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Saturday, June 15, 2013

11th Hour Preacher Party: If Gifts Could Talk Edition

St Mary Magdalene

Someone said casually to me the other day, "I'm looking forward to your Father's Day sermon this week."  I wish.  Really.  Now, as Sunday approaches, I am beginning to wish I actually was preaching a sermon with a Father's Day theme.  Little as I personally know about fatherhood, still, I could probably work it out.

I wish I knew very little about women offering gifts that are unwanted, not needed, misunderstood, misinterpreted, discounted, plagiarized, pushed aside, and -- at times -- walked out on and rejected outright.  I wish. Alas . . . 

Surely, there are things going on in this Luke story besides the smack-down of the woman.  

What do you hear?

What if the gifts could talk?

How unusual that there are women named in this scripture, and not so unusual that no women's voices are recorded.

So . . . let's talk!  Your voice is welcome here as are your various gifts. Share stories, children's ideas, prayer requests, and sermon starters.  If you are stuck, 'fess up!  We are here for you.

If you are a new-ish RevGal, please speak out and let us know you are here.  We want to hear from you!

The coffee pot is always full of deliciousness that is hot and Fair Trade, and the snack table is decked out.  Help yourself to some of that cake over there.  It's chocolate, of course! The 20 candles celebrate my 20th ordination anniversary this week. 

Welcome to the party!

[Photo by Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P.: Detail of the saint, holding the jar of ointment with which to anoint the Lord, by Sir Ninian Comper. The window is in the Lady chapel of Downside Abbey.]

134 comments:

  1. Ooh, I'm first! I actually have sermon written, but we're having amazing rather (seriously there's heat advisory because it's in the 80s). I'm betting there will be 30 people on Sunday morning. I have a eat sermon on forgiveness, but it might be a little long for a small crowd. What to do... Edit to a brief meditation and make the text available?

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    1. That sounds like a good plan, Julia. Heat wave in Alaska?! Wow.

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    2. Well, there's not a lot of time with the sun down for things to cool off. :)

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  2. morning all.... Sharon & Julia.
    second up
    Saturday morning in Scotland - the weather outside cannot decide what to do - maybe rain, maybe sun.... bit like me today really!
    The sermon I began yesterday - reads so wrong today!
    SO, I'm bak to the drawing board... lots of forgvieness issues going on amongst some of my folks just now. Don't know if I'm writing for them - or if I'm writing on the great gift it is to forgive & be forgiven and let the Spirit work her mystery over those souls....
    maybe I'm kidding myself - that's exactly it!!
    Coffee - in pot - fair trade - rich & strong
    chocolate macaroons (dairy & wheat free)

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    1. Yum, Country Girl! Thanks for getting the snacks going.

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    2. well - I have a sermon on the Power of Forgiveness... and in a little while I will try to work out how to put the blog link into the reply...
      Somehow I signed in as country girl instead of Julie today - how did that happen?!!

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    3. There is power in your sermon! Thank you, Julie, for sharing it with us.

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  3. I'm back from three incredibly inspiring and challenging days in D.C. with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, soaking in lots of information about and from an organization with which I'm very proud to be affiliated, and joining 200 people to blanket Capitol Hill with information and pushes for mental health legislation.

    Over the past few weeks, I arranged all (18) of our senator and representative visits. Often I paused in the midst of that thankless task to consider that I could have been doing something else at the moment, and that I wouldn't be doing it at all if my son hadn't died.

    And then -- to be with 200 people in the same boat, all of whom made up their minds at some point to get out of the beds we could barely leave after our children and siblings and parents and spouses and relatives died and to be part of the change -- it's almost indescribable. (But of course I'll make an attempt, in my blog.)

    I was reminded several times during these past three days that three years ago I was graduating from seminary -- one of the saddest and most painful evenings of my life, as my son was not there to share it with us -- and now, here I was on Capitol Hill talking up a storm, and . . .

    returning to the privilege of preparing a sermon, about which I have no idea. Justified by faith in/of Christ seemed such a good idea a week ago, and I'm sure there is some connection to this week, and I hope someone will let me know what it is!

    Good to be back.

