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Friday, February 15, 2013

11th Hour Preacher Party: "Survivor" Edition


"You look tired today, Pastor," and it was only 11:00 on the Friday morning after Ash Wednesday.

His assessment was correct.  Let me count the reasons.  Or not.  

For Lent is only a few days old.  The journey is just beginning.

I'm not complaining . . . really. . . 

Extra worship services and small-to-middling church "issues" are so very do-able compared to being stranded on a crippled cruise ship. News stories about Carnival's ironically-named "Triumph" prompted my imagination to generate images of "Survivor" being played out aboard a cruise ship.  Sanitation crises and food shortages cancelled the sushi parties and trivia contests.  The waiters weren't dancing and singing, and no deck was a "Serenity Deck." Were they really serving 'Onion Sandwiches'?

What's an extra Ash Wednesday service or two compared to all that?  Right?

As it happens, on the RevGal cruise, Rachel Hackenberg gave this week's gospel text (Luke 4:1-13)  to our group as a writing prompt. In the tradition of the Six Word Memoir Project (like this one), we were to write a six-word gospel.  I forgot to write down the one our group came up with together, but I had brainstormed these:
Went out, Roughed up, Left saved

For the Love of God, "No!"

Desert hazing by Evil; passed test.

You can sign up here to receive, each day by email, your very own prayer prompt from Rachel! 

WELCOME to the Lent 1C 11th Hour Preacher Party! 
So happy that you are here!

An extra-special welcome to any new RevGals or any of you who are posting for the first time!

Please, let us know how you are doing and what's going on in your world.
Offer preaching inspiration, or ask for some help.  
We will read your rough drafts and finished sermons.  Link them up!
Let us know how we can pray with you and pray for you. 
We love personal stories and sermon illustrations and jokes and children's time ideas.
Bring a snack to share!
The coffee pot is always full of fresh, hot, delicious -- always Fair Trade -- caffeine-ation.

Let the party begin!

113 comments:

  1. Wouldn't it be awesome if we could preach 6 word sermons?

    No?

    well...okay. :)

    I'll be here partying, but only after I first go to bed and sleep on it one more time, do a funeral for a charter member, and get settled in at the treadmill desk to put into writing all the stuff I've been contemplating, reminding myself that I get to preach EVERY SUNDAY of the Lent series, so I don't have to say everything about Lent in one Sunday. One of the beauties of the transition from Associate to Only. :-)

    So, I'll be back tomorrow, Lent-friendly goodies in hand. And hopefully a sermon that comes quickly, since I've been thinking about it for so long. Sometimes that's a blessing, sometimes a curse...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it could work in the right setting. Wish that "right setting" was where I worked.

      Delete
    2. Treadmill desk?

      May your funeral words be just enough.

      Looking forward to seeing you sometime today, Teri!

      Delete
    3. did you rig up your own treadmill desk, or....what? photo please?

      Delete
    4. Yes, I did. I posted a photo on FB when I did it--are we not FB friends??? (off to remedy that....)

      Delete
  2. I'm checking in after seven weeks leave (four weeks annual/home leave, then three weeks medical leave). First time back at church and we have an all-age, imposition of ashes (the building we use for church was not available on Ash Wednesday because of the Chinese New Year holiday), Communion service for the first Sunday of Lent. It's also the beginning of our Lent preaching series on the vocabulary of faith: tomorrow could be repentance or salvation depending on how the next few hours go! And the sermon needs to be accessible to all ages. So I'm feeling a little bit overwhelmed on a Saturday afternoon in Beijing. I have mandarin oranges to share - they are symbols of abundance and good fortune so very popular at this time of year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome back!

      Sounds like you have all the ingredients for overwhelm. I hope you can pace yourself.

      What a choice between those two words. I am interested in which one you choose.

      Mandarin oranges sound wonderful! Thank you, Jemma!

      Delete
    2. Thanks for the encouragement Sharon. The word of the day is "repent"!

