This fourth Sunday in Lent, we are presented with a veritable feast of
readings. Laetare Sunday is an excuse to break our Lenten fasts. So will you be killing the fatted calf or breaking out the treats, relieved to have an excuse to eat something other than manna? Have you stumbled across or perhaps even written, a re-telling of the "Prodigal Parable" - the gift that keeps on giving? Here in the UK, Mothering Sunday is also thrown into the mix for good measure so an option rich Sunday. Whatever stage your worship preparation is at, even and maybe especially, if it is done and dusted, welcome to the party where we pool our resources and help each other. And if you are still "a long way off" love meets you here. May all that we've lost be found as we party together.
(Picture is a wee reminder of BE5!)
blogger just ate my comment :(
ReplyDeleteI have had an awesome day, mainly talking about Messy Church. This morning was advertised as a ‘come and try’ session, most of the people who booked in cancelled in the past week. One person who is currently attending the church I am in ministry with, wanted to find out more for when she and her husband return home in 6 months. A Messy Church resource person was coming to be part of the morning session and lead an afternoon resource session for people already running Messy Church. 3 of us chatted about life, church, etc., then this afternoon there 8 people from 2 congregations at the resource sharing session.
ReplyDeleteThe Messy Church Resource person brings out the passion I have for Ministry, is affirming, encouraging, and generally great.
So now I am home, wondering what to have for dinner [it is 6.30 on Saturday evening here], then make the bed [sheets were washed today] and write a sermon.
I love Ministry – a fact I may need reminding of in 3 hours if I am struggling with the sermon
a pearl down under - Its always good to have days that remind us why we love ministry!
ReplyDeleteMessy Church is one of the things I'll be speaking about tomorrow when we have our Stated Annual Meeting.
Hopefully your sermon is coming together nicely!
OK I ahve checked facebook, and read some links, and it is now almost 7.30, no dinner, and no further on my sermon. looks a like a long night .....
ReplyDeleteIt's been a too-many hours worked sort of a week here, and I'm using the work from previous prodigal sermons as a base - but trying to work out what the good word to speak to this congregation this year might be. I've found Barbara Brown Taylor's take on this parable helpful: The parable of the dysfunctional family as well as good old Kenneth Bailey!
ReplyDeleteThere are wasabi seaweed snacks if you need a salty spicy boost in your writing. And a hope that for all of us who are finding Lent demanding or feeling weary or fatigued, that we will know the sustaining grace of our God as we prepare to preach tomorrow.
Jemma, I LOVE wasabi. I was delighted to find some wasabi chips recently in Poland.
DeleteBlogger published before I was ready! Hope you want have to invest too many more hours bringing together your sermon x
DeleteIt came together! After bravely ditching 700 words of what was written, I think I've found my way to the words for this congregation at this time. I really liked the material I had on reconciliation - and in the divided denomination I last preached the Prodigal in, that was important. But it maybe isn't for here and now... It's 10pm here in Beijing so I'm hoping for a really good night's sleep - will be thinking of all who are yet to write today and will check back in in the morning.
DeleteLat week I introduced the theme of what Grace means to us and the inexhaustible supply of second chances we have; so this week the theme of grace and second chances fits in perfectly with the prodigal - plus a family bringing a newborn son for blessing caps off the theme of welcoming a son.
ReplyDeleteI have yet to write a word of it, but at least I have a plan!!
Hi. I have some blueberries to share. I hope they are inexhaustible. I like to be done by now, but I'm still writing. "join the party" is my theme. there is so much in this parable, and I can't say everything I want to.
ReplyDeleteDiane - will the left overs keep for 3 years? It's one of those parables, isn't it - so many ways to preach it!
DeleteI also love the work of Cheryl Lawrie - some of you might have run into this reflection on the Prodigal http://holdthisspace.org.au/youd-never-end-the-story/ It begins like this: "You’d never end the story by turning us away
ReplyDeleteso why do we live as if we could do something that will stop you loving us?"
change is normal is now posted. it after middnight, way too late for me to still be working.
ReplyDeletegoodnight all
Goodnight, a pearl down under. Hope the rest sets you up for a good day. Blessings on your preaching.
DeleteI'm not actually preaching tomorrow. It's our Stated Annual Meeting, so we're taking time in worship to celebrate our life together. That means, today, we can catch up with both our mums who live a couple of hours away. Hope to bring some goodies to party later.
ReplyDeleteWe are still on the theme of journey to Easter. Tomorrow is the journey back to the heart of love. I think it's self-explanatory! The prodigal journeys back but the brother's harbouring of past issues prevents him discovering love.