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    1. Thank you, Robin, for what you are doing for mental health legislation. You all are saving lives. I look forward to reading more about it on your blog.

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    2. Thanks Robin - your words, your presence and the Spirit are opening us all up to knowledge, love, and sharing of the time that noone ever wants to share. And we are richer for your generosity

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  4. Saturday evening, 9.30 pm, and not long home from a Presbytery meeting all afternoon and evening - where I chaired the meeting and preached at the worship. so now to try and get my head back to tomorrow morning, and see if what I have started makes any sense.
    but given that tonight I ad-libbed most of the sermon, and went in a different direction, I wonder if it is worth writing anything at all. Of course I can't do that, as tomorrow morning my mind may go completely blank!

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    1. Good morning (here) and good evening to you (there), Pearl! Please let us know what you decide and how it goes. We always look forward to hearing your "first report" from Sunday.

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    2. I agree, I always enjoy hearing that "first report," especially if it includes a Sunday afternoon holy nap!

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  5. just had an e-mail from someone present tonight, " I really found your preaching tonight excellent, a great clearly articulated message" . great, but as I didn't preach what I had written, and I can't remember much of what I said, not much help at the moment.

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  6. I am a little slow going this morning - coming off a week's vacation (and a not so restful experience on the flight home). But, I love the Galatians passage - the part about "it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." I'm playing with that this week.

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    1. Good morning, Lea! I am also coming off a week's vacation, so I know that sluggishness. That is a profound passage, isn't it?

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  7. I have to go to the church work day this morning (downside of organizing it myself!) so I won't be writing until the afternoon. This week's hymns in the series are Take My Life and The Summons, so I'm preaching on call, using the call of Abraham and the call of the disciples. It ties into this past Thursday's adult ed opportunity too, where we talked about call and how you know something is a call and how you follow (or don't). I'm not really sure where that sermon is going, or starting, or anything about it other than what I've just written here, so it should be an interesting afternoon....

    Now, if the rain would just hold off long enough that we could get some work done, that would be great. :-)

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    1. Ahhh... But you get to sing (and preach) "The Summons" so it's Good no matter what else happens. :-)

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    2. Good morning, Teri! Please do check in later and let us know how it's going.

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  8. I'm up early to the sound of thunder...but it looks as if it will pass us for now.

    Our 12 Sundays of Summer countdown continues this week with 10. I'm using Luke version of the woman who lost one of her ten coins. Lots of ideas simmering...but today they need to find their substance.

    They are talking about rhubarb recipes this morning on the early morning show...a good rhubarb crisp...that'll work!!!

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    1. Rhubarb crisp = yum!

      Looking forward to reading yours later, Purple.

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  9. Up and getting ready to return to the Presbytery meeting. Ours are two-day affairs. We should be done around noon, then a couple hours to get home. No sermon written. No ideas, really. Preaching on the Luke text. I assume I will part of the late-night crew tonight.

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    1. Yea! The late night crew!

      Sometimes driving a couple of hours is good sermon thinking time. I pray that will be true for you today, Esperanza.

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  10. reading 1 Kings and Luke - thinking about being prophets. also this week is refugee week, so inlcuding some of the resources form our denomination.

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  11. sermon is done, it is too long, but it is close to midnight, and I need to get some sleep.
    being a prophetic voice

    I'll say hello again in the morning, which is afternoon for those of you in the US

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  12. A busy bunch already is here! I'm using Luke's story along with an emphasis on AA Spirituals as we have a special singer, Dr. Davis who is the father of one of our members. She is leading worship and that combo may be my 'nod' to father's day.

    Now while I can feel the connection between forgiveness, love, need for forgiveness (Simon) I am having trouble with the words that will connect the 'sins' of our past (national more than individual) to this story. So...while I"m off to write and a fresh cup of FairTrade, please add your voices if you have words for this connection.

    Robin, thanks for your work here in DC this week. I don't know if such efforts will offer any healing for anyone but I do trust that they will bear fruit in the decisions of legislators..someday at least.

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    1. Good morning, Rev. Nancy!

