Month: December 2011

  • ‘even the thorn-bush by the wayside is aflame with the glory of God’ (Prayer)

    Here is a prayer out of the Walter Rauschenbusch book of prayers “For God and the People: Prayers of the Social Awakening.” I believe at least the middle paragraph can be attributed to St. Basil. O God, we thank Thee for this universe, our great home; for its vastness and its riches, and for the…

  • Advice to Ministers – Hannah Whitall Smith

    Here is sound advice written to ministers, but really it’s good for any situation. “Years ago I came across this sentence in an old book: ‘Never indulge, at the close of an action, in any self-reflective acts of any kind, whether of self-congratulation or of self-despair. Forget the things that are behind, the moment they…

  • Quote: Presence is a Situation

    What a great quote to reflect on for Christmas and the arrival of God in creation. It makes me think about all of the opportunities we have had as of late, with the increasing unrest and protests in our country and around the world, where we are being called on to physically show up and…

  • Entering Christmas

    One of my favorite things to do is to prepare worship during advent and Christmas. This week I’m working on putting together somethings for our Christmas Eve Candlelight service and our Christmas morning worship. I’ve been going back through some of the worship plans for previous years and came across this beautiful quote from Oscar…

  • Moses, The Exodus and the Disappointment of Christmas

    Moses_ When Moses encountered the Burning Bush in Exodus Moses was faced with a traumatic situation. His past was now to be reconfigured in light of a new, profoundly life-altering experience. The unexpectedness of the burning-bush was exactly what Moses needed to call him to a deeper, more whole-self, a renewed identity and call or…