ReplyDeleteFreshly ground coffee for anyone?
And I've just realised how close Good Friday is and I have to prepare 3 hours on the stations of the cross and haven't even started. Anyone know where I can get good images (not the traditional ones and not too modernistic) of the stations. I'd like something that shows the humanity of Jesus.
ReplyDeleteI like Michael O'Brien's depictions that are part of the Ave Maria Press Stations of the Cross App (iPhone/ipod only I think). You can also see them in the gallery on his web-site. This would be a good request to post in the Facebook group.
DeleteUnfortunately I have an aversion to Facebook so don't have a page! One day I may have to give in too peer pressure, but not yet.
DeleteBut thanks for the reference to O'Brien. I like his pictures. I see they are scriptural stations and maybe I'll go with that. May disorientate my congregation somewhat as the traditional ones are on the walls but that would be good!
Pat, FWIW, the Monday Extra this week is going to encourage folk to share resources, so perhaps a plea when that it posted might bear fruit?
DeleteI'm not preaching this week. In fact, I just "sold" next week to my husband as well since I've got Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Easter. Plus the daily blog. I know many of you preach weekly, and I've done that, too. But I am grateful to share preaching responsibilities with my hubby. Blessings to each of you who are stringing the "right" words together to bring the Good News to the people you serve. We're on a fitness challenge at my church, so I've only got freshly ground hot coffee to share today. Off to blog.
ReplyDeleteChecking in this morning - trying to find the thoughts I had earlier in the week. I really should start bookmarking them somehow, but I always believe I will remember what I read and who wrote it. *sigh* How do y'all organize stuff you collect in between sermons?
ReplyDeleteI use the "stickie note" app on my mac book--it puts sticky notes on my screen and I copy and paste links/thoughts/notes onto them over the week.
DeleteI gave a mac too but I've never used the stickie notes - thanks!
DeleteI have a word file called resources for each week. I put in the text of the readings, and any resources, prayers, ideas, hymns etc that I come across during the week. with blogs or online commentary type material, I put the whole piece in the file, and highlight the part that has caught my attention. and usually I have the reference, though this week I am using a wonderful image, and I didn't keep the reference.
DeleteThis week I'm on last week's texts, on the theme of being rooted in God's abundance and growing through nurturing our faith. I'm a little bit tempted to mention how blunt the characters seems to be in Isaiah and Luke--"why do you spend your money for that which does not satisfy?" and "why isn't there fruit? Cut it down!" I think there's something about that level of honesty that brings us awareness of God's abundance (in the midst of our insane abundance that does not satisfy) and awareness of our unrealized potential....
ReplyDeletebut first, coffee with a friend and a meeting with my therapist. Back later!
Oh, Oh - did you read Nadia Bolz-Weber's (?sp) sermon on the fig tree? It goes down this road too. Well worth reading, imho. It is linked on my FB page.
DeleteAnd no I still haven't found all my sources - found one - procrastination still abides.
I did see her sermon last week and thought it was great. It's a slightly different direction from where I think I'm going, but it could make an appearance anyway because she's just that awesome. :-)
DeleteThank Goodness for the inexhaustible parable, because this pastor is exhausted. My ordination happens tomorrow, Sunday afternoon, and all of my sermonizing time for this week has instead been sucked up into preparations for the ordination service. (I'm not preaching at it, but there are lots of people that need to be a part of it, and I was in charge of all the coordination & logistics, including creating and running off the bulletins and baking a ham and 4 dozen hard-boiled eggs for the refreshments. Plus my family arrived Friday and they want to be entertained...all weekend.)
ReplyDeleteSo, now I am thinking of taking a Lectio Divina/"let the story tell itself" approach, using three different translations and three different readers, encouraging people to hear the story from a different perspective each time and doing a brief reflection between each one, then something to wrap it up.
And I suspect the writing won't happen until tonight, because now I have to deliver the ham and eggs to the church and meet my family for lunch and go run off the bulletins. Oh, and I'm trying to take deep breaths...really. Ham, anyone?
Mark Allan Powell (What do they hear: bridging the gap between pulpit and pew) tells about the different ways cultures hear this story - they have different focus on why the son is in the predicament he's in - Americans hear the lack of morality of the son and focus on the riotous living and wasteful spending; Russian with their memories of famines in their own land say the young man's problem was that there was a famine; and Tanzanians with their cultural emphasis on hospitalty, focus on the scandal that 'no one gave him anything'
DeleteI don't know if that's useful to you, but your comment about hearing the story from different perspectives made me think of it.