      Delete
  3. Saturday dinner time, and no words on paper for tomorrow yet. it has been a long week, 2 inductions to officiate at, my husband overseas and his Dad in hospital 3 hours away. Going with the OT readings this Lent, so no sustainable sermon option. at least Lent 1 I can do some intro about Lent and the Study material we are using this year. [ thoughtful Christian : An acceptable fast]
    now to check out the fridge and see what I can be bothered cooking for dinner.
    there is fresh zucchini and cherry tomotoes picked this morning. so it may be pasta :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. sermon complete an acceptable fast

    a little longer than usual, but such is life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Pearl. You have jumpstarted my thinking. I am preaching OT and Psalms for all of Lent.

      Delete
    2. Among other provocative questions, you call us to ponder the "dominant" story we tell about our lives and where/if God fits in. Many of my long-timers speak easily about what THEIR church means to them in ways that could mistake their church for a civic club. But most lack an awareness of where God is and what God is doing in their club. Thank you for giving me the language to frame some probing questions in tomorrow's sermon.

      Delete
    3. You are all set, pearl! I was personally inspired to embrace a life-changing fast.

      Thank you!

      Delete
    4. anonymous, I get that from some in the congregation. at times I have asked what difference would it make to the community if this congregation no longer existed, and also how is this congregation different from Rotary or View club [both service rganisations].

      Delete
  5. I love all of your six words and am going to use them in my sermon which is yet to be revealed. Right now I am being held hostage by two kitties! I've got lots of bananas, mandarin oranges, and some frozen mangos from Trader Joes. I make a great banana mango almond milk smoothie--anyone?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yea! Smoothies!

      Hope you are doing well, RevK!

      Delete
  6. Now, I've got this six-word thing going through my head. No sermon as of yet and I leave in just a little bit for a mandatory all-day boundary-ethics training event. (just FYI...it is like preaching to the choir...those who continue to abuse boundaries...and in our presbytery it is also ethics...see absolutely nothing wrong with it).

    I've been sans-Sabbath for too long and so I took Sabbath yesterday.

    Later...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sabbath is good. And good that you did take some of that yesterday.

      Thinking of you while you sit through all of that. If only the non-"choir" would get a clue!

      Delete
  7. The girls and I are off to go ride horses in a bit. Our earlier-in-the-week opportunity got rained out, which is a blessing to everyone but little girls who want to ride horses!

    My sermon is not even a title on the screen yet, so I'm anticipating a late night.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Enjoy! Bring back stories!

      See you later, esperanza.

      Delete
  8. I'm getting ready for the funeral, but if I were preaching a six-word sermon for tomorrow it might be "Living Story doesn't belong on shelf."

    I have peppermint tea! hoping that is enough to create inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nice!
      What if we peppered our sermons w/ these 6 word phrases...

      Delete
    2. The six-word limit does inspire me to think differently.

      And to use fewer words.

      Not currently a major strength of mine!

      Delete
    3. My preaching prof made us write sermon hiakus - 7 words not 6. It was a great challenge to get to the meat of a text. I have a great hiaku on dry bones and zombies.

      Delete
    4. with kudos to Rachel, I am totally using the six word concept in my sermon.

      not sure where it's going, but probably somewhere in the wilderness.....lol

      Delete
  9. Hello!
    So fun to still be able to 'hear' a few of your voices and laughter in my head as I read your comments. Those 6 word phrases above look VERY familiar. :)

    We are doing a (not so) groundbreaking sermon series on the people who surrounded Jesus at the end of his embodied life. First up: Peter. It's Communion Sunday so I'm going to pretend for awhile that makes it easier.

    Also, trying to stay focused on this task while Songbird and her daughter (who arrived yesterday, SQUEE!) are out having fun.

    Good to be back with you all! Cranberry or blueberry tea and scones anyone?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tea and scones! yes!

      I threw those 6 word phrases out there hoping that more would come today and in future weeks as the Lenten scriptures show up.

      (hint, hint)

      Delete
  10. I'm preaching the Luke text -- "The Wilderness Test" -- feeling rather captivated by the wilderness right now -- the idea of it, the reality of it, the geography of it, the spiritual metaphor. Got all that rolling when I had to write a blogpost on Wilderness. If that grabs you, here's the link:
    http://eerdword.wordpress.com/2013/02/13/wilderness-by-ruth-everhart/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Ruth!

      Your title -- "The Wilderness Test" -- makes me wonder if a series of "tests" could be identified in the texts for Lent? Hmmmm . . .