      With regard to national sin -- trying this: Simon was willing to let things be the way they are -- after all, that's our traditional way of doing things -- yet, Jesus was about calling out what doesn't give life, forgiving, and welcoming new orders of things, even before "the old system" was willing, or even understood what was going on. Very rough thoughts, to be sure!

      Please keep us posted!

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    2. NICe, thank you Sharon, this helps!

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  13. Good morning, everyone!

    It is a sunny muggy day in New Orleans (85 degrees and 67% humidity at 9:30 a.m.), and I'm not going to complain! I said I wanted warm weather, so here it is in abundance.

    Our congregation is doing a summer series on "Favorite Things." We did a survey of people's favorite hymns, so each of the hymns this summer is someone's favorite hymn.

    For the sermons, I'm using the lectionary to identify favorite things that show up in the texts. This week's favorite thing is "Smack-downs" because there's a lot of that going on in this text. I also hope to connect with Jesus' life-giving smack-downs: Mary's old life, the "mighty ones", our own sin, death itself. That's the plan, anyway. It's still in my head.

    Making more coffee for you and putting out some fresh New Orleans beignets covered with lots of powdered sugar. And napkins. Help yourselves!

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  14. Good morning all!
    What is in my head is the power of knowing we each need to be forgiven. On paper- nada
    Beloved Husband is driving my mom here from Upper Michigan for my installation and to spend a month with us. They got caught in that crazy storm in Iowa last night. Had to seek shelter in a travel plaza for a few hours then could not find a motel for over 150 miles. They should be here by mid afternoon so I need to get this done.
    Sharon- beignets. Yum!!! So looking forward to sharing some with you in January!

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    1. Yes, Celeste, January, woo-hoo!

      Special time for you in your new congregation. I am so happy for you and for them!

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    2. Oh my, that is a LONG drive...and the storm was awful. I'm glad they are almost where you are...hope the sermon falls into place in a timely manner.

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  15. Hello All
    It has been a long time since I have been here - I am back from a year long maternity leave and looking forward with some trepidation to my first Sunday back tomorrow.
    I have decided to focus on the Kings reading - anyone else? Something about Jezebel got me this time - and I am using her name in vain as I talk about the poor/sinful choices we make because we think we are entitled or privileged or just think we can get away with it. We here in Canada have such wonderful examples of this as members of our Senate have been caught in improper expense claims and some mayors of our largest cities have been exhibiting questionable and some would say criminal behaviour.
    I am trying to get to the grace of God in the midst of poor choices...

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    1. Best wishes, Heather Joan, your first Sunday back! Sounds like you are on your way with this one.

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    2. Welcome back, Heather Joan...and, what Sharon said!

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  16. First draft done. Minor changes to come later on I am sure.

    I've been sorting this week. Files and files from seminary. Keeping a few things but the recycle center will see me this week. I have been "seeing" all this stuff I have. Too much stuff.

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    1. I hear that. I'm the one with the storage unit, something I never thought I would have. Trying to get out from under that one.

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  17. Help! I'm having an exegetical crisis regarding the Luke story:

    The woman does this extravagant thing for Jesus. Then Jesus tells this story about the one who was forgiven more, leading Simon to say that the one who was forgiven more is the one who loves more. Then Jesus tells Simon all the ways that the woman has (already) shown Jesus great love and says, "Her sins, which WERE many, HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, hence she has shown great love." Then Jesus says -- supposedly to HER -- "Your sins are forgiven."

    My question: It seems to me that it makes more sense that Simon would be the one being forgiven at this point. What has she done to *need* more forgiveness? Or forgiveness again?

    I wonder if the "to her" direction of that is *not right*? I don't guess any of that will get in the sermon, but this doesn't make sense. Am I missing something?

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    1. So afraid that this is old news that's already been figured out by everyone except me. Ack!

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    2. Sharon, I think you are reading with a prophetic lens and hearing the text through that - excellent.

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    3. You could go down the the classic sacrament of penance response:
      that while the actions demonstrate her contrition [classic sign = tears]
      and also act as a way of both confession and satisfaction [confessing her gratitude through her costly actions as well as making satisfaction]
      the forgiveness/ absolution in the words of Jesus recognise that which has already taken place and looses that which had been bound.