Ramona-- that's extremely useful, and thank you very much for offering it!
DeleteMaineCelt - I hate that you have all that to do ahead of your special day. But, even without just cause(!) Lectionary Divina sounds wonderful for this passage.
DeleteHave a blessed, blessed day. X
Yikes, what a load of work/ministry to do. Hope that all of the preparation settles so that you can settle into enjoying all that you hope will come into fruition.
DeleteWish I could be with you!
DeleteMaine Celt after all the prep, I pray your ordination is a wonderful blessing and affirmation of your call to ministry.
DeleteThanks, folks-- I am grateful for your support and prayers!
DeleteTax day - yuck. But we've put it off long enough and we really have to get it done. And I have a 90th B-day open house this afternoon.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, I have 2 somewhat sustainable sermons - one on Corithians, and one on the prodigal - that can be preached with some tweaking. I just have to decide which one to work with. I thought about saving one of them for next week, to lighten my workload as Holy Week approaches, but I just can't pass up next week's gospel story!
Next week is my 'meeting week,' (90% of my regular meetings fall in the same week). And if that wasn't bad enough, I have two different nursing home events, a conference assembly that we're hosting. Plus the extra Lenten stuff. Hard to see how I'll get any office work or Holy Week prep done! I'm already totally stressed out about it!
I'm just starting an extended supply gig tomorrow so here's my offering... http://reverendjoy.blogspot.com/2013/03/lent-4c-2013-gethsemane-episcopal-church.html
ReplyDeleteToday is feeling unsettled, calm before a metaphorical storm perhaps...I'm glad the sermon is DONE b/c I just don't have the emotional energy for a not-done sermon this evening.
Love the picture, liz!
ReplyDeleteIt's the first Sunday preaching for me since I left Maine at the end of December. I'm supplying at a church that is also looking for a longer-term part-time pastor, so it's both an ordinary supply gig and a possible audition of sorts, a weird combination in an unknown sanctuary with unfamiliar people. I'm relying on a Sustainable Sermon, remembering the notion (is it Fred Craddock's?) that a sermon not worth preaching twice is not worth preaching once, either.
This preaching opportunity comes at nearly the end of my sabbatical, and seems to be part of determining whether I'll be seeking another call to parish ministry or looking at other ways God might be calling me to use my gifts. So it's not momentous at all. ;-)
Martha, whatever the longer term potential, the folk will surely be blessed with you preaching tomorrow. Praying for your discernment too. xxx
DeleteThinking of you, Martha. Ditto what Liz said...they will be blessed. I hope you find some direction as you reach the end of this sabbatical.
DeleteI love that notion about a sermon being worth preaching twice! Good luck tomorrow--the Holy Spirit has your back, and we're all here too!
DeleteMartha-- I guess we're both steppin' out tomorrow... Blessings on you in your ongoing discernment.
DeleteDinner time here - stir fried beef with pineapple. Also prepared some lentil and ham soup while in the kitchen. Lots to share. And then, I really must draft my report for tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteGood gravy... 3:30 and I've just sat down to get writing. Covering at my home church this week, which isn't lectionary-based. A good thing, it seems, since I must've looked at the wrong date when sending in my selections for the bulletin. Come, Holy Spirit!
ReplyDeleteSnowy and cold here, but I'm excited about continuing a series on "The Kingdom of God"--much more "justice" and "social gospel" oriented than my folks are likey used to...heh heh...but it has been going really well. I love it when I'm preparing and I'm excited. You know, that doesn't always happen! But on a sad note, we lost one worship leader last month, due to serious "falling off the wagon" issues. :-( And now, the awesom NEW couple seem to have disappeared. Did not show up for practice and no one has heard from them...not sure what to do. So sad, and makes me wonder....blessings on you all as you prepare and preach. For me it is tonight, but I know it's tomorrow for you folks.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear someone excited about sermon series. Hope those who've fallen off the wagon or gone AWOL feel Gods love through your care, Dorcas.
DeleteThanks, Liz. They(the couple) did contact me and want to meet sometime next week. We shall see. We sang to CDs tonight (yuck) but it was good and God was with us.
DeleteI'm back and seriously contemplating changing my clocks now, except that would mean it was already 5pm and I don't know if I can handle that pressure. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'm opening the document and pasting in the readings, then praying for inspiration to strike. Failing that, I do have a box of Sees Candy--handpicked so there's no sneaky gross coconut in there. :-) Enjoy!