      Delete
  11. Good morning, everyone!

    I have been getting ready for a pre-marital appointment and so I am in the church office. The computer at the main desk is so dang slow! I am seeing this as good information to know so it can be addressed somehow. For the moment, I'm wondering: Do Windows machines still need to be defragged? (or something) I have a Mac, so it's been awhile since I did that.

    I'm going to see if I can do that to this poor struggling computer, since it has taken me 30 minutes to leave one reply here, read one sermon, and leave a reply there.

    See you in a little while!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Good morning all,

    I wrote the sermon a few days ago because by now I should be working on the two I have to preach next Sunday -- the usual plus an evening service for a four-church gathering that we do during Lent. But I had a couple of rough days with the congregation this week -- emphatic confirmation that most of the people are not looking to be challenged -- and then I put a lot of work into another writing project yesterday and the day before, so now I find that I have no energy for another word.

    My daughter should be here soon so I think this has become an unexpected Sabbath day for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes. Sabbath, Robin.

      Sounds like some challenging things going on there. Do you think it's the (expected, normal) "honeymoon is over" moment? Take care of you. And it sounds like you are doing that.

      (((Robin)))

      Delete
    2. Oh, yeah. This was totally the honeymoon is over week.

      Lunch with my daughter telling me what it's like for a nonprofit to try to effect change in a city -- we have the same lives, only in different contexts!

      Delete
  13. Hello everyone! I'm up, trying to finish off a wedding sermon for this afternoon (I knew I was crazy when I agreed to do a wedding the week of Ash Wednesday...this just confirms it). Then, a meeting, and then, finally a sermon for Sunday. Haven't really looked at the texts much at all, so who knows how late I'll be up.

    Already looking forward to sleeping in on Monday and then going for a massage. But! Must stay on task for now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Busy, busy, semfem. I think we are just that kind of crazy, and it's probably just the audacity that is needed to accept the call! (maybe?)

      Massage Monday! Yes!

      Delete
  14. Anyone have words I can use to mark the different levels of understandings that Christians have... they don't have to be high level words.

    For instance, I know 'seeker' - what would be the next two or three...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Dabbler"? (sticking a tentative toe into a few things)
      "Apprentice"? (dang you, Trump!)
      "Blabbermouth" (when they start to know it all!) (seriously? maybe.)
      "Gobbler"? When they want to eat up all the things they can know, find, do about church, Bible, Jesus, faith, etc. See: History Channel
      "Savior" When they are so serious about their work as a Christian or church member that they are ready to fix everything and every body.

      I don't expect these are exactly what you are looking for!
      I thought that, if I brainstormed a few things, something actually helpful might emerge.

      Anyone else? Please!

      Delete
    2. Those are great and helpful - Thanks!

      Delete
    3. I also thought of "novice" and even "attempter" (someone who is trying on a lot of things or trying out a lot of things).

      Delete
    4. Don't know if this is what you're looking for, but what about:
      "beginner" - (Merton, "In the spiritual life all of us are beginners.")
      "companion" - those who will walk with others on the road
      "spiritual friend" - vs. spiritual director, but close.
      "mentor" - those who are willing to share what they have learned along the way.
      "hangers on" - those that come because of others. Group has a list of 4 categories for youth and their reason for being involved. Hangers on and Seeker are the only two I can remember. There is one before Hangers On...

      It was great to meet you and the others on the BE! I am picturing all the faces and hearing the echos of laughter and quiet prayers...

      Delete
    5. at my church we say:
      believers, seekers, questioners, doubters, sceptics....
      sinners and saints....

      Delete
  15. People representing the "Stars of Hope" initiative are coming to one of my little churches today. They are bringing stars decorated by survivors of the flooding in Minot ND (which happened a little less than 2 yrs ago). My church's community went through a devastating wildfire last fall, losing half the town (we're grateful the church survived). So today decorated wooden stars will be hung all around town, and then our folks will decorate new stars to pass on to the next community that suffers disaster.

    So I can't help thinking about Jesus' time in the wilderness, and my community's time in their wilderness. How we face destructive temptations, and how we are ministered to as well. Still pondering, but I expect today's event will be very moving.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, yes, P.S.! Your congregation will really be ready to hear good news from the wilderness.