      Alternatively - I'd go down the route that while Jesus noted that she'd already been forgiven, the re-statement acted as a way of reassuring her. So, a means of comfort and consolation that she truly had been forgiven...

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    4. Thanks, Terri & Nik. I appreciate your responses.

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  18. Good afternoon preachers! It's a beautiful day here after LOTS of rain this week, and I started the day with a good run--good for my body and time to think as well. Grateful for that because it has been a roller coaster of a week.

    So I'm working on Kings. I set things up last week by talking about prophets and putting Kings in context, and there was a natural link between the OT and gospel readings last week which made things work out well. This week that link is not so obvious, and I think I'm going to stick mostly with the OT which is unusual for me. Thinking about what it means to get what we want by any means, and then about God's forgiveness (since Ahab does eventually repent) (and there is the link to the gospel, too.) Not sure how it is all going to work out....

    Looking forward to three days at the beach this week, and praying for good weather!

    Not much in the way of snacks here but plenty of Coke Zero!

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    1. Three days at the beach, RDM, is something to look forward to, for sure.

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    2. Three days at the beach, sounds divine! So sorry for your roller coaster week....

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  19. I have a sermon. In spite of myself, I got into the faith in Christ/faith of Christ thing. Because it is, in fact, entirely what my own faith is about.

    They won't like it. If they understand it. I feel like a terrible preacher today.

    But I'm blogging about D.C.

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    1. I look forward to reading that, Robin!

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    2. Robin, sometimes you just have to preach the truth as you understand it. I bet someone hears it and appreciates it..even if most won't.

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    3. Thanks; I'll just remember that.

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    4. What Terri said...and the Holy Spirit has your back!

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  20. I am so not into the "smack-down" of the woman and even feel a bit riled up from the commentary in Feasting on the Word - although one was almost okay. In fact the commentary made me think: who is to say that the woman 'slunk" in? Whose to say what her sin actually was...after all I think some would have considered midwifing and birthing babies to gentiles (because of the touching of blood, etc) to be an unclean activity and therefore "sinful." Anyway, I decided to talk a bit about how frightened she may have been, but how brave she also was BECAUSE she walked into that room. Because she anointed and washed Jesus' feet, because she felt love and compassion. Brave. And also, (which came frome FoW), the idea that Jesus honored her presence and thus gave her her identity (back)as a beloved of God.

    Anyway, it is summer and I am going into three services mode: 8am chapel, 9am outdoors (very short family friendly - trying to keep the kids in church over the summer), 10am chapel (because the chapel is air conditioned, the church is not). So I have one short homily for 8 and 10 and an even shorter one for 9am outdoor - really just two questions for people to discuss among themselves and a tiny summary of Luke, along the lines of what I said above.

    Thanks for hosting, Sharon!

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    1. With you on FotW this week...sigh...

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    2. That sounds like a great plan, Terri.

      Along those lines: "The Message" calls her "a harlot" -- not in the text at all! -- and others call her a "bad woman" or a woman who led a "sinful life" or "bad life" -- which is taking it to a place that the Greek does not go.

      My New Testament prof would have said that those "translations" know too much; that is, they say more than we actually know about her.

      Whatever else she was, she was indeed courageous and extravagant.

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  21. I'm focusing primarily on our weeping woman. Dividing the sermon over the course of worship:
    pt1 is a monologue from the pov of the woman
    a wee while later...
    pt2 is Simon's outraged response
    a wee while later...
    pt3 is me trying to tie stuff up - this bit really only needs to be c.8 minutes. I've got about 5 minutes but slightly out of sync - so have the ending and the beginning, but this middle bit is annoying me...
    Basic sense of the thing is following the idea of sin and being tainted [title of sermon 'tainted love' and yes, there *is* an alternative sermon jigging about my head making use of the lyrics, lol]...
    *ahem*
    anyhow...
    that Simon and co are a tad horrified that they will be tainted by association ...
    that the woman touching Jesus is tainting him...
    that in the mystery of the incarnation, God in Jesus is prepared to be in the world and get his hands dirty...
    that as followers of Jesus, we can't ring-fence the church to preserve and protect its purity: we're also called to get our hands dirty.
    Or some such...

