Author: SusannahDB

Tea on the Tiber

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Drinking tea forces me to slow down. I cannot gulp down a huge mug of hot tea. I must wait. Last week, I had the pleasure of enjoying a tea party with a dear friend. We slowed down. We savored. We laughed. We talked and listened. And, we drank tea. We stayed so long that we each managed to drink two pots of tea!

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I enjoyed Earl Grey Supreme. Yum. I did add a sugar cube to my tea for some extra sweetness. Our server warned me that I’d never be able to drink regular Earl Grey again. I haven’t tested out her theory yet. My tea party friend enjoyed her Black Currant tea. It was a little too sweet for me (says the person who added a sugar cube to her tea).

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Our afternoon of fun took place at Tea on the Tiber in Ellicott City, Maryland. If you find yourself in Ellicott City and want to share a cup of tea, give me a call and I will join you.

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My pictures from the day include multiple pictures of the sunny room where we didn’t have tea and the library where we also didn’t have tea. We were on the second floor. We did take a walk up the steep stairs to the third floor which is a tea room and play room for children. It made me want to host a children’s tea party!

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While I may not be able to enjoy a cup of tea at Tea on the Tiber with all my readers, I do hope this post inspires you to slow down, spend some time with a friend, laugh a little (or a lot), and enjoy a favorite beverage!

Worship Words-A Prayer of Frustration

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All of us get frustrated. Maybe this prayer doesn’t reflect your feelings today or maybe it is exactly how you feel today. Whenever you are feeling frustrated, let this prayer be your prayer.

 

God,
Sometimes I get so frustrated with other people. Why do they say one thing and do another? Why do they hurt each other? Why do they not give enough money to the church and other worthwhile organizations? Why do they ignore the pain in the world? Why do they start arguments and never listen? Why won’t they volunteer? Why do they only care about themselves?

Oh God, I hear you. I am they. These faults I see in others are my faults. Forgive me. Help me forgive others. Help me forgive myself. Ease my frustration with all your children including myself. In the merciful name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

 

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Worship Words-All That We Let In

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Sunday’s Sermon at Takoma Park Presbyterian Church

Scriptures-1 Corinthians 12:12-31a and Luke 4:14-21

For many of you this may be the first time you’ve heard much from me. It isn’t easy to write a sermon that is a get to know you sermon that explains my philosophy about youth ministry and mission trips, what I love about cooperative youth ministry, and ties it all in with two Scriptures from the lectionary. And still I’ve accepted the challenge and am giving it a go.

 

I believe we are all important members in the body of Christ. For my entire ministry I’ve found myself called to work with a specific portion of the body of Christ-youth. And yet, when you work with youth you don’t just work with youth. You work with the parents of youth, the grandparents of youth, younger and older siblings of youth, church members of all ages who you are working to integrate into the youth ministry while you are integrating the youth into the whole ministries of the church. Working with youth helps you to see how we all fit together to be the body of Christ. We are all needed. We all bring gifts. And yes, sometimes it is difficult when so many gifts are present at once and everyone wants to share their gift or when people don’t seem to recognize the gifts that they bring.

 

My call and gift is gift-awareness. Recognizing the God-given gifts in others and helping each person discern how to utilize that gift to God’s glory. This requires and works well with another passion of mine relationship building. Usually for me to see someone’s gifts, I must know that person. Relationship building requires time, energy, listening, and patience as we grow to know each other and see where God is moving in our lives. Lest you think I am bragging and listing a litany of my God-given gifts, I am aware that I am not the person you should call for any construction, plumbing, electrical, animal removal, cooking or a variety of other important tasks in the life of the church. This is the message of the 1 Corinthians passage today. Together all of us make up the body of Christ.

 

This portion of the body of Christ worshiping in these walls, TPPC, covenants with another portion worshiping only a few miles away, CCC, for youth ministry. Youth are typically defined as those who are in 6th-12th grade. During these years, youth will (often) move through middle school and high school and navigate all the challenges and joy that are associated with attending school and preparing for adulthood. Some people believe that this is a time where youth are becoming themselves. I believe that our youth are already called beloved by God and created in God’s image. While helping them to discover who they are and how they’ll use their God given talents in their lives, youth ministry is an amazing opportunity for the whole congregation to be involved in the lives of awesome individuals who help us live out our calling to be the body of Christ.

 

For me not only is relationship building one of my passions, I believe relationships are the heart of ministry. Youth ministry is the perfect place to develop relationships in ministry. It is as easy as presence, time, and listening. And in a ministry built on relationships time must be spent our relationships with God…faith development is essential. Faith development not just of the youth…but of those working with the youth, family members of youth, and the whole congregation. [Read more…]

Hope Tea

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For Christmas, I received Thistle Farms’ Tea Kit. Inside a handmade pouch are four different types of tea, 10 honey sticks, 16 empty tea sachets, and a spoon. Purchasing this kit helped five social enterprises in four countries.
Hope Tea is the first tea I sampled, and it is delicious! This Ugandan black tea is smooth and tasty. I steeped it for about 3 minutes and added a honey stick because that sounded so good. It was a rich caramel color. This tea is awesome. I was delighted to see that Thistle Farms sells it as a stand alone product. Yum!

A bit more information found on the website. “Hope Tea is a social enterprise in Uganda patterning with local tea growers to provide holistic education to vulnerable youth who face such challenges as poverty, high incidences of HIV/AIDS, unemployment and socially sanctioned violence .”

Be the Church!

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My heart breaks when I hear people say they can’t be who God created them to be and participate in the life of the church. And I believe this breaks God’s heart too.

God is the Source and Originator of Love. God loves you and wants you to be loved.

