4th Sunday after Epiphany — January 30, 2022
When confronted with anger that stings, what would it look like to choose agape?
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Order of worship — January 30, 2022
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation. It is free for..
Daring to speak
My local library continues to serve me well. A few weeks ago, perusing the endcaps, I came upon Suzanne Nossel’s new book..
“Shaping Young People by the Thousands:” An Interview with Marjorie Hass
“Because they use the church as their only measuring stick, Presbyterians and other mainline Protestant religions often have a sense of decline..
Order of worship — January 16, 2022
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation. It is free for..
2nd Sunday after Epiphany — January 16, 2022
John 2:1-11 Epiphany 2C My friend, who is an Episcopal priest, posted on her Facebook page the Sunday after Christmas: “Just had..
The ministry of higher education
Ministry takes a variety of forms. Some are called to be pastors of churches, others, chaplains of colleges, hospitals, prisons or retirement..
Praying into 2022
God, you are our Alpha and our Omega, our beginning and our end. In this threshold moment as we pass from one..
Baptism of the Lord — January 9, 2022
Baptism of the Lord Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 My children’s need for love astounds me. When they were younger, I would lie down..
2nd Sunday after Christmas — January 2, 2022
Second Sunday after Christmas John 1:1-18 Preachers say they don’t like preaching the Gospel of John for the same reasons people say..
1st Sunday after Christmas — December 26, 2021
Colossians 3:12-17 Christmas 1C This will be the first Christmas in 23 years that I won’t lead worship. I always worked extra..
Q&A with veterans
Teri McDowell Ott interviews veterans Eric Hanson, John Kennealy, Jared R. Worley and Ryan Bronaugh.
4th Sunday of Advent — December 19, 2021
Luke 1:39-45 (46-55) Advent 4C My husband and I met some of our best friends, Nancy and Mark, in our hospital’s birthing..
Order of worship — December 19, 2021
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation. It is free for..
Prayer in response to devastating tornadoes
God, you are our refuge and strength, our present help in times of trouble. We pray for the people of Kentucky, Tennessee,..
Order of worship — December 12, 2021
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation. It is free for..
3rd Sunday of Advent — Dec. 12, 2021
Isaiah 12:2-6 Advent 3C Many of us distrust our physical selves, focusing too much on our minds, too much on our ability..
Tech watch: Obsidian app
A note-taking app that I’ve just started using is Obsidian. I use Obsidian to capture notes and ideas as I’m reading. I’ve..
A prayer in response to the verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial
“I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. But let justice roll down like waters,..
In honor of Veterans Day: Telling too much
“May God bless us with the courage to face these darker truths, so we can work side by side with our veterans to heal the wounds war leaves, striving for a world that embraces the path of peace.”
Tech watch: Ulysses
An app I use every day is Ulysses for writers. Some writers swear by Scrivener, but I like how easy Ulysses is..
25th Sunday after Pentecost — Nov. 14, 2021
Mark 13:1-8 Ordinary 25B; Proper 28 “We are in an imagination battle,” writes adrienne maree brown in her book “Emergent Strategy: Shaping..
Order of worship — November 14, 2021
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation. It is free for..
Change as catalyst for growth
New seminary graduates serving their first calls often exclaim, “Seminary didn’t prepare me for this!” When I first entered ministry, my things-I-wasn’t-prepared-for..
Order of worship — November 7, 2021
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation. It is free for..