, I'd give the edge to the laptop.
ReplyDeleteRight now it would be good if I just quit watching the Olympics and did some work on either one of them!
I have a first generation iPad so if I went the route of just that, I would update it (really want one with a camera!). I have Pages on my iPad, and I have written with that. If I used it enough I would become more fluent with it. Still not sure...
DeleteI'm with Betsy - I have (or rather, I had) a laptop and an iPad. I use my ipad for almost everything except writing sermons or presentations - i just prefer a better keyboard, screen, and processor for that kind of work...oh, and a laptop is better for up loading photos onto facebook and better for working on blogs - BUT all of my email, facebook status updates, blog comments, novel reading, book reading, and preaching are done with the iPad (I do email my sermon to myself as a PDF and open it in iBooks.)
DeleteTerri, when you open it to preach then is it like turning pages in a book (horizontal) versus scrolling down pages (vertical)?
DeletePurple, you can do it either way. I save my sermons as PDFs and open them in iBooks like Terri (or I could do it in my Kindle app) and then the pages turn like a book. If I just opened the PDF as a file from my email, it would scroll down, but I find that harder to keep track of where I am.
DeletePurple - what RevDrMom said. Except I have not tried to use my Kindle app, but I tend to enlarge the font (22pt), format the text so I can scoop up a few words or a sentence easily, save it as a PDF and use it in iBooks with the page vertical (that's the page up and down the long way, right? )....and turn the pages as if a book.
DeleteRev Alli, here is another one:
ReplyDeleteBlack couple denied wedding in predominantly white church they attend. Ack!
Ok. here it is...a labor of love, particularly with the technology challenges I am facing today, seriously. And you know one crummy old laptop was only 4 years old and had everyting replaced because I had an extended warrenty - seriously, a great computer for 2 years and then a piece of crap the last two.
ReplyDeleteAnyway,I digress....my sermon is up Tenderhearted, a very human struggle
and the couple is married. And now I have to figure out dinner and watch the Olympics...
Great tech discussion. I did get a keyboard for my iPad so I can input easily on it or my laptop. Just depends on where I am and what I'm doing. I wish I had at least 32G and cellular connection since the new plans are going to share data instead of requiring each device to have a connection.
ReplyDeleteI can do keynote presentation on either device, but it is easier to grab pictures from the internet and input on the laptop. The only issue I have with the iPad is saving to dropbox. I end up emailing to myself and saving in DB so I always have the current version. Once I open it in pages on the ipad, I have a new version and can't save it back to DB directly. Perhaps the next ioS will compensate for that. My Macbook won't upgrade to MtnLion because of its age. But if I upgrade to Lion, any pages/keynote docs would auto sync in the cloud.
I used to use iBooks but find the tap for page turning is annoying. I now preach from Pages. i find the keyboard only pops up occasionally and is easy to send back. It means I scroll which has advantages and disadvantages. I keep my worship doc in a different app (word based) b/c it is easier to switch between apps than Pages documents. I have learned to do almost everything in pages and if I lose the compatibility with my old word (2004) program when I upgrade the software, I probably won't replace Word. It's easy to convert with pages.
I hope that makes sense. I need to go back and cut more but am not ready to do that yet so am enjoying some reading time.
Another "That's Not Church" one:
ReplyDeletePennsylvania church, pastor charged in fake kidnapping
Thanks! You're on a roll! Our service doesn't start until 5 pm mountain time. You could catch a plane out to New Mexico and preach.
DeleteI wish I could be there to hear you!
DeleteGuess that means you won't be on a plane west tomorrow!
DeleteYou can hear it though. Well not really. But all of our sermons are recorded and go on line on Mondays. www.all-angels.com (St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, Albuquerque, NM)
I have a complete draft that is still a bit longer than it needs to be but not as long as it might have been! I'm going to let it sit for a bit and run to the store while there is a let-up in the rain that has been pouring down for the last few hours.
ReplyDeleteWe were supposed to have church on the lawn tomorrow followed by a picnic brunch, but the weather forecast now has a 60% chance of rain so I expect we will have to move everything inside. Bummed about that; having church outside last summer was really nice.
Even though I am a certified Mac goddess I have no interest in an iPad. I love my old school Kindle - I do read a lot outdoors, especially at the beach where an iPad is useless. It's smaller and lighter - important for hands with RA. I bought it because it was cheaper and never upgraded. I preach and teach from it. I do my Keynote shows (controlled with my iPhone) from my skinny-minny Air and sometimes present from it, but less and less. I don't need a bigger computer.
ReplyDeleteWil, no doubt the Kindle is better for reading. Even with the Kindle app the iPad is big(ish)...but so far I am resisting the urge to have multiple tablets/readers/ipad like computers. As this version of iPad ages I may decide it's worth my while to get the Kindle...especially since one can now preach from it. I love Mac's, always a bit too pricey for my budget...but I may just break down this next time and get one - Mac Pro or air? I think the conversation thread here has mostly leaned to MacPro
DeleteIt's really about price and preference. Unless you use big files like video editing, then you'd need the pro. But I do my professional life, writing, preaching and teaching on the Air and I have not exhausted my memory. (I opted for the max configuration. To save money I used the education discount and bought it in DE so no taxes. Every bit helps.)