God created us to be in relationship. God wants you to be in healthy and happy relationships with others.

God created us with brains for thinking and questioning. God wants us to look critically at the Bible, at the world around us, and sometimes at each other, so we can all live in love and as Christ’s disciples.

What obstacles or barriers are we putting up that stop people from being part of the church community and experiencing God’s love?

 

O Love that will not let us go, help us to love each other as you love us. Help us to see each other as you see us. Help us to welcome each other as you welcome us. Break down the barriers that divide us. We want to make our churches places where all can feel at home, and we know this is only possible with your Spirit. In hope for a new day of acceptance and love, we offer this prayer to you. Amen.

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Book Review-Great Figures of the New Testament

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As one who commutes, I try to use my car time wisely. I was delighted to receive the gift of Great Figures of the New Testament by Amy-Jill Levine. Each of the 24 lectures are about 30 minutes long. This collection is part of The Great Courses series, and I highly recommend it.

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I first heard Professor Levine speak while I was seminary student. When she speaks her intelligence and depth of knowledge shines through and she speaks well to her target audience. In these lectures, she would refer back to something she’d already explained and also give you a quick reminder. This study is perfect for beginning Bible students as well as those who have studied the Bible for years.

She took stories and people I have studied and brought fresh insights. For example in the story of the Good Samaritan, she said that too often when we tell it we don’t emphasize how much the Jews and Samaritans hated each other.  “Who do you despise so much that you’d rather die than let that person help you?” Wow. That made me stop and think more about this story.

The CDs come with a course guidebook which gives you the scope, outline, suggested further readings, and questions for each lecture.

I would recommend these lectures for anyone who wants to dive deeper into the Bible. I would recommend these lectures for anyone who wants a refresher course with new insights into some of the most familiar people in the New Testament. I would recommend these lectures for Bible study groups who like to learn together and for individuals who prefer to learn alone. I highly recommend this course.

Worship Words-Psalm 27

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Psalm 27-A Reading

 

This is a reading two parts. Reader One reads select verses of Scripture from the Psalm which are in italics. Reader Two reflects on the ancient words.

 

Reader One– The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Reader Two-I trust God. I am afraid. I admit it. I want to be brave like the psalmist instead I am scared.

Reader One-When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh— my adversaries and foes— they shall stumble and fall.

Reader Two-I feel God’s presence in my life. Those who hurt me don’t always stumble. Sometimes, they are doing much better than I am.

Reader One-One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

Reader Two-I will ask these questions and share my fears. When I pray, I need to know God is listening.

Reader One-Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!

Reader Two-God, Are you still listening to me? Do you hear me? Are you tired of my questions?

Reader One-Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!

Reader Two-Are you there God? I am waiting and listening.

Reader One-I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Reader Two-Even when it is hard, I will keep believing in God’s promises. I keep believing that all will be well.

Reader One-Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Reader Two-I will wait.

Reader One-Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

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Practicing Lent

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Once again we find ourselves in the season of Lent. I’ve been talking with friends about what practices they’ll take on or what they’ll give up for Lent. And this morning, my husband asked what I was doing for Lent. For many years our combined practice has been to not eat meat on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent. This is a challenge for us as most of our meals include meat. I knew we had already agreed on that, so that was not his question.

My practice for this Lenten season is to intentionally hold one person in prayer each day. I am keeping a small notepad by my bed so when I wake up I’ll see the name of the person who I am keeping in prayer. When I go to bed, I’ll see the name again as a final reminder that I am praying for this person.

My husband’s Lenten practice is to remember that most people are doing the best they can. He is practicing this by being more patient with other drivers. When he described what he was doing, I asked how it went yesterday. He said he didn’t even make it home from work without getting angry at someone. We both agreed that this is why it is called a Lenten practice and today is a great day to start again.

So how are you observing this season?

 

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This photo was taken on a hot August day when I was stranded on the side of the road with my 1 month old niece, husband with a broken leg, parents, sister and brother-in-law. Thankfully, we had a few drinks and a bag of pretzels in the van. It took us hours and hours to get to lunch or maybe we should call it dinner by the time we ate.

This picture reminds me of the season of Lent. We start out with great intentions. Sometimes it is smooth sailing, and sometimes our plans are changed. We adapt. We learn. We rely on God as our constant companion for this journey.

As you journey through this season, I hope for you grace and peace for yourself as you practice what it means to love Jesus and follow him.

A Reading for Ash Wednesday

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Ash Wednesday

Based on Joel 2: 1-2, 12-17

 

One-What does God ask of us?

All-God wants us to turn back to the One who created us and who loves us.

 

One-How do we turn back to God?

All-We let our hearts break for the things that break God’s heart. We admit our wrongdoing and are merciful to ourselves and each other.

 

One-How will God respond?

All-Our God will love us, forgive us, and offer us more opportunities to love and forgive ourselves and each other.

 

One-You know of God’s compassion and mercy. Now what will you do?

All-We will live as God’s forgiven children always seeking to forgive each other and ourselves.

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Refresh Mint

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I received this tea for my birthday and it didn’t even make it to my tea cabinet before I sampled it. When you open the individual package, you are (almost) overwhelmed by the smell of mint. While drinking, you’ll catch a whiff of mint and enjoy a smooth cup of tea with a hint of mint. This tea is delightful.

The box says, “The rich flavor of the peppermint and the intensity of the spearmint jump, skip, and roll down the grassy hills while the warm hint of sweet tarragon wonders what all the rush is about.”

I appreciate the clever name and the calm feeling this tea imparts. I highly recommend a cup of Refresh Mint. And a big thank you to my dear friend for sharing this tea with me.IMG_4232