      Praying for you community today . . .

      Delete
  16. My guys are arguing over who forgot to put the cleaning supplies away. I am truly blessed - spouse and son do most of the Saturday cleaning for me while I work.

    I'm trying to get the sermon wrapped up and all my office work done by 5. The community is having a benefit for a young family whose father died a few days before Christmas, and I want to be there. I've got a pan a bars to bake, and a sermon to write, and an on-line Bible study to get ready for next week. Here's hoping the words flow freely.

    I'm preaching on the temptation and my temptation today is to use a sustainable sermon from Matthew's year and just change the OT reading. It's a pretty good sermon and would work for my Lenten theme, but we're pondering the meaning of the cross this Lent, and I have been noodling the temptation as a prelude to the cross all week.

    Think I'll re-read my notes, listen to the podcast and ponder while cleaning the bathroom (my assigned task this Saturday)!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds like a God-inspired plan to me!

      You sound very happy as you go about your Saturday, ramona. Happy day to you and yours!

      Delete
  17. Good morning preachers from still snowy New England where we didn't get dug out til Tuesday.

    It's been a weird week of trying to catch up, people feeling out of sorts, things delayed and cancelled and I am hoping tomorrow things will feel more "back to normal." We cancelled our Shrove Tuesday pancake supper and moved it to tomorrow morning: Fat Tuesday on Sunday Pancake Breakfast before church. I"m hoping that will cheer everyone up; we'll see.

    Then it's on to Lent. I am preaching on Luke, and inspired by a Credo Lenten reflection, I'm thinking about how the time in the wilderness helped Jesus figure out who he was, and the relationship between our own Lenten "fasts" and temptations and who we are .... or something like that. Haven't written a word yet, so not sure how it will work out.

    I love the six word gospels/sermons! Will be thinking more about that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm worried about people who can't be cheered up by pancakes, RDM! You sound like you are *up* for the challenge.

      Delete
  18. Time to grab some lunch and head out to The Boy's basketball game. Sermon crawling towards 'respectable' level.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Sharon, thanks for hosting! (although, honestly the photo is just one more reminder that I will never go on a cruise, not no how not no way)...(but I digress)....

    Me. I too. I was completely exhausted by Thursday. A little better today after my birthday spa day yesterday....

    and now, I also have my homily mostly ready for tomorrow....but I also have a ton of things to do, so it needs to be mostly ready.

    Drop on over and see what we are doing for Lent this year. It's not as irreverant as it sounds

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have birthday cake to share - a white and chocolate layer cake combo with mocha filling and chocolate fudge icing... and, I indulgently had a tiny slice for breakfast...

      Delete
    2. Terri, I was going for "cruise wilderness" in the photo.

      Happy Birthday to you! Or to the birthday person who is sharing the cake today!

      Delete
    3. sharon, cruise wilderness....my head just went straight to the news, not the metaphor....

      and, it is my birthday cake - so I can be a little indulgent, I think... :-)

      Delete
    4. Hey Terri, it's my daughter's birthday today. We had chocolate cherry cake at her request. Delicious and gone! Happy birthday.

      Delete
  20. I don't have to write a sermon today, as I'm leading Taize' worship tomorrow. Writing a sermon is easier! Since I don't currently have a director of music, I once again put the service together, choosing the music, copying the parts for the various instruments and voices, created the bulletin, directed the rehearsal (WAAAY out of my comfort zone!) and did the set up for worship: a large cross on the floor, candles for setting atop the cross, pillows for kneeling around the cross... I'll be SO glad to have a new music director hired. I was glad to introduce Taize to the congregation - but not expecting to have to do all of the preparation work more than twice. The congregation really loves it, so I trust it will be a good entry into the reflection mode of Lent. And my daughter has come home to play violin for worship. Yay! Always a joy to have her home, and it's a fun to play music together. Blessings to all of you who are putting words and ideas together today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have to admit that I just experienced my first Taize worship last night. It was especially nice because it was put together by the pastor of another congregation that uses our facility. What a treat to be able to just *be* a worshipper. And to be quiet and still. I felt how wound up I am and it was good to let that go.

      May you be encouraged to know that someone might be just as appreciative of that worship time tomorrow.