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    1. Getting our hands dirty because that's what Jesus did on our behalf. What a concept, Nik.

      I hope I can keep mine to 5-8 minutes, too. It would be much appreciated on a very full day.

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    2. ah, but Nancy, I am so very tempted to fit in the line:
      'don't touch me please I cannot stand the way you tease me' :)

      On a deeply theological point re penance/repentance:
      'once I ran to you, now I run from you' does work as an excellent metaphor for the human turning towards God, who, in that turning beholds the beauty of holiness and is suddenly aware of their own unholiness.
      You know it works :D

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  22. Here is th4e question I want to give an answser to tomorrow:
    Forgiveness, Justification, Grace -- what do those words mean to you in the life of faith?

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    1. Sounds very meaningful, Gord.

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    2. they would be if I knew what answer I was going to give.......

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    3. That cracked me up!

      Any progress??

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  23. meh, it's a bit of a dog's breakfast, and rather general, but it'll preach...
    suggestions always welcome!
    You can find it here

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    1. It went down very well, Nik. I left you a comment over there.

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    2. So you did - thanks Sharon.

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  24. WIth a nod to Herman Melville and Captain Ahab's fixation on killing Moby Dick, I have a draft mostly following the idea I shared above. Hurrah! There is a subtext about acting badly to achieve what you think is a positive goal (whether it actually is or not) for those who can hear it, but I'm not sure it will be heard. And that's okay for now...

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    1. I'l love to read your sermon if you've posted it, but I've forgotten the name of your blog.

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  25. I am amazed at what I thought was important enough to keep in the form of class notes etc six years ago when I graduated from seminary. Glad to have a recycling place in tiny town.

    Re-read, corrected, edited, and posted Ten Coins

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  26. I believe that I've read and commented on all the sermons that have been linked so far. Please let me know if you think I have missed yours. I love reading them!

    Mine is still in the compost stage and needs to be turned over a few times before it's ripe and ready.

    Meanwhile, I have a little social life for a couple of hours that involves some New Orleans gumbo and laughter. Inspiration, that.

    Keep the party going for awhile, and I'll take the late evening shift.

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  27. morning all, or afternoon or evening depending on where you are.
    I just took the middle few paragraphs out of the too long sermon, all the 'what we might do', and added a few more lines to my version of I have a dream.. , wish I had thought of it a few days ago so it could have percolated a bit, but I think it will get people thinking.
    I may just have time to find a recording of the MLK speech.

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    1. Pearl, I know that feeling of wishing for more percolation time.

      Many blessings!

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  28. Back home from the Presbytery meeting, still no sermon written, nor thought through. It was a bit of a contentious meeting, which leaves me rehashing it all the way home. Sigh. Kids are grumpy. Hopefully bedtime will go smoothly and some sort of Spirit delivery will happen shortly thereafter.

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    1. I read that as "Spirit of delivery" and was going to invoke her myself!

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  29. okay, I'm home and had a bit of an unauthorized nap. I'm sticking a pizza in the oven for dinner because I can't handle the thought of making dishes, washing up, AND writing a sermon tonight. sigh.

    It occurs to me that since there is a screen rigged up for VBS, I could just show a video. haha. probably not the best idea, but it's floating around out there in my brain anyway....

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    1. Unauthorized nap...love it. I do believe I had one of those myself today. Oops.

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  30. Sigh, just spoke to someone whose been in the hospital then rehab for over a week along with her husband and unable to get me. Evidently the church phone (Verizon message system) is not working. and without all her stuff she didn't have my home/cell number. so sad but I will see her soon. Guess another call to verizon is in order!

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    1. Yuck! And there's no real way to know unless, when it's not working, someone tells you. At least you know now.

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  31. Hello, preachers! kzj and I are just back from a wonderful, if mentally exhausting, conference run by a team of community organizers, and I am trying to finish a sermon that is about 2/3s there. I just tuned Pandora to Fleet Foxes Radio, my go-to writing music. Let's hope I can get it done before I fall aslee....
    No, no. I am awake! I am awake!

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    1. Welcome, Martha!