I know clock changes are a pain whenever they happen. But, here in Scotland, ours go forward on Easter Sunday! That's really bad timing:) it's all tiring enough.
ReplyDeleteAnd really confusing when they change at different times around the world. My Sunday School superintendant thought the clocks change here tonight and it was only a chance conversation that meant she realised they didn't. How we will manage with an hour less sleep on Easter Weekend I don't know!
DeleteI am glad that the teenagers are leading the bulk of the service tomorrow on Fairtrade. I will do the first bit with the cradle roll and once the younger children go out the teenagers will be taking the rest of the service. Having had a scratchy throat all day I am glad I will not be speaking too much tomorrow. This better not be the start of another cold. I have already had 3 this winter!
ReplyDeleteOff for a hot bath and early night. It's not often I can say that on a Satruday night.
That's good Tanya - hope it stops cold developing. Tomorrow sounds like fun.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't post this morning from any browser. I wonder if that was to get me back to work? Anyway, it didn't help much. I'm still struggling with the new style of Message where I work with the congregation to determine what is the "good news" for us. I'm also preaching next weeks text and doing prodigal next week due to actors schedules. Now let's see what happens when I hit publish.
ReplyDeleteAnd here you are, Nancy. I really struggle with posting from the ipad. Sometimes comments just disappear!
ReplyDeleteHey everyone! Dropping in for just a moment, and then back later. I spent Friday and Saturday with a fabulous Ecumenical Women's Lenten retreat with the wonderful Robin Craig, one of our RevGals! Now my sermon is posted Prodigal Grace, it just might offend you...
ReplyDeleteI'll be back later to write the Sunday prayers...and catch up with all of you!
morning worship is over, sermon was more ad-lib than what I had written, and to me felt a bit all over the place, but it is done. a well loved hymn at the end, so I doubt anyone remembers anything else that happened.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the service I asked people to think about a woman who inspired them, it went really well, so may try that again sometime with a different question.
sometimes it seems the 'little' bits have more impact than what I preach on, not every week, but often.
I decided that I had to tell once again the story of Parents and Prodigals.
ReplyDeleteI gave this sermon 3 years ago, when I was also a parent of a prodigal and the stories I share are from real parents (names changes) who shared their stories with me, and supported me. I did tweak it a bit - I'm not so vulnerable in this version as I was in the last.
I think I'll tidy up the desk a bit. My spouse is actually still awake (his new shift from 1a to 11a means he's asleep by 6p!) and thinking about taking me out for a drink. I think maybe that's a pretty good idea!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteUrgh-- back at it, now. The relatives have finally left for their hotel after hanging out in our VERY small house all day. I have the next two hours to slam out a sermon. I've got notes and ideas from all over the place, and none of them are playing well together. C'mon, Holy Spirit! Oh, and hey: anybody want any more ham? I have a lot of ham.
ReplyDeleteWell I've got something. It's full of holes where the congregation must respond. We've been doing more each week and they are really getting into it, but it's still scarey to have so few words on paper. TRUST....
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, I've put together a Keynote (PPP for mac) and just today learned how to imbed a video. YAY,(it took hours to figure out, but was simple in the end.) Here's one that I put in to close the worship with 'give me Jesus' evidently a flight was delayed for maintenance with a choir on board. It is an amazing couple of minutes.
hopefully here
Well I tried to give you a procrastination link, but it seems I can't comment again. sigh
ReplyDeleteWEll maybe I still can.
Deleteperhaps this will work?
It's a video on Youtube worth watching for a minute plus. I'm using it at the end of worship.
Nancy-- Thank you! That was lovely!
DeleteI have a sermon but something's missing. I'll come back to it after some ice cream. :-) mint chocolate chip over here!
ReplyDeleteGood evening preachers! Checking in here after a long and non-stop day and another crazy week. Meetings today with my wardens, and with my parish admin to work on the annual parochial report, celebrated Eucharist with those who came to the quiet day put on by my serminarian intern, quick trip to WF mostly for more sumos (the most amazing citrus one could hope to eat--taking them to my my son in VT tomorrow b/c he is allergic to many fruits but can eat citrus.) And going to VT after church tomorrow because my almost 5yo granddaughter had surgery for a ruptured appendix Wednesday morning. She is doing well but is still in hospital on IV antibiotics so I am going up to help out for a few days.