      Delete
    2. kudos to you!! worship preparation is so vital... and when it's well done, it makes such a difference! but yes, i do understand it can be exhausting for you to take on that added bit. somehow i found the prepping this season to be worshipful for me as i draped, and pondered placement of candles and what not.

      i hope you find a space in which to find the calm you crave.

      Delete
  21. Back from the horse-riding, girls napping, I'm trying really hard to work and not nap. I'll let you know how that works out!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nap time sounds really good, doesn't it?

      Delete
    2. Yes, it was nice. And, since I fell asleep instantaneously, I assume it was needed. Now: I need a sermon.

      Delete
  22. Late here but sermon done early. Took advice of others and am taking on a Lenten discipline of sitting in the lounge and relaxing. I'd been back from leave 5 days and hadn't even been into that room! That's the problem with having my office at home.
    It's our annual vestry meeting tomorrow and I don't feel prepared but decided not to preach around it. I will get on with the theme of Journey to Easter. We prepared our bags on Ash Wednesday and are hurled into the wilderness tomorrow.
    Now to get some sleep. I seem more tired than when I went on leave!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Next day, so you might not get this. The case is repentance (from Ash Wed) and in it are almsgiving, fasting and prayer. A bit tenuous, but I think it worked.

      Delete
  23. Glad you came by, Pat!

    Curious, because I don't know: Is annual vestry meeting a big deal?

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    Replies
    1. A day late so I don't know if you will get this. Basically our annual meeting when we elect new wardens, council etc and give financial report and vicar's reports etc. Not a big deal if it isn't a troublesome parish (and I've seen some holy terrors) -- mine was over in 45 mins!

      Delete
  24. It's always so surprising when the sermon wants to go in a totally different direction than I thought I was going. And then there were the few terrifying and tearful moments when the computer locked up and my almost completed sermon had not been saved. I managed to rescue my sermon from oblivion, amid desperate promises to faithfully save all documents in progress from now on!

    Sermon is done, all except for the ending "that has no end, it just goes on and on, my friend." (Anyone remember Lambchop?) Time to step away.

    When I come back, there'll be a warm pan of chocolate chip cookie bars to share and a clean bathroom.

    Is it too much to hope that my on-line Bible study will materialize and the ending of my sermon frees it's self from the never-ending loop?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When the sermon wants to go in a totally different direction, it is surprising and sometimes a little confounding. I try to let myself remember that it also means that God is really there nudging when we allow it.

      Now, computer lock-ups: Those are of the Devil, no doubt!

      Delete
    2. When the sermon wants to go off on its own, I usually try to follow and often I am pleasantly surprised when all is said and done. Hope your ending follows along soon.

      Computer problems are a whole 'nother thing!

      Delete
    3. Perhaps the devil was tempting/testing me in the cyber-wilderness!

      Delete
    4. The never ending loops are even more problematic when you are preaching without notes and enter the loop on Sunday morning mid-preach....

      Delete
    5. That's why I preach from a manuscript - never-ending loops and rabbit holes!

      Delete
  25. I have a draft! Always happy when it is done before 5 pm. Now on to other things, among them checking up on the workmen who are reinstalling our stained glass window which has been refurbished. The project was hugely expensive and not without controversy, but people will be happy to see it back. Most of them anyway :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, the stained glass windows.

      Congrats on your draft before 5 p.m.!

      Delete
  26. I have decided my sustainable sermon sucks! I need a new one.

    I also need to work on dissertation but I don't see that happening today.

    I have some charge conference paperwork to do. Since we have CC on Monday night. I think I can squeeze that in Sunday afternoon or Monday if I can't get it today. This is not a normal time for charge conference but it has been re-scheduled twice (stroke fallout).

    We are also out of bread and dog food. Someone remind me, which aisle are sermons on again?

    Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  27. if all else fails, look for aisle 40.

    ReplyDelete
  28. really need to stop procrastinating and actually try to craft this six word thing-sermon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No sermons at the dog food store but that was asking a bit much.

      No sermons at the office supply store either, however, they should carry them.

      No sermons at the grocery store where they should be somewhere close to bread, grape juice, or wine.

      Then, I realized I had a headache because I hadn't eaten anything so I did the drive through thing on the way home. They didn't have any sermons either.

