Friday, February 12, 2010
The Madonna Meditation
This week I had the opportunity to get out of my head and into my soul. It was a really nice break. I turned off NPR and put in an old Madonna CD (yes, I use a CD player, not an iPod) and listened to a medley of songs that served a great purpose for me when I was working on my dissertation. I call it my "Madonna Meditation". As I have time, I will share.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Elder prayer for the communion bread
Prayer for the Bread
4/8/2007
Easter Sunday
Each week we come together around this table and reflect on what it means to us. But today is Easter Sunday, the day we celebrate what some understand as a miraculous resurrection and others understand as God’s promise revealed through metaphor.
Despite these differences, what we share in common today is the truth revealed in Easter. As we serve this bread to one another, let us experience the power of transformation where we fully recognize the energy of God flowing through each one us, an energy that challenges us to transform our world by seeking compassion and justice for all.
Amen
4/8/2007
Easter Sunday
Each week we come together around this table and reflect on what it means to us. But today is Easter Sunday, the day we celebrate what some understand as a miraculous resurrection and others understand as God’s promise revealed through metaphor.
Despite these differences, what we share in common today is the truth revealed in Easter. As we serve this bread to one another, let us experience the power of transformation where we fully recognize the energy of God flowing through each one us, an energy that challenges us to transform our world by seeking compassion and justice for all.
Amen
Questions
Questions
3/26/06
Great Spirit that flows through us and among us, you are the energy that binds us together. You are love.
God, throughout our spiritual journey with you, each one of us is confronted with questions. Sometimes these questions are exciting. They push us to explore with great anticipation of what we will find. But sometimes, God, these questions are troubling. They elicit anxiety and shake us to the core. I spent my adolescence in a church that discouraged the questions. As each one popped into my head it was accompanied by fear that I did not believe in you and therefore did not belong with you. I would apologize and ask for you to please forgive my questioning mind. By your grace, somewhere along the way, my perspective changed. I realized that you gave me that questioning mind and I concluded that my task was to make best use of it. So now, when I question, I thank you. I thank you for giving me the ability to think critically. I joyfully never accept anything without question.
Is that our path with you God? If we have all the answers, what would be left for us to do? If we know all with certainty, would we need faith? If we find ourselves without questions, are we on autopilot, missing an opportunity to know you more fully?
Amen
3/26/06
Great Spirit that flows through us and among us, you are the energy that binds us together. You are love.
God, throughout our spiritual journey with you, each one of us is confronted with questions. Sometimes these questions are exciting. They push us to explore with great anticipation of what we will find. But sometimes, God, these questions are troubling. They elicit anxiety and shake us to the core. I spent my adolescence in a church that discouraged the questions. As each one popped into my head it was accompanied by fear that I did not believe in you and therefore did not belong with you. I would apologize and ask for you to please forgive my questioning mind. By your grace, somewhere along the way, my perspective changed. I realized that you gave me that questioning mind and I concluded that my task was to make best use of it. So now, when I question, I thank you. I thank you for giving me the ability to think critically. I joyfully never accept anything without question.
Is that our path with you God? If we have all the answers, what would be left for us to do? If we know all with certainty, would we need faith? If we find ourselves without questions, are we on autopilot, missing an opportunity to know you more fully?
Amen
Unprecedented Access
Unprecedented Access
3/19/06
Great Spirit that flows through us and among us, you are the energy that binds us together. You are love.
God, you are with us every moment of every hour of every day of every week. You are within us and we are within you. But God, in the world we live in, you face fierce competition for our attention. Each week we fill our time doing our best to meet our responsibilities. And when it is time to “rest” from that work, we have 150 cable channels on the television, unlimited evening and weekend minutes on the cell phone, and 24-hour broadband access to the internet. The world has unprecedented access to us and is quite savvy at getting their messages through to us. But what about you God? We see you. We see you in the blooms of early spring, in the face of a child, in the peaceful passing of a loved-one. But do we hear you? Really hear you? Other than recognizing your presence in our lives and appreciating your grace, do we take the time to try to understand the messages you are trying to get through to us? Amidst all of the noise of our daily lives, when you whisper into our hearts, can we find your voice amongst the e-mail and the voicemail? God, help us to structure our lives so that we come to rely on a sacred space with you, a space where we can hear you without interruption, without distraction, a space where we are not available to the world through ordinary means, but that you are the one granted unprecedented access to us.
Amen
3/19/06
Great Spirit that flows through us and among us, you are the energy that binds us together. You are love.
God, you are with us every moment of every hour of every day of every week. You are within us and we are within you. But God, in the world we live in, you face fierce competition for our attention. Each week we fill our time doing our best to meet our responsibilities. And when it is time to “rest” from that work, we have 150 cable channels on the television, unlimited evening and weekend minutes on the cell phone, and 24-hour broadband access to the internet. The world has unprecedented access to us and is quite savvy at getting their messages through to us. But what about you God? We see you. We see you in the blooms of early spring, in the face of a child, in the peaceful passing of a loved-one. But do we hear you? Really hear you? Other than recognizing your presence in our lives and appreciating your grace, do we take the time to try to understand the messages you are trying to get through to us? Amidst all of the noise of our daily lives, when you whisper into our hearts, can we find your voice amongst the e-mail and the voicemail? God, help us to structure our lives so that we come to rely on a sacred space with you, a space where we can hear you without interruption, without distraction, a space where we are not available to the world through ordinary means, but that you are the one granted unprecedented access to us.
