Mark 10:35-45 Ordinary 21B; Proper 24 Thanks to this week’s guest writer! Shelli Latham is pastor at Druid Hills Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. Disciples — they’re just like us! The gossip magazines frequently feature photographs of celebrities doing ordinary, normal things like drinking coffee, walking the dog or pushing a grocery cart. In this week’s passage, we catch a glimpse of the disciples doing something just like us — asking a pretty goofy question. They ask Jesus for a favor, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory” (v. 37). It is typically not polite to point out a goofy question, but sometimes it is comforting to know that those who are the closest to Jesus don’t understand him or their relationship with him — and he loves them and trusts them to lead just the same. To frame just how out of left field this question is, it is worth noting two things that have happened in this chapter leading up to this passage. In last week’s … [Read more...]
Order of worship — October 17, 2021
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation. It is free for worship use. Please credit Shelli Latham and the Presbyterian Outlook. Download the PDF of the full order worship: Liturgy_10-17-21. … [Read more...]
“Seek good and not evil:” Family faith formation for October 10, 2021
(Note: if possible, have crayons, markers, colored pencils or paints and paper available for the second reading of Scripture.) Welcome Invite various persons to bring a designated item and use this liturgy as a way to begin your time of learning together. One: Come, let us gather around and see how the Spirit will nurture our faith today. All: Who is with us? One: Christ, the light of the world. (Place a candle on a table in your gathering place and light it.) All: Who is with us? One: The Love of God, who came to meet us in the world. (Place a cross on a table in your gathering place) All: Who is with us? One: The Wisdom of God, who speaks through the scriptures (Place an open Bible on a table in your gathering place.) All: Who is with us? One: The Grace of God, who proclaims we are children of God (Place a symbol of baptism – a bowl of water, a seashell – on a table in your gathering … [Read more...]
Me or we? — Weekly Christian ed lesson
Some of our middle school youth group students were recently preparing to read this week’s lectionary reading aloud during Sunday worship. After practicing a few times, one of the youths said, “Jesus frustrates me! He wants us to always be focusing on giving up everything for others. If we sold everything we had and gave away the money, how could we take care of ourselves? It’s exhausting!” She is not alone in her feelings. Many of us struggle with Jesus’ call in this text. It’s not an easy one, nor is it as cut-and-dried as it seems. In this week’s lesson, children will explore the challenges and joys of living into Jesus’ call to focus on the community’s needs. Begin your time with the children by placing a small snack in front of them — this should be one serving of a very small snack such as a granola bar or an apple. Ask the group who is hungry right now. Then, inquire about who might be hungry later in the day. They all must decide together: Should they save the snack or eat … [Read more...]
20th Sunday after Pentecost — October 10, 2021
Psalm 22:1-15 Ordinary 20B; Proper 23 Thanks to this week’s guest writer! Shelli Latham is pastor at Druid Hills Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. Most of us have found ourselves on either side of the following situation: Person A: “I have this problem. It is causing me deep distress. Let me tell you about it…” Person B: Wrestles internally with whether they are meant to provide a three-step solution to problem or simply be present. Sometimes we need the opportunity to vent — to speak our fears and anguish out loud without someone trying to tidy up the mess. That can be challenging for pastors/preachers. We often feel a sense of urgency to move past the dark and icky to the good news, and the lectionary for this week has parceled out the prescribed texts in a way that may leave us feeling uncomfortable and unfulfilled. This passage reads like a Good Friday meditation, ending in darkness with no resolution. So, it is unsurprising to realize that Psalm 22 appears in the … [Read more...]
Order of worship — October 10, 2021
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation. It is free for worship use. Please credit Shelli Latham and the Presbyterian Outlook. Download the PDF of the full order worship: Liturgy_10-10-21. … [Read more...]
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