      Disappointment all the way around.

      Delete
  29. Karla, so helpful! =)

    Sarah, how can we help? You know we would if we could.

    How about some drinks! (Not that kind . . . yet!)

    Karla, can you make us another round of those smoothies?

    I have a home-made energy drink that uses green tea, strawberries, frozen banana, and some good-for-you green veggies, the names of which are not important.

    Cheers to you all!

    ReplyDelete
  30. I am starting my Lenten Series "The Church in the WOrld" this week with a look at Barth's dictum about the Gospel in one hand and the newspaper in the other. Why is it important that we in the church remain aware of teh world? ANd how do we do that? I also created a graphic that updated Barth to match modern tech (posted here)

    Other sermons in the series will look at Witness and Testimony, IN but not OF the world (which I now see I should have put next week as it follows so well from this week's), and Wealth and Poverty.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds good, Gord, and thanks for checking in!

      Please keep us posted on how it goes for you and your congregation.

      Delete
    2. I think the sermon went all right. I blogged some thoughts about it here

      Delete
  31. Done and posted - Whatcha Gonna Do? !

    Although I may re-write the ending in the pulpit - it's been known to happen.

    I get to go play! Spaghetti benefit, auction and maybe even a little time to go listen to the band. Yeah!

    Oh- wait - maybe that's too much fun for Lent!

    ReplyDelete
  32. That was a reverse Peter Pan spell, if you are curious.

    ReplyDelete
  33. "Aisle 40" may turn out to be the title of my sermon on being rooted in God's abundance....three weeks from now.

    For today, I'm home from the funeral, which I think went well. My house smells like curry--there's a sweet potato peanut curry soup in the crockpot, and though it's really for lunches next week y'all are free to stop in for a ladle-full!

    Now to figure out just how this sermon is going to go exactly. The idea seems clear enough, but the actual execution? Not so much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That soup sounds really really yummy, Teri!

      Delete
    2. yes, yum! to that soup...and hope the sermon unfolds as clearly as it seems to be.

      Delete
  34. PK rule #1 - If you're going to get sick, do it on a Saturday. :(

    I have a punky 8 year old who is in bed already, hopefully he stays in it without incident for the night and rallies tomorrow.

    Back to sermon and finalizing a Sunday school outline.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my. "Without incident" says it all.

      Fingers crossed and prayers ascending.

      Delete
    2. Always, always, always Saturday night. Where do they learn these things? Ours even did it as infants. Holy Saturday night being the most memorable.

      Hope he gets better pronto and that everyone gets lots of restorative sleep!

      Delete
  35. Home from worship, as usual some ad-libbing, and leaving out, during the sermon. I added in a bit about an Induction yesterday, where the Australian flag was given to the Minister, and the politician presenting it spoke about how this is a Christian nation as we have 3 crosses on the corner. I spoke of how I think this isn’t a Christian country given the way we treat the environment, refugees, minimum wages, etc. and that no matter what is on the flag, that will not make us a Christian country, we need to remember the words of Isaiah about liberating the oppressed, etc. – I am sure you get the drift.
    No direct comment, except that it was good that the politician attended such an event. But I did hear murmurings about refugees from the kitchen at one stage. The thing is, we participate in programs that help do some of those things in other countries, just hard to see what that might mean in this country.
    See what I hear on the grapevine over the next week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very bold, sistah!

      Sometimes the sermon just has to tell that kind of truth. This may be the first time they have been challenged to relate their faith to the real things that are going on in the world, or at least the first time it hit home. Kind of like what Gord (above in the comments) is doing with his congregation this Lent.

      Thank you, Pearl. Your worship reports inspire those of us who are still "looking forward" to Sunday.

      Delete
  36. It was too good to be true. Second night in a row out with spouse - and he starts feeling punky. Oh well, I guess it was a good thing we went out last night. I'll just have to miss the band tonight, but I guess I probably shouldn't really go out late on a school night anyway.

    Should I work on my Bible study, since I have the time...or just relax with a movie....I think the movie will win out.

    Sending prayers the way of everyone sermonating yet this evening!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. definitely movie. Hope he feels better in the morning.

      Delete
  37. Evidently, I had a sermon lurking because it is now printed!