Amen
Walking, wading, floating
(Lenten theme: water)
3/12/06
Great Spirit that flows through us and among us, you are the energy that binds us together. You are love.
God, this Lenten season our community is looking to water to help us to understand the ways that we are connected to you. As I mediated on this idea this week, my thoughts brought me to a pool. When I first step into the shallow end of a pool, my feet feel heavy. As I keep wading in, deeper, I feel the resistance of the water against my body as I move. For each step I take I work harder than I would if I were walking on land. But if I keep wading in, deeper and deeper, I realize that my burden is lifted. I have become weightless, and the water that seemed to be weighing me down is now supporting me, and holding me up.
Is this a parallel for our walk with you God? When we walk with you, you challenge us. You call us to search our hearts and minds. You call us to be compassionate, to fight for the powerless and to speak for the voiceless. Sometimes, God, this walk can be overwhelming. Sometimes, God, this walk makes us work harder that we would if chose not to wade in at all. But, if we keep going, wading deeper and deeper into you, we find ourselves surrounded by you. We find ourselves held up by you, floating, weightless, because we had the faith to keep wading in.
Amen
3/12/06
Great Spirit that flows through us and among us, you are the energy that binds us together. You are love.
God, this Lenten season our community is looking to water to help us to understand the ways that we are connected to you. As I mediated on this idea this week, my thoughts brought me to a pool. When I first step into the shallow end of a pool, my feet feel heavy. As I keep wading in, deeper, I feel the resistance of the water against my body as I move. For each step I take I work harder than I would if I were walking on land. But if I keep wading in, deeper and deeper, I realize that my burden is lifted. I have become weightless, and the water that seemed to be weighing me down is now supporting me, and holding me up.
Is this a parallel for our walk with you God? When we walk with you, you challenge us. You call us to search our hearts and minds. You call us to be compassionate, to fight for the powerless and to speak for the voiceless. Sometimes, God, this walk can be overwhelming. Sometimes, God, this walk makes us work harder that we would if chose not to wade in at all. But, if we keep going, wading deeper and deeper into you, we find ourselves surrounded by you. We find ourselves held up by you, floating, weightless, because we had the faith to keep wading in.
Amen
The Holiest of Waters
(Sermon theme: baptism)
3/5/06
Great Spirit that flows through us and among us
You are the energy that binds us together
You are love.
God, we all share a common bond.
At our births, each of us emerged from the holiest of waters.
Born to begin a journey of discovery,
A journey that, at times, is riddled with pain and confusion
While at other times is blessed with joy, peace, and clarity.
Each of our paths of this journey is unique,
Shaping us into who we are
In this place
Today.
God, is it no accident that we return to holy, sacred water
To proclaim our connection to you,
Through re-birth
Re-emergence
Baptism
Where we begin our journey
Again
And again
And again?
Each day is a gift,
An opportunity to walk our path with you and with each other.
We are so very blessed.
Amen
3/5/06
Great Spirit that flows through us and among us
You are the energy that binds us together
You are love.
God, we all share a common bond.
At our births, each of us emerged from the holiest of waters.
Born to begin a journey of discovery,
A journey that, at times, is riddled with pain and confusion
While at other times is blessed with joy, peace, and clarity.
Each of our paths of this journey is unique,
Shaping us into who we are
In this place
Today.
God, is it no accident that we return to holy, sacred water
To proclaim our connection to you,
Through re-birth
Re-emergence
Baptism
Where we begin our journey
Again
And again
And again?
Each day is a gift,
An opportunity to walk our path with you and with each other.
We are so very blessed.
Amen
Wishing this moment away
February 7, 2010
Great spirit that flows through us and among us
You are the energy that binds us together
You are love
Today we come together in this sacred space
For reasons as varied as each unique snowflake
That has gently fallen and blanketed us once again in
The beauty of winter
This week we faced, what was for some,
The devastating news that the groundhog
Did, in fact, see its shadow
An omen to signify 6 more weeks of winter ahead
The autobiographical postings on facebook
Reveal the waning patience of many
For the cold and snow to give way
To sunshine and warmth
But God, what opportunities do we miss
When we focus on what we do not have?
What is it, in this moment, right here, right now,
That we sacrifice by our choice to wish it away
For another moment, for a different day?
We are here
We have come to this place
Let us be fully present
To share what this moment has to offer
Amen
Great spirit that flows through us and among us
You are the energy that binds us together
You are love
Today we come together in this sacred space
For reasons as varied as each unique snowflake
That has gently fallen and blanketed us once again in
The beauty of winter
This week we faced, what was for some,
The devastating news that the groundhog
Did, in fact, see its shadow
An omen to signify 6 more weeks of winter ahead
The autobiographical postings on facebook
Reveal the waning patience of many
For the cold and snow to give way
To sunshine and warmth
But God, what opportunities do we miss
When we focus on what we do not have?
What is it, in this moment, right here, right now,
That we sacrifice by our choice to wish it away
For another moment, for a different day?
We are here
We have come to this place
Let us be fully present
To share what this moment has to offer
Amen
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