We have another guest writer for our newsletter this week! One of my colleagues in ministry, the Rev. Alina M. Kanaski, wrote this lovely article and gave me permission to share it with you all. Pastor Alina serves two churches: Chartiers Valley United Presbyterian Church and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, both in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ~~~ I started a new practice a few weeks ago. I … [Read more...]
August 3, 2020: Week 20 of Isolation
I've always particularly enjoyed writing prayers for specific occasions--our annual Longest Night service, a close friend's wedding, an interfaith meal, a funeral. There is a beautiful intimacy in being able to weave the words, stories, and imageries of a single family or seasonal theme or group of people into our conversation with God. Most Sunday prayers are fairly general, praying for the … [Read more...]
July 22, 2020: Week 18 of Isolation
While I am on vacation this week, I'd like to share this powerful reflection from my colleague in ministry, the Reverend Julie Gruber Delezenne of First Presbyterian Church in Warren, MI. She has also graciously offered to stream their Wednesday evening prayer service to our page this week (it is an immense blessing to be able to have a network of peers who have been so quick to offer help, … [Read more...]
July 16, 2020: Week 17 of Isolation
I have always loved princess stories. One of my favorite gifts that I've ever received was a copy of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" that my grandfather gave when I was small. There were not one, but TWELVE princesses on almost every single page, and twelve sets of gowns and shoes to boot. It's not my favorite princess story--I was always sad that the princesses lost their freedom and … [Read more...]
July 6, 2020: Week 16 of Isolation
In many ways, our daily lives look different this summer than they did a few months ago, and mine is no exception. Here are a few scenes of your pastor in action over the past couple weeks: Location: couch. The pastor holds up a small piece of fabric to the face of a stuffed mouse to see how much she needs to sew it a mask. 30 Rock is playing on her laptop. Location: church, exterior. With … [Read more...]
June 29, 2020: Week 15 of Isolation
In the first two months of isolation, I think I managed to read one book. Anyone who knows me knows that this behavior change was very out of character for me. I'm always reading something, often more than one at a time. I mean, there are the sorts of books one reads to relax before bedtime, but there are also the sorts of books one reads to learn something new, or the sorts of books one reads … [Read more...]
June 22, 2020: Week 14 of Isolation
Some of you may know that I keep a file of "sermon outtakes." Sometimes I pull out a joke that didn't fit the tone, or an extra illustration. Sometimes I end up going in a different direction and so I take out a section that was leading up to a different point. Sometimes I remove entire paragraphs for length. Theoretically, any of these outtakes could make their way into another sermon, so I … [Read more...]
June 13, 2020: Week 13 of Isolation
As I've mentioned before, I was in fourth grade when twelve students and a teacher were murdered at Columbine High School. I was too young at the time to fully understand the repercussions that the event would have on the rest of my education, but I did know that I could never again assume that I would be safe at school. But I think that what might scare me even more as an adult, more than two … [Read more...]
June 6, 2020: Week 12 of Isolation
"But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." Amos 5:24 has been flooding through my mind a lot lately, an immortal line of scripture that has been a favorite among many preachers over the millennia, including Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. We often think of water as something peaceful, like the still waters of Psalm 23, or gently rolling waves, or a … [Read more...]
May 31, 2020: Week 11 of Isolation
Some churches (lower case c) celebrate Pentecost as the birthday of the Church (capital C). Our church throws a birthday party for Jesus in January, but some churches throw birthday parties in May or June, with red-frosted cakes and extra candles, and red balloons and streamers and confetti. Red is the color of Pentecost, the color of flames and the Holy Spirit, a fiery new beginning being born … [Read more...]
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