DeleteRevNancy, makes perfect sense. I'm chuckling because I use to use Pages for the text to preach from but found the occassional keyboard or edit mode popup to be alarming in the midst of preaching,,,,so in iBooks as a PDF turning pages is a swipe, I don't have to tap it...that woukd definitely bug me. And yes, I too have a bluetooth connected external keyboard with a base that allows my to tip the screen up like a mini laptop. Its really awesome that the data plans will be the same, although I will have to get a new iPad because it uses Verizon ( which I hate just a little less than AT&T) but my iPhone is Sprint...
ReplyDeleteTerri, I've actually thought about connecting the keyboard and putting it under the pulpit, that would keep the keyboard from popping up. But then it would eliminate the notes I can add to prayer requests.. A Toss up. Rev. Wil, I agree the ipad is not ideal for outside reading. I've order a matte screen protector to see if it helps any. I can see why you like the Kindle.
ReplyDeleteI'm baking cookies! Chocolate chip, of course! They are fresh out of the oven. Please enjoy, with milk or whatever suits you.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes! Chocolate chip cookies enhance any sermon :-)
DeleteMine's posted, if anyone wants to read an "occasion" sermon.
ReplyDeleteBack from the picnic. It was nice to see where my husband spends so much of his day! And the steaks were great! And I didn't have to cook!
ReplyDeleteI've fixed the font color and made a few edits and now I'm done Gathering Holy Leftovers. I don't know what to do with so much free time left on a Saturday evening!
On a more serious note, the plant tour and the picnic reminded me just how badly my knee is hurt. I'm worried that I won't be able to handle standing and moving for two services with communion and then for the nursing home service in the afternoon. Time for some ice and Aleve.
I hope that you are able to do it. Prayers for healing and pain relief, ramona.
DeleteSteaks are good, but a functioning knee would be even better. I hope that the night of rest will get you through what you need to do tomorrow.
DeleteOh Ramona, I do hope your knee is better tomorrow. Thanks for the comment on my blog. I'll e over your way soon.
DeleteI really can't imagine doing this without all of you. Steaks, Ramona, where are those ordinary leftovers?
ReplyDeleteI'm out on a limb with mine. But it's done and I'm glad of it. That Ain't Christian
I know - steaks at a company picnic! Gotta love living in South Dakota beef country!
DeleteLoved your sermon. That's being prophetic! And brave. And exactly what we as Christians need to hear.
Thanks, Ramona.
DeleteHope you get enough ice to make it through the day. Strange how knees and eyes age faster than the rest of us.
Early this week I came upon a thought, "What are you packing?" as in the stuff we carry with us--the bad (packing heat, grudges,etc.) and the good (the food the boy in the gospel has with him). Well, that's as far as I got. It seems when I chance upon a thought at the beginning of the week, my brain/spirit shuts down as if I'm done. Well I'm not done. AARRGH
ReplyDeleteVacation begins MONDAY!
Three cheers for vacation! Enjoy!
DeleteOk, so I must be the ultimate procrastinator. It's my second last week in this pastoral charge, and I JUST got home from a trip to my new pastoral charge where my partner and I moved a bunch of stuff into the place we're renting there. The week has been so busy with everyday ministry stuff that I haven't even looked at the texts and it's almost 9pm here. Yikes. Hopefully the Holy Spirit has some extra inspiration to share my way.
ReplyDeleteWelcome! A lot of excitement, huh?
DeletePrayers for a good ending in your charge as you anticipate your new call. Your transition could be great fodder for a sermon. Or look around here and see what comes to mind.
Glad you made it to the party!
This RevGal is headed off to bed. I have really enjoyed this sermon party with you.
ReplyDeleteHelp yourselves to some hot cocoa and cookies.
Prayers for each of you . . .
Hey RevGals!
ReplyDeleteI'm back blogging, but moved my blog over to WordPress, mostly because I can use their service with greater ease from different platforms.
Anyway, I've been struggling this week...what with family visiting, baby going off on vacation with my family, some sick family, a wedding, and, to top it all off, a massive wildfire that has destroyed close to 100,000 acres in a neighboring county. Yeesh.
My sermon for tomorrow is looking at the John passage through a lens of hope...based somewhat off of Bruggeman's article on The Liturgy of Abundance and the Myth of Scarcity and thinking about the community response to the fires.
You can find my sermon over here. Feel free to stop on over and tell me what you think!
Blessings to all of you as you write, preach and proclaim the Gospel!
Let's try that link again: Sermon can be found
Deleteat my blog here.
I always want to put a : in where no : belongs in the HTML code.
Almost done. The Olympics are far more interesting. Good night to any remaining party gals and pals!
ReplyDeleteI'm awake very early for no apparent reason. So -- to any very late night stragglers or fellow early birds -- Good Morning!
ReplyDeleteI'll put some coffee for us!
Ahem . . . "put some coffee on"! Body moving before brain wakes up.
DeleteI pray that you will be know the abundance of prayers and encouragement that is yours because you share what you have with this community.
I thank God for each of you! God be with you and speak through you as you offer The Word of life and hope today.
Peace and joy . . .
Sharon, so with you on the need for coffee! Blessings sister. I am grateful to God for you!
Delete