A Prayer for Graduating Students God– For all those who are preparing to graduate, to move on to a new stage of life, to make large transitions, we pray for tonight. In anxiety, give a sense of calm. In frustration, give a sense of perspective. In fear, give a sense of peace. As they write [...]
A Prayer for the Empty Not even a week into Lent, God, and already I feel myself struggling, I see others struggling. Friends having hard times, work, school, family, field ed, ordination track… It feels like life just keeps on dish it out– can’t catch a break. I hear others saying they’re empty– too much [...]
A Prayer for Chardon High School Oh, God, not another one… More teenage lives shattered by violence. Three dead. More hurt, “critical condition” they say. Whatever that means. And one life shattered by being violent. You can hear the echoes of pain in the news reports– how there were signs, warnings, unheeded. But honestly, there’s [...]
Did you learn anything about church government when you joined a church? Have you been a youth in or tried to teach youth confirmation? Have you ever wondered how in the world Presbyterian churches function? Then it might be a good idea to stage a “Pizza and Polity” event in your church or presbytery!! What [...]
Unstructured Unsettling God– In an overclocked world somehow I’m still unstructured. But not in the good way, not in a freedom kind of way, but in a chaotic kind of way. My reaction to chaos is to stand still, thinking it may pass me by. Instead I stand in the eye of the storm, knowing [...]
Lenten Prayer 3 How can I turn back, O God? How can I ask forgiveness from the people I’ve hurt? How can I expect people to forgive me? Sometimes I feel like an idiot–a stray word or unreflected actions damages relationships. Some days I feel like I can’t try any harder; Some days I feel [...]
This Lent I’m leading a study on the book Unbinding Your Soul by Martha Grace Reese. It involves a weekly group meeting, but the bulk of it is a daily prayer journal with all kinds of different spiritual exercises. So, in an effort to help my own personal walk through of this book, I will [...]
The Ashes on My Hand: A Prayer to Begin Lent God–I’m so tired of Lent. I’m tired of the individualistic religiosity I see in others and especially in me I am so frustrated by the Christianity I see on TV Saddened when I listen to political debates It is so much easier to point to [...]
I recently wrote a post about why people bother beginning the ordination process, and some of my friends who are in or recently in the ordination process have reminded me that the process of discernment is not as easy as it was laid out in the post. I have to agree, and I apologize if [...]
Are you kidding me with this contraceptive nonsense? Watching the news and reading material I am shocked by the Christian reaction to President Obama’s health care reforms which would make Catholic hospitals, colleges, etc. include birth control in their health care. Ok, maybe I should say I am shocked at the media Christian reaction. After [...]