This fall a new hymnal is being published by the PC(USA) called Glory to God. A committee has been working on it for years. I’ve sung out of the sampler. I’ve checked out the song list. I’ve read the website and background. I grew up singing out of the blue Presbyterian Hymnal. When I walk [...]
I have already and will continue to throughout Lent put up some worship materials on the page “Lent 2013” under the Worship Resources heading at the top of the page. I am especially exited about Lenten Promise Cards, something I would like to see at Ash Wednesday services and during the first weeks of Lent [...]
As I’m preparing to graduate I have to do a graduation audit. I’ve discovered I’ve taken over 30 credits of “unnecessary” classes. Meaning, classes I didn’t need to fulfill a specific requirement. I did need the credit hours to graduate, but I think it’s really interesting looking over the classes I chose to take for [...]
Prayer for the Final Semester of Seminary Holy Sofia, who has stood by us throughout our years,guide our final semester of seminary. Help us discern priorities, keep a steady balance, and fight off senior-itis. May our hearts always be turned toward your warming love-light. Forgive us when we take our experiences for granted and when [...]
My laptop has been struggling for a while now. Last year I (and by I I mean “I got someone else to”) replaced an important part, and that kept it going for a while. Now it has stopped charging, slowed to a crawl, and goes nuts went I attempt to connect it to the internet. [...]
Below is the sermon I preached earlier this month at the CPM meeting where I was certified ready to receive a call. I got great feedback, and if I preach this again I will tweak some things. For now, I have kept it as I preached it. Will you pray with me? Holy Spirit, come [...]
Many Mainline preachers follow the Revised Common Lectionary, a 3-year rotation through the Bible including 4 readings a Sunday (Hebrew Bible, Psalm, Epistle, Gospel usually). But when someone tells me I can preach on whatever I want to, I usually go to the Lectionary and preach the text for that week anyway. Basically, I don’t [...]
Recently I have been reading through a Psalm each morning, and I find myself repeating a phrase throughout the day. Yesterday the phrase was from Psalm 28 “do not refuse me,” and it sparked the writing of this new hymn. This hymn is dedicated to the Presbyterian Church’s 220th General Assembly which is meeting this [...]
As many of you know the Presbyterian Church (USA) is meeting in our General Assembly starting today, so I offer this prayer for all the people involved and the decisions they will be making. FYI: used some inspiration from the Prayer of St. Augustine. A Prayer for PC(USA) General Assembly 220 Living God, Pour out [...]
Nurturing God, who gathers us up like a mother hen, today we give thanks for those who make Mothers’ Day a happy day, and we pray for those whom Mothers’ Day is not a happy day– For children who mourn mothers, For mothers who mourn children, For people who yearn to conceive but cannot, For [...]