      I was on Jimmy Buffet Radio, and now I'm trying out Fleet Foxes. Not sure I've met Dr. Dog before. Teaching this old dog some new things, it seems!

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  32. Grinding it out, that's for sure. Grateful our son still misses us when we go, but he is definitely all over my sermon mojo right now.

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    1. I just switched to Bach. It's supposed to be good for your brain. Or is that Mozart?

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    2. Yankees at Angels... it's gonna be a long night.

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    3. Hey there, Kathryn!

      At least you have a West Coast game to keep you company. We are here, too!

      And Bach . . . or Mozart?!

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    4. Someone said something about Klondike bars. Where are they?

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  33. just now getting started, ugh. I think I have a direction with love and forgiveness. But I need a place to start.

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    1. Purple (scroll up) has a couple of interesting (rabbinical, maybe?) stories in her sermon "Ten Coins" that might be helpful.

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    2. oh, thanks. I will check it out.

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  34. morning service over, now to think about Messy Church this afternoon. my task is the story and prayers. Before I go to Messy Church I weill visit a family whose mother died yesterday. they are part of a neighbouring congregation, but the minister is starting 2 weeks holiday. as I have met the family [daughter worshipped here until mum needed a lift to church] they have asked if I am willing it be involved in the funeral.
    and then I a looking frward to a having most of Monday off.

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    1. Peace to you and to them during this time.

      Monday off! I will be looking forward to that myself.

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  35. I have a CD somewhere called Mozart makes you smarter, maybe I should find it :)

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  36. After an AWESOME day at the Boise PRIDE Festival, I'm home and working on Naboth's vineyard.
    Another pastor asked me this week "how can you preach this text? It isn't the Good News".
    But I believe it must be. So I'm trying to figure that out. I think it involves acknowledging that Ahab is yet another Biblical character who is not perfect. And yet American Christianity holds up perfection as the only acceptable model.

    Instead, I think Ahab needed a church, rather than people who would tell him what he wanted to hear. He needed people to call him to his better self. So we can bring our imperfect selves to church and love each other and be loved (and corrected) by each other.

    That's the plan. We'll see how it shapes up.

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    1. Hey there, Marci. So happy that Boise PRIDE was a great day!

      Your direction for Ahab is where it seems that I'm headed with the "Simon and the woman" in Luke, with Jesus calling both of them to their better selves. The "church love" piece is a connection that I needed to hear. Thanks!

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  37. Good evening preachers, I'm just getting to my sermon. I've had ideas rolling around in my head throughout the week, but even though the different ideas have tumbled past each other, none seemed to have connected into something preachable just yet. Somehow I'm hoping the congregations I serve will hear something about places of profound grace that leave you changed (preaching on Luke 7).

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    1. Sounds good. May you get to preachable soon!

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  38. I just got back from vacation - relaxing, good visit with my best friend and I got to go to a bead show I've been wanting to attend for years. But, the 19 hour drive (over 2 days) has left me drained.

    OTOH - it gave me plenty of time to work on tomorow's sermon (which did not get written before vacation as planned). I'm continuing my sermon series on Elijah. Telling the story, fleshing out the concept of land as God's gift, and God's idea king as champion of the vulnerable - then asking where we are Ahab and Jezebel, following up with pointing out the times we act as Elijah. Or something like that. I'm just writing an outline - too tired for a manuscript!

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    1. Hi Ramona! Welcome back from vacation. What fun!

      Sounds like you are well on your way to having what you need for tomorrow. Yea!

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  39. I was hoping that the gumbo break would be as good for the brain juices as a Mozart CD, but -- alas! -- I'm getting sleepy and this sermon looks pretty raw, as in raw cake batter. Pretty sure it cannot be sliced and served in its present form.

    Still working . . .

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    1. Just remember that, sometimes, raw cake batter tastes pretty good...right off the spatula!

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    2. Yes!

      Note to self: Put down the knife and find a spatula. And a bib.

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  40. I've written something that will do. It's not great. In fact, it leans heavily on Rob Bell's nooma video "Dust" which, honestly, makes me just want to show the video instead of preaching. But since that's not exactly a viable option, I wrote something. It's fine. I wish I'd been able to work in more things currently going on (aka, the whole church, including the sanctuary, is already decorated for VBS which starts Monday), but I couldn't make that happen. next week, maybe.