    The stuff I need to do for Charge Conference is at church so it will wait because I am not going there until tomorrow.

    First I'm cleaning the kitchen since I need a break from sitting at the computer. Then I'll come back to work on dissertation if I'm not too tired.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Rambling, undisciplined sermon about spiritual disciplines, ha ha ha. I'm wishing it would be turning out the way it seemed in my head earlier in the week. Instead, it's all over the place. And I think I'm too tired to think clearly enough to fix it. Just a few hundred words to go...

    ReplyDelete
  39. Out of curiosity, who in this group took part in one ofthe events for One Billion Rising on Thursday? And how did it go?

    WE were asked, and agreed to host a dance event. I blogged about it here

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hadn't heard about it, but like a great thing to be involved in.

      Delete
  40. okay, since the sermon fairy seems to be done with the rest of you, I wonder if she could stop by here? Because I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open and I just deleted the first 400 words because they were terrible, bringing me to a grand total of 0 words at 9:52pm.

    It seemed so simple before...but apparently getting this on paper is going to be harder than I thought.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. back from church here (time zones are so strange!). Exhausted but happy. Hope the Spirit has inspired Teri and you have the words you need.

      Delete
  41. Well, guess at 9pm I should finally start a sermon.

    Although, I will probably wing it for the most part - I know that I'm using the Luke passage as well as showing this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-6a25Yo2wE

    Finding myself in a bit of a wilderness time at the moment - so, seems to be making sermon writing all that much harder.

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  42. 100

    Now I can go to bed

    Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  43. I am finally back, after a wedding and a meeting and an unplanned nap that woke me up right at midnight. Ugh.

    I did some reading before falling asleep, but no writing. So here we go. Sermon, o wherefore art thou, sermon.

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  44. yay, sermon! semfem, I'm sending the sermon fairy back your way. may she appear with both words and chocolate. If she doesn't, you should chastise her for eating all the chocolate I sent.

    And now, it's my bedtime. Thanks for the companionship, all!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Teri! The sermon fairy and I are having a little "chat." A heart to heart, if you will.

      Although I am thankful to her for bringing me a children's sermon, since that needed to interface with the plans of several other people tomorrow and was sadly un-sketched out until just now. So that is a relief.

      Now, on to the "grown-up" sermon, so to speak.

      Delete
  45. Just showing up to the party with not as much done on my sermon as I'd like, but I'm not panicking yet. I'm in the narrative lectionary, so I'm working with the Good Samaritan and trying not to do the same thing that is always done. Hoping for something to strike me soon! :)

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  46. Friends, there seems to be a direct correlation between me accepting preaching invitations and members of my family dying. If I didn't know better, I'd wonder if God was trying to tell me something.

    I'm not "on" tomorrow, which is a mercy, but I've agreed to preach both of the next two Sundays, and not being an actual clergyperson, I've never before done back-to-back sermon preps, so I was a little nervous about that to start with.

    And that was before God dropped a major funeral/family reunion in the middle of my week. Not to mention my own grieving.

    I have so much to be grateful for, and I do trust that the Holy Spirit has my back. It's just that at this moment I'm feeling a wee bit overwhelmed and quite tired, so this is probably a good time to release myself from my intention to take a first pass at the texts before bed tonight and just go to sleep instead.

    Grace and peace to you who are proclaiming God's word tomorrow, and who do so in and out of season. I expect I'll be checking in at the next couple preacher parties, too.

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    Replies
    1. Prayers for you and your family, Rachel, in your time of grief. Hope you got some rest.

      Delete
  47. Good morning/good night, everyone. I'm done with enough time to spare for an hour of sleep. Whew! That massage is looking better and better.

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

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  48. Good morning to everyone!

    I must have been tired because I just put my head down "for a minute" and, well, you know the rest! (cue the "embarrassed" emoticon and a resolve not to do that again)

    Scrambling to read what I wrote last night, do last minute edits, and get it on the Kindle.

    Wishing each of you a very blessed Sunday and, if at all possible, a much-deserved holy nap this afternoon.

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  49. Late, because I thought I'd already done this and I seem not to have:

    Written last week and delivered this week for Stewardship Sunday: my three minutes on Why I Pledge which I promise fits into three minutes if I talk fast.



    ReplyDelete

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