ReplyDeleteWe had an unexpected snow day yesterday--10 inches when 2-4 was forecast, and I took advantage by starting my sermon....didn't get to far but even a false start helped me get going this morning...hammered out half before my meetings and finished before I left for WF...now I need to go and edit and make sure it actually makes sense--on the theme of reconciliation using Luke and 2 Corinthians.
I keep looking at the clock and realizing that for all intents and purposes it is really an hour later than it says it is. Ugh. Still have to pack. I hate DST. Seriously.
Well,I am home, and I am about to turn the clock forward. Yawn...praying for all who proclaim good news tomorrow. Good night!
ReplyDeleteBack from the Vestry retreat and ready to think about the Prodigal Son and the people who worship at the day shelter. As I'm writing these words, I'm wondering about recasting that parable. Is the prodigal son the Church or the Defense Department or the Culture of Consumerism or a Deadlocked government that takes off with many of the family's resources? Maybe we could ask why he left--did he not fit in? was it his addiction to crack or alcohol? was he abused? Is it realistic to believe that he will be taken in? Who is the stand in for that father? In this moment, I'm wondering if stepping back one more level might help--what makes people hoof it? what does turning back look like? what does that welcome look like in the world of people who live at the margins? Hoping that in the wee hours of this night and through sleep, prayer and playfulness the word of God for the community I serve will come to me.
ReplyDeleteDone, thank Heavens. Attempting my first dialogue sermon with my new congregation in the morning, then home to grab lunch and finish final prep for the Ordination service. Now off to catch six hours of sleep before The Big Day! To all preachers and pray-ers, may you be bouyed by the Holy Spirit. Blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteBlessings on your big day tomorrow.
Deleteand I haven't forgotten that I promised to send you some clergy things--sorry I haven't done it yet!
Just checking in. Pulled all my thoughts from earlier in the week on FB. My thoughts + the thoughts of others that I helped with make = 1128 words. I need some order a little more clarity, then I'm good to go. I'm in the Narrative Lectionary, so I'm on the rich man and Lazarus.
ReplyDeleteGood news/bad news combo? Justin Timberlake is on SNL tonight. Best. host. ever. There goes my night.
I had a couple of days of continuing ed...with Brian McLaren. Amazing! Home late but I finally posted here
ReplyDeleteWe are in a blizzard zone...so this sermon may actually be next week's sermon if we end up canceling worship. Our crowd does not need to be out and about in weather like that...so we will see.
Almost tomorrow and almost DST which means I am should go.to.bed. but I'm still winding down after a week-end leading a retreat in Dearborn with Terri and colleagues -- we had a great time meeting and working together -- and then a several hours computer glitch. Tomorrow is youth Sunday so all I have to do is show up in the am -- and lead worship in the pm, for a community service being preached by someone else -- so my Luke 15 sermon awaits our Wednesday evening service.
ReplyDeleteGrumpily taking myself to bed later than I wanted to because of DST, but not unexpected. I have good direction for my sermon, but I don't like my intro. I'm not going to worry about it though. I needed to just get into it. If something better comes along I'll switch it out. If not, showing how I struggled with the text isn't a bad things at all. I just don't like to start with something that sounds like whining. No big worry.
ReplyDeleteOK. I'm up again. Coffees on and there is hot tea too. May all of you who have lost an hour recover it at Holy Nap time. And blessings, MaineCelt on your ordination. Hope you get time to recover from all the buzz.
ReplyDeleteMay we all be blessed in hearing and preaching the word of God.
That took 3 attempts to publish - and some of the comments I left last night have disappeared!
ReplyDeleteSomething is wonky! I just had mine disappear while I was writing it.
ReplyDeleteI'm moderating the comments. I found a couple stuck in moderation that I put back up. The only ones I deleted are those that were obviously spam, so I'm not sure what happened to yours, Liz.
I'll go look and see if there's anything stuck behind the scenes.
Thanks for the coffee -- MUCH thanks!
Blessed Sunday to each of you!
Sharon, thanks. Not sure that ipad and blogger play well together. Have a blessed Sunday. X
DeleteI'm up...I'm up...(said in a grumpy, whiny voice). I'm still groggy but I'm up.
ReplyDeleteI hate DST...seriously hate..
But God is always faithful, so I'm relying on the Holy Spirit and a dose of caffeine to get the energy levels up for worship. May the Holy Spirit do the same for everyone preaching and leading worship this morning!
3 more weeks, Ramona and I'll be just as grumpy about DST. Hopefully the fact that it falls Easter Sunday and I go on holiday right after will help!
Delete