    Now I think I'm going to flop down with a book...

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  41. Thinking about rule breaking sometimes being what it takes for kingdom breaking.... might preach sans pulpit.... 'cause that's a good idea at 10:30 Saturday night, right?

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    1. Almost anything sounds like a good idea at 10:30 Saturday night.

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  42. Hey, Sharon! I'm finally reading the post. Happy Anniversary!!!

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  43. I've been in South Dakota 2 years and still can't get used to it being 9:45 and still daylight! Really messes with my organization - it's still daylight, of course I have plenty of time to finish!

    Wrapping it up - lost part of the connecting part of my ending, but I think I may just jot down what I have and look at it again in the morning. I still have to unpack! And spend a bit of time with my spouse!

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  44. OREO KLONDIKE BARS FOR EVERYONE!

    Martha's treat!

    Woo-hoo!

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    1. Toss one over here! Along with a pithy definition of justification if you could?

      Grace I got down. Forgiveness too (well at least an understanding that goes a bit against what many call orthodox Christianity). But a quick and concise definition of Justification????

      And can one with any sort of methodist leanings preach on justification and not talk about sanctification? Well obviously, because i am going to...but it just feels wrong somehow

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  45. I'm going to have to go. I'm using the church internet and I need to leave here before I am the last one out.

    Thank you for a fun party!

    I'll be back in the morning to get the coffee going.

    Peace & blessings, friends!

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  46. Still here. At the "so what?" part. Or maybe that's just the tired talking. Need to wrap it up so I can be somewhat coherent in the morning.

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  47. I'm here. Just showing up. I have a good start scratched out on paper from mid-week and mostly it includes going to a time of discussion and sharing, so I just need to set that up more than anything else. Trying to get my focus to do that. :)

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  48. I'm just showing up too, and I have nothing really. Just a few notes from a meeting I was at this morning where devotions were on this reading.

    However, I have already had a nap (long day including a wedding), so I'm optimistic about getting to sermon stage before 7 am. (Even though I did get spoiled last Sunday with having a guest preacher.)

    Now to read the comments, check a few more sources, and get going.

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  49. I think I have a really good image going, just can't quite pull it all together. Presbytery meeting brain damage, I think. I'm calling it a night and leaving it to you two real RevNightOwls. Blessings~

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  50. Still up and sleepless, and reporting in to say that I just looked at the local paper and discovered that I am probably the only pastor in the county not preaching a Father's Day sermon. I've never heard a Father's Day sermon. It wouldn't have occurred to me in a million years to preach a Father's Day sermon. Guess we'd better have one very long pastoral prayer full of Abba references!

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    1. Robin, Abi"s prayer for today incorporates fathers, and her prayer from three years ago is all fathers: http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.com/2010/06/prayer-for-fathers-day.html

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  51. My optimism was dashed when I fell asleep and just now woke up, without a single word written besides some very rough notes. Now I have an intro and I know where I am going...so let's see how this comes together...come, Holy Spirit!

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  52. Well. That just poured out. No pun intended. 1300 words of a sermon and I think we're in good shape.

    Crap. Children's sermon.

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  53. Nice work. Children's sermon will be no problem after all that!

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    1. Well hrm, it was harder than the other sermon, but now it's finally done!

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  54. I hear you Semfem. We celebrated Father's Day yesterday and I still have cookies to frost for coffee hour and two pages of handwritten notes on the Psalm. Whose brilliant idea was it to preach on the Psalm today, oh yeah, me. Sigh. Desperately needing my vacation that is 11 days away.

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  55. I fell asleep last night before I could post my sermon, but here it is in case it proves useful: Selah. It incorporates Psalm 32 in a look at the Luke lesson.

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  56. I'm back, have some 1400 words written out but the sermon is completely incoherent. It'll come together within an hour or two - which is all I have. Happy preaching all.

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  57. Good morning!

    Checking in this morning to see how everyone is getting along.

    Praying for all preachers today. Peace be with you and